Hi All,

I have a Yard-Man - unknown model (the plate with the ID is too worn down to read) but it looks simmilar to this one:
The difference is mainly in the controls - mine has a less 'refined' looking control panel. Otherwise, mine is a pretty similar tracked model.

The engine is a Tecumseh HMSK90-156501A with D.O.M. 43078 (or maybe 4307B). My father in law got it second hand and gave it to us so I don't know too much of it's history.

I had just got finished cleaning out the carb and adjusting the machine's cables. I took it out for a test run on the recent lake effect snow we just had in Buffalo. It started running rough after about 20 minutes and stalled. I got it started back up and about 30 seconds later I hear a BANG! and the fuel tank is bouncing up and down, and I hear oil running all over.

I look down below the tank and there's a crack in the engine and I can see the crankshaft

It had oil, so I don't know why it died.

Now, I am comfortable taking things apart and mechanically inclined but I know very little about snow blowers. So right now I'm not sure what my best option is. I see three possibilities:

1) Scrap the machine. See if somebody wants it for parts or to put a new engine on. Or cut it up for the scrap yard. Get what I can, and start saving up for a new machine (which means I'll be shoveling my 175' of sidewalk for the rest of this winter, probably).

2) Find a replacement Tecumseh engine. Which may be difficult? I'm under the impression that Tecumseh got taken over and parts are hard to find now?

3) Put a Harbor Freight Predator engine on it. This seems like a good way to go ($100 for a complete 6.5HP sounds good to me) but I have no idea how to figure out what fits. I'm guessing I find the spec for my Tecumseh and find a Predator with the same shape crankshaft. Then make an adapter to raise it to he proper height and bolt it down. But I'm not sure if there's any more to it.

I know #3 is only an option if I have one output shaft, right? Which I think I do from looking at parts diagrams?

Are there other options I haven't thought of?

So I'm looking for any advice I can get. And if anybody has the same / similar model as me and had the engine go out, I'd love to hear what you did.

Thanks everyone!

prey that you have one output shaft and put a predator on it. the 6.5hp will not be enough

there are new old stock of those brand engines sitting in warehouses here in the states.

How badly is the block broken? I've patched some of those Tecumseh's with wire mesh and JB Weld before. Cleaned the metal transfer off the crank journal and put a new rod in.

The whole side of it broke off. The hole is about as big as the palm of my hand

Does it look like this one? This is an 8.5hp, 28in. And it has a dual shaft motor.

Attached Thumbnails

 

Your Yardman,if it is similar to the one in the link you provided and has two output shafts, was made by MTD. If that is the case you may be able to flip the friction disc and rotate the lower gear arm 180 degrees to allow for a single shaft repower. It is actually a very simple flip on some MTD blowers. If you can, flip the blower into the service position and snap a pic of the transmission set-up. If your engine has a single output shaft, the 212cc predator will be more or less a plug & go engine for you. Some of the Tec engines on MTD blowers used an odd sized shaft diameter which would require new pulleys for the swap.

As long as it's not broken/cracked up into the cylinder or back as far as the back where the rear sump cover bolts on it can be
patched.

Those Tecumsehs are not that hard to find used though.

Service position is with the 'mouth' down on a flat surface, tracks perpindicular to the ground, right?

And then just take the plate off the bottom and take some pics?

I'll do that once there's some good light for photos. Thanks

Ok, I didn't take the pics yet. Too cold and I'm never home when there's light out.

But quick question - generally, would any dual pulley Snow King replace any other dual pulley snow king? I found an HMSK85 but mine's an HMSK90