Ex... Would a Honda ?gx200? fit on a OLD aries snowblower?
Last edited by cdseven95; 11-02-10 at 02:15 PM.
You need to compare where/how the shafts are located on each. They need to be the same...Originally Posted by cdseven95
Did you grit your teeth and try to look like Clint Fuckin' Eastwood?
Or did you lisp it all hangfisted like a fuckin' flower?
The answer is: it depends.
If the shaft height from the mounting base is the same, it's not usually too difficult. People have fit the Lifan Honda clones to old Ariens. A more popular choice (since it's almost a bolt-on, and a "real" snow engine) is one of the Briggs & Stratton snow engines. If you call up Briggs they will have a live human answer your questions, and even send you drawings via .pdf. Honda will refer you to a dealer, who will inform you that Honda doesn't sell snow engines, just regualr replacement engines. But they've been used as well: there are a massive number of old Ariens machines around that are very ruggedly built.
In addition to height of the shaft, shaft diameter, and shaft length, you also have to look at the mounting bolt pattern compared to the old Tecumsehs. Most engine replacements require cutting off the mounting studs and drilling holes in the tractor for new mounting bolts.
There's one other "gotcha" in that most replacement engines are OHV and are offset to one side, while the OEM Tecumsehs went straight up. Most older Ariens have a solid rod crank to turn the chute. But the new engine is in the way. You have to install a u-joint or two and a bracket, but it's easy enough to do: except that you need two rods, as if you cut the old one it's not long enough.
I took a kind of beat-up but running 1970 Ariens.
And restored it, replacing bushings, bearings, repainting, etc. Paint color is Chevy engine orange, much cheaper than at an Ariens dealer.
The machine came with an H50 (5hp) Tecumseh that was was very tired. I replaced it with a [then rated] 7.75hp Briggs & Stratton Intek Snow engine. It was less than $300 online.
I restored it because it had been my dad's and I didn't want to throw it away. So when I finished it I gave it to my brother. It kicks ass but doesn't have the safety features of newer models.
Here's how I routed the chute crank. Bought the u-joint from McMaster for $9.
Best OPE forum I've found for snow throwers. There's a lengthy thread there on the "Overhaulin'".
Last edited by Garandman; 11-02-10 at 03:34 PM.
“It's 2 minutes for any capable adult.”
Nice, Dana!
I had the Ariens dealer in Quincy fix/update my 15 year old machine last year. It had eaten a cobblestone a few years prior, exploded the gearbox, and bent the input shaft. Yeah, it had the correct shearpins in place. They worked, just not fast enough.
The old cast crapmetal gearbox parts were no longer available, so it now has a cast iron gearbox (and related parts) and runs like a top.
Now to get the 2 stroke Toro going again...
-Tom
That is the exact one I have... Thanks for the great info...Weird thing is to get the drive wheels to go you let go of the lever ... To stop you squeeze the lever... Not sure if that's how they come stock.... A couple times I have slipped and it has taken off down the street lol or 180 towards me.. The Honda engine I can get for the cheapest so I will probably just modify that to fit..
If you can get a Honda GX engine for less than the B&S Snow, that's a great deal as they are usually well over $400. But if it's a GC-series engine, I wouldn't do it.
The GX270 has 15 ft lbs of torque - really good, as much as the B&S 305cc. The GC is a much cheaper engine and probably doesn't have the torque you need in a snow engine. There are Honda GX270 clone engines available for less than $200. Some Ariens [Sno-Tek] now come with Chinese clone engines and other low-cost Ariens have China-built B&S engines, but I'm not sure if they are available as replacements.
Keep in mind though that none of these are snow engines. Snow engines don't have air cleaners. They do have boxes to warm the engine air, primers to help with cold starts, and many come with electric starters or have it as an option. The pull starter grip is larger to accommodate gloves. They have the throttle on the engine (not a cable).
There is one new snow engine available on the Ariens and as a replacement: Robin Subaru now makes a snow series. These are chain-driven overhead cam engines with roller bearing cranks and lots of torque: the 9.5hp has 19ft lbs, more than the larger Honda GX340. Now if they'd just come out with a two-cylinder boxer....
Last edited by Garandman; 11-03-10 at 09:20 AM.
“It's 2 minutes for any capable adult.”
I almost feel setup. How is it possible that one can ask this question on a mc forum and get a detailed answer like that back in an hour?
Because almost every homeowner in New England owns one....
“It's 2 minutes for any capable adult.”
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