Maneater snowblower from childhood, This blower has been in the family since the mid 1960's It had a Tecumseh 4 stroke 6 hp on it and it has always been a pain in the seat to start and run. Even if it was run out of gas between uses and over the spring/summer/fall no use seasons. It ran last year, and this year it didn't what to start or even fire.
I never have cared for Tecumseh, the carbs suck big time. Even when I was working for a repair shop at a landscape supply years ago they sucked It seemed that since I was part time I always got stuck with them for repair.
So this year when Harbor Freight came out with a coupon for a 212cc/6.5hp horizontal with a 3/4" shaft for $99.00 I picked one up to swap out. Now all of the reviews and reports have been good that I have seen on these engines. They are clones of the Honda CX 200 series or so I have been told that those parts will fit. They certainly look like them.
I have a vert of one Honda on the power washer. So I figured what the hell.
I picked one up, removed the old engine and bolted up the new one after mounting the clutch drive, easier on the bench. Less scrap iron getting in the way.
After securing it and lining up the drive chain. I filled it up with oil and gas, first pull it fired up and run for about 20 minutes while I oiled and greased up all the rotating scrap iron on the maneater.
This one is before they mandated that the auger stop when it wasn't moving forward.
It spins at the step down of the chain drive when the engine is running. They use to cause a lot of bodily damage of the people that either got in the way or tried clearing the chute with their hands and arms!
The engine is the Predator 212cc they also have 346cc,420cc
The only adjustments that are going to be required is adding an extension to the drive chain guard as the mounting lug no longer matches the thread holes on the side of the block.
And minor adjustment to the engine position possibly after the 3 hour run in period.
I will keep the group informed good or bad as the winter progresses.
