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Restoration of a Flymo SP75

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Ali Jenkinson Mon, 09/08/2021

Hello, I'm looking for some more information on an old 1980's Flymo that I'm rebuilding. 

As with many other threads on this forum, I've had no luck with Flymo as I suspect they've been bought/sold so many times now their old paper records are long gone or they simply rebranded a mower made by another company. 

The mower I'm looking for is the SP75 - I've got various brochures and bits and bobs on the mower but nothing with technical detail. I've got the tech specs for the GCL Professional (which looks like it shares broadly the same cutting deck) and I'm after the same for the SP75, if anyone has come across them. 

Equally, I'm after a second (and even third) SP75 so I can combine the machines with donor parts if required.

I've attached a Country Life advert that I've got my hands on which shows the mower in all its glory. 

Thank you in advance for your help. 

Best wishes, 

Ali. 

 

Flymo SP 75 Country Life Advert - 10 April, 1980

Forums

Ali Jenkinson Mon, 09/08/2021

Hello, that would be very kind indeed - if you're happy to scan an email would be absolutely fine and I can print here - save you the postage!

Thank you for coming back to me on this one so quickly. 

Ali Jenkinson Mon, 23/08/2021

Thank you very much for the parts list - super helpful and gives me so much more of what I need. 

I don't suppose you've come across a user or workshop manual for this mower have you? (really trying my luck now). 

I'm having issues with replacing the blades, they seem to be a reasonably specific design and all I've tried thus far are not cutting correctly (unevenly, missing a thin strip in the centre, off balance etc..). 

I wonder if a workshop manual will have more detail on the twin blades used. 

hortimech Mon, 23/08/2021

If I remember correctly, your machine used standard 15" (38cm) Flymo blades, so they should still be available. Leaving an uncut strip of grass usually means the blades have rounded corners (the blades do not overlap).

 

wristpin Mon, 23/08/2021

Blades .My usual supplier shows no stock but no indication that they are obsolete

S/SBLADE BALANCED GCL
FL5120338-00/8

I don't think that there was ever a specific manual, just bulletins as issues occurred ,but I'll have a look back .

EDIT. Had a look back as far as 1980 and have not found any service bulletins but I do have a vague recollection that there was a issue of  difficulty in engaging / disengaging gears which required particular attention to belt adjustment to achieve "clean" clutching.

Is yours one of the early ones with a Briggs or the later Tecumseh equipped ?

Ali Jenkinson Mon, 13/09/2021

Thank you so much for having a dig around - it's not a very well documented or supported mower I'm discovering! 

It's got a Briggs engine but I can only assume it's after market - the engine doesn't fit the machine very well (the whole mower is off balance (in my view) and floats a little too well, there isn't enough weight on the front) and there has been some creative positioning of the fuel tank (bolted to the handlebars) and some cutting of the plastic engine cover to get the 12hp I/C Quiet to fit. The gearbox and clutch assembly works very well - which is a bonus from the sounds of it. 

The blades are still alluding me - do you have a link to the specific blades you're referring to in your last post? 

Thank you again for your help. 

Ali Jenkinson Mon, 13/09/2021

Thank you for the info hortimech - much appreciated. The blades I've got are not 15", just under... which leads me to believe that they've worn down as you say. I'll see if I can track down some replacements. 

All the ones I've found thus far have three holes (one large centre, two smaller either side) whereas mine has a single hole in the middle. 

wristpin Mon, 13/09/2021

do you have a link to the specific blades you're referring to in your last post? 

Cant get more specific than the part number in my post - what more do you want!!?

Flymo blades used to come with just a centre hole that accepted the boss on the blade bolt and engaged into the height adjusting spacers or the impeller. When blade brakes were introduced the blades gained two peg holes to lock the blade to its spindle so that it didn't spin off when the bade brake was automatically applied within the mandatory 3 seconds. As some of the same sized blades were used on machines with brakes and some without, it was more cost effective for Flymo to adopt three holes for all.