GardenKit

Have you tried Devon Hardwoods?

When I was a lad I used to mow meadow grass for hay using a cabless MF135. I would get eaten alive by these things. An old country boy said to slap them and rub them in around the bite area, they apparently contain their own anti-venom. It certainly seemed to help reduce the swelling.

Yellow last week, all Red today! I have just looked at my records, when these are finished I will have serviced 82 ride-ons since Jan 1st, thats nearly 200metres if lined up!

It sounds like the bottom bit you refer to is the clutch carrier. Your new clutch already has one with it. The central 'bolt' is in fact a hex head cast into the carrier, so its no good trying to hold the carrier and turn the nut, they are all the same thing. So you need to use a piston stop of some sort, even if only a bit of starter cord. to stop the engine turning, then using a socket on the hex undo it in standard anti-clockwise direction. Hope this helps.

As Rich says, your fault will lie in the bushes which allow the shoes to pivot, they will have rusted onto the bolt. There may also be rust between the edges of the shoes and the retainer plates.. Remove the pivot bolts, noting the positions of the shoes and the washers each side. Clean and lubricate the bushes. Clean rust from the shoe edges and the retaining plates. Smear lightly with grease and reassemble. DO NOT run the engine with the clutch fitted unless the drum is in place. The clutch will 'burst' and flying shrapnel will cause damage to anything and anyone near.

Has he managed at any time to get it going, and if so does it then work OK? Otherwise it sounds like a classic case of the I D ten T error. Sounds like he is pulling it with the choke still on even after the first cough. Its a very common fault with "I D ten T" users who just wont understand what they are told. Best get him to start it in front of you when he comes in.

But did the son use genuine belts?

Spot on Hedgesparrow, good advice:thumbup1:

Can the owner be specific about what the problem is Rich?

Rich, with regards to the MTD. Firstly, I HATE the things. Secondly, its difficult to offer advice without knowing all the machine details. but, in general terms the variable speed models are tricky to set up. The engine pulley and gearbox pulley are fixed, but the double centre pulley is on a radial arm so it can move forwards or rearwards and the middle sheave can go up or down. The rear belt has a tensioner pulley so dont worry too much about that, its the front one that has to be checked when stopped in fast, and slow gear. It must never be slack. In order for this system to work the belts must be fitted as a pair, and in my experience must be genuine parts. When fitted, the belts will pull either into the top or the bottom depending on the position of the varistor pulley, but at no time must the belt touch the shaft. A bit of playing about will eventually get them right, but they can be a right b**ch to do. Its a waste of time trying unless the belts are new.

Nice one Tractor62. Thanks for bumping the thread, I have not let it drop, just have not had anything to offer recently.

The problem with carb cleaner is that it evaporates quickly, and can also damage the surface of plastics. I find Swarfega Jizer water rinsable degreaser in 500ml cans to be very good. It disolves grease very well and stays wet longer. It can be blasted off with the airline rather than using water as the name implies. RRP £4.50 plus vat, but cheaper 'trade'

Yes Mike, most small engines have a decompressor of on type or another. This one is centrifugal, in the first picture the spring has set the lever to 'decompress' and the little metal tag at the top sits alongside the cam lobe but stays proud of the lobe, holding the exhaust valve slightly open. As the engine fires and the engine speed increases the small weighted lower ends of the lever are swung out by centrifugal force, which pushes the tag away from the cam lobe so it clears the follower, allowing the valve to fully close.

As Treequip says, if using ply, use phenolic. Not cheap though. I recently paid £42.35 plus vat for top grade birch 18mm. Alumium chequer plate is easy to fit over the top of a tatty ply floor but is costly too.

I had an interesting problem on saturday. I had serviced a mower with a 3.5hp Briggs Classic engine about 6 weeks ago. The owner called to say she had occasional starting trouble, so I went out to check. It would start fine for around 9 out of 10 pulls, but once in a while it would catch and pull the rope handle out of your hands with tremendous force. I have had similar cases many times, but never as severe. (It strained the ligaments in my forearm, they still hurt) Sometimes its carbon build up on the head, so took the head off, cleaned it, no different. Any way this should have been consistant. Sometimes the flywheel key has sheared just a little, moving the timing. Checked it, OK. (and should be consistant) Sometimes its valve clearance, so exhaust off and checked. OK. So... sump off and fitted new camshaft. Rebuilt and tested, now OK, Phew!!! What was the problem??? I dont know for sure, but I think the decompressor lever was occasionaly sticking.

One of my customers is the owner of a local auction site. he was in yesterday with a Mountfield mower he had just bought secondhand. It had a few problems. " one you bought at your auction, i suppose?" says me. "Good God, NO, I wouldn't buy anything from an auction" says he.

And of course, although probably started in the 60's, Captain Pugwash with his crew. Seaman Staines, Roger the cabin boy etc

I can't see much similarity in those two saws pictured, except that they are both saws:001_smile: You will find that component quality is much lower on the black one, with a shorter design life.

Tis easy done Ray. More than once I have found myself pouring the wrong fuel. I dont think anything has ever gone back to a customer though, which is the main thing.

Nice one Rich, a chance to use the proper spanners:001_smile: In keeping with the weather, todays input of machines for service is mostly yellow.

Remember 'Soap'? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vudJivvHWqI]SOAP - When we were younger, there were no such things as homosexuals - YouTube[/ame]

Slightly more grown up than the flumps, Dempsey and Makepeace.

yeah Stephen, Tom Sharpe wrote it in the 70's and it was adapted for a TV series in the mid 80's I think. Hilarious. I read most of Tom Sharpes books after watching 'blot'

Spangles... they were square and flat, with rounded corners and a little dip in the middle if I remember right. Think they were wrapped in that shiny greasy paper which would not come off if they had got too hot in your pocket.

I never like to blame anything anymore, just accept it the way it is. Had too much of that when I was a manager in a big business, blaming this or that for not reaching targets. But yes, i reckon you are right.