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jrtrebor


Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539

Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Original Message   Dec 15, 2010 10:50 pm
I don't remember under which tread someone was asking about using a Honda clone on a snowblower.  And any issues there might be with it not being set up for cold weather.
I'm getting ready to re-power my Ariens 1032 (924084) with an 11HP Greyhound clone.  I've made some modification to it for cold weather based on some on the shields that come on
Honda snowblower engines.  Though they might be helpful to anyone thinking about doing the same thing.






      
























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trouts2




Location: Marlboro MA
Joined: Dec 8, 2007
Points: 1328

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #1   Dec 16, 2010 11:37 am
Nice job. You’re over and above Honda’s implementation. The engine will run like it’s clearing snow in Florida. I put that 11 on a similar 924050 without mods and it’s working fine (eastern Massachusetts). What are you going to do with the electric start? I left the leads open for hookup to a portable battery pack.
jrtrebor


Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #2   Dec 16, 2010 1:19 pm
I'm going to be using the electric starter.
I made a battery tray and mounted it on the blower. I kind of don't like having the extra weight of the battery on one side of the blower like that.
But not much else place to put it.  The clone sits further back on the blower so there may be some slight weight distribution issues.
But the battery weight should off set some of it.
Have made up as much of the wiring as I can without having
everything in place on the blower.  I love to know what the output is of the alt. on the clone.  But don't know where to find
that info. and haven't had the time to do much searching
I'm hopefully going to get time to do the engine swap in the next couple of days.
Glad to know your clone is doing fine without some mods.









borat


Joined: Nov 10, 2007
Points: 2692

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #3   Dec 16, 2010 1:30 pm
Nice job indeed.

Regarding the battery/electric start. 

Being that the snow thrower is usually in the vicinity of a garage/shed, I probably would have put a couple quick disconnect leads to the starting system, plug in the battery, fire it up, disconnect the battery and keep it on a trickle charger in the garage.   However, the added weight of the battery on the intake will probably be advantageous.  Some blowers actually have optional weight kits to help keep the bucket down.
JohnnyBoyUpNorth


Location: New Brunswick Canada
Joined: Dec 30, 2007
Points: 72

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #4   Dec 16, 2010 5:03 pm
Excellent work. I'd love to be able to fab something of that quality. I took an old filing cabinet, cut a huge corner out of it and hung it over the carb and part of the muffler. It's rather "rednecky", and I'll take some photos in the daylight. One more colour added to the old beast..

Contents under pressure....
snowmachine


Location: Washington State
Joined: Nov 12, 2008
Points: 268

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #5   Dec 16, 2010 5:14 pm
No kidding... awesome work!!!
chefwong


Joined: Dec 18, 2004
Points: 175

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #6   Dec 16, 2010 7:44 pm
Keep up the great work Jrtrebor. What's your trade. Sheetmetal, industrial fab ?

It too me weeks if not possibly months to find a good sheetmetal guy. Alot of guys in the trades that do hvac, but I had a tough time finding one that *got it* when I was redoing the kitchen....someone who understood that that there is a ~engineering~ when it comes exhaust work and it's not just fit a 8" round and as long as it routes back outside...
Shryp


Location: Cleveland, OH
Joined: Jul 26, 2010
Points: 532

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #7   Dec 16, 2010 9:51 pm
Looking good.  Is this the same blower you added the electric controls and the stainless to?

I too would be interested in your progress as I just fitted an 11 HP on my 924026 since the original HM80 decided to throw a rod.
Was my first time blowing an engine and I was a little disappointed it was far from spectacular.  No smoke, noise or boom.  The only
thing it did was sound like something got wrapped around the augers as I heard the tick tick tick from the crank hitting the rod after it
came apart.

