TECUMSEH PREDATOR SNOWBLOWER ENGINE SWAP - Easy & Cost Effective!

[@GarageGear]

Here is a link to the PREDATOR ENGINE installed in this video! Thanks for watching! amzn.to/3Mkgb7P

[@chrisgertie346]

Not purchasable any more….. I’m trying to buy one next best??? Harbor freight for 150??

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

The Predator swap is a great solution, I've done it to a few of 70's Ariens which were much older and had smaller Tecumseh engines. But just so people know, every 1000 hours or so, the Tecumseh engines valve clearance has to be put back into spec. You can sit their and adjust the carb all day, its not going to fix it. Head has to come off, side breather has to come off. Valve clearance has to be checked. .008 for intake, .012 for exhaust valve. Its usually the exhaust valve, the heat expands the valve stem over time. Remove it, grind the stem, put it back in, once you have a clearance of .012 its good. While your at it, might as well lap the valve back in, clean the carbon off the head, install a new head gasket and button it back up. After that I guarantee that Tecumseh will run good as new again. I just did it too one. If the exhaust valve isn't closing all the way during the combustion process (seating), it will not run right, no matter what, guaranteed. Do what I just said, its ready for another 1000 hours of work flawlessly. Their good engine's.

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for all these tips. I wonder if that was my issue with that last engine. It was a royal pain.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

@@GarageGear From the way you described it, yes. Valve clearance has to be reset every 1000 hours or so, otherwise the exhaust valve wont seat, your going to loose a lot of power and the carburetor will not adjust in to smooth the engine out, no matter how long you try. Their will also usually be noticable popping at backfiring.

[@jimmysgarage9068]

Wow, thanks for all of that info! For guys like you that's definitely a viable option.

[@trvman1]

When my engine went I did something that was much faster/easier and didn't have to "shave things", get adapters, ect. I just went out and bought a new one. I was done in 30 minutes :)

[@BIG_JV]

@@trvman1 And Boom 💥 there it is! Great solution Brother! Greetings from the Big Apple 🍎

[@ILruffian]

Thanks for taking the time to do this. Clear explanations, solid production quality (clear audio/video) as well. I have a GX120 on a reel mower that won't run off choke. Also won't run under 3000 RPM. Just surges/stalls. Just installed a brand new carb and gas, still doing the same thing. May be time to head down to Harbor Freight!

[@GarageGear]

ILruffian thanks a lot! Many times nowadays I find myself asking is it cheaper and easier to just slap a new engine on a machine or fight with a carb over and over again to no end. These engines work great! Thanks for watching and be sure to check out my other small engine videos!

[@ILruffian]

@@GarageGear !00%. I have a Predator 8750 that runs fantastic. My only concern with this swap is horizontal distance. I will be replacing with a larger engine not smaller. Hoping I won't have a clearance issue. Re your setup, did you ever consider building a quick and dirty enclosure to cover the shaft? Not to be a safety sally, but a scarf or other object getting caught around that shaft could cause a bad day.

[@GarageGear]

ILruffian I totally agree about the gap. The guy I sold it to said he would figure something out for it. He said that with the new engine and impeller kit that he almost took out his neighbors window throwing snow. Pretty crazy!

[@ILruffian]

@@GarageGear Picked up my engine yesterday. It's a John Deere Reel Mower (golf green) mower, so I'm going to give it a shot. What camera did you shoot this on? Video is very clear.

[@GarageGear]

ILruffian I use a go pro 7 camera. It’s shoots in 1080! Have fun!

[@randylee2549]

As a proud owner of a 8 hp Tecumseh all you needed to do was confirm compression and REPLACE the CTN with a oem WALBRO TECUMSEH Carb, nothing beats OEM

[@GarageGear]

I looked into a new carb originally by they wanted over $60 for it at the time and the old engine was pretty well rusted over too. For $100 I got a brand new engine. Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@kcstereo]

@@GarageGear You can buy a replacement carb off Ebay for a fraction of the cost, usually $25 bucks or less. I did this with my Tecuseh engine and still running till this day, no problems

[@GarageGear]

@@kcstereo at the time I filmed this they were going to $60 on eBay! Would have bought one if they were less. Thanks for watching!

[@jdraupp]

This might be true for an early Tecumseh but not a late one. They were crap. I’m watching this video because it’s a better option than grinding valves on my 8.5 snowking.

[@jackfrosty79ify]

Mine blow up junk .

[@jakeschroeder1553]

I just did this on the exact same models of blower and engine. I can confirm that the engine mounting studs are spot welded on but nothing that a few blows with a 5 lb mallet won't take care of. You can use regular hex bolts for the back two mounts. Just hold them up with a vice grips while you start a nut, take the vice grip off and tighten the rest of the way. The front two are hard - I had to get flathead allen bolts because there is a plate right beneath the holes that is too close to allow for a hex head. The flat head will scrape along until fully seated and then wedge itself in the gap between the plate and frame. It was tricky but it does work.

[@GarageGear]

Jake Schroeder thanks for sharing these details. Someone could probably benefit from these instructions. I sold this unit over a year ago. Thanks for watching!

[@eighthof8]

Replaced a worn out briggs 5hp on the tiller. Can't open the throttle up much because of the power and torque of the 212. Generator has a HF engine too. Both fire up 1st crank even when they haven't been used in months. Dependable and reasonable; you can't beat HF engines.

[@GarageGear]

You're right. These are great little engines. Keep changing the oil regularly and running ethanol free gas in them and they run just fine!

[@scvic2006]

I did this with an old 5hp ariens. The only issue I found was finding a way to mount the chute support to the Predator. If you have an Ariens that has the chute support mounted to the engine, think about this swap very very carefully. Also, the predator definitely did not have the torque to function as a snowblower engine. I swapped the 5hp tecumseh with the 6.5hp Predator.

[@GarageGear]

Good info here! Thanks for sharing and for checking out my channel!

