[vhgmcbuddy]

trusty220: can you please check the full name of the company you refer to as a very active machinery dealer, reason being I have a Howard brochure with a xx Holtum xx etc dealers stamp on it, sorry I don’t remember what the brochure item was, so can’t find it easily, but the name caught my eye at the time I got it, so I checked the names, it only has 1 T, quite different to the maker of the 3rd wheel conversion with 2 Ts. thanks Rod.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Thanks for the responses. I’m planning on taking the cylinder head off this winter to finally change the head gasket. I’ll take a look and see how the repair is holding out.

As it happened in the summer I needed a quick fix before the lawn grew too high!

[vhgmcbuddy]

I am genuinely amazed at your knowledge of such obscure machines.
Im a general trader and wish to sell it, any idea on value?
I have never bought one before but see similar regularly.
I can get pictures and post on here to see if there is interest a couple of days before sale, most of the sales I go to are not online.
If there is a spares machine or something I can buy and just strip the bits needed, post at cost and a drink for me. I’m not greedy but will expect a profit on the good stuff!
Many thanks
David

[vhgmcbuddy]

I’m unsure I don’t know about them
Thanks
David

[vhgmcbuddy]

Thanks guys, Today there is NO spark……….I have tried another 2 plugs and still no spark so its an ignition problem somewhere……….Now i am stuck

[vhgmcbuddy]

Video………..Hopefully this one works

Attachments:

1. img-2391-v1qrniarmov.compressed.mov

[vhgmcbuddy]

That worked a treat, thank you. All back togeather and have had it running, however it will now not run without the excess fuel engaged, every time I try to reduce revs to an idle and the excess fuel clicks out the engine dies. Any ideas?

Josh

[vhgmcbuddy]

Thanks a lot guys, all great advice, i’ll try this all and will keep you updated…..with good or bad news!
Thanks
Brett

[vhgmcbuddy]

Oh and trusty2020 I forgot to say, the ultrasonic cleaning was not foolproof as you said, soft fuse wire was needed to clear a blockage. Thanks again.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hello again, thought I’d give you an update. I have the Gem back from the mechanics now. He had done a great job, it fired up first turn from cold, then we let it settle down (had to adjust the carb again) and tested it out in a nearby field, what a beast of a rotavator!

He did warn me that he was still not happy with the mixture, it’s either good at idle or good under load, there’s no real sweet spot that I can leave it at, so I should expect to have to play around with the mixture a bit whenever I use it to get the most out of it. Not ideal.

So I got it home and gave it a go again.
It wasn’t running so smoothly this time. I set the mixture so it ran a smoothly s possible and started turning over some ground and it started hunting and nearly stalling
, the choke was opening and closing on it’s own while this was happening, then it started backfiring quite badly and died on me.
It’s stuck in a field now and won’t start at all….it’s a very expensive gren ornament if I can’t get it started, the Joy’s of old machinery!!

Any further ideas?

Thanks

Brett.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi Charlie, thanks very much for that. Here’s my email (I’m not a paid up club member so can’t pm you):

richard_wheat@hotmail.com

Thanks again

[vhgmcbuddy]

Oh, I forgot!

Thirdly, has anyone got any manuals for either the scythe or the engine (Villiers Mk12) or both?

Thanks again

[vhgmcbuddy]

Almost finished!

[vhgmcbuddy]

Thanks for the reply, I have done this and the governor is out and the link rod is out, how ever the rack is stuck completely to the right and pump is seized aswell hence why rack can’t be moved?

Many thanks
Josh

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi All,
Thank you so much for all your replies, i really appreciate them.
Yes, the mag was properly tested once stripped, i had already put in new points and condenser and they have now also bench tested the coil. The spark is now ‘superb’.

These points on the carb airways are where are kind of getting stuck at i suspect, the carb has been ultrasonically cleaned already, it’s coming off the machine again though to double check these airways as there seems to be a theme with these carbs.
I’ll let you guys know how we get on once it goes back on he machine.

Thanks for your informative help so far.

Brett

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