Villiers 25c 2 Stroke Engine

[Wendelspanswick]

I have been given an Atco Autoscythe which is fitted with a Villiers 25c 2 stroke engine. No spark at the present but I am just about to fit a new condenser, plug and HT lead and have another go.
The original instructions say a petrol/oil mix of 16:1. Seeing as the instructions were drawn up in 1954 and oils have improved since then can I change this to 25:1 or even 50:1 which is what all my other kit uses. I use a good 2T oil (Stihl).

 

[zzr1200]

Personally I wouldn't go to a full sync oil (50:1) on a 1954 machine, 20:1 maybe 25:1 if you using a good quality mineral oil, remember the smoke haze is part of the attraction.

Castrol R would be OTT as well....

 

[wristpin]

Due to the construction of the engine with plain bearings and rudimentary seals etc the general recommendation is that you use SAE30 or 40 and not a modern synthetic or semi synthetic mixing oil.

 

[rtbcomp]

I'd stick to the factory recommendation, a neighbour of mine was about to bin a 2 stroke strimmer because it wouldn't start, until he realised he'd got the mixture wrong.

 

[octo0072000]

have you adjusted the points from memory they are awkward to adjust
even if they look ok clean them and yes the oil haze is normal that engine needs lots of oil or it will seize
make sure you sharpen the blade makes a big difference

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Well she starts and runs beautifully.
Sounds like a BSA bantam!
It was a freebie and the plug, condenser and HT cost £18.
It's missing the engine shroud and the top cover which is a shame but after adjustment both clutches work* and the cutter bar which seems sharp should cut through the bracken on our hillside. One of our meadows is too steep to take the tractor and topper on safely so hopefully this is the cheap option to sort it.
Champion D14 plug - 25 thou
Points - 15 thou set to open 5/32" before TDC.
Flywheel magneto was really easy to remove with the built in extractor and plenty of access to adjust the points.

*One clutch operates the implement and the other operates the drive to the wheels, it propels you along at a gentle walking pace.

 

[wristpin]

Top or no top that's a nice bit of kit and there're not that common. Resist any temptation to "restore " it with glossy modern paint. A once over with an oily rag or waxoyl is all that's needed!

 

[Wallace]

A set of whitewall tyres might look cool.

 

[chunkolini]

Lush.
Can I borrow it, bottle of cider and walk round the woods I mountain bike in; it would sort out the brambles a treat.
And the dog walkers.

 

[Robotstar5]

Lush.
Can I borrow it, bottle of cider and walk round the woods I mountain bike in; it would sort out the brambles a treat.
And the dog walkers.

What about the dogs that would end up with no legs?, they would have to be renamed Woodbine so you could take them for a drag in the park......

 

[octo0072000]

should that have a cover over the flywheel and cylinder for forced air cooling
as it's a slow moving machine you don't want to seize it

 

[Wallace]

Lush.
Can I borrow it, bottle of cider and walk round the woods I mountain bike in; it would sort out the brambles a treat.
And the dog walkers.

That's taking dogging to extremes.

 

[AndyStobbs]

Got to remember with a premix 2 stroke that the carb jets are sized for a given mixing ratio, reducing the oil quantity in the mix will enrichen the combustion mixture.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

It's real fun to use, the bracken is about 6ft high and to start with I just went round the edges but it was cutting so well I went for it and ploughed straight through the middle. My missus said it was funny to watch, I disappeared and all you could see was a smoke haze rising and the sound of the engine and the chattering of the bar.
It does rattle your fillings though.
I too was concerned about the no forced air cooling because the cowl was missing, it seems OK but I will fab a cowl out of sheet at the weekend and a top and bottom cover as the bracken and grass foul on the gears and chains and wind themselves on resulting in stops to clear it.
It did make me laugh as we have a public footpath going across one of the meadows and a lady walker asked her husband what it was and he replied "A Strimmer "!

 

[the snooper]

is the engine size a typo ? on this site it says 147 cc and the one shown doesnt have guards / covers either it does have a cowling to force air onto the cylinder though

 

[Wendelspanswick]

is the engine size a typo ? on this site it says 147 cc and the one shown doesnt have guards / covers either it does have a cowling to force air onto the cylinder though

The 25c is the engine type, yes it is 147cc. Villiers seem to have made lots of different models and I had to struggle to identify mine.
There is a model 25 which is a 4 stroke and mine which is a 25c which is a 2 stroke.

 

[the snooper]

it also states there were other attachments for it

 

[Neilios]

Just the sort of build and project I like to see, just rescued an old 2 stoke lawn mower from my wife's gran's house, everyone said it would never run and had not done so in recent memory, a good clean and sort out did the trick been using it every week since (even if it is heavy on fuel).

 

[Wendelspanswick]

Just the sort of build and project I like to see, just rescued an old 2 stoke lawn mower from my wife's gran's house, everyone said it would never run and had not done so in recent memory, a good clean and sort out did the trick been using it every week since (even if it is heavy on fuel).

Pics or it doesn't exist! :-)

 

[norlander]

brilliant bit o kit-luv all that stuff me-Villiers-you could buy the engines from Pride&Clark in Exchange&Mart some years back. Here is a bit of kit I clocked out here- a tractor made with a 2CV engine, and it ploughed the field no probs.