I couldn't really think of another place or person to ask this of, so I'm hoping there are some H-T'ers with small engine experience.

I was given a VERY old Ariens Snowblower with a Tecumseh engine. Ran beautifully until the last storm of the season this year. Wouldn't idle smoothly and couldn't make enough power to throw snow. After carb adjustments failed to make a difference, I pulled the head and found this:



Someone helicoiled the block for a stripped head bolt, but the oversized helicoil deformed the sleeve and, eventually, it cracked and lost compression.



Questions:

1. On an extremely low performance engine that maybe runs 6-8 times per year, is there any chance this can be welded up and resurfaced to some degree?

2. If not, I can purchase a new bare cylinder block for about $130. Feels like it could be a recipe for disaster putting 50 year internals back into a new block though.

Any advice or experience greatly appreciated.

 

can it be welded and resurfaced, technically i guess it could but the probability of doing so successfully and for less than what it would cost you to buy a block is very slim i would imagine.

for the amount that you are running it, i wouldn't be scared to put it together in a different block providing none of your internals are messed up currently.

 

The top ring will show damage, and should be replaced.

A new block is required. No shop will warranty a sleeve weld as expansion/contraction in that small an area will lead to further failure/machining.

 

I used to work on those things for a living. That's basically just scrap aluminum at this point. Go to a small engine shop that does a lot of outdoor power equipment work, chances are they have one of these on the scrap pile with a hole through the side of it that they'll either give you or sell for next to nothing. You can patch the holes in the side pretty easily with some fine steel or aluminum mesh and JB Weld. Those Old Tecumseh's are pretty simple to rebuild, whatever you use for a block it wouldn't hurt to hone the cylinder and use a new set of rings, actually most of them now come as a kit with a new piston as well since Tecumseh made the rings thinner on later models, From what I recall the new rings, piston and wrist pin are about $30 and comes as a kit.

Also, I'm pretty sure the piston in it now is .10 oversize.

Also, if it really is as old as you say it's going to have points and a newer block will require the swapping of a bunch of parts (flywheel, coil, possibly the crank and cam) A new old stock block will work if you can find one. Tecumseh has been out of business for 6 years now and while the parts division was spun off into tecumseh power and is still making replacement parts not everything is available.

 

Go down to Harbor Freight and get a brand new complete engine for less than the price of a bare block...

 

It's not always possible to do that. Some of those Tecumsehs have an extended camshaft that comes out through the back cover to drive the wheels. It's A. half the speed of the crank, and B. reverse rotation. Sometimes the chute crank wont clear the muffler or gas tank on the new engine either, or the height between the crank and the base is different. It is certainly possible to use one of those Honda clones in some cases, but not all.

 

I guess you found the reason you were GIVEN it

 

Thanks a lot 94EG8. There is a small engine shop near me with the "pile" you mention. That probably is the place to start.

BTW - I tried JB weld on it's own to get through the final storm of the season, but it didn't hold. The crack is small enough that I couldn't get it to pack there from either side.

I thought about that, but I'm concerned that if the shaft height, length and diameter aren't EXACTLY the same, something, somewhere isn't going to line up correctly.

Haha. I did actually get 1.75 seasons out of it without a problem, so no complaints.

 

You didn't comprehend what he wrote. He was saying you may be able to find an engine that threw a rod or has a hole in the block that is able to be repaired with JB weld but still has a good cylinder. Your jug is a lost cause since you have a cylinder wall problem. It would be best case if you could find a standard bore to put your oversized piston in (obviously machine work required).

 

Search your classifieds for a tecumseh snow king 9hp with the cast iron sleeve, they can be had for $100 or less, at least in Buffalo

 

9hp is going to be a 1" crank. 7hp and under is 3/4" like this one. But, yeah, those newer motors are easier to find.

I took 94EG8's advice and have been looking for a junk block at shops and on CL. They're proving to be hard to find, at least around here. Closest I've come is a shortblock I found at an antique shop through a google search @ $175.

I think I'm going swap it for a Chinese made Briggs & Stratton with shaft specs and mounting pattern almost identical to the old Tecumseh. Small Engine Warehouse has them brand new for $230. Starting to seem unlikely that the I can rebuild the H70 for less.