The 11 is probably overkill, but I grew up watching Home Improvement :)  I am sure the 6.5 would have worked.  Mine is only a 24" bucket,
but I wouldn't mind maybe finding a 32" in the future and switching it over.  I also wanted a little overhead so I could possibly switch to a
larger pulley and get the impeller up to the 1300-1400 rpm range.  I got mine mounted, but need to get some longer belts as the auger
doesn't quite disengage fully.  The mounting on mine was a bit tight as the bolt holes had to be drilled right at the very edge of the top plate
where they have the 45 degree bank for the handlebar mounts.  I also still need to come up with a new belt cover yet.  I was thinking of using
some roofing flashing or some sheet metal and also had someone suggest some of that fiberglass resin stuff.

I had to spin my recoil starter around to the other side so now my Greyhound decal is sideways, but I can live with that.

Not sure if I want a battery or not.  It seems nice in theory, but might be more trouble than it is worth keeping it charged in the off season.

If I don't use a battery would I be correct in assuming I can just mount powered stuff to the red wire on the started and the black wire that
is suppose to be grounded to the engine mount?  I think it would be nice to have lights and maybe some day rig up some electric controls
like you did.  I too have never been able to find the amperage put out by the built in stator.  I have seen different clones reporting different
numbers and even Hondas come with different amp outputs.

I put a 6.5 on an old Toro 3521 last year and that worked great for last winter with no freezing up issues.
This message was modified Dec 16, 2010 by Shryp
jrtrebor


Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #8   Dec 17, 2010 12:04 am
Thank you all, for all the nice comments. I really appreciate it.  I enjoy doing this kind of stuff and it's nice to be able to share it
with others who have the same interests.
Shryp - yes it is the same power with the electric controls and stainless.  After I swap engines and get the electric all hooked up I'll post some photos.
I wanted the battery on board so I can run a larger watt light(s).  Nothing that will burn the paint of things. Probably a 30W Halogen.
Also with the battery on board I can remove the current battery that is running the chute and deflector motors.
At some point I'm going to take off the double belt pulley and put on two single pulleys. The drive pulley will remain the
same size. But I'm going to put on a 1/2" larger impeller drive pulley.  I have that pulley already. Just need to get a 2 1/2"
with a 1" bore pulley for the drive.  If my math is correct that should give about a 200 rpm increase at the shaft. And a impeller
tip velocity increase of about 730 ft/s.  That is one of the reasons I wanted to use an 11Hp and line the impeller housing with stainless.
Here are a few photos of the belt cover that I had to modify because the center of the crank (as you know) is higher on the clones.
I used a material called Sintra it's really easy to work with.  It's also formable when you put heat to it.
we'll see if it holds up.  If it doesn't I guess I will use it as a pattern and see if I can make the cover out of thin aluminum.
I was fortunate to have to have a old blower without the blower.  To do most of the measuring and fitting for the engine swap.
That is what the engine is sitting on.  Now I know exactly what I have to do to my 1032 to make the swap.
Another project I'm thinking about (there is always another project) is mounting a 3" blade to the front of my spare drive unit.
You can see in the photos the rear piece of steel that I cut out of the back of the impeller housing from and out wasted blower housing.
That is what I will beef-up and mount the plow blade to.
What I really want and have been looking for, for about a year is one of the Ariens Broom attachments.
That is why I've hung on the the drive unit I have. I have actually found, just the other day in my price range.
But unfortunately it's 330 miles away, pick up only. Oh well, I really don't have the money to spend right now anyway.
Almost forgot,  chefwong I'm a 3rd generation finish carpenter. So, same processes different materials and tools.
Measure, cut, fit, assemble.
Also my mom sent me to summer school when I was about 11 or 12. It was a class in small engine basics and repair
Thanks Mom !!
(She probably just wanted to get me out of the house and know where I was.)











niper99


Location: London Ont
Joined: Dec 2, 2007
Points: 354

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #9   Dec 17, 2010 12:32 am
VERY NICE JOB!!!! .....
hirschallan


If it aint broke don't fix it !!


Location: Northern Hills of NY
Joined: Aug 25, 2005
Points: 327

Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #10   Dec 17, 2010 1:22 am
Jrtrebor, I assume your garage is heated. Makes it more enjoyable to work.

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