[@denismarinos4784]

Great video. Regarding the gap, try taking a piece of rigid (but bendable) piece of black plastic to form a semi-circle, & rivet it to the existing shroud, to cover the gap. Stay safe ☮️

[@GarageGear]

I like that idea a lot! Thanks for sharing and for checking out my channel!

[@fitch8363]

Thanks for the excellent video. FWIW: Other than the cost difference, based on it's 1" shaft size and 8 hp rating, if there were no size related issues, the 301cc Predator Engine looks like a great engine for that snow blower.

[@GarageGear]

That engine should work as well too!

[@maximusmax4557]

Nobody criticizing your use of SuperTech oil? I'm impressed! LOL

[@GarageGear]

Hey max, works well for me and there are some videos out there on KZbin comparing it to some top brands. Super tech actually comes out on top. Cheap and effective! 👍 thanks for watching!

[@chrisgertie346]

Oil today is not the same as oil 100 years ago … today they are all very relatively the same and the engines these days are immensely better than back then and will run forever on very little ….. you can run a small e like this for 20 mins on no oil at all … so think just a little oil or even “cheap” oil keeps it running perfectly

[@FromSaultoPaul]

Great video. I bought one for my Troybilt Horse and it gave it the power (8HP). The only problem was the oil sensor would turn off the motor be the way it sat on the tiller. I also had to extend the oil nipple to a longer pipe.

[@GarageGear]

Thank you! Not sure why it would shut off on you. Did you double check your oil level Paul?

[@FromSaultoPaul]

@@GarageGear Bc the sensor is in the front and not on the bottom like a Tecumseh. The tiller makes it tilt back and the slight incline on the garden. So when the tiller digs deep, the oil pulls away from the sensor. The Harbor Freight Predator motors the sensors are on the front of the motor. Still great motors.

[@GarageGear]

@@FromSaultoPaul ah I see! They are great motors! I put one on my edger years ago with absolutely no issues. Super easy install! In fact, I think I spent more time working the pulley off of the old engine than I did installing the new one.

[@georgesteffens7489]

Doing this to ours this summer, got an old Murray with a 5 horse Tecumseh that just developed valve issues. Not worth the involved rebuild, so this is the ticket. Thanks for sharing!

[@GarageGear]

You got it george

[@chriswagner6310]

Your number one in my book bro. I like what you do bro

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching Chris!

[@97widerider]

Great video. I have a ten year old Areins 724 and fortunately the engine runs like day 1. If and when it dies, I will be getting a Predator at my local HF watching this video. BTW, you look like the guy that when your neighbors need a particular tool, they know you got it.

[@GarageGear]

Yeah and those same neighbors never give them back or break them lol! Sounds like you got a good plan my friend. Keep me posted if you swap it

[@thedudejackietreehorn]

I’m going to be putting a 7.5HP PowerFist on my older John Deere 824. It had a Tecumseh engine which was running great but literally blew up about a month ago! Pieces of cast iron went flying lol!

[@GarageGear]

Many of those tecumseh engines are pushing 30, 40, and even 50 years old nowadays. Their days are numbered lol! Thanks for sharing!

[@bigbert2508]

Thanks…my 36 year old Tecumseh blew up this week and this engine lined up perfectly….it was an easy swap thanks…

[@GarageGear]

@@bigbert2508 ROCK ON Bert! Glad this video helped you out!

[@microsoft4598]

Good work J. B.! You could scrape the rust off with plumber's metal brush inside the pulley (it would go on easier). What matter the fuel tank made of? Steel or plastic? TY!

[@GarageGear]

The fuel tanks on those predator engine are metal! Pretty well built engines. 👍

[@kirkthebeerslinger]

Great suggestion...you could also put a small wire wheel on a drill + extension to remove rust inside the pulley...

[@mcarroll598]

Great video. These engines are so great because Honda designed it, and predator copied the design. And that drain plug for the oil is a great move!

[@GarageGear]

M Car thank you! My friend says everything is working great for him!

[@michealettinger1862]

Never had a problem with Tecumseh engines!! looking to swap out my 10hp unit with a bigger unit.

[@GarageGear]

My guess is you probably take care of your equipment. Every single tecumseh engine that comes my way was neglected in some way shape or form and they were all trash and I lost too many hours trying to fix them. Ones that were taken care of ran fine. Just not a fan of them when they get old. Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@randylee2549]

@@GarageGear ahh

[@randylee2549]

Same here, my 85 Tecumseh 8 is mint same as the all metal blower it is bolted to, 35 years young

[@jimmysgarage9068]

Really great video man. Clear explanations and great job with the filming. You should have a lot more views!

[@GarageGear]

Thanks a lot Jimmy! I appreciate the positive feedback! A lot goes into these videos! Be sure to subscribe! My channel is growing and I bet I have some other videos you may like! Thanks for watching!

[@jimmysgarage9068]

@@GarageGear Subscribed! I’m trying to grow my channel as well - a lot of small engine tips/general repairs as well as product reviews and such. Best of luck moving forward - I’ll stay tuned.

[@GarageGear]

@@jimmysgarage9068 Awesome man! Cool to see someone else on here with similar interests, doing their thing and growing on KZbin. I subscribed as well! You ROCK bud!

[@mike2177]

Thanks for the video. Gonna be doing this to an old late 80’s model mtd

[@GarageGear]

Nice my friend! I may be doing this to another snowblower in the future as well! I’ll keep you posted! Thanks for watching!

[@danhard8440]

a piece of Aluminum folded works good for draining the oil off the side or the snow blower also

[@GarageGear]

Also a great idea!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@SmoothJohnson]

Thanks so much! Stoked to attempt this over the off season

[@GarageGear]

Guy Marquette No problem! Not a hard flip at all. Biggest challenge is getting the pulley off. If you have any questions just let me know.

