# Life expectancy of a snowblower engine



## 762mm

Hello,

I know it's the kind of a question that can have the answer depend on a multitude of variables (maintenance, engine hours, etc), but what is the average life expectancy on a Toro snowblower engine in years?

I recently bought a good condition 826 (1975-77 model, as per info I got here) and was wondering if I'm going to see much use out of it before it's due for an engine. 

That being said, what are the signs of a "tired" engine? Mine seems to work OK, sounds good (no rattles, no shut offs, etc) and starts up right away, just doesn't seem to throw the snow very far (only a few feet distance). I was thinking of an impeller mod to make it throw a little further, but then I wondered if it's perhaps the engine that's tired after all these years...? Or perhaps it's the type of snow that's too light to throw far? (lately it was very cold and the snow was dry and light out here)


----------



## detdrbuzzard

if its not throwing snow very far check and change the belts first. seeing that the 826 is your only blower and you don't know if the belts have been changed I would change them anyway and don't expect that every time you use your toro its going to blow snow 35- 40 feet even with good belts


----------



## 762mm

detdrbuzzard said:


> if its not throwing snow very far check and change the belts first. seeing that the 826 is your only blower and you don't know if the belts have been changed I would change them anyway and don't expect that every time you use your toro its going to blow snow 35- 40 feet even with good belts


The guy who had it before told me he had put brand new belts on it last year and hasn't used them once. So they're essentially brand new. However, now that you mention it, I will see if they're adjusted properly (belt deflection). Perhaps I need to play a little bit with the adjusting screw on the auger engage lever... Thanks!

Going back to my initial question, what's the average life of an engine on a domestic use snowblower (that has had all the maintenance done)?


----------



## Shryp

The guys who forget to put the oil in usually last about 5 minutes.

The guys who never change the oil usually last 10 - 20 years.

The guys who treat theirs correctly don't know how long theirs will last yet.


----------



## Zavie

If after adjusting the belts and your 826 still does not throw very far you might want to measure or have your rpm's measured. Some of the guys here use a non-contact hand held tach to measure RPM's. Do you know what your motor is turning out at full throttle? Could be belts or could just be an easy adjustment to your engine or could be both.


----------



## UNDERTAKER

I highly doubt it is the engine. better cross check those belts. to see if they are the right ones. better tighten up the adjuster for the auger/impeller pulley. you can pm me if you don't know how to do that.


----------



## 762mm

Thanks for the replies!


----------



## scipper77

Just to reiterate....

The engine will last a long long time if it is treated properly.

The real issue is that it will lose power over that long long time and still keep running. This power loss will not affect the throwing distance as the rpm's will remain the same. Many, many members here have repowered their blowers and reported that the difference in power was significant even when there was a slight reduction in rated horsepower.


----------



## Grunt

Like anything electrical\mechanical, it could last a day or a hundred years. Many people on the forum have snow blowers with engines that are close to fifty years old. If you change the oil at least once a season and keep the RPM's at or below the recommended max (usually 3600 rpm's) you could expect a long life expectancy. I gave my son-in-law a 7/26 Toro that was built in 1973 ( 42 years old) and it STILL runs great.


----------



## UNDERTAKER

Grunt said:


> Like anything electrical\mechanical, it could last a day or a hundred years. Many people on the forum have snow blowers with engines that are close to fifty years old. If you change the oil at least once a season and keep the RPM's at or below the recommended max (usually 3600 rpm's) you could expect a long life expectancy. I gave my son-in-law a 7/26 Toro that was built in 1973 ( 42 years old) and it STILL runs great.


 I was built in 1971. now I feel old.


----------



## 762mm

Thanks again. I'm a little confused though as to what it means for an engine to lose power, but still throw the same distance. Isn't the throwing distance directly correlated to the engine's power output?



As for keeping the rpm's at or below 3600, how do you do that? Play with the choke adjustment? My Toro has 3 throttle positions: stop, start and run. Not much room for play there. I usually put it on "run" once it starts and leave it there.

Just by the way it sounds, I don't think it's revving too high, just enough to blow snow. But I have no means of confirming rpm data. Installing a permanent rpm gauge would be nice, now that I think of it...


----------



## 762mm

Also, i think i might've asked the question in too vague of terms. The answers could literally be endless, based on different variables... my bad!

Perhaps the question should be: "What is the oldest bone stock snowblower engine you've ever ran into that was still running 100%?"

(100% as in not sputtering and essentially begging to be put out of its misery, lol)


----------



## UNDERTAKER

762mm said:


> Also, i think i might've asked the question in too vague of terms. The answers could literally be unlimited...
> 
> Perhaps the question should be: "What is the oldest bone stock snowblower engine you've ever ran into that was still running 100%?"


 I am NOT THAT OLD.


----------



## 762mm

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> I am NOT THAT OLD.


Not saying you are... but you've probably seen stuff that was!


----------



## klr4evr

762mm said:


> Hello,
> 
> I know it's the kind of a question that can have the answer depend on a multitude of variables (maintenance, engine hours, etc), but what is the average life expectancy on a Toro snowblower engine in years?


