Autobarrow

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi all, glad to have found this place, I have been tinkering with garden machinery since my neighbour through out his Briggs and Stratton Mountfield mower when I was 13 and I fixed it (so that’s, ummmm, err…. 28 years ago!) its still working fine!

Anyway, I recently bough this Autobarrow from the ‘Bay (maybe someone else saw it?). I have since stripped and greased the drive train, checked over the engine and painted a few bits and bobs, and have discovered the following: –
1, the quality of construction is incredible, the tolerances were so good that when I took many parts off it was like new underneath
2, the Villars engine is again incredible quality – however you can see why Briggs (for example survived) and Villars did not, the Villiers must have twice the parts quantity for a similar output – and I dont think many owners cared that Villiers had many well machined parts for a guvnor and Briggs had a piece of plastic! – it was lovely to work on though

So, anyway (again). I need to make a box of some sort for the Autobarrow, although I originally bought it as a trailer tug I think I can use it for a lot more things with a box. There is another Autobarrow with box on Ebay now for a lot of money and having looked at the fittings on the original it will cost a lot to replicate so I have a feeling my version wont be very ‘original’- unless (and this is a long shot) anyone knows of an original floating about somewhere?

Lastly, the engine does smoke somewhat. I have had the head off and the bore is perfect – it still has the honing marks, and the valves and seats are good too. The smoking was it was really bad – the lawn looked like a battlefield! but I have put the proper viscosity oil in now and is at least 50% better but still smoky – any ideas?

I might put a few more of my projects on up soon

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[stuart]

Looks like a Villiers F15 engine ?.Smoking issue (blue coloured smoke)…..make sure the engine is not overfilled with oil and that the crankcase breather is functioning properly.Check condition of piston,rings,cylinder bore and valve guides.If the smoke is black in colour then its an over rich fuel mixture so check the carburettor,the choke and air filter.

[vhgmcbuddy]

That’s right, an F15, and its definitely oil smoke. The odd thing is that the bore and valves are perfect – loads of compression..

The crankcase vent valve looks fine – the ball is clean and free, I might try running it without the ball for a while – see if that makes any difference.

Re over-filling with oil, the operating manual says to use 1.2 pints in a F15 with has a reduction box (as this one does) but that seems like a lot more than it should be considering the statement later the in the booklet which says that the oil should come to the bottom of the filler hole threads – which only took a pint – and may yet be too much? I suspect that there are a lot of nooks a cranny’s in the engine which hold oil even when the engine has been drained.

I will keep on researching…!
any ideas where a box might be available?

[wristpin]

Assuming that the crankcase breather is functioning correctly, I would suspect a worn oil control ring.
If it comes to pulling it apart this may be of assistance

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qcj176ljzvt47vb/Villiers%20F150001.pdf?dl=0

[vhgmcbuddy]

Thanks for the link, that will help a lot.

It could be the oil ring but is this lightly to be more worn than the compression rings which I can assume are ok as the bore is immaculate and the compression is very good indeed?

I ran it again at he weekend and it is still very smokey!

[wristpin]

The oil ring on that engine is below the gudgeon pin near the bottom of the piston, so although, as you’ve mentioned, the cross hatching is still visible, that ring is running on the out of sight area of the bore. I believe that the issue is unlikely to be resolved without dismantling and micing the bore at all areas where the rings run.

[vhgmcbuddy]

Ah, I had a feeling the engine would have to come apart! well, I will have to order that Gasket set!
Who’s the best person to get a full gasket set and, assuming I need it, and oversize piston and rings from?

Any chance at all re getting an original box from somewhere do you think?

[wristpin]

For F15 parts, Paul at Meetens is your best bet, but I see that L&S Engineers have some new old stock F15 parts including standard and certain oversized rings.

http://www.meetens.co.uk/

https://www.lsengineers.co.uk/

[gus-p]

Hi, I’m taking my autobarrow to Newark tractor show on Nov 11/12. The buck isn’t original but it is a copy of the original rotten one!!! You’re welcome to measure / copy etc

Gus

[vhgmcbuddy]

Hi There, I am so glad that I am not the only one to have one of these great machines, as I said in the first post I am a real admirer of the engineering and general quality of them.

Do you have any photos and have you had to do any work on it? also, when you made the replacement box did you use the original fittings? I am finding getting equivalents very difficult/expensive – to the point that I am thinking of just getting the box off a small trailer and attaching it – not my preferred solution but what are you going to do…

I actually bought it as a trailer – tug to drag around a relatively small but surprisingly heavy trailer I use..

either way, I would love to see pictures of yours!

[irc]

I have original unit complete with box, if you need photo and dimensions let me know, also have f15 spares etc.
Best regards
Ian.

[Author]

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