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Setimental

2K views 12 replies 10 participants last post by  GustoGuy 
#1 ·
Grandfather passed away this year, just cleaning out his garage at the cottage and sitting in the corner is a moto mower snow shark 8. Have a fond memory of it chewing though the snow here with him back in the 80s. Looks like it’s in decent shape although it has 25 year old gas and inside of the fuel tank looks a little rusty. I dont know much about engines but would like to get this up and running for myself. I will have to send it in to get most of the work done as I don’t know much about engines. Would it be worth a waist of time getting it fixed? I’m assuming it probably needs the carb cleaned, new hoses and tank. Would anyone have an idea of what else it may need or potential problems. Compression sounds good but haven’t tested. Also did these snow blowers have a good reputation? Thanks in advance
 
#3 ·
welcome. hard to say if it is worth fixing or not. the biggest issue is usually labor and possibly parts needed get it going. if you were to try cleaning up the fuel system and get the thing running it might be worth trying to get the engine running but if your going to pay someone to do work may just be better off paying someone to just toss a brand new predator engine on it and likely save yourself some money replacing parts and hoping there is no issue with it and just tossing money at a bad engine.

i don't know if this would be the same as yours but there are lots of video's showing how to clean or tune a carb. most of the time there is usually not much to it.
 
#5 ·
I agree with crazzywolfie. Paying someone to troubleshoot and fix a 40 year old engine could cost way more than a new replacement engine. Many on here would try to fix themselves, but it will take time. And it still may not be worth it even if you get the engine running. I would guess it could cost $150 for carb clean, fuel lines and new tank from a shop. And then the blower itself will need a thorough checkup; bearings, chains, cables, gears, etc will all need cleaning and lubricating. Again, many on here could probably get the machine running, but to hire it out seems costly. Got any pictures of the condition?
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the help everyone. There is no rust at all and was sitting in the corner hasn’t moved in years. It’s actually in better shape than the pictures show. By the sounds of it so far I might be better off just putting a new motor on? If so what are the recommendations for new motors? And power. Thanks again. Here are the pics
 

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#10 · (Edited)
it looks great! :)

Here is my opinion of what has been discussed so far:

I would recommend *not* thinking about a new engine right now, not yet, because of the first word in this thread: Setimental.
IMO, the engine is an important part of the original machine, IMO chucking on a cheap junky predator engine just destroys the originality of the machine, and greatly cheapens the machine overall. and, IMO, most of the time it's unnecessary, and IMO..often just lazy.

and..the original engine is usually waaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy better quality and better-built that the cheap Harbor Freight predator engines.
IMO, the only reason to use a predator is if the original engine is actually, literally beyond repair. and, you also actually *need* to use this specific machine.

For me, if the engine was actually beyond my personal ability to fix (for now), and if this was my Grandfather's snowblower, I would rather just keep, stored in the garage or shed, and not use it..keep it complete..and maybe someday find a replacement engine of the same model and era.
or maybe learn the skills to fix it myself, 5 or 10 years down the road..
that would be so much *better* than putting a Predator engine on it..IMO.

IMO, putting a Predator engine on one of these vintage machines is like putting a Chinese engine from Walmart in your grandfathers 1965 Mustang. ;)
its just wrong on so many levels..
(yes I know, you cant actually buy a cheap Chinese automobile engine at Walmart..not yet! ;) im sure they are working on it though.)

but the original engine is probaly fine!
it probably just needs an oil change, fuel system clean, and probably a carb clean.
none of which is particularily difficult.
odds are good you can get it to run! :)

To me, this would be a case where your Grandfathers snowblower could be your "second" snowblower! ;)
and your main snowblower is something much newer and much more utilitarian..and not at all sentimental.
If this is actually your very first snowblower, and if for some reason it cant be made to run reliably right now..make it your second snowblower! ;)
work on it whenever you can, in the summer! because you dont need to rely on it to actually clear your driveway.