[@trevorhannon900]

great machine , better than any new machine. I am planning to do a similar project on my snowflite

[@GarageGear]

Trevor Hannon these old machines can beat the pants off any new one for sure!

[@gordonstam7354]

Maybe asked already but what did you thread the bolt that is on the end of the pulley into? Some sort pf expanding bolt?

[@GarageGear]

Glad you found what you needed

[@alfredodirks3537]

I did mine 2 years ago same engine same machine and yeah your right them bolts from underneath are a real bitch. but I didn't have to mess with adapter on crank but my engine did have crank seal leak after one minute of running so I took it back with no questions had my receipt got another with no issues since. My shoot control was in the way and had to use u-joints to get around muffler but its still throws snow over my truck in to the yard.

[@GarageGear]

These are decent little engines with decent warranties. Cant really go wrong with them. And yeah... those bolts underneath are a bad design!

[@gergemall]

Great video . You sound like me ;

[@GarageGear]

Lol awesome Jon! I must be your evil twin! Lol 👍

[@mitchcoop1]

6.5hp. replacing a 8hp? If the new motor can gobble it up and throw it, without bogging too much, what the heck. For that money can't go wrong....Nice clean looking install by the way.

[@GarageGear]

Hey Mitch I personally think the 6.5 is better than the old 8! It’s got a lot of power and never bogs. Incredible little engines! You won’t be disappointed!?Thanks for watching!

[@anthonyelectric6045]

So maybe at some point I miss it but how do you swap a dual Ariens Tecumseh to a single shaft anything engine?? I may have to do this on one of my 1978 blowers. TIA JB👍

[@GarageGear]

Hey Anthony! Unfortunately I have to be the bearer of bad news but This is a very difficult job to do. If you can somehow flip your drive system to work in accordance with the proper single belt spin direction you should be good but I don’t have much information on that. These swaps are best on single shaft to single shaft swaps. Thanks for watching!

[@anthonyelectric6045]

@@GarageGear Thanks for your input JB I’m hopeful the rebuild and honing, valve job will be enough. If not I’ll have to MacGyver something with the pulley etc👍

[@garynightingale2293]

Question. I have a snow chief. I was able to get the Tecumseh 5 HP off easy enough. I removed the main shaft sleeve and main pulley. It has a second pulley & shaft to the upper right corner of the main shaft. It rotates when I turn the main shaft. Can I still replace the Tecumseh with the Predator?

[@GarageGear]

Great question Gary! You can but it’s going to be very difficult! I believe those other pulleys control the the drive system and since your going to only one pulley you’ll need to connect your single belt to it but your drive system will now run in reverse. That is a battle I try to avoid. Lol. I am not positive on a way to get around that problem. Thanks for watching!

[@bettykent426]

Awesome Job!!!

[@GarageGear]

Thanks a lot Betty. I have another video on this coming soon! Stay tuned!

[@dodgefree1400]

Right on target to save one of the older high quality Ariens machines. Every time a Crapumseh gets binned it warms my heart. Even the cheapest Chonda clone is vastly superior to that garbage. I got a chuckle about the 1000 hour valve adjustment interval comment on an engine with a design life of 150 hours. I'm still laughing. You did the adjustment correctly by binning that POS.

[@GarageGear]

Patrick Walsh I always ask myself will it cost more to fix or more to replace. In this case, it was definitely cheaper (and worry free) to replace.

[@djdale7646]

do you spend $400 on a engine or spend $1440 when the body of the snowblower is still perfect

[@jaredk777]

Cool idea! Wouldn’t it have less HP though? You said the new one is about 6HP, the old motor was 8HP! I love mine, I have an ST1024 SHO.

[@GarageGear]

Yes it has less hp but it performs great. Many snowblower companies make 24” blowers with 5-8hp so this engine is a good choice! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@BIG_JV]

I'm with you 100% I would not and should not replace a 8HP motor with a 6.5HP motor! I have an Ariens ST5524E 5.5HP Tecumseh for over 13 years without incident! Going to purchase a Simplicity Signature Pro 2128 this year and sell my mint condition unit to my friend! 👍🏻 from the Big Apple 🍎

[@KeaganZeile]

Question for ya, I have the exact same snowblower as you show in this video. It already having an 8 hp motor on it, is there a major deficiency when switching to the 6.5 hp? Looking at the selection Harbor freight sells, would it be worth the extra 100+ bucks to get a bigger motor?

[@GarageGear]

Hey Keagan! No issues whatsoever going to a 6.5. In fact my augers/impeller spin faster than they did with the old engine! More snow gets thrown faster! Can’t beat these engines! Plenty of power with the 6.5! Thanks for watching

[@Dave7160]

I would like to swap a briggs engine on a older craftsman snow blower that had a tecumesh engine on it, would it work?

[@GarageGear]

Should work as long as the bolt holes match up and the Tecumseh was a single pulley style engine. Thanks for watching!

[@raysdga]

Great videos GG. You sound like you're doing an infomercial at times but whatever. Maybe you're hyped up on mega caffeine. Anyway I have an Ariens 2008 ST7LE with a 305cc 1350 engine. Maybe you could help direct me to a replacement engine that might fit. Maybe engines that have the same bolt pattern. Or the 2-29/32-inch length crankshaft, keyway, tapped 3/8-2 might have to be the same. Any input would be helpful. Keep putting out the good content. Oh and I 👍 your vids on my pc and my smart TV. I'm sneaky like that...😁

[@GarageGear]

Hey Raysdga!! Appreciate the double likes and the positive feedback! I think there might be a couple ways to look at this. Have you looked at all the predator engines available? They really are awesome engines! Or the briggs engines available. These cost a bit more but are quality machines.

[@chrisgertie346]

Would 420 cc predator be overkill? On a John Deere trs 24?

[@GarageGear]

Most likely. But it would have a ton of power!

