Lloyd mower dilemma.

[mikerecike]

Bought this non runner for the Honda engine.Planning to make a pressure washer from separate components.Got it home and fired it up without too much trouble but serious internal rattling.Anyway cut a bit of field effortlessly-dragged me along and great cut.Back in workshop gearbox oil everywhere and i reckon a bearing/seal gone?Can just see a bearing where it probably should not be. Am wondering whether to stick with engine plan A or fix the whole thing?Any opinions?Experience?

[scraggs]

Lloyds are very well built bits of kit, would be a shame to see that not working as it should do.

I ran a set of Lloyds leda gang mowers for years without any hassle, they were built like tanks.

[wrsni]

Try your query here.

 

Tends to be a bit intolerant of non-professionals but some on it that are extremely knowledgeable of this stuff and will help if possible.

 

Also a bit of a niche profession so don't give up if you have to wait a while for a reply.

[mikerecike]

Thats an interesting link.Thanks scraggs and wrsni. Definitely a different league of mower for me.

[harrythecat178]

Very well made mower with proper British engineering but unless you want to use it yourself, the engine is the only valuable bit. Cylinder mowers are a very selective trade, ones that dont collect even harder work. PS its a Lloyds Ariel mower

[mikerecike]

Cheers for that Harry was thinking it was maybe a Paladin.Yep its tempting to have a go at it but then where do you stop? Too many projects can equal no finished projects if I'm not careful.Cheers mate.

[hedgesparrow]

in good condition fetch good money better to do up than strip for engine.

where is the oil coming from is it coming from cover as gasket looks like it seen its day. there is a seal on the shaft from engine to mower. that maybe has gone can replace them ok. its the cylinder looks like it need regrinding. and a new botom blade. if it has anything to grind on it. aprox cost £100 for regrind cylinder bottom blade £40 so for £200 one good mower.

new looking at a couple of thousands to buy.

can not see clear is it a six blade or 11 blade the latter ideal wicket mower. cricket club always on lookout for these.

rolls royce of mowers. like a set of gang ones at right price.

[mikerecike]

Cover gasket had it yes but not spilling from there.I think its far left in top picture - where the drive leaves the gearbox to whatever the mechsnism is.If you look carefully it looks like a ball bearing has been displaced.I imagine that bearing failure also destroyed an oil seal and hence the leak?? Probably have to remove that left wheel for a better look and then new bearing/seal???A service manual or IPL might come in handy.Thanks hedge.

[mikerecike]

Update.Decided to have one more look before removing the engine.Wheel off, gear cover off and then read a plate which warned about leaks if overfilled with oil.The 'broken' bearing was the head of a split pin -should've gone to specsavers.The racket must have been from the very thin white watery oil.Flushed gear oil out.Washed with petrol.Repacked gears with grease -outstanding quality -never seen anything like that metal.Refilled with fresh gear oil to correct level (must have had 10x too much oil in there).Fired her up and cut half an acre in about 35 minutes -dragged me round.What a piece of kit.Can see why hedge called it a Rolls Royce. Very happy.

[pycoed]

The late Dick Walker of specimen fishing fame (caught the 44lb carp "Clarissa" which was the record for decades & ended her days in London Zoo only a few years back) used to be the Chief Design Engineer of Lloyds, so it's likely he designed that gearbox. A piece of history - look after it!