Advice needed on old knackered Hayter Ambassador

Hi all,
Last year I decided to throw away the £19.99 plastic electric mower and buy a proper one.
After scouring fleabay I spotted a possible candidate, one old Hayter Ambassador.
I fancied getting some stripes back on the lawn and hopefully something with a bit of weight to it would start to compress the lawn down a bit. After many years of lightweight hovers, it has got to the point where you can leave footprints as you walk over it...
I had to drive about two hours to collect the mower. The seller started it and it ran like a dream and started on second pull(as he said in the advert). We loaded it into the back of the car and I drove back home.
The following weekend I went to mow the lawn with my new acquisition. I'd had an old jerry can with about a gallon of petrol in it so promptly filled up the mower. I paused to try to work out how old the petrol was. I reckon it must be around 15 years old as I've been running diesels for at least that time!
Here's where my problems started.
It started second pull of the chord, then conked out. It refused to start again. So I whipped the plug out. Discovered a) it was only finger tight. b) it was bone dry.
Loosened the pipe from the tank and nothing came out. Next I emptied the tank out and disposed of the old fuel. Removed the pipe from the tank to the car and found the tank end all clogged up with I'm guessing old petrol gone sticky. Some new fuel in and tried again.
Now I had fuel leaking from the tank end plus the original drip from the carb.
The markings for the choke were worn so I couldn't decide whether the choke was still on from when the seller started it or not.
After a bit of messing about it seemed to tick over nicely. Except now it wouldn't run. Dolls were thrown out of pram at this point. Went online and found a local Hayter dealer/service centre. Took the mower to them for a service. He reckons it's an early 1960s model.
When I went to collect it he informed me he had changed the plug, air filter, points and set the points. He also informed me that the carb was very worn.
When I got it back it appears worse than before. The service guy says it's bordering on 'collectable'. That doesn't really bother me. I just want an old reliable mower.
Does anybody know of anywhere that might have a spare carb for one of these or is an 'expert' or at least know what they are doing with old Hayters?
Considering the age it is in good nick and would be a shame to throw it away. Plus it would cut down on the ear bashing I am getting with "what rubbish have you bought now?"
to "couldn't you find one any older?" followed by, and this one is the MOST annoying, "I told you that heap wouldn't work!"
Does anybody know what motor is fitted to it? Maybe I can get a later carb for that series of motors?

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

Blimey, thats a tale

You were right to get rid of the old petrol, it's no good after a while.

Sort of place i'd look is at steam/transport fairs, quite often stalls selling all sorts of bits of machinery at our local ones, trouble is they don't start up again till the spring.

 

Thanks Ziggs. I'll keep my eyes open

 

just wondering, Ziggy...what would happen if you use some "injectors cleaner liquid" (normally used in cars) in a petrol mower? Would it work?

 

Could you not just buy another hayter with a broken chassis. Newer hayter spirits are prone to the metal casting breaking on the height adjuster side. Then take the engine off that and put it on your ambassador. That way you have a newer engine with easier found spares. Im also pretty sure mountfield mowers are identical to hayter so spares from those would also fit??

 

Pictures of engine and carb would help.. If you can get a repair kit for the carb I would rebuild it for you if you don't fancy doing it yourself. Providing of course its in salvageable condition. I have restored many old mowers and the carb is the first thing to sort..

As a resort I can just clean the carb and its jets out and set the float height . There really is not much to these carbs. Its likely the float is sticking so will flood the engine when you open the throttle. I can cut gaskets if they are the old type paper ones which the likely will be but if they are rubber it depends how the thing comes apart. If they are re usable fine if not you have a problem..

 

Having nosed around a bit its a fair bet your mower has a Briggs and Stratton engine. It likely has a metal fuel tank ? These tanks can rust inside and cause the problems you are having.
What happens is the tanks unless they are stored correctly rust on the insides. Typically the engines will start fine after sitting for a while. Then the fuel gets puled through into the carb and is full of minute particles of rust. This either blocks the jets or filters and wont allow the engine to rev as it cant pull enough fuel through. Or it gets under the float and floods the carb which means it cant run. If the latter it may tick over but it will be lumpy. By that I mean it will tick over but unevenly.
The cure is to clean the tank out well. This is best done with clean petrol. And of course the carb will need a good clean out. There may be an inline fuel filter which would be best replaced but a modern one can be used easily..

 

Quote
A few thoughts:-

You could contact Hayters (they're two miles from me)
http://www.hayter.co.uk/

You may find that it's an engine that runs on four star and not unleaded.

I don't know whether Hayters used Villiers engines before they went over to Briggs and Stratton but you could investigate on line. If so, they may even have been the old two stroke.

Unquote


It wont be a two stroke.

Whether four star leaded or unleaded fuel the engine will run just the same. It really wont make any odds at all.

Unleaded fuel will eventually burn the valve seats on really old petrol engines. But in an under stressed mower engine it wont do any harm.

Old car engines can have an unleaded conversion done to the cylinder head which means the fitting of hardened valve seats so they wont burn. Unleaded fuel burns hotter and this is the cause of problems . For those that don't want to modify the heads on old cars an Octane booster can be used as an alternative to replace the lead and the engine will then run cooler.

But as above it wont be a factor with this wee engine.

It will be muck in the fuel system without doubt. The fact it ran well for a few minutes underlines this,,