# Tecumseh HSK850 came apart



## izualangel (Feb 14, 2017)

This was in a rather nice Toro 38420 CCR 2500. Picked it up after work, brought it home. PO said it wouldn't stay running. Got it to fire on starting fluid, so thought I'd give it a chance. Pulled the carb, cleaned it in Pine-Sol in the ultrasonic cleaner. Came out great. Put it on, buttoned it all up, added a little fuel to the tank and it fired right up. Ran great, RPMs shot up to where I thought they should be. Had hearing protection on, so couldn;t hear anything funny. RPMs climbed a bit more, then it backfired, and shut down. Tried to restart it, and it was making clunking noise, and then jammed. Turned the engine in reverse by hand, then looked down in the spit cup and found three needle bearings and a bit of aluminum. 

Finally got a chance to tear it down, and I'll share the carnage. I'm not sure the jug is any good. It looks like a scratch and a few dents in the intake ports. Up until now I'd never had a negative experience with a Tecumseh engine. Anyone selling a good used HSK850? 

It kinda looks like this was my fault. The linkage to the governor was not connected. Must've come loose when I was installing the carb. Feeling a bit foolish, but still thought I'd share.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Oh man that stinks! It sounds like you got the diagnosis right - because of that linkage being unhooked it was probably running with the throttle wide-open all the time.


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## scrappy (Dec 7, 2014)

She must been screaming at least 6000 rpms!


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

rip


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

"Came apart" must be just a more PC and a kinder gentler way of saying that you *blew it up !*


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

What was it Rolls-Royce used to say? Their cars didn't "break down", they "failed to proceed".


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Looks broken . . .lain:


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## old ope mechanic (Feb 16, 2018)

came apart? sounds like the nickname used by truckers for a cummins. comeaparts 
hope the the op or PO had oil in the fuel? as it's kind of odd to see those rod needles fail otherwise.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

old ope mechanic said:


> ". . . it's kind of odd to see those rod needles fail otherwise . . ."


Yes; it's as though those needles were thrown out of their race and were momentarily being blasted around inside the crankcase just like little bullets, ricocheting off everything and through everything . . . . even the Piston Skirt and a few went right through the Cylinder wall !

It was like a internal *Nail Bomb*, and luckily the walls of the Crankcase restricted those projectiles from exiting and hitting any nearby human beans !

And then all was quiet.


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

There's a couple of HSK850s on ebay right now, but you should make sure that those are compatible with that Toro.


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## jim5554 (Mar 18, 2017)

Just go to Harbor Freight and get it over with.


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## old ope mechanic (Feb 16, 2018)

jim5554 said:


> Just go to Harbor Freight and get it over with.


 don't think a 4 stroke will fit where a 2 stroke goes.


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## izualangel (Feb 14, 2017)

Vermont007 said:


> "Came apart" must be just a more PC and a kinder gentler way of saying that you *blew it up !*


I think of "blowing up" more involving a hole in the block. This was a catastrophic failure, however. Nothing inside was undamaged. Even the main bearings has metal in them and were locked up.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Tecumseh: Indian word meaning "throws a rod". :wink2:


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