[@dodgeman338]

Was shaft height the same as the tecumseh? Did u have to raise new engine?

[@GarageGear]

Everything was a perfect match! Just bolted the engine right on! Height was perfect! Thanks for watching

[@papabits5721]

Did the same repower but used the 15hp Canadian version predetor . Now it hasn’t snowed enough to try

[@GarageGear]

Don’t ya hate it when that happens lol! It’ll snow soon don’t worry! Keep me posted on how it runs for ya! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@gary1739]

Great Video! Where did you purchase the driveshaft adapter?

[@GarageGear]

I believe I bought that on eBay. Lots of them on there. Thanks for watching!

[@bull2808]

Did you have to replace your belts? Hearing some swaps, I have a Simplicity 860snowking tecumseh hmsk80 that crapped out, require the belts to be changed for different size.

[@GarageGear]

Everything matched up perfectly on mine so there was no need to replace the belts. I used the same exact ones! Depending on where the previous driveshaft was and the new one sits you may need the new belts! Thanks for watching!

[@9019dd]

Hello. The Tecumseh on my snowblower doesn't have an air filter but the Predator does have one. I am wondering with all the fine snow that gets blown around when using the snowblower, will it get sucked in to the air filter and cause it to get wet and possibly freeze or cause problems with blocking air getting into the motor. I hope that makes sense.

[@GarageGear]

No issues whatsoever with this one. I’ve seen some people just take the air filter out. I guess you can’t go wrong either way! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@marathoner43]

Have you ever done it with the bigger HF engine, ie, the 8hp (301cc) engine?

[@GarageGear]

No I haven’t! Would like to give one a shot but the price point seems a bit off. 1.5 hp for an Additional $200 bucks doesn’t seem right. Thanks for watching another marathoner!

[@johnoberle9750]

Did you remove the air filter element or does it not present a problem with moisture and snow dust?

[@GarageGear]

Left it right in there. No issues as far as I know! If it becomes an issue it comes right out. Thanks for watching!

[@joes.9422]

Hello. I have the same 8 hp Tecumseh to replace. Curious. Why didn't you choose the 8 ,hp Predator? It has the one inch shaft already.

[@GarageGear]

Came down to cost for my friend! Had to keep it in a budget! Thanks for watching!

[@joes.9422]

@@GarageGear understandable. Thanks for taking the time to make that video. It's appreciated

[@GarageGear]

@@joes.9422 got another one coming out soon! Stay tuned!

[@TractorHoarders]

Nice video, thank you. I’m thinking of doing a similar project soon and will be making a video of it too.

[@GarageGear]

Hans Makes It Work Thank you! Sounds good. Hardest part for me was getting that stupid pulley off. Everything else was super easy.

[@andyclifton2006]

Will the 301cc predator work on this?I have the same ariens with a 8 horse.And the 301cc has a 1 inch shaft.

[@GarageGear]

I imagine that it should work! You’ll get plenty of power with that one! Thanks for watching!!!

[@brianflanagan9476]

JB. Is the purpose of adding washers in the back to push the adapter forward so that the pulley is not hanging over the shaft and that there is a full adapter under it? I started this swap last night and ended up having only about half the adapter supporting the pulley. Thanks!

[@GarageGear]

Yep I did that to align everything! Works great! Let me know how it works out for you! 👍

[@brianflanagan9476]

Thanks for clarifying. Did you also have to reinstall the belt guides? After getting the output shaft and pulleys put back on, as soon as I fired up the new engine and engaged the auger, the belt kept falling off, regardless of the pulley adjustment. Starting to think the auger belt guide needs to be on the new engine.

[@GarageGear]

@@brianflanagan9476 hey Brian I would definitely put the belt guide on. That should keep it from popping off. They should directly fit. If not a little bending will be required.

[@MowersNBlowers]

Garage Gear thanks bro..good job on your video.

[@GarageGear]

Mowers N Blowers thanks bud!

[@brokeboymotorsports5674]

Do you think this will be underpowered compared to the 10hp that’s currently on mine. It’s only a 24 inch cut

[@GarageGear]

Good question! I have seen 24” snowblowers with 5 hp engines, 6hp, 6.5hp, 8hp, and 10hp. This predator engine is 6.5hp! It should be just fine! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@bennyboyellis]

Great video bud thank you

[@GarageGear]

Ben Ellis thank you!

[@lewy1]

How did you get the bolt off to remove the pulley without the engine turning?

[@GarageGear]

I think I used a belt wrench to hold it in place with one hand and then undid the bolt with the other. Hope this helps Jim! 👍

[@brucesarnowitz8123]

Where did you get the adapter and key for the engine shaft?

[@GarageGear]

I ordered those separately on eBay. There may be some on Amazon now too! Thanks for watching !

[@jws3925]

Any concerns about replacing an 8 HP motor with a 6.5 one??

[@GarageGear]

None! Throws like an animal! Most 24” snowblowers come with a 5-8hp engine so this one works just fine! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@BIG_JV]

I'm with you 100% I would not and should not replace a 8HP motor with a 6.5HP motor! I have an Ariens ST5524E 5.5HP Tecumseh for over 13 years without incident! Going to purchase a Simplicity Signature Pro 2128 this year and sell my mint condition unit to my friend! 👍🏻 from the Big Apple 🍎

[@GarageGear]

@@BIG_JV the new engines got a lot of power! My friend almost knocked out his neighbors window with it lol! Works great!

[@BIG_JV]

@@GarageGear Good to know! Thanks! Great Video! 👍

[@frankmaynes6288]

@@BIG_JV k

[@raylemieux2931]

How did you mount the pulley tensioner to the new engine?

[@GarageGear]

Hey Ray, the pulley tensioner is located in the transmission housing right below the engine. The belt runs up to the engine pulley. I simply connected the belt on the pulley as if it were the same as the last engine. No major changes to report! Thanks for watching Ray! 👍

[@kcstereo]

Can you tell me where you purchased the oil drain tube? Looks like a great alternative for oil changes, THANKS!

