Suffolk Colt Mower.

I'm a newbie to this site, so please don't hesitate to let me know if I'm not following protocols correctly. I have recently moved into a new house which has a newly laid level lawn. I own a Suffolk Colt mower which I purchased new in the early 1970's, but which has lain dormant for many years. I have got it running fine and would like to use it to cut the new areas of grass but there is one problem which I can't solve and would welcome advice from those more knowledgeable. When I increase the engine speed, the centrifugal clutch cuts in correctly and the cylinder rotates correctly, but the mower drive to the roller also engages and this results in me having to hang onto the handlebars to stop the machine setting off in any direction it chooses. My recollection is that the roller drive engagement lever needed to be pulled in to start the roller drive, but there is nothing in the manual to indicate whether my memory is correct, and whether the cable needs to be adjusted so that the roller drive is not engaged when I want the mower to operate without a forward motion. Help please!

 

Hi,

Many thanks Sheal for your kind comments which are much appreciated. Four wheel drive was tongue in cheek but you know I'm capable of doing it. I initially bought this mower with the intention of using it; the only grass we now have are grass paths and I find it a chore using either of my four wheel type petrol rotary mowers; trying to keep all four wheels on the grass is challenging on the steep slope and if the wheels drop into the borders the mower scalps the grass edges; I thought a roller type mower would solve this and perhaps it will if I give it a try; at the moment I'm undecided whether to use this Colt in anger?

Welcome to the forum Steven and thank you for considering forum protocols; we're a happy bunch here so just feel free to jump in; as to any threads I post I welcome all input from members whatever they wish to add; I'm sure you'll like it here.

I've only just completed my Colt restoration so not actually having cut grass with it I can only guess what to suggest regarding your problem. As the clutch is centrifugal then I think it's just a case of slowing the idle speed of your engine then hopefully the clutch will release as it should; my Colt clutch drum was very rusty indeed on the inside so if decreasing the idle speed doesn't help may I suggest you strip the clutch to have a look to see if anything internally is sticking; are the springs pulling the shoes free etc; I gave the pivot pins a light oiling ensuring no oil contaminated the linings. Many years ago I often came across cars that had been parked for a long period with their hand brake fully engaged and the owner couldn't understand why the car wouldn't move; releasing the hand brake then a few taps with an hammer on the brake drums used to shock the brake shoes free but on these mowers the clutch is centrifugal so should stick in the off position. fingers crossed its just the idle speed which is too fast and a very easy adjustment.

Kind regards, Colin.


Here's the clutch drum of my Colt as bought but then the rest of the mower was in similar poor condition.



I have lathes so cleaning the drum wasn't a major problem; it's easy for me to do this kind of work Steven but for a novice it can be very daunting indeed. Good luck and please keep us updated because there are still many Colt and Punches in use.

 

Hi,

How kind of you wiseowl; thank you.

Each time I see your footnote "I only understand roses" I think would this be Cadbury's?

Back to the plot and the wayward black paint in particular; this morning I was up at 5:15 it being Rufforth Auto Jumble day so I was on a mission; it's been dry here for a few days which is very rare so I've been keeping my head down not posting on the weather thread in case my personal big black cloud Blackie was watching; today was forecast dry so why then as I washed my breakfast things in the kitchen sink and looked out of the window to see Blackie immediately appear at 5:50; the patio was soon wet again; Blackie accompanied all the way to Rufforth then suddenly in the middle of Rufforth his water tank must have been empty; at the jumble it was dry and warm but what have I ever done to offend Blackie for him to torment me the way he does?

I soon located tins of Hammerite paint and bought a tin of smooth black gloss at £10 so at last I had suitable petrol resistant paint. Next stall to visit was inside the big hanger where I buy paint brushes; these paint brushes are Harris synthetic and they are brilliant; at £1 each I buy them twenty at a time so a short walk back to the car to dump the paint and brushes. After a few more circuits of the stalls I was back home for 10 o'clock and this included a small detour to Hampson's GC in Wakefield it being very near my exit on the M1; I bought a nice potted Potentilla to replace one of six that had died and I also bought Bron bunches of red silk roses.

