Villiers Midget only runs for a few seconds..

Thanks Nutts..I like the sound of doing away with the battery..even more so as i have the engine mounted in a bike frame...but that's a whole different story :lol:I have still not got it going yet,infact i think i have gone backwards..I got out to have a play with the engine tonight and started again..I checked the points and adjusted them again about 18tho then adjusted the ignition timing again around a 16th before TDC..next the fuel..I drained the tank and put in fresh two stroke mix... the carb..I drained the bowl and removed it even made sure the float float's...Now the needle in the throttle slide i am not sure about as it is held in with a sprung loaded screw...Now where does the screw need to be?? do i screw it down tight or half way down??...I decided half way..but the end result of all this was IT IS STILL THE SAME!!!....a splash in the plug hole spin it over and it starts easy..it rev's and starts to struggle then stops ....oh well try try again.....

OK, back to basics then (times like this it's usually something simple, & usually best not to think too hard or over complicate anything).

Definitely getting a good supply to the carb? (I know it sounds silly, but could there be a blockage overlooked?)

Fuel getting into the carb? (Is the float chamber filling up?)

Now, is the fuel getting through the carb? (Any blocked jets etc?)

Try working through in a logical sequence, I know it sounds simple enough, but it's so easy to get sidetracked with these things, I do all the time.

Not too sure about the slide needle on these, it's been far too long since I touched one, but I do have one of these engines on a lawnmower & used to tinker with it quite a lot, haven't touched it in about 17 years though. Will ask around & see if anyone I know remembers how they're set up. have you got any pictures of it? (Detail shot of the needle & slide).

You'll get there. Now tell us more about this bike!

Here's a link to that coil without a battery thing I did. It has also been covered elsewhere on the forum, but I put it into a better format here....

http://www.stationaryengineforum.net/t6890-coil-ignition-without-a-battery

Any questions just ask. I you don't want this thread bogged down then ask somewhere else or by all means email (through the forum) or PM me if you like.

Hi again...i will get some close up pics of the carb and throttle slide not sure if i can post pics yet as still a newbie on here but will have a go, and thanks for the link about the battery mod...the engine has been fitted to a modified Robin Hood ladies cycle it has been made to look very different to its original look but is a auto cycle and not just a moped ..i will try to get a pic up of it ...

you can post pictures up on friday or sat when your 7 days are up . The reason why im not sure if fri or sat due to at the 7th day you might have to wait till the next day after . give it a go .

Matt

Ta Matt will do...

It's a bit of a stupid rule, it's set up by web site operators (if that's there correct name LOL) but it stops the spammers etc
Looking forward to seeing some pics.

Stu.

I am having similar problems with a Villiers Mark 10, it will fire up and run for a couple of seconds and then die. I suspected fuel as I have fitted a new coil and condenser so I put a known good carb on from a running engine and it is still the same. Cracking spark, good fuel supply, but it just will not run! Give me a Lister D anyday!

Pete.

Foden wrote:I am having similar problems with a Villiers Mark 10, it will fire up and run for a couple of seconds and then die. I suspected fuel as I have fitted a new coil and condenser so I put a known good carb on from a running engine and it is still the same. Cracking spark, good fuel supply, but it just will not run! Give me a Lister D anyday!

Pete.

I would've said carb trouble as well, I just had similar trouble with a Mk12 & cleaning the carb & re-setting it cured the problem, but obviously not so with yours Pete. :chin: :chin:

I have removed the engine from the bike today..I have decided to remove the head a and give it a de-coke and clean the carb again..Also going to strip the exhaust and clean it out as well...lets see what this does

2-strokes can be such a pain. For such a simple design they don't half give you some headaches!

I still love them though, but have no idea why.
(I really want a 2 stroke diesel, otherwise known as a semi-diesel).

Started the strip down today the exhaust has been split and the wadding in side had fell to the bottom in a lump so this would half strangle the exhaust...could i pack it with steel wool??...I then removed the flywheel and ignition mounting plate..on the other side of the engine where the drive pulley is i want to take this pulley of..I undone the nut on the end of the shaft but the pulley does not want to move ...Now question two...is this on a taper like the ignition fly wheel or does it screw on the shaft??...i want to move this before the head so to limit any damage risk to the piston rings also just in case i split the crank casing to clean it out.....

