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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Villiers pull start

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Made a school person error having disassembled my greens zephyrs villiers engine to establish spark...can't get the pull start put back together order right. I Will now photograph the stages rigidly. All the parts are there I just can't for the life of me work it out. I've got a atco groundsman in the holding bay waiting for a serious refurb so any help appreciated. Thanks

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wristpin Tue, 18/12/2018

Unfortunately even trying to enlarge your image on the iPad doesn't immediately reveal whats going on - any chance of a better quality image? Also neither this nor your earlier posts give much info as to the the type of Villiers starter used on your engine but from what I can see it is the alloy bodied one most usually found on the Lightweights.

However it looks as though the recoil mechanism itself is all in position and that its the correct reassembly order for the parts fitted to the flywheel that's giving you grief.

The only illustrated parts list that I can find is also rather small and cluttered but working outward from the flywheel it shows a quite thick spacer / distance piece, a circular rotating gauze, a circular shim and then the alloy starter cup (aka auxiliary pulley) with internal teeth for the recoil pawls to engage.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v73q9hi9frrq333/Villiers%20lightweight%20allo…

I hope that this solves your reassembly issue.

Cameron Tue, 18/12/2018

Thanks. Yes All the parts are there. Its the reassembly order that's got me. Difficulty I'm having is working out how the starter cup is secured to the flywheel with the guaze part not having the triangular holes that can be seen on.the cover plate and cup. The insert bolt fits snuggly when assembled in the order shown working from right to to left but the cup spins when pulled as it's not connected by any means other as the central bolt. 

wristpin Wed, 19/12/2018

At the moment I can't find an illustration to match your parts exactly but all the ones that I have show a washer under the head of the centre bolt which would apply more clamping force between the starter cup and flywheel.

Could it be that your centre bolt is bottoming before clamping?

It has belatedly dawned  on me that we have never actually pinned down exactly what engine you have . Can we have a couple of pics of the engine from different angles , is the crankcase cast iron or alloy and does it have a removable sump ?

NM Wed, 19/12/2018

Mine didn’t have a recoil but the ally plate sits against the flywheel and then had a distance piece to clear the flywheel securing nut and then the pulley. From the look of the screen it looks like it sits under the pulley but I don’t think it will clear the nut without a spacer.

Cameron Wed, 19/12/2018

Thanks folks. Will fire up some detailed photos once home later.It came apart so Will go back together. Just a matter of time

Cameron Thu, 20/12/2018

Image I

Cameron Thu, 20/12/2018

MK

Cameron Thu, 20/12/2018

M

wristpin Fri, 21/12/2018

I suppose that we should have asked whether the recoil was engaging with, and rotating the engine without slipping before you started the strip down? If the answer is no, we have to consider that a previous dismantler / re-assembler omitted a vital washer or shim . 

I've looked through a pile of Mk10/12, C12 parts books and none show the exact  selection of parts in your dismantled image. However all of them show a washer under the centre bolt head or a large shim washer or spacer between the cup and the screen or even between the screen and the saucer shaped flywheel cover. In a couple of the books the large shim is described as "washer, as required" 

Cameron Sat, 22/12/2018

Thanks. It was fully functional before I guddled it up. Just going to need some staring, possible some swearing, and time. Will get it sorted.