[@GarageGear]

I put a link in the description!

[@michealettinger1862]

I have an older MTD Sno-Trac 10/28. It'shas a 10HP Tecumseh. I'm wondering you could tell me if I could swap that with a 20 or 22 HP Tecumseh?

[@GarageGear]

Great question! To be honest I’d have to see the mounting holes, if the pulley would fit the new driveshaft, and if the shaft is right length. I assume you could probably modify it. Could be worth double checking with a local small engine shop to see what they have to say! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@michealettinger1862]

Thank you for you response. I will do that soon. Merry Christmas.

[@GarageGear]

@@michealettinger1862 keep me posted! I’d like to know how it works out for ya! Merry Christmas bud!

[@geobrown9413]

First thing to check is how many output shafts yours has. A lot of Tecumsehs have an extended camshaft that drives the wheels ( and goes in the reverse direction). I just put a 10 1/2 HP Tecumseh on my 5/24 MTD. They both had two out put shafts, so it was an easy bolt on swap. No bogging down now!

[@notblank681]

Great video. Can you tell me the measurement for the adapter?

[@GarageGear]

Jeremy Blank I think it was a three inch adapter. Did you need the dimensions inside?

[@notblank681]

@@GarageGear Yeah, if have it available that'd be great.

[@Matthew_Does_To_Many_Things]

I’ll keep my tecumsah until it blows up or looses to much power. The old tecumsahs last forever. I am currently over revving the tecumsah for some extra power but only when it bogs down. Don’t wanna over rev the engine at idle

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for sharing!

[@nekbiodieselworks]

I have never liked tecumseh engines. I have found that the inexpensive predator engine can always be counted on to power most things without trouble. I have made this exact swap before.

[@AdrenalineRushMX]

yea i take care of my stuff and the conecting rode gave up on me

[@GarageGear]

Totally agree! Tecumseh engines always find a way to drive me crazy! Thanks for watching!

[@GarageGear]

Whoa! Those engines definitely have their issues!

[@tonymoretti2347]

Tecumseh is like Honda to me. Have a 16 year old 10.5 snow king that didn't see a oil or spark plug change for its first 10 years. Still running new

[@PaganWizard]

I wonder if the Predator 670cc, 22HP, V-Twin engine would bolt onto a 2 stage snowblower. Yes, I know it's a thousand dollars, which is more than the cost of most 2 stage, and even some 3 stage snowblowers, but, why not??? If we can build cars that are capable of doing a 3 second quarter mile, we can do this too. Also, how difficult would it be to transplant the electric start from the original engine, onto the new HF engine? If that is not possible, is there another, possibly third party electric starter that would bolt onto the HF engines??

[@GarageGear]

Hey pagan! That would be a cool project with tons of power! As far as bolting on an original electric starter that would not be possible. Parts would not line up. Unfortunately I don’t know of any electric starters that would bolt on either! Thanks for watching my friend!

[@PaganWizard]

@@GarageGear Lucky for both of us, I just found these videos kzbin.info/www/bejne/b5WWnmV3ppyVj80 and kzbin.info/www/bejne/en2QhaKYrpecjdk

[@stanyonmichael3301]

Can you give me a link for the tach/hour meter that you use ?

[@GarageGear]

Hey Stan! This one tells you both! Thanks for watching! amzn.to/3BRrQHF

[@MrMjn5000]

nice job....

[@GarageGear]

Thanks a lot MJN! Thanks for watching!

[@kirkthebeerslinger]

Great job JB! Is there an update on it working in the snow?

[@GarageGear]

Hey Kirk! My friend bought it off of me. Throws like a champ. Throws so well he almost took out his neighbor’s window! Lol! No complaints from him at all! Thanks for watching!

[@justme8340]

Do Predators come with coils to power a headlight?

[@GarageGear]

Great question! I’m not exactly sure. I thought I saw another video on this but I can’t seem to find it. Thanks for watching!

[@justme8340]

@@GarageGear I did some searching. It appears that Honda style flywheels with magnets 🧲 and a set of coils can be purchased aftermarket.

[@GarageGear]

@@justme8340 ok cool thanks for sharing! 👍

[@michaelfisher7835]

How did you get around the problem of going from two shafts on the Tecumseh to one shaft on the Pred?

[@GarageGear]

Good question! The original tecumseh in this situation only had one driveshaft. Not all had two. So this swap was easy and direct. I know that the two pulley models have opposite spinning pulleys. I heard that you can simply flip the drive adjustment on the back of the blower from left to right (or vice versa) to make the gears work in the right direction. Thanks for watching

[@michaelfisher7835]

@@GarageGear Didnt know that Tecumseh made a one shaft motor for snow blowers. Guess I learned something new there. That said, I wish I could just flip a friction transmission over, but I dont have one on my snow blower. I have an actual geared, sealed, transmission. Looks like a daunting task and rather impossible for a novice like me.

[@GarageGear]

@@michaelfisher7835 I’ve never actually taken one like yours that far. But this may be something to look into!

[@michaelfisher7835]

@@GarageGear I really dont want to have to buy a new one, but I may have no choice.

[@GarageGear]

@@michaelfisher7835 just a thought… you may want to consider selling yours on Craigslist as is. Then buy a decent used one. Prices are falling as the season winds down. Also best time to buy a used one is in the summer. If you can find one at a moving sale that’s the way to go. Get it cheap! 😉

[@brandonc7450]

Hey thanks for the video! Very informative. Quick question. Do you re-jet the carb for cold weather use? I have herd that some guys re-jet these if they mount them on snow blowers. Thanks.