This afternoon I planted the Potentilla and I've been in the workshop; the Colt petrol tank is now drained and sitting in hot rare sunshine with its cap off to let fumes disperse; whilst the tank dries out I rubbed down the engine cowl so this is ready for the new Hammerite paint; I didn't strip the UPOL paint instead I'm using this as undercoat.

I've just enjoyed a mug of tea so time now to head back into the workshop; rub the tank paintwork down then apply a coat of hammerite to both tank and cowl. In spite of Blackie winding me up I've so far had a very good day and I bought quite a few useful goodies too.

Kind regards, Colin.


Rufforth goodies; a mitre guide bought for £1; I'll add a suitable guide bar and use this on my bandsaw. The steel bar fitted will come in handy for another job.


An assortment of useful goodies bought this morning. the brand new heavy duty impact wrench at £20 will come in handy for when I remove car wheels or for other demanding jobs like removing flywheel nuts; 4 small pairs of pliers at £5 the four; A steel wire cutter; circlip pliers and the small shovel will be useful for measuring whilst mixing mortar.


I like these Harris synthetic brushes and at £1 each they can be regarded as disposable although I have a "Dandy" paintbrush and roller cleaner so it's not a major hassle to clean the brushes.



The air impact wrench at £20 just needing a coupling and hose of which I have both. I always return home from Rufforth with urgent items I didn't know I needed.

 

Many thanks for your comments Colin. I shall report back in due course. Rgds Steven

 

Yes, I know you're very capable of doing it Retired. With four wheel drive I had visions of you 'off roading' with it. Just a thought - you mention the jobs that you do for your neighbours, has anyone got a lawn you can try it out on? A kind of reciprocation I suppose.

I bought a four inch synthetic brush to coat my shed, never again! It was not only expensive to buy but the ends of the bristles shredded halfway through the job. I'll stick with pure bristle in future.

 

Colin. Great work. Have you considered passing all this onto the manufactorers. There may be a few bob in it for you.

 

Hi,

You're most welcome Steven. If you aren't familiar with stripping these mowers as I'm sure many aren't; access to the inside of the clutch looks difficult but if you slacken the four engine mounting nuts the engine unit can be slid on the two rods allowing a visual inspection of the clutch items; only slacken the nuts though because the clamps can be a pain to reinstall. Sliding the engine back into position just slide it as far as it will go into the clutch then pull back just a little before tightening the four nuts.

Many thanks Sheal; I hadn't considered off roading with the mower but what a good idea. Also is a good idea to try the mower on a neighbours lawn but this could result in dire consequences for me; whilst at work I quickly discovered that to do a job just once the job then was mine for life? Last year our neighbour at the end of the street asked if I would look after her two cats for a few days; her neighbour who usually does this would also be away on holiday; of course I would the family are lovely; on the 18th of this month I'm now looking after the cats for three weeks whilst our neighbours visit family in Greece and Russia. Oh um. Good job I'm a cat lover.

Synthetic brushes can be excellent Sheal but as you found out it depends what you are using the brush for; brushes can be very expensive indeed; I have a good selection of paint brushes;

Buy Paint Brushes | Picasso | Purdy | Wooster | Axus |

These £1 Harris synthetic paint brushes though are excellent for a lot of the painting I do; I've just been using one of these 1" Harris brushes to apply Hammerite paint onto the Colt items;


I was disappointed to find the rattle can black paint to be attacked by petrol so yesterday at Rufforth Auto Jumble I bought a tin of black smooth Hammerite; however if the mower wants to sulk with new black paint I decided to paint the black items Hammerite dark blue as seen in the pictures. I didn't strip the black I used it as undercoat after flatting it with a UPOL abrasive pad. Above the first Hammerite blue coat has been applied.