It's not a snowblower but back in 1967 my dad bought a new Toro lawnmower with a Tecumseh engine. The machine is now on it's third generation of use as I gave it to my son when he bought a home. Still going strong after 47 seasons.


----------



## UNDERTAKER

762mm said:


> Not saying you are... but you've probably seen stuff that was!


 I have seen a lot of old stuff still running strong. how old are you their kid.


----------



## scrappy

My dads'67 Ariens with the original 5 HP Tecumseh starts on 1 or 2 pulls and runs like it did 48 yrs ago.


----------



## scrappy

klr4evr said:


> It's not a snowblower but back in 1967 my dad bought a new Toro lawnmower with a Tecumseh engine. The machine is now on it's third generation of use as I gave it to my son when he bought a home. Still going strong after 47 seasons.


 Those Toro whirlwinds were great mowers. As a kid I cut grass for my neighbors, and used many of them all different years. My dad finally bought one for us in 74. Post up a pic!


----------



## UNDERTAKER

scrappy said:


> Those Toro whirlwinds were great mowers. As a kid I cut grass for my neighbors, and used many of them all different years. My dad finally bought one for us in 74. Post up a pic!


 now I remember those whirlwinds.


----------



## Grunt

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> I was built in 1971. now I feel old.


Todd, as long as your still running good, age does NOT matter. I'm a "49" model and so far, God willing, I'm still running pretty smooth with an occasional POP through the exhaust.


----------



## UNDERTAKER

Grunt said:


> Todd, as long as your still running good, age does NOT matter. I'm a "49" model and so far, God willing, I'm still running pretty smooth with an occasional POP through the exhaust.


YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH I get those to there BROTHER GRUNT.


----------



## pwm

The 10 hp Tecumseh on my old girl is around 40 years old now. I inherited the blower from my father, and now my son is the third gen owner. He's 40 now, so about the same age as the machine. Never done anything to the motor, it just starts and runs like it always has. The muffler is pretty much useless now so you definitely need ear protection!


----------



## scipper77

762mm said:


> Thanks again. I'm a little confused though as to what it means for an engine to lose power, but still throw the same distance. Isn't the throwing distance directly correlated to the engine's power output?


The engine will spin at 3,600 RPM's under no load. The speed of the auger and impeller are a function of the engine speed. The speed of the impeller is what determines throwing distance (for this discussion at least).

If you hit moderate amount of snow the engine will still spin at 3,600 rpms but it will be under a load. At some point there will be too much of a load for the engine to maintain full rpm's. The more of the original horsepower that is lost due to things like compression the less power the motor will have. So an old 8 hp motor might really only be able to produce 6 hp. As long as the load is such that it can spin at full rpm's the distance the snow will be thrown will be the same as if it had a more powerful motor.

I hope this makes sense to you.


----------



## time2time

klr4evr said:


> back in 1967 my dad bought a new Toro lawnmower with a Tecumseh engine. The machine is now on it's third generation of use as I gave it to my son when he bought a home. Still going strong after 47 seasons.


I'll bet most mowers get put to the curb for few other reasons than neglect or abuse. How many people don't run the carb dry, and get a shiny new one in the spring when 'Ol Betsy won't start? Of course, mowers are generally cheaper than blowers, so it is not as painful to have to replace a mower. 

The guy who has the time and ability to find a prematurely retired machine and rebuild a carb can plan having a lifetime supply of small engine equipment for pennies on the dollar.


----------



## Pathfinder13

+1 on what Grunt said... also make sure your belts are not slipping, and add that impeller mod ;-)


----------



## RoyP

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> I was built in 1971. now I feel old.


I just sold a 5 HP Tecumseh on a Wheelhorse blower that I purchased in 1969. It runs great.....Kinda like a good women.....if you treat them right they will treat you right.


----------



## scrappy

RoyP said:


> I just sold a 5 HP Tecumseh on a Wheelhorse blower that I purchased in 1969. It runs great.....Kinda like a good women.....if you treat them right they will treat you right.


 You gave up a good woman?


----------



## classiccat

762mm said:


> Also, i think i might've asked the question in too vague of terms. The answers could literally be endless, based on different variables... my bad!
> 
> Perhaps the question should be: "*What is the oldest bone stock snowblower engine you've ever ran into that was still running 100%*?"
> 
> (100% as in not sputtering and essentially begging to be put out of its misery, lol)


 '72 H35... Still runs like a top!


----------



## 94EG8

Snowblower engines as a rule don't really wear out so much as they fail catastrophically. They don't really suck in any dirt so there's minimal wear compared to engines mounted on other pieces of outdoor power equipment. Garden tillers on the other hand tend to have engines wear out rather quickly despite only have low hours due to the extremely dusty environment they're operated in.


----------



## RoyP

scrappy said:


> You gave up a good woman?



Never !!!!!


----------



## scrappy

RoyP said:


> Never !!!!!


Oh bummer, you could have sent her my way. jk


----------



## 762mm

Thanks for all the input and explanations. Indeed, things make a lot more sense now. In essence, the way to tell if an engine is getting "tired" is to see how it performs under load compared to a similar new engine. Got it. 

