Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

I have a LH318SA(HMSK80) - 156574 - Snow King series - cast iron cylinder sleeve - recoil start - 3/4" Dia. x 2.37" keyed crankshaft - D/T 3/8-24 - has 18 watt alternator - Does anyone know an engine I can replace it with. I prefer a 10 hp or better with 12 volt dc or 120 volt ac start .

I can't point you to a certain engine, sorry.

But I can offer that the Harbor Freight engines appear to be popular choices for re-powering equipment.

They have a 6.5hp
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engines/65-hp-212cc-ohv-horizontal-shaft-gas-engine-69727.html#.Uxeumn_QNv8
and an 11hp
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engines/11-hp-346cc-ohv-horizontal-shaft-gas-engine-69735.html#.Uxetmn_QNv8

The 11hp has a 1" shaft. Perhaps you could replace the pulley sheaves with ones that can take a 1" shaft, or modify the existing ones? The 6.5hp (which some people say appears to produce more than 6.5hp) has a keyed 3/4", 2.43" shaft.

There are also sources like Small Engine Warehouse:
http://www.smallenginewarehouse.com/

The HMSK80 (maybe not your exact variant, of course) was used on a ton of machines. I see the engines themselves available sometimes on Craigslist, or you could buy a cheap machine with a problem, and pull the engine off? 10hp Tecumseh blowers are out there as well. You might be able to get a whole used suitable blower for less than a new engine, especially with spring coming.

Small engine warehouse offered me a LH358XA-34-Adj 10hp Horizontal 3/4"x2-5/16" Shaft, . The only thing is I have to use my flywheel and starter, for an electric start. If I did then I would think it will be out of balance. The other would be pull start only.

What do you mean by "If I did then I would think it will be out of balance"? That the flywheel itself would be imbalanced somehow, causing a vibration issue when running?

Yes,If I put my 8 hp flywheel on a 10 hp motor, It might be out of balance

I don't think that would be a concern. I've swapped flywheels, but only between identical engines.

But the flywheel should be balanced by itself (ie- spin it on just a simple shaft, and I'd expect you'd find it to be balanced). Likewise the internal balancing of the engine would be done using the crankshaft geometry, I'd expect. Asking the flywheel to help balance the piston going up/down would seem very strange to me. I think that would be done in the design of the crankshaft itself.

I also don't think it would make much difference anyhow. My current engine is a 10hp OHV Tecumseh. There are more powerful versions of it, which simply enlarge the bore, and would use larger pistons. I haven't compared manuals, but I'd be surprised if the flywheel had to be different, for the more powerful, larger-piston versions.

Someone please step in if I'm off-base here, of course. But I wouldn't expect problems with flywheel balance. They did at least check/confirm your flywheel would fit, etc, hopefully?