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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

BSA sloper engine manual

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Evening all

I have a Norton Villiers F12 maintenance manual that I have been working off but I discovered while reading another post today that the engine I have predates the manual. The engine I have is from the late 50s or early 60s. 
 

Would the technical data have changed, such as tappet clearances, when Norton Villiers developed the sloper? I am concerned that the information I am working off is not valid to this engine. 

Forums

wristpin Sat, 02/01/2021

If your manual is for an F12 it should correct for a Sloper of the era that you mention, but an image or two of your engine and one of the spec page of the manual should confirm it.

wristpin Sun, 03/01/2021

Manual looks right for the engine. As said on previous post, possible incorrect  carb, unless that was a standard figment before the oil bath air cleaner. Incorrect exhaust muffler and possible incorrect front roller.

Clive1962 Sun, 03/01/2021

The air filter/choke is interesting as on a sloper I have on a Mk4 20" Marquis there is an air filter with paper cartridge...It's a bit buried in a shed to check at the moment but the cover turned to choke.  At the time I was told that the filter element of that size was no longer available and the spares provider offered a basic gauze, choke, spring and screw kit as the only way forward using new parts at the time.  With limited curiosity use only expected I left the old filter in place.

I should say that the mower and engine I refer to was a bitsa project that I bought for a song, some 20 years ago at a local old time rally boot sale, that someone had attempted and then laid aside...so it could always be that my carb/filter was ex another application...Fourteen or Sixteen ?? 

C.

 

DJM275 Sun, 03/01/2021

Thank you for making sure the information is correct. Seems like someone fixed up the front roller and welded is all together as one unit. I would like to get a wooden roller onto it. The seized back roller isn't helping us much either but we are slowly managing it get it going. 

I recently saw some pictures of a Ransomes fourteen online and thought it was a great looking machine but trying to source one here in Ireland might be a bit of an ask. 

wristpin Sun, 03/01/2021

The seized back roller isn't helping us much either but we are slowly managing it get it going. 

Seized rear roller sections are the inevitable consequence of either no lubrication or using grease instead of the recommended SAE 30/40 oil. Undoing the "damage" can be a bit of a faff, but if you look through the back numbers of Grassbox on this site you will see my contribution "Ransomes Rear Roller Rescue".  

This was a particularly bad one that gave in after a two week soak in a drum of diesel!

wristpin Sun, 03/01/2021

The air filter/choke is interesting as on a sloper I have on a Mk4 20" Marquis there is an air filter with paper cartridge...It's a bit buried in a shed to check at the moment but the cover turned to choke.  At the time I was told that the filter element of that size was no longer available and the spares provider offered a basic gauze, choke, spring and screw kit as the only way forward using new parts at the time.  With limited curiosity use only expected I left the old filter in place.

I should say that the mower and engine I refer to was a bitsa project that I bought for a song, some 20 years ago at a local old time rally boot sale, that someone had attempted and then laid aside...so it could always be that my carb/filter was ex another application...Fourteen or Sixteen ?? 

I think that the assembly that you referred to was for an A15 Sloper and not the "classic F12" and would be on a Villiers B10 carb rather than an Amal. There are also slopers fitted with Dellorto carburettors with "doughnut" air filters and also Super Sloper A15s with the Villiers Junior Carburettors and a similar "doughnut " air cleaner.

 

Clive1962 Sun, 03/01/2021

I missed a chance, a few years ago, on purchasing a couple of removed A15 as per your drawing.  However I hesitated, couldn't justify my need, and they were gone the next time I was on my travels and passed by the Midlands garden machinery shop again...

The carb on the sloper I refer to has an Amal, but with paper element under a, turn to choke, cover.

C. 

wristpin Sun, 03/01/2021

The carb on the sloper I refer to has an Amal, but with paper element under a, turn to choke, cover.

Ah, I’ve got one of those on a Ransomes 16. I made a new element by cutting up and re- modelling a modern BS panel element. 

DJD Sun, 03/01/2021

Folk not conversant with regular mower work often don't realise that rear rollers need to have something on the inside where a split one anyway, needs a device like a very basic differential on a car, IE: inner and outer sections need to revolve at different speeds, otherwise skidding and spoiling of turf will occur, late Hayters use Sturmey Archer type bicycle ratchet mechanisms.

Others don't know or care that most mower engines are air cooled and do need grass and debris regularly cleared out of cowlings etc.