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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

What is it and what to do with it?

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Hi all, 

I'm new here, mulling over what to do with this old mower, which I believe, from the remains of the lettering on the side, is a Suffolk Super Punch.  The blade is 14inch.  However the manual I was given was for a Colt, and the grass collector also bears the name Colt.

 

Suffolk Super Punch?

I was given it by a fellow allotmenteer, who was using it, but had kept it outside until it stopped working.   I got it working with a new plug and used it occasionally, though as my wife tended to point out it only really flattened the grass rather than shortening it.  I made some attempt at sharpening the blade but it didn't make much difference and it fell out of use, and has sat either outside or in my garage for a few years.  Now I fancy getting it working again.

I'll admit though that I haven't done anything like this before, and don't know much about mowers or engines in general. 

I like to think it won't be too hard to get it started, though the very first issue I have is the starter - these two parts, once in place, are very loose.  Am I right in thinking there should be a pin/rod of some kind through the middle to hold them together?

Suffolk Punch starter assembly in two parts

Then of course I'll have to think about getting it running properly and cutting the grass.  I took the top of the engine off and it was full of soot/coke so I can imagine the whole thing might need a bit of a clean.

 

Then of course I should think about painting it.  I'm presuming this isn't a rare classic and maybe it won't be sacrilege if I practise on this one?

So I wouldn't know where to start with questions.  I suppose:

-What is it?

-Am I right about the starter?

-Presuming there isn't a step-by-step guide as to how to look after/restore/fix one of these things, where should I start?

- how ambitious should I be about the bodywork?

 

Thanks in advance!

A

 

Forums

wristpin Mon, 01/03/2021

One thing at a time !

Missing from the starter are a screw and flaged bush that live in the centre of the rope pulley. With those in place you may find that while it’s been loose and flopping about the pulley won’t engage with the pawl on the bit that’s attached to the engine flywheel. 

 

 

 

a.phill Mon, 01/03/2021

Ah, right you are thanks.  I must have lost that at some point then.  I guess my first job is to start hunting for a replacement...

villiers98 Wed, 10/03/2021

I think there is a manual on the site which has an exploded parts diagram you may find helpful. See right hand side bar under ' Technical Help' for mower  manuals- use Suffolk Super Colt Mk 1 as this has the metal starter rather than the plastic one used later.

These are generally a sound mower when set up. Depending on how you tried to sharpen it,this may be your next  task when it is running.

The Super Punch was 14 inch cut and Colt/ Super Colt 12 inch cut . Very little else different

Good luck and post again

a.phill Fri, 12/03/2021

 

Thanks for the replies - very helpful.   A couple of daft questions:

1. Does anyone know what's the best spark plug for it?

 

2.  I found  the missing bits of the starter, but every time I fit it on the machine it stops returning after a couple of pulls - the spring seems to slip and sproing out of place.  I'm wondering if they're often problematic, particularly perhaps if they're long in the tooth?   

Thanks

a

DJD Sat, 13/03/2021

Is it my eyes or is that spring busted? To the bottom left there, where the alloy spigot sticks up and holds the beginning on? There appears to be a spring broken end and another the other side too? Maybe I'm looking at the metal 'box' the spring sits in though. Oly one bend neded in the inner end not two, carefully straighten it out and start again. You might need heat.

a.phill Sun, 21/03/2021

Thanks for all the help!

I chopped  a little bit off the end of the spring to get it back to the right shape.  I also think that be leaving some slack on the rope the pulley was probably falling off the spring on recoil.   I've got it all back together under a bit of tension and it's pulling fine now and staying together.  

So that's job no. 1 out of the way.

At the moment I don't have a spark - embarrasingly enough there was a tiny spark before I adjusted the points, but now nothing.  I've ordered a new plug and once that arrives I'll be needing to work out how to test the electrical system, so watch this space...

Thanks again.

Quick question - can anyone date my mower from the original photo?

wristpin Sun, 21/03/2021

When you set the points, did you finish off by pulling a clean strip of paper through them to remove any oily contamination from the feeler gauges. Pull it through but not out - then hold the points open to release it. If you pull it out and the points snap shut on it , they may grab some fibres which will them prevent them shutting cleanly.

One tip with your recoil starter. Make sure that it’s run out of rope before the spring has got coil bound. If it’s the other way round, all your good work on the spring will  soon be undone.

a.phill Wed, 24/03/2021

Lots of good advice thanks...

I've done the points again and cleaned them properly, and shortened the recoil rope.  All turning well and sparking now.

The lid of the fuel tank was nicked when it was living at my allotment, so there's rust inside I'm now trying to clean out.  Then I'll be able to see if fuel gets through and hopefully it might start...

Many thanks for the great responses which have got me this far...

a.phill Sat, 27/03/2021

It actually ran for about ten seconds this morning. When I excitedly told my wife she simply asked how much of the lawn I managed to cut in those ten seconds.  

There's fuel pouring out of the carb, however (which probably wouldn't be good for the lawn) so I'm now reading through a Wristpin post from 2012 which covers what I need to do now...

a.phill Sun, 28/03/2021

 

 

 

Unfortunately! - after running for a minute or two the throttle mechanism (connected to the fan governor) snapped, as below - the rod that runs into the chamber.  I don't suppose it'll run at all without that, and I doubt it could be repaired.  I wonder if there's a chance of getting hold of the part, or it might be easier to get a whole carb, or possibly a whole mower....

broken sufffolk throttle

wristpin Sun, 28/03/2021

You could try Jon Cruse of the Hailsham Mower Centre for either a throttle spindle with the lever, a carb top or complete carb. Back in the day a least one after market supplier sold spindles to fit to the existing lever .