[@GarageGear]

Hey Brandon Cloutier, no I did not re-jet the carb. I decided to wait it out to see if it would be necessary. This engine was put on my friend’s snowblower. I told him that if he had any issues starting it up in cold weather to let me know. So far, he said it’s been starting on the first or second pull. When and if it has issues running, I’ll re-jet it.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

They make a custom adjustable main jet for these engines, which allows you to run it in any temp/altitude and will allow you to dial it in. I made a video on it. Otherwise partial choke is required in cold air due to a lean run. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpuzappnZZVmfLc

[@jerryschneider145]

I would never do this engine swap. Tecumseh engines are great. I have several, they are 35-40 years old and all start on first pull. How long do you think those Chinese engines will last? There are lots of videos out there of Chinese engines blowing crank shaft seals, flywheel magnets falling off, cheap plastic parts on the carbs making the engine not run, etc, etc, etc. Please explain what is it about the Tecumseh engines that you cannot get to work.

[@GarageGear]

Hey Jerry! Tecumsehs always find a way to aggravate me every time I get one in. Carbs, starting issues and they all seem to hate being restarted after they were turned off, points, gaskets, governors! Tired of the headaches. When you add up the part costs and labor it’s hard to justify fixing them u less you have a real love for them. Thanks for watching!

[@jerryschneider145]

@@GarageGear Well I don't know what to say, I guess our experiences are just different. I get a Tecumseh engine in and I clean the carb, change the oil, clean the spark plug and it fires up. True with points it can be a little more work, but I see few engines now days with points. I do not trust Chinese engines, period. At least do a swap with a Honda engine.

[@TecumsehRulesbcserk]

These are decent engines, especially since their a cheaper Honda. But if you were to put this thing up against a brand new 10 HP Tecumseh, that thing would outlive the Predator. Their build quality is incredible and they have that integrated oil pump that keeps everything lubricated

[@GarageGear]

I’m sure it would outlive a predator no doubt! I do wish they still made them! Would be interesting to see a brand new one on an old machine! Thanks for watching another BCSERK!

[@jdraupp]

Tecumseh hasn’t made a small engine since 2008 and their last engines were terrible, hence why I’m watching this video.

[@ChrispaulPeters-pu9dr]

I paid 2.5* more for a Briggs and iam so happy i love me briggs.

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for sharing

[@pattayperformance]

New carb for Tecumseh is less than $20. You wouldn’t need an adapter if you bought the proper engine. 301cc would have been bolt on with the appropriate power for the machine. 301cc 420cc 670cc all have a 1” crank. If you run into power issues with the 212cc might have to open up the jet and increase the GOV to 4,000 rpms. You also Bought the non Hemi so also cheated yourself on power as well.

[@GarageGear]

Pattay's Performance at the time the carbs were $60 and the 301cc engine is $250. $150 more than the 212cc engine. That would have have put this over budget for my buddy. Sold the other engine for $80. For $100 this engine kept me under budget and it works well for my friend and this 24” snowblower. Thanks for looking out for me.

[@BIG_JV]

Very impressive information! Thanks from the Big Apple 🍎

[@pattayperformance]

@@BIG_JV you’re welcome! I’m currently in the process of swapping a 212cc into a single stage. I’m a just a sleeve away. It’s a project I always wanted to do! I started around 11pm and got done around midnight the day before the storm. I got done fixing everyone else’s stuff figured might as well do something for me! 🇺🇸🦅🔧🤙🏻

[@BIG_JV]

@@pattayperformance Boom! 💣 there you go! 👍

[@mikethompson9745]

so trying to find a shaft adapter 3/4ID X 7/8 OD X 1-1/4" Motor Shaft Adapter Pulley Bore Reducer Sleeve Bushing: no luck any ideas where to get one?

[@GarageGear]

mike thompson I know I got mine on eBay at the time. Did you check there?

[@Hammerjockeyrepair]

what? lol are you trying to put a 7/8" pulley on a 3/4" shaft? simple, go on amazon and type in "3/4" to 7/8" shaft adapter"

[@giancarloarpino9842]

Can you tell me the size of the bolt and the washers used?

[@GarageGear]

Hey Giancarlo, I used the same bolts that are welded to the snowblower engine base. Thanks for watching!

[@giancarloarpino9842]

I’m sorry I meant for the output shaft. I tried the 5/16th and it didn’t work.

[@GarageGear]

@@giancarloarpino9842 unfortunately I no longer have that snowblower in my garage so cannot give you a definitive answer. My recommendation would be to go to the hardware store and buy a variety of bolts and see which fits best.

[@jws3925]

Evidently the height of the cranks from the base ended up being the same because I didn't see you have to figure out new belt lengths and then purchase said belts. This always seems to be an issue for me when I swap engines on small equipment. Actually, I find it the most annoying part of the whole process.

[@GarageGear]

Yeah I know what you mean! You do all that work and then lose an entire day trying to find a belt that fits! Super annoying! Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@Hammerjockeyrepair]

its not that hard of a thing to figure out, if you work on enough equipment, chances are you have an old belt laying around that you can use to size it up. Here in my shop I saved a 1/2 and 5/8" long deck belt that I cut to use as measuring devices, I then wrap the belt along the pulleys, mark it where the cut end meets and bring that to the store.

[@GarageGear]

@@Hammerjockeyrepair good idea!

[@hobbyaddict9908]

Having run snowblowers here in Canada since 1985, it has been my experience that a bit more power is always welcome where less power is a deterrent. The weak point of most snow blowers i the impeller, either it is too small, does not spin fast enough or simply lacks the power to throw the snow out of the housing. You replaced an 8 HP motor with a 6.5HP. Spending more on the 8HP Predator would have been my plan. Probably would not need the shaft adapter either. If I could get a 9 HP that would be even better. Yes I realize this video is more than 3 year old but I stick to my statement. go bigger if you can, avoid going smaller.

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for sharing hobby addict. But I was working under a customers budget. This engine has more than enough power though for his driveway. In fact he took out his neighbor’s window with it. Thanks for watching

[@applianceman6009]

Will the Chinese made Predator last as long as the USA made Tecumseh??? I’m not honestly sure.

