# engine swap



## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i was hoping to get some other peoples input on this. i picked up a 8.5/27 craftsman II snowblower a few weeks ago. i have always kind of liked the little 5/23 craftsman that i got for my sister. i think it mainly something about the handle and how comfortable it is to handle with the way i run a machine. the engine that is on it seems to run pretty good but i have been starting to like the newer OHV engines. they seem like they are a lot better on fuel than the old engines. i have this 208cc engine that i pulled off another snowblower earlier this winter that i know has 1" shaft. i was wondering if the 208cc ohv engine would be as strong and torquee as the 8.5hp that is on it right now. i like the 208cc for the fact it has both light and heated handle power output so i could possibly ad heated handles in the future but not sure if it would be able to keep up with replacing the 8.5hp or not. i know the 5hp engine on that 23 machine that my sister has works but it bogs pretty easily. i don't want to put too small of an engine on a big machine and have the same thing happen.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i forgot to include a few pictures of the machine and the engine i was thinking about sticking on it.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

Is the current engine a single shaft or a dual shaft. 
A quick peek under the belt cover will show that.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i don't know. i haven't looked yet but i figure it wouldn't be too hard to convert it to a single shaft engine if it does have a dual shaft engine. the 208cc engine already has pulleys on it plus i also still have a few spare pulleys from a 10hp engine that i took some off of.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

crazzywolfie said:


> i don't know. i haven't looked yet but i figure it wouldn't be too hard to convert it to a single shaft engine if it does have a dual shaft engine. the 208cc engine already has pulleys on it plus i also still have a few spare pulleys from a 10hp engine that i took some off of.


The main challenge to overcome is the speed & direction change... the cam output spins 1/2 as fast as the crank output and in the opposite direction... some traction assemblies are more accommodating than others when it comes to the necessary modification(s). If there's a will, there's a way!


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

The Powermore (MTD) 208cc is about 6.5 HP. The 8.5 HP engine is probably a 318cc. So, I don't think the 208cc will be quite as powerful as the 8.5 hp, considering it probably has 50% more cc's.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I have the exact sane machine excerpt mine is a 10hp/29" .

It's a single shaft machine with pulleys for the drive and auger. I think the OP was confused between the difference between dual shafts and dual pulleys on snowblower engines.

I have bogged down my 10hp on a 29" so putting the 208cc OHV on a 27" will be similar. I'd keep what you have and install a slippery plastic inside the impeller area and chute, and an impeller kit; or go with a 10hp flathead, what you have now; or go with a OHV 250cc-300cc engine.

I find your levers to be uncomfortable. To combat that, I keep the spring tension light, and use a plastic spring clamp to hold the auger lever down. I would also read my recent post on increasing the size of your rectangular exit chute at the impeller, that will reduce the bogging. I just did that a few weeks ago and looking forward to see how well it worked.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

Just for 'discussion', I have a 291 CC clone (VCT if I remember right) that lists it as a 10HP. One big thing to watch though is what the engine will contact on the machine. I dropped