I'm also feeling positive about how much "mileage" some of you gents got out of those vintage engines. Pretty good stuff! Goes to prove once more that consumer products made back then were made to last, as opposed to the econo-green crap made today. I seriously doubt some yet unborn person will be blowing snow one day with a 45+ year old MTD or YardWorks on the original engine, lol!




As for my belts, they do indeed seem kind of loose when I checked them. I've read in the user's manual that there's an adjustment screw at the auger engagement lever and that it's to be used to adjust tension if need be. But... does it adjust tension for both belts or just the auger belt? Both are kind of loose for my liking, but I haven't measured exact deflection yet. Will do that tomorrow...

(by the way, to answer Powershift's question, I'm in my mid-30's... so hardly a kid anymore, lol!)


----------



## Grunt

The drive belt is adjusted by loosening the mounting bolt that holds the idler pulley bracket which is slotted for adjustment purposes. If the pulley is pushed to it's limit and the belt is still loose, the belt is worn or stretched and should be replaced. 

The auger belt is adjusted with the turnbuckle at the bottom of the engagement rod. Both adjustments are covered in the owners manual.


----------



## 762mm

Grunt said:


> The drive belt is adjusted by loosening the mounting bolt that holds the idler pulley bracket which is slotted for adjustment purposes. If the pulley is pushed to it's limit and the belt is still loose, the belt is worn or stretched and should be replaced.
> 
> The auger belt is adjusted with the turnbuckle at the bottom of the engagement rod. Both adjustments are covered in the owners manual.



Awesome, thanks for your help once again. That will definitely narrow down my search for info in the manual tomorrow. 

*Edit:* Just went to the manual, but it only talks about adjusting the auger belt. Then the next section is about changing v-belts (very basic description). I'll refer to your post above for adjustment purposes, as it is far more detailed than Toro's manual.


Also, while we're on the topic of belts, I looked at my Toro's belts briefly, but couldn't see any markings on them. They are said to be new though, installed by a guy who's a car mechanic by trade. Is there a way to tell if they're the proper type (automotive belts vs. snowblower belts)?

Just wondering...


----------



## Normex

762mm said:


> Also, while we're on the topic of belts, I looked at my Toro's belts briefly, but couldn't see any markings on them. They are said to be new though, installed by a guy who's a car mechanic by trade. Is there a way to tell if they're the proper type (automotive belts vs. snowblower belts)?
> Just wondering...


 Not trying to take over Grunt's help but I would simply buy 2 new belts from Toro as you may have auto belts and it's a good idea to have a spare set if you had the good belts as you may or may not have. Just saying


----------



## bosco659

Recently sold my 30+ year old blower with a 10 hp Tecumseh Snow King engine (cast iron bore). Ran awesome all the time that I had it, always started 1st pull (never bothered much with the electric starter). Changed oil at least once per year, with synthetic oil the past 15 years and rebuilt the carb once.

With proper care and maintenance those old engines never seemed to wear out. The new stuff.....who knows but I'm certain that the aluminum "cool bore" Briggs engine on my recently acquired 826OE will never enjoy that long of a life . 

My Honda?? May it live forever!

Key Contributors to small engine long life: frequent oil changes; good fuel; drain out fuel system at end of season; annual filter changes (if applicable).


----------



## Grunt

I'm not sure which manual you have, but page-14 from the Toro site shows the auger and traction belt adjustment procedure.

Page 2-2 from the link below shows the idler adjustment bracket.
http://shryp.ashendust.com/Snowblowers/2stagdrv.pdf


----------



## 762mm

I downloaded the manual from Toro's website. It is a scan made of a real poor quality photocopy of a 1970's manual for my model year. A manual that Toro employees probably found behind the radiator of their warehouse by pure luck, then made a copy of it with an old cell phone camera. 

Anyway, I checked the belts tonight and they're very slack, especially the drive belt. It is so slack, it almost deflects back to the crankshaft pulley (well over an inch). The auger belt seems a little tighter, but will still require an adjustment.

I didn't have time to mess with the belts and get them tight before leaving for work, but on a good note, I noticed that both belts have Toro part number markings - something I missed previously (so I have the proper belts after all and both look recent). I also see how to adjust the drive belt now, after Grunt pointed out the idler pulley. It looks like a fairly simple procedure and I'll have it done shortly... maybe I'll even do a write up while I'm at it, in order to help others with a similar problem.

Any tips on how to tension that idler pulley before re-torquing the nut? I figure I'll just use a long crowbar to put tension on it. 

On a personal note, I really hate cars and trucks that don't have automatic tensioners... most are imports, which is yet another reason to drive domestic. I find it's a b*tch to get the tension right on drive belts when trying to do it manually (it is on cars/trucks anyway - they always squeak soon after the installation and require re-adjustments). Perhaps snow blower belts are less prone to those problems though, as they are made to slip a little bit. In either case, automatic tensioners would be nice on these machines and would permanently eliminate the need for re-adjustments, even as the belts get older and stretch. Hopefully Toro is listening and will consider such features in their future products...

Here are some pictures.


----------