I've just flatted the first coat of blue and as I type the second coat of blue is now drying; the picture shows just how good these UPOL abrasive pads are at flatting; I cut a full pad into thirds for small work and the pads are incredible compared to abrasive paper knocking the shine off with a few strokes of the pad and they don't coat up like abrasive paper. I had the dark blue to hand so thought I'd try it to see how it looks; if I'm not happy with it a quick rub down and it can quickly turn to black. It's going to be a unique Colt with this livery.

Thanks Mike; I just do things now for the pleasure of doing them; anyone showing initiative and actually making money here in the UK is not encouraged because so many have more right to the money earned than the actual earner. I'm already in the tax band even though I'm a pensioner due to my pensions so any work/projects I do for anyone is totally free regarding my labour with them just paying for materials; we now live in a society of sheer greed and selfishness starting with the government and I want to remain out of it. It pays to be idle here in the UK. I've done my hard grafting and fully paid my dues now I'm just grafting hard on things I enjoy; Bron and I saved hard for retirement so now we can indulge in our respective hobbies keeping well away from the world's troubles.

Our immediate neighbours gardener is an honest hard working guy struggling to make a decent living; because he has no mechanical skills he gets taken advantage of regarding servicing his gardening petrol machines; I'm now looking after his machines; all he has to do is pay for parts which I'm happy for him to supply but because of his lack of knowledge it's highly likely I'll have to obtain the parts and he can reimburse me against receipts; I'm happy to help him and I'll have the pleasure of tinkering around; I no longer need to work to make money so can choose what I want to do not what I've got to do.

This mower restoration has dragged on because I've not been under any pressure to complete it but I've enjoyed it and found it to be interesting because I've not worked on petrol mowers previously; I'm happy as long as I'm keeping busy.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

I've now got a green and blue Colt having just reinstalled the petrol tank and engine cowl.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

I can see your problem regarding mowing a neighbours lawn. You've got enough to do without being stuck with more.

Can the abrasive pads be used on wood please?

The blue paint was a surprise. I hope you don't mind me saying but I preferred the black.

 

Hi,

Many thanks Sheal. I'm a magnet for work; it's surprising these days how few guys know how to use an hammer to knock a nail in. At the age of 15 in 1962 my late parents bought me a new 8' x 6' garden shed for me to potter around in; at first it was pedal cycles but before I reached 16 I had my first motorcycle it being a BSA C11 150cc; I restored many bikes in that shed; also aged 15 I went straight down a deep coal mine as an apprentice mechanical engineer so I started early using tools and learning many skills. Over the years my workshops have evolved; I now have a very well equipped workshop and know how to use the tools/machinery; friends and neighbours head my way with their assorted problems and although I'm usually pleased to help it can be tiresome when I want to work on a project of my own; I don't mind lending an hammer but I no longer lend power tools.

Good question Sheal; I've never attempted to use the UPOL abrasive pads on wood so I've just had a quick web browse;

https://www.u-pol.com/uk/en-uk/prod...abrasives/maximum-finishing-pads#.XSL1z-hKiUk

I think the answer must be no; I use lots of these pads for flatting paintwork and they are brilliant; these pads are available through eBay but are quite expensive although they do last and go a long way;

U-Pol Maximum Automotive Surface Finishing Pads (10 Pack) - DA6395 | eBay

It's ages since I bought some of these pads and the ones I do buy I buy at Rufforth Auto Jumble; I think I paid £5 for two rolls of pads and each roll has 36 pads; I've got a good stock to hand.

I appreciate your thoughts regarding the blue and I admit it's taking a bit of getting used to; I was just so annoyed that the black paint reacted so badly with the petrol spill that I decided if the mower wanted to play games and didn't like the black it can jolly well be be blue; when I stop being annoyed I might rub the blue down and go over with black; it's not a big job. With hindsight I do wonder if the black paint hadn't fully cured?