and keep it complete and original, just like it was when your Grandfather was using it.. It can be a sentimental timecapsule.
(which i think is the best thing to do with it, running or not)
if it doesnt run..meh..not a big deal, because you dont need it to run right now! ;)
just keep as-is it for now.. and a new snowblower collector is born. :)

welcome!
Scot
 
#7 ·
Myself, I'd carb clean it and try some fresh fuel *first*. Carb cleaning on these 0ld engines is typically bonehead simple if you can read and follow a procedure. Myself, unless it is worn out, I'd take one of those older engines any day over the marginal quality cheap Chinese stuff out there now . . . As I recall (we had one of these when I was a kid), most of the drive is off the shelf bearings and chains (well, other than a 2 speed drive transmission) and all I ever recall failing on ours were chains . . .

In any case, you have very little to lose trying to work on it, and it will give you valuable experience and skills moving forward. Just remember that very little requires excessive force, so just be careful not to break anything!
 
#8 ·
i would agree. might be worth you trying to get some fresh fuel into the carb and trying to start it up. as long as the old fuel hasn't dried up it is usually pretty easy to clean things up and get fuel where it needs to go. if it has a primer you could try pressing the primer till you have a bit of fuel drip on the ground. it it drips fuel it might even fire without opening up the carb.
 
#9 ·
I agree with the others, clean it up and try it out - you may be pleasantly surprised! Almost certainly the carburetor will need cleaning but they're pretty simple. Take your time, (and take pictures along the way so you can get it back together!) and don't force anything - use solvents to soak instead.

If it runs, change the oil soon after and then give it a general cleanup and oiling/lubrication.
 
#11 ·
What I'd do first....
remove the spark plug....then spray in some penetrating oil like PB Blaster or Kroil....let it sit a week.
Then...spray in some fogging oil, like we use to store engines...you don't want to try to crank it over...no knowing if the cyls have rust that could damage the piston and piston rings. After it sat with the penetrating oil and fogging oil for some time, then carefully try to pull it over with the pull cord with the spark plug out. If it spins, great, if not then spray more and wait longer. I'd do this before even cleaning the carb.
I saved a GM Marine 4.3 this way that had blown both head gaskets, and ingested salt water in 2 cyls (not enough to hydrolock). I drained all the water out of the block, sprayed penetrating oil in the cyls and turned it over by hand. Then lubed the cyls with fogging oil till I could get it all apart (this was in the fall of 2016). Took it apart over the winter and rebuilt it with a pair of reman marine cyl heads and all new gaskets. Kept the same old short block. Turned out well.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/55j6h4dd1u8fv0k/top end rebuild 4.3 test run.MOV?dl=0
 
#12 ·
Eh, one can buy a nice Briggs and Stratton for it for probably $200, no need to use a predator. Granted the new engine will not have an adjustable carb like the old one.


Get a can of carburetor cleaner and an oil drain pan (cheap deep black bowl ones for under $5) AND most importantly a set of SAFETY GLASSES!!! As getting carb cleaner sprayed in your eyes isn't that pleasant. Trust me when I say that you WILL get it sprayed at your face at one point or another as spraying into holes (plugged or otherwise) will shoot that stuff out another hole or right back at you. It's fun though to see where the passages lead and to do the work yourself so don't let my safety warnings dissuade you from attempting it!



You can put a bunch of nuts (like nut and bolt type of nuts, not acorns..) in the gas tank (after draining and rinsing the gas out) and shake the tank gently to loosen any remaining rust flakes. Nothing like cleaning a carb and then putting gas through it that has bits of rust to plug up all your cleaned passages!



And after you free up the engine like LouC said, then you should check for compression and spark and if that's good and the carbs cleaned and it still won't start then give it a little squirt of starting fluid. If it fires then the carb is not doing what it should and needs to be gone through again.




P.S. ebay has many many many new chinese carbs for $10-$15 so if the engine checks out you can always just replace the carb with a new clean one.
 
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