Wristpin

It was quite common for vehicles, both cars and tractors , and for that matter large bore domestic central heating , to operate on the siphonic principle. If your engine has a pressurised system ( spring loaded radiator or filling cap) the pressure raises the boiling point to allow the engine to operate more efficiently at a higher temperature than if it had a system open to atmospher. So unless your unpumped system was showing signs of boiling, it is quite possible that it was operating correctly . The presence of the pump’s impeller may well be having an adverse effect.

Meetens were always a good source of Kohler information and assistance and there was s chap who used to post on this and another forum and trades as “Guypartsandservice” but I can’t remember his forum username. He’s in Kenelworth in Warwickshire and comes up on a Google search.

Looking at your Gallery images, a bit of nostalgia there with the Ariens rear engined riders . We used to sell them as well as the YTs and GTs back in the 1980s . Not without their problems, the Tecumseh engines used to tear themselves out of the chassis and the Briggs engined ones had the cylinder head right up against the seat pedestal where the cooling fins used to bung up with grass, overheat and blow the head gaskets. On both the RMs and YTs the single 32” blade used to somehow manage to jump the “ high performance deck flange” and cause a certain amount of mayhem . Happy days!!

Probably about 1948

Hmm !!! Approval or not , increasing the gap by any means is counterproductive as far as compression release for easier starting is concerned. The bigger the gap, the less effective, whatever the release method. That said, a really knackered ( technical term) engine may benefit from all the compression that can be found. AKA an elegant, albeit unorthodox, engineering solution!

Quite normal. Some manufacturers do it with a centrifugally retracted pin altering the cam profile while others do it with the cam profile itself. Some do it on the inlet, some on the exhaust and one at least, on both.

Does anyone have any hands on experience of operating one of these , or even an operator’s manual?

In their day those diesel Westwoods were not exactly a “happy” machine. Rather typical of a diesel lump being dropped into a petrol chassis. Later on Countax had the same issue putting the Yanmar lump into the A20/50. Westwoods suffered bad vibration, broken fuel pipes and chafed wiring and then , Fire! If one saw a burnt out Westwood it was invariably a diesel!

The UK publication Classic Tractor is running a series of articles on the operation and repair of DB hydraulics. Will be worth investing in some back issues either in print or on line.

Somewhat modified! FOC before it goes for scrap.

Heavy duty spec , ball bearing crank on PTO side. Stellite valves with positive rotator on the exhaust. Electronic ignition. New air cleaner element and plug Serviced and ready to work. £60

Quality kit! Spares available from these guys as well as Metabo - another quality brand. https://www.mtmc.co.uk/Metabo-Spare-Parts__c-p-0-0-12733536.aspx

Homebase were part of the Home Retail Group ( Argos etc). Then sold to an Oz outfit called Bunnings who were going to work wonders but gave up on them after a year and , I believe, sold them to Sainsbury’s . So whether or not they have a Spares dept is anyone’s guess. If it’s a steel deck machine you may be able to find a rusted out machine ( or two!!) as a pulley or gearbox donor.

Some engage the drive by just tilting the gearbox to tension the belt while others have a small plate or cone clutch. First check for all is the belt, followed by checking that any drive pawls within the wheels are present and not stuck. Then check the operating lever on the gearbox is tight and located on its shaft. After the external checks fail to reveal the cause, those transmissions are usually considered "throw away" , but it is sometimes possible to open then up and shim them to restore drive.

Tut tut ! Quote "If you prune during damp weather, the plum tree is at risk of silver leaf disease. Use pruning paint on cut branches to prevent disease. The best time to prune plums is early spring or early summer during a dry day. Never prune in winter (to avoid silver leaf disease)."

Perhaps you need to find someone with a bit of experience with Kohler engines to give you some guidance and practical help. Most engine manufacturers publish Engine Failure Analysis guides to talk one through the forensic examination of failed engines but they tend to be aimed at dealers. Found this on Amazon but it's in the US https://www.amazon.com/Kohler-Engines-Failure-Analysis-Guidebook/dp/B003M1TIVG

perhaps you should be asking why the rod snapped? Usual cause is lube failure of the big end but the apparent condition of the crank pin doesn't support that. Next comes over-speeding.. Any sign of governor issues and are the balancer gears correctly timed?

If you are considering the "glue" route, I'm not sure about JB Weld but I would suggest Q Bond or the slightly oddly named Quicksteel Plastic Repair.

If it’s a raised seam you may be able to fuse the leaking area with a soldering iron.

The two clutch linings should be bonded to the steel centre plate. When damp gets between the linings and the centre plate it rusts and breaks the bond . When we were servicing and repairing Hayter 21s and Ospreys on a regular basis we used Loctite Multibond to glue the linings back on, quite expensive but reliable. There may be other suitable adhesives available now. Some of the worm gear boxes were serviceable with an oil level plug while others were “sealed for life” . The recommended lubricant is an SAE 90 gear oil. Note, a plain gear oil and not an EP grade, extream pressure, oil designed for Hypoid gears which can be detrimental to “yellow metal” worm gears.

As pointed out by Fix'em all the Osprey does have a fibre clutch plate that may contain asbestos and this can absorb moisture and rust to either of the pressure plates - one of which is part of the left hand wheel hub and the other keyed to the axle. Jack the machine up , remove the split pin from the nut in the left hand wheel centre and undo the nut . At this point the wheel and hub should pull off the axle . If it wont come off, try hitting the inflated tyre with a mallet. If that doesn't work, get back to us. This may be useful. https://www.dropbox.com/s/e2rmk54zl2msh1k/Hayter Osprey and 21 0001.pdf?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/5sjvlcenhz6ghfe/Hayter 21 %26 Osprey Gearboxes0001.pdf?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/0puak77v28dnjpl/Hayter 21 %26 Osprey clutch adj20001.pdf?dl=0

Nice shed but it depends how you rate the security risk but it looks as though the door hardware is just screwed on. Not easy to see but are those hinges and the bolt secure? One coach bolt through each side of each hinge in place of a screw and similar for each side of the bolt . Long enough to go right through with decent washers and nuts on the inside. Ideally a bolt and padlock top and bottom.

That’s interesting, looks as though they concentrated on garden centres etc rather than the established mower trade.

If a metric equivalent is acceptable https://www.bearingsrus.co.uk/gm8x01-25-dunlop?gclid=CjwKCAjwu5veBRBBEiwAFTqDwZ6pO8ixZLFvUt5BZqT7_5idAToPRJ8MFv6gXIkZBDgjEvkhYr4r_hoCp2QQAvD_BwE Also worth looking at OEM parts lists . For example, Countax use them on their grass collectors.

Who were the UK importers / distributors for the Mowett and what would be the time frame when they were being bought for regular use? Other than on the front cover of a US generic garden machinery repair manual I never saw on in all my time as a dealer.