Yesterday I placed the Colt grass box on the bench and started to prepare it for new paint; it's in very rusty condition so anything I do to it won't make it worse.



Whilst at Rufforth last Saturday I was drawn to two vintage garage petrol pumps; one was a very old style and at £1,400 I felt very tempted indeed thinking what a wonderful garden attraction it would make in our front garden?



Restoring one of these old petrol pumps really appeals to me but firstly I've got the Colt to finish off.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

Hi,

I've just enjoyed an hour in the workshop rubbing the blue paint down ready to be turned into black once again. Like you Sheal I too prefer it black but it was worth a try.

I've decided to repaint in black whilst the petrol tank is still empty rather than dither around once the tank is full; I'm becoming an expert in removing and replacing the petrol tank and engine cowl and the number of times I've now done this I feel they should have a zip around them.

I'm still awaiting the new carburettor needle & float. So far today it remains dry outside so I'll paint the items black and place them outside out of the way allowing me to attack the grass box.

Kind regards, Colin.



First it's black then its blue and now it's going to be black again; tomorrow it might be another colour.

 

Hi,

Painting the petrol tank and engine cowl has now become a war between me and them; I made a top class job of spraying primer and black from rattle cans but then a petrol spill ate into the paint surface destroying all the work so far put in; I sanded the black paint then applied two brush coats of Hammerite dark blue; the finish wasn't perfect but passable although the blue somehow didn't quite cut the dash I hoped for so it had to go.

This morning I spent quite a while rubbing down the blue then I applied the first coat of Hammerite black by brush to the engine cowl; even in mid summer the lighting is usually bad and with five 2' square LED panel ceiling lamps lit there were still lots of shadows; with the cowl now painted black I was utterly disgusted with the paint finish; the instructions stated use straight from the tin which I did but the paint was too thick and I could have run The Flying Scotsman down the lines so I walked away from the job.

After dinner Bron and I visited a garden center and back home I decided this paint job will never get the better of me; it now had 6 coats of paint on the cowl and five coats of paint on the petrol tank; now both the petrol tank and cowl have no paint on either; when a job becomes this bad I become very stubborn indeed and I'll not accept second best or compromise; the only way forward for me was backwards to basics and start over.

Kind regards, Colin.


A mixture of too much paint and poor lighting; why did I read the instructions and adhere to them using the paint straight from the tin; it should have been thinned allowing it to flow but another waste of a lot of time and a lesson learned.


Sometimes it's best to go backwards when things go wrong and start over; here is the blue with paint stripper added; a job I dislike intensely.



Almost back to bare metal and I'll do this as many times as it takes until I'm satisfied; I've had it perfect once until the petrol attacked it. GRRRRRR.

 

Hi,

I enjoyed a session in the workshop this morning; the parts are now ready for paint but I have my usual problem; it's a wet black hole here again and miserable with it so I'm grounded unable to do anything useful outside because it keeps raining and everything outside is soaking wet; this dire weather seldom lets up for us.

I've got a nice little paint spraying outfit it being a Burgess SR 122 Sprayit; I'm unable to use it inside the workshop with the doors closed because of explosion risk; if I open the workshop doors then the cold damp air enters; I can't spray on the driveway because it's wet; I've tried brush painting but with it being so dark and gloomy even with all the workshop lights on I work in shadows; it's a good job it's summer or I'd be fed up.



Summer is like winter here; the rain keeps falling. Our car today looking normal.



Taken back to bare metal ready once again for paint; having been caught out trying to brush paint in this environment I'd like to spray them but I'm pestered full time by our climate. This morning I browsed YouTube viewing videos on chrome plating which looks interesting but once again the solution comes with problems; the fumes from the acid will attack any nearby metal and my workshop is directly beneath our bedroom; I feel whatever I try our climate is against it. It's not so much a moan its just my way of life.

Unable to paint these items and unable to do anything of use in the gardens how about a little story of greed regarding the Burgess SR 122 I own.



