[chumpy7]

Hi, new here and just got hold of a Merry Tiller Centaur. I can''t find anything about it online and there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people on here so here's hoping. Can't find any numbers on the engine but it's a 5hp Briggs and Stratton I/C series. It's a big old beast and I'm after an engine operators manual for starters.
Hope someone can help.
                Best regards Mick

[R Tallentire]

The Centaur was introduced by Webb in 1983. It was identical to the Super Major except the Centaur had the IC engine whereas the Super Major had the "domestic" aluminium bore engine. I don't think that the Centaur survived the Atco takeover in about 1984. The history page on my website  http://merrytiller.co.uk/merry-tiller-history.htm has a bit on the Super Major version.

The engine instructions were available as a free download on Briggs & Stratton's website but they keep altering the site and have made finding instruction leaflets difficult. You will need the model and type which are stamped on the fan cover, usually behind the air filter.

[chumpy7]

excellent news, so I can look for "Super Major " info to find out a bit more about my machine. Many thanks for that.
                    regards Mick

[chumpy7]

Okay I took the fan cover off and found the numbers ( painted over ) which are 131292, 0235 01 , 82091707.
All I can find on the Briggs site is the exploded diagram. An operator guide would be very useful as I think someone has put oil into the fuel tank with the fuel ( cloudy brown colour ) so I'm going to have to clean it out before I try to start it.

                regards Mick

[chumpy7]

Gave the Centaur a whirl today and there are teething troubles. The machine seems to be trying to bury itself in the ground , no forward motion , just down. I've got one set of tines on it. I've lifted the handles up and I've pushed them down. It just digs a big hole and sits in it. Where am I going wrong ?
                   regards Mick

[Growster...]

Gave the Centaur a whirl today and there are teething troubles. The machine seems to be trying to bury itself in the ground , no forward motion , just down. I've got one set of tines on it. I've lifted the handles up and I've pushed them down. It just digs a big hole and sits in it. Where am I going wrong ?
                   regards Mick

Can you switch the tines from opposite sides?

I seem to recall my old Merrytiller did something similar!

[chumpy7]

Gave the Centaur a whirl today and there are teething troubles. The machine seems to be trying to bury itself in the ground , no forward motion , just down. I've got one set of tines on it. I've lifted the handles up and I've pushed them down. It just digs a big hole and sits in it. Where am I going wrong ?
                   regards Mick

Can you switch the tines from opposite sides?

I seem to recall my old Merrytiller did something similar!

I'll try that tomorrow
            regards Mick


edit to clarify quote

[Svend]

They do take a bit of getting used to - have you tried slowing the engine right down? Or wobbling from side to side, to try and get the tines to climb out?

[R Tallentire]

A good guide to using the Merry Tiller was on the allotment gardening section of this site, but it seems to have gone, so I wrote one myself and stuck it on my website. http://www.merrytiller.co.uk/hints_and_tips.htm It is at the bottom of the page.

[jezza]

hi you have one of the best rotavators in the merrytiller range i use to use one(of2) from 1984 -1993 ours where orderd with 9 hp engines with 48inch rotas set for digging, both machines were fastened together to turn 72 inch wide 12inch deep for turning in soil sterilizer and de gassing after sterilizing ,in this form it worked 18 hour days with fuel stops it used 6 gallons every 2 hours they were fitted with 3 gallon tanks , to set digging position on rotas nearest to chain case needs to be vertical all the others need to be slightly back looking from the end they look to be in a spiral keep them straight is more for fast shallow chopping ,weeding work ,keep a slight pressure on the handles it should keek the machine at a constand even depth    jezza

[chumpy7]

Can't get the engine to fire up now. Anyone know of a B/S engineer in the Sheffield area ?

                  regards Mick

[shedmeister]

Check to see if you have a spark. If not remove the wire from the coil and check again. (engine cut out)If you now have a spark either the switch is faulty or the cut out cable will need adjusting

[chumpy7]

Right I've fitted a new spark plug and with a squirt of carb cleaner it fires 5 or 6 times very slowly then cuts out.
Any ideas ?
                  regards Mick

[grendel]

check that fuel is flowing maybe the needle valve has stuck, or there is a hole in the primer bulb, also check the fuel is coming through the pipe from the tank and the filter in the tanks not blocked, if it fires and sort of runs the timing is about right and you are getting a spark of sorts (though I would also be checking the points are clean and the condenser is in good condition). if you take the plug out and put some fuel in the top of the cylinder hear, it should fire and tun for a couple of seconds, if it does, thats pointing to a fuel supply problem.
Grendel

[Svend]

Hmm... agree that it does sounds like a fuel supply problem. 

From the model number I guess it's got a tank-mounted "pulsa-jet" type carburetor: this has a fuel pump with a diaphragm, which lifts fuel from the main tank into a little "cup" inside the tank (at the top), which in turn feeds the main jet(s).  Because it can take a lot of pulling on the starter to get enough fuel into the "cup", one trick is to make sure the fuel tank is filled to the brim (so it overflows into the cup).  The "squirt of fuel into the cylinder head" trick is another way of getting the engine to pump fuel into the "cup", but you may have to do it quite a few times.  By the way, these generally need full choke to start (unlike the "pulsa-prime" carburetor, which is the other type found on older Merry Tillers).

Otherwise, dirt in the jets, or a perforated diaphragm are the the most likely culprits - take a look at http://outdoorpowerinfo.com/repairs/#id_briggs