[@GarageGear]

Hey applianceman! I have put a lot of these on snowblowers over the years now and I don’t have a single issue to report. I’ve had one on an edger for a decade now. Nothing but oil changes and it runs great. They cost about $125 now. If you even got 10 years out of one and for some odd reason it failed you that would be $12.50 a year to run your snowblower. You could always go buy another. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelsylvester5152]

What website or store did you get that oil drain tube?

[@GarageGear]

michael sylvester hey I think I got it on Amazon. It’s a helpful way to drain oil! It’s made by drainzit.

[@mountainman5025]

Your video could have been informative, but you edited out everything I needed to see, and where did you get the adaptor?

[@GarageGear]

Link in the description. Thanks for watching!

[@jdraupp]

Dropping a comment solely to thank inflation for making the 2019 hundred dollar engine a 2022 160 dollar engine.

[@GarageGear]

Crazy times we’re living in right now! Thanks for watching jd!

[@rideshareog]

I'm sure I'm not the only small engine guy who refers to them as TooSuckMuch.

[@GarageGear]

Hahaha I’ll be saying that from now on. I’m sure there’s many saying the same. Thanks for sharing RS!

[@turbotom20g]

You will love Anti-sieze when mixed with salt, becomes a cement and very hard to get off if not at all hence why I never ever use that again 😉👍🏻

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@gordonstam7354]

Never mind, the spindle is threaded. Doit.

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching Gordon!

[@stephengeffre2533]

How do you feel that the predator had enough horse power to run the snowblower effectively. I am up in Minnesota and at times need to move 10-12 inches of snow

[@GarageGear]

Hey Stephen! Runs better than the old tecumseh. The augers actually spin faster. I did other videos on this here on the channel! Check them out and you’ll see what I mean! Thanks for watching

[@stephengeffre2533]

Thanks! Think I will give the swap a try!

[@GarageGear]

@@stephengeffre2533 let me know how it works out for you! 👍

[@ml3924]

Is it a winter engine?

[@GarageGear]

Mk Mill it’s an all-weather engine

[@emanresu9mm]

I see it has an air filter so, no. That is going to cause a major issue causing the life of the engine to be greatly reduced. Snow blower engines have a box built around the carb to allow warm air into it and the cooling on them is different. This engine on a snow blower will have a hard time reaching the proper operating temperature.

[@robertknight4672]

@@emanresu9mm but if they have a recommendation oil for people that are going to be using it in colder temperatures they know some people might be using it at 30 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. only tie will tell.

[@ragingbullhcwf]

Might I ask why you chose to install a 6.5hp engine on a snowblower that requires 8hp? Once you hit deep snow, that machine will bog down.

[@GarageGear]

ragingbullhcwf hey Raging bull, I went with the 6.5hp engine for a couple of reasons. My friend needed a new engine on that snowblower on a budget. To get the 8+ hp engine from harbor freight would have cost about another $130 more putting this project way over budget. Also, I saw that a lot of people were making the swap with no issues so I figured I’d give it a shot too. My friend used it last winter with the new engine and it did great. It thought the wet stuff across the street for him. So he was pretty happy. Thanks for watching.

[@ragingbullhcwf]

Although not an identical comparison, I re-powered a Little Wonder 8hp push blower with that same Harbor Freight 6.5 hp engine. Ran great at first and I thought I was coming out ahead by saving money. Then after approximately 15 hours of use, the connecting rod broke. I suspect it was because of too much stress on the motor because the machine was underpowered. Granted, I was turning a heavy cast iron impeller as opposed to an auge & gearbox, but the lesson I learned was to re-power a machine with the same or more HP and identical shaft diameter. Again, wonderful job on the video/install and you definitely have skills, but with respect, I would have convinced your friend to go $130.00 over budget to have the right size motor for peace of mind down the road.

[@GarageGear]

ragingbullhcwf thanks bud! I am interested to see the longevity of these engines if cared for properly. I made a video on properly storing your snowblower and he said he followed the whole thing exactly. I also bought one of their 79cc engines about 5-6 years ago for an edger and that thing works perfectly! It sees a lot of use. Not too bad considering I paid $80 for it.

[@BIG_JV]

@@ragingbullhcwf I'm with you 100% I would not and should not replace a 8HP motor with a 6.5HP motor! I have an Ariens ST5524E 5.5HP Tecumseh for over 13 years without incident! Going to purchase a Simplicity Signature Pro 2128 this year and sell my mint condition unit to my friend! 👍🏻 from the Big Apple 🍎

[@DJJOEYVLLC]

A sleeved 3/4" shaft will work, but the internal components are not as robust as an engine with a 1" output shaft.

[@mountainman5025]

If you buy a new pully, larger in diameter, it speeds up the auger and the blower fan, and it will blow the snow further, but the new engine won't change that unless you change the governed speed of the engine...

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for the tip. Thanks for watching!

[@robertsimpson7113]

MORE POWER!!! 350CC +

[@GarageGear]

That’s a big engine! 👍

[@Kid617]

U went from a 8hp to a 6hp engine how if that more powerful?

[@GarageGear]

Haha well considering the 8hp didn’t run right at all, I’d say the 6hp is more powerful! It is a drop in hp but it’s the right size engine for this size snowblower. Typically 24” blowers have 5-8hp engines. Thanks for checking out my channel!

[@BIG_JV]

I'm with you 100% I would not and should not replace a 8HP motor with a 6.5HP motor! I have an Ariens ST5524E 5.5HP Tecumseh for over 13 years without incident! Going to purchase a Simplicity Signature Pro 2128 this year and sell my mint condition unit to my friend! 👍🏻 from the Big Apple 🍎

[@mattr.6119]

What comes first, broken main shaft, or wiped out main shaft oil seal?

