On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 09:27:38 +0100, "Niall Smyth"
wrote:

hi all

as the header says! got a freebie off my father in law

Its a qualcast one (dont know name yet)

Its in good nick but has not been used for a while
I have never used any petrol mowers before

What should I look out for?
Is there some maitenance i can do at home

Its 75 euros for a service, but I would like to try
it at home first as it has always been cared for
and I want to see if it suits me before shelling out.


If there's still petrol in the tank it's worth draining it and
discarding it as it is hygroscopic and can also form gummy deposits if
left standing for a long time. I'd change the engine oil as well or
at least make sure that it's at the correct level. Remove spark plug,
check condition, clean and regap. Replace with new if badly eroded.
Carburettor jets might benefit from cleaning - blow them out, don't
poke bits of wire in! Count the turns as you unscrew them (there might
only be one) so you can get them back in roughly the same position.
Older models will have a mechanical set of ignition points and
probably a flywheel magneto. Sometimes the points are accessible
through a removeable cover on the flywheel. Worth taking a look at
them and indulging in some gentle cleaning with nothing harsher than a
fine emery strip. If they're in a bad way you;ll probably need a
professional service because they can be hard to get at and correct
ignition timing is very important. If there's no spark at all it's
probably the points to blame.
BTW, you can check for a spark at the plug by removing from the
engine, reattaching the ignition lead and resting the plug threads on
a metal part of the engine. DO NOT HOLD IT THERE! (You would get a
several thousand volt shock.) Spin the engine and you'll see the plug
sparking.
These engines are very forgiving - plug / points gap and carb jet
adjustment aren't as critical as on a multi-cylinder high compression
car engine. If it runs and doesn't overheat or belch out smoke you've
got it about right.