Think we're going to have to see some pics of this puller. As ar as I know the Villiers Midget was only ever used on lawn mowers by ATCO, so the pulley could well be a later add-on.

This does have the one piece head & barrel, doesn't it? Single piece cast iron? If not then it probably isn't a Midget.

TBH I'm really after some pics. Do you have any stored anywhere on line?

Hi again Nutgone....
this little engine has the head and barrel as one and is defo a midget...
the pulley has been modified but the hub of it is original...
and yea you are right this was from Atco lawn mower in a former life...
as for the pics i have tried but they are in the wrong format or something but will try again....
Or if you are on Facebook i have some on there look for lee paul holtz

I find the best way to do pics on here is to host them on line first on an on line hosting service like Photobucket (there are others, like Flikr, but I reckon Photobucket is the best).

That way all you need to do is copy & paste a code into the text you are writing, then when you hit "POST" (OK so it actually says "SEND") they just appear in your post.

got a pic at last....

The pulley was probably originally part of a centrifugal clutch. These engines were only ever used on ATCO mowers, & apparently they were never actually called the Midget officially, but I can't verify that bit.

I have one of these, still attached to a mower.

I used to mess about with it a lot when I was younger but haven't touched it for years (hmmm, bit like something else I could think of )

It is currently at my sister's place, under a tarp. the heavily acidic soil has eaten away at the aluminium rollers on the mower, leaving holes you could get your fist in, but the engine still survives.

I suppose I should get up there some day & get it off. There is also an ex-RAF Douglas flat twin generating set there which used to be mine & my brother's pride & joy. Sadly I just haven't got the room here, so it'll have to stay there a bit longer..

Ah ha! I was right. I wrote that last post as you were posting that pic. That is indeed the remains of a mower clutch.

They're a lovely little engine these, they sound very nice with the larger, older ATCO silencer on them. But they still sound good with the smaller later one. Very simple technology, but it worked well.

Couple more things. Have you got the carb level when the engine is being run? It will put up with a bit of cornering if on a bike, but the engine shouldn't be canted over at an angle unless you manufacture a different intake tube.

Also, if you could, at some point, get a close up of the throttle slide & how the needle fits, it might jog my (& other people's) memory.

Can you remember if the cluch pulley is on a tapper??
The exhaust wadding had all fell to the bottom of the silencer in a lump so that has been removed .
I was thinking of putting steel wool in it (not sure if a good idea or not)...
but any way the pic of the auto cycle

Sorry about the mix up in the posts...me and my lap top went on a go slow... after some shouting at the lap top it woke up again...Now i have sussed out the pic issue i will get some close up pics of the carb throttle slide..
Thanks for your interest in my project....

Now that looks interesting, you've got me thinking now.... :chin: :chin: :chin:

As for the clutch pulley, it's only quite thin metal, so I would guess it's screwed on, especially as it looks like it has a nut holding it on, so that could well be like a locking nut.

But I'm only guessing there really.

You know, the mower restoration scene is quite large these days. I don't want to send you away, as I really like the looks of this project, but there may be some info out there on a mower collectors site or something. But remember, you'll never find another forum as friendly & helpful as this one.

I might have a google for you myself, if I get time in the morning, see what I can dig up.

What a great looking bike, I like the way the cross bar was bent to fit the engine and the heavy duty front folks. What's your plans? get it up and running then restore the bike or just leave as is (working look) with running engine.

Stu.

Hi Stu...and thanks for your comments on my auto cycle....the plan was to build a old looking barn find looking bike that looks and is scary to ride ... the whole design was made up as i went along and i am quite pleased with the result...if it works is yet to be seen

Thanks nutgone for your help again...i have had a look on some mower sites and picked up bits and bobs along the way...but you are right this site is the best by far...and as soon as this is sorted i will be back with my next small project...A JAP type o 32cc engine

I used to have a JAP model O as well!

So was the bike built from scratch from various other parts, or completely from scratch? I like the looks of the forks, they remind me of the old Vintage motorcycle Girder forks (like my dad's older bike has).

I really must get that old Villiers Midget engine off that mower, I would love to take something like that to the rallies, it would save my legs!