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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Suffolk punch self drive too quick

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I have recently bought a Suffolk punch 17s with a Kawasaki fj100d engine. All works ok but when I pull the bar to engage the self drive it is just too quick to keep up with. Does anyone know how I make the self drive a steady walk rather than a quick jog. I can pull the bar gently but it is hard to keep steady and I suspect will break something else

Any help would be great

Forums

wristpin Sun, 01/08/2021

Partially engaging the drive is the equivalent of slipping the clutch and you will wear the belt out.  The only way that you can slow it down is to change  one of the pulley sizes - a fairly major re-engineering  job.

DJD Mon, 02/08/2021

Or slow the engine down?

Look at carb to see if there's a throttle stop screw, NOT mixture control screw, and get it ticking over slower?

Maybe engine is bigger or more powerful than usual one?

Some mowers will still cut grass at tickover speeds.

wristpin Mon, 02/08/2021

Maybe engine is bigger or more powerful than usual one?

Some mowers will still cut grass at tickover speeds.

As you say,what’s needed is low speed and lots of torque . How about an engine swap to a Suffolk cast iron lump?  A 75cc one used cope with a 17” Cast Iron Punch and a 98cc one would walk it - in a manner of speaking.

Graham Tue, 03/08/2021

Thanks I'll have a look at the tick over speed. The engine is is the Kawasaki fj100d which seems to be the one is was sold with originally. 
 

Thanks for the help

Graham

 

 

 

 

Ian H Fri, 20/08/2021

Also worth checking that all the throttle cables are good and move freely.  If you can disconnect the throttle cable at the engine end and the engine slows down significantly, then some adjustment and lubrication of the throttle cable could be required, or perhaps replacement if damaged, eg. it has a bad kink.