Skip to main content
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Thomas Green of Leeds Zephyr 20

Enter a word or two to search the forum section and click the Search Forum button.

Evening. Newly joined and hoping someone may have some knowledge of the history/age of one of the machines I have came into ownership of. As title suggests it's a zephyr but it's orange. Has a mk 10or 12 villiers engine which is likely a replacement as paint doesn't match. I'm just in the process of getting spark back before a refurb. Thanks

Forums

NM Sat, 01/12/2018

Hi and welcome to the club. I have a 20” Zephyr with standard blade that I got a few months ago,and I can’t find much info either. Search forum for zephyr 20”.  Mine is green with red engine cowling and black engine. I have seen images of orange ones. Engine is probably a C12, a variant on MK12. I can’t see many differences with my untrained eye. There are a few sales brochures on flea bay with some info on.

Cameron Sat, 01/12/2018

Thanks for the reply. My eye is also untrained so it's possible it's even that engine. I've reconditioned an f12 that now powers my clubs ancient sacrificed so I'm getting a liking for them. I spoke with a chap Roy allet who was or ran allet mowers and he knew a bit from when they had the brand. I think greens of Leeds where the first then it passed on through different sellers.

wristpin Sat, 01/12/2018

In 40 years I only had 3 Zephyrs through the workshop and they were all orange, but if memory is correct they were all 10 blade bowling green or cricket wicket machines: so could it be that the multi blade machines were orange and the standard six blade ones were green?  There's an occasional contributor to this forum who may know.

The attached scan from a rather faded original Operator's and Parts List may be of use.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hjfwkkwp8s96g93/Greens%20Zephyr0001.pdf?dl=0

hdtrust Sun, 02/12/2018

All Zephyr's which were Orange painted came from the short historical period when Hawker Siddley owned Greens (the last period) mid 1960's

There are odd brochures about of this period but the lawn mower division at this point was a side line to the heavy engineering that Hawker Siddley were after within the Greens organization

Andrew Hall

Archivist

hillsider Sun, 02/12/2018

Re the paint colours used on Greens Zephyrs, I used to maintain a green one for a cricket club and the chassis plate stated that it was made in Arbroath Scotland presumably before they moved South of the border again and changed to Orange.

gtc Mon, 03/12/2018

Brings to mind that old song by the Rovers:

"Oh it is the biggest mix-up that you have ever seen
Me father he was orange and me mother she was green."

:-)

 

Cameron Fri, 07/12/2018

Looks a solid orange body sadly it's just a 6bladed machine. I'd have danced a wee jig if it had been a 10, I'm working through a variety of zephyrs, atcos and qualcasts that were all inoperative when I arrived at my club. All 6blades too. On slightly more technical matters can anyone advise what manipulates the points to open on the c12 engine. Mine don't seem to want to. Thanks

wristpin Fri, 07/12/2018

If you are asking what opens the points when running, it is the cam that is part of the flywheel hub. If the points are not opening they either need to be adjusted or in an extreme case the heel of the moving point has worn away and the point set will need to be replaced.

If you just need to know how to adjust them - line up a window in the flywheel with the points box and use a screw driver to rotate the serrated cover to reveal the points. To allow the fixed point to move , slacken the centre screw around which the cover rotates half a turn. That releases the clamping force and allows the point to move. Moving the point is assisted by twisting the blade of a fairly wide screwdriver blade between the V slot  in the point and the stud in the stator back plate. By moving the blade either side of the stud the gap may be increased or decreased . Once you have achieved the requisite 12 to 15 thou gap, tighten the centre screw to lock the fixed point. Good practice to insert a strip of clean card between the points and move it gently  to remove any contamination from a dirty feeler gauge. However don’t pull the paper right out without holding the moving point slightly open to release it; otherwise it may snap shut and grab some paper fibres which may give rise to a “no spark” situation.

Cameron Fri, 07/12/2018

Thanks for all your advice. I'm new to this wp so it's try-ask-learn-do. Opened my eyes and discovered the points are manipulated by the elliptical collar on the flywheel so have got it now. There is a degree of wear but there's also now a beautiful strong blue spark even just when turned by hand. Just the carb to clean out and a oil cap/dipstick to source and I think this one will live again. Now to remember where those bolts are....