Many years ago I used to borrow one of these sprayers from my chum Tony and the largest thing I sprayed using it was my classic split screen VW camper; Tony traded in about 12,000 Green Shield stamps for the brand new sprayer and we both used the sprayer a great deal; I was always most impressed by the results. Fast forward to about three years ago when I decided I'd like to own one of these sprayers so I browsed eBay and was delighted to see one on auction with a starting price of £20 and the sprayer was very little used; the pictures above show the sprayer model; I've just lifted the pictures from the web because it's too much hassle to wander down to the workshop getting wet with the camera.

Rather than wait for the auction to end I contacted the seller and offered £100 this to include postage? The seller replied stating there was a lot of interest in his sprayer so he let the auction run for a week declining my offer; I knew these sprayers only were worth about £35 so I walked away. Later I received an email from the seller stating he still had the sprayer and I could have it for the £100; I declined saying I'd just paid £350 for a new Apollo sprayer so I no longer needed his sprayer. Out of curiosity I once again visited eBay and the Burgess was once again on auction with a £20 starting price so I placed it on watch; with one minute still to run on auction I placed the £20 bid and to my surprise I was the only bidder so it was mine. Bron and I drove over to the Cheshire address and collected the sprayer from the unhappy seller; he never left me eBay feedback but serves him jolly well right for being so greedy. I've since sold the Apollo having done the spraying I needed it for but now I'd love to finally have a go with my Burgess to see if it's as good as I remember from so long ago. I've got etching primer; gloss black cellulose and thinners; what I don't have is decent weather; I can try the sprayer though with the primer spraying just inside the workshop with the door open; it won't matter whether the primer "blooms" but what a way to try to do projects of this kind living here in wet Yorkshire.

THE CARBURETTOR FLOAT & NEEDLE; these arrived yesterday and it only took a minute to fit them but as I stated earlier I bought these because the original float had moved axially on the needle and I didn't have the correct height setting for the float so the only way to be sure was to buy the new unit so I can now state the correct float setting height on it's needle; from the blunt end of the needle to the bottom of the float measures 5/16" (8mm). I don't know if it's a common problem but the float on the needle I have moved upwards so much the needle didn't engage on its seat hence the carburettor was constantly flooding; I'm so used to these old carburettors that I knew what to look for but even so this was a new fault I'd never previously seen; if this new float/needle ever does the same I'll measure to the top of the float then withdraw the needle and solder a tiny ring onto the needle to prevent the float sliding up the needle then slide the float back on; a very simple repair once the solution is known. Measuring from the bottom of the needle is easiest.

Here's an edit. The rain finally quit and our driveway started to dry so I decided to stop being messed around and to have a go using the Burgess sprayer; I set everything up on the driveway; I have a small pedal bin that is perfect for supporting small items; a bin liner on the outside of the bin protects the bin from overspray also an old bed sheet laid on the driveway protects the driveway from overspray. Using the Burgess brought back many happy memories; as spraying was underway I noticed the gun dripping paint; it's the needle front gland seal leaking so a little job to sort out next time I use the gun. After all the hassles with paint my bad luck is still with me; I noticed a very small dark dot on the underside of the petrol tank and knew immediately what it was; yes a pinhole in the tank so yet another job to sort out; one of these days a job will go straightforward; I'm not holding my breath. It's still very dark here looking like more rain.

Kind regards, Colin.


Spraying underway with fingers crossed it doesn't start raining again; note the bricks to secure the bedsheet to the ground; living here on the valley side we have a prevailing breeze so everything needs bolting down.


These small Burgess spay outfits do a nice job; the paint is thinned about 50/50 with thinners.



In the workshop before rain decides to attack them; typical after finally got thus far I can now mess around with the petrol tank; I hadn't a clue it had a pin hole but am I surprised?

 

Hi Colin - well done for not letting the paint beat you! Annoying about the pinhole - can it be sealed just with filler?