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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

BSA Sloper F12

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Given that we all agree that the sloper was a lovely little engine, well built and engineered (apart from the tank issue). It was marketed as an industrial engine, flat head 6:1 cr so would run on paraffin.  What was the life expectancy say 3000 hrs? given oil change every 50 hours and non dusty air

 

have F12 ever been used on generators

 

has anyone come across a worn out f12 but still runs?   X Biker speaking here

ive read that the cousins can expect 3000 hrs from their Honda 4str gennies  so that 8hrs/day so they could stay off grid for a year before replacement

Forums

wristpin Wed, 08/08/2018

I've seen a few Slopers with considerable bore wear but still running and not over smokey. Certainly, in lawnmower applications, they are not overstressed and providing the air cleaners are properly maintained they have a good life expectancy. In terms of hours of use in domestic applications that is probably two hours a week for a 28 week mowing season. Most of the worn out Marquises and Auto Certes that we saw were either from local authorities or sports complexes where they were being used in multiple locations, often with multiple operators - everyone uses it and no one maintains it!

On many that come my way, there are one or more or all of the internal elements missing - not conducive to a long life but they seem to survive.

 

Chris G Wed, 08/08/2018

"have F12 ever been used on generators"

I've seen sale adverts for old gennies with Villiers engines so could be

wristpin Wed, 08/08/2018

I think that it’s odds on that Slopers were used in various applications but other than mowers  I’ve only ever seen them on Pattison spikers.

It May be a Horticultural legend but I was once told that a certain mower manufacturer  went to BSA requesting an engine with a specification  of x horsepower  that would fit into a given cube - and the Sloper was the product.