Skip to main content
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

First foray into lawnmower engine restoration - Villiers D07 4 Stroke

Enter a word or two to search the forum section and click the Search Forum button.

All,

Many of you know me as being a JP lawnmower nut...but to date this has been restricted to models and variants within models of hand push mowers.  A momentous decision has been by myself taken to venture into power mowers as many of the JP power mowers were built on chassis based around hand push mowers. The is not a light undertaking and is with some intrepidation.  I am a complete and utter novice on engines, my first experience of restoration on a motorbike (in the early 1980's) ended in a total disaster!!).  I have not touched an engine since apart from changing a spark plug....but its time to get really greasy hands....

My garage is reasonably well stocked with tools, acquired, given etc...but I am told I need a valve spring compressor for small engines.  Bowing to recognised expertise amongst club colleagues can anyone recommend a particular make/model I should purchase and where from?

The engines will be Villiers/Briggs and Stratton all pre-dating 1972 and a typical example picture of a Villiers D07 is attached.

Villers JAP D07 4 Stroke

Apologies to all in advance - I am likely to have a lot of questions

regards,

Tony

 

Forums

hillsider Mon, 02/12/2019

If you approach engine repairs sensibly and methodically I am sure you will learn as you go. Re valve spring compressors it is quite possible to manage without as the springs are are not massive on small engine, however it cane save skinned knuckles if you invest in a compressor tool such as the the one sold by Briggs and Stratton. I have owned one for many years and used carefully they work well.

https://www.briggsbits.co.uk/acatalog/19063-Valve-Spring-Compressor--78…

Antbr123 Mon, 02/12/2019

Thank you Hillsider - that is most kind and useful.. Christmas is coming and the relatives will be grateful for ideas from me!

Regards,

Tony

wristpin Tue, 03/12/2019

I second Hillsider's endorsement of the BS valve spring tool - a very useful "third hand". I've got two - "one for best" and the other modified for a particularly awkward application.

Another useful weapon, both for valve work and governor springs etc is a pair of locking forceps, known to the medical profession as Haemostats. At a down to earth price suggest that Father Christmas tries the local angling supplies shop.    

Boys' toys. Not always necessary but often make life easier!

 

Antbr123 Tue, 03/12/2019

Thank you Angus...Not that I wish to give you nightmares, but, your collection of tools reminded me of torture tools seen in the Tower of London and looks almost like  medieval medical instrumentation! I have a pair of locking forceps, being an avid angler during my mis-spent youth.  I can sleep easy - that is Christmas sorted for another year!

regards and thanks to all.

Tony