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@danschenck9442]

can not find motor for 100 bucks as you state, seeing 212 cc for 500and change

[@GarageGear]

Hey Dan, these motors can be found at harbor freight now for about $150. Price has gone up since two years ago since I filmed this video. Thanks for watching!

[@robertknight4672]

I bought one of these engines last week at full price. The cashier check to see if there was a coupon for it fancy wasn't at the time. But I got an email this weekend from Harbor Freight and there was a coupon for these engine this weekend and the sale ends today. If I had only waited but I really wanted to get going on on my Toro 521 project.

[@GarageGear]

@@robertknight4672 these may only go on sale around major holidays if I had my guess!

[@robertknight4672]

@@GarageGear strangely there's no major holiday going on right now it just said Spring Parking Lot Sale. I'm still glad I got my engine when I did.

[@GarageGear]

@@robertknight4672 with the current inflation I imagine that the original cost of these may go up some more!

[@michaelfoort2592]

The bolts are pressed in

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for sharing

[@RottnRobbie]

Thumbs down, for a number of reasons. One small example of why: @2:40 " *Step 1 - Removing old engine* " [time lapse of wrenching some nuts, then a fancy blurred-zoom transition and ... ] @2:57 " *Step 2 - Remove the engine* " :-/ Of course the engine is nowhere to be seen (presumably because it was removed in step one?) Wow. Just ... wow. And since my main complaint is lack of detail, here's more details about my complaint... Getting the engine off wasn't shown, but you mentioned it was "a bit tricky" because you had to remove the drive belt. You didn't show how you got through the tricky bit (and BTW - why is getting a drive belt off "tricky"? Belt replacement is normal maintenance, yes?). Then you described, but again didn't show, trouble getting the pulley off. A bit later, you hammered the pulley part way onto the shaft and said "Now we're gonna test that to see if it's where it needs to be with the belts" - but again didn't bother showing how to do that. You just came back after a cut with "now this is done" and talked about a couple of washers as spacers and a bolt and an Allen key to hold it in place. (You also mentioned wiping off the excess anti-seize, but it'd be better if you didn't put too much on in the first place). The most complicated work that you actually _did_ show was installing the oil drain hose, applying (too much) anti-seize to the pulley adapter, and where you filed the shaft key (which you probably should have ground with a stone instead of filing it, but whatevs...). @10:47, I also enjoyed "Step 8 - Remount engine, belts and test", with the engine and belts are already in place. Thank goodness you showed us the test! So you showed us easy things like changing the oil, and undoing some nuts, but not the difficult and tricky parts of the process. This wasn't so much an instructional video as it was showing off - "Look what I did"!

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching.

[@jackfrosty79ify]

You drill new holes

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@JmanRx81]

Just a heads up, you should NOT be using an automotive oil in your small engines. It has detergents that will shorten the engine life. There are specific small engine synthetic oils. Amsoil and Craftsman are examples.

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for the tip Josh! Thanks for watching!

[@ericwotton2046]

Small engines get old and used and need to be replaced.

[@GarageGear]

Right on Eric! Stay tuned to the channel. I have another video on this coming up. 👍

[@ericwotton2046]

@@GarageGear just subbed, ill stay tuned.

[@GarageGear]

@@ericwotton2046 awesome my friend! I won’t let you down!

[@AdrenalineRushMX]

that thing will never come out for sure if you need a dead blow lol

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching

[@bobspurloc]

sounds like u needed to correctly clean the carb as the engine isn't going to cause the issue u described. and if u cant correctly clean a carb then a new HM80 carb woulda been cheaper lol. my 8HP Tecumseh does 1ft+ in 5th gear my 74 ariens is a beast. pb blaster isn't a good rust eater just because it has ads all over the can claiming it is. it sucks throw it out get liquid wrench... hope u sold that Tecumseh HM80 to someone who knows how to get engines working cuz that engine is a beast...

[@GarageGear]

Hey Bob, At the time a new carb was about $60-$70. A new engine was $100. I was selling this snowblower to a friend of mine that doesn't have much experience tuning these engines. Rather than take a chance at this engine giving him issues later on, it made more sense to just replace it with a new one and avoid the drama lol. Sold the engine for $60.

[@bobspurloc]

@@GarageGear well at least you didn't trash that engine! Yeah when I replaced mine with an HM80 a few years back HM80 carbs where $50. the one on it was clogged so I just used the one off the original 1974 engine. but now I see HM80 carbs are $15 like WOW! crazy. I am pretty sure I paid $12 for a rebuild kit. I also got lucky getting the HM80 for $85 off ebay as they are $120 now... this snowblower is a beast. my neighbors think I am nuts jogging behind it lol. I even clear the side of the road up from my driveway so the plow has nothing to push into my driveway. im talking clearing a block cuz why not? this thing is a beast lol

[@nhl2night71]

let me understand this??..you take a TECUMSEH engine off to put on a Predator??? wow.. you asking for problems.. I still have a TECUMSEH 8 H.P and its 50 years old.. runs everytime..

[@GarageGear]

Hey nhl, that tecumseh wasn’t cared for at all! In very rough shape. Far more than a carb clean. Wasn’t worth it to repair. Thanks for watching!

[@markkus1134]

It was a Tecumseh not good engines IMHO

[@GarageGear]

Thanks for watching!

[@v-g-z3689]

"I´ve done it all!" No offence, and yes I wasn´t there, but I bet you didn´t. To american standards, maybe. For people like you, a predator engine probably is the better choice, because if you mess something up there, it doesn´t matter anyway.

[@GarageGear]

V-G-Z thanks for watching

[@v-g-z3689]

@@GarageGear You´re welcome!

[@chriswagner6310]

I would never buy a piece of junk like that from Harbor Freight. Those engines are garbage

[@GarageGear]

Mine are all working great and one is over 10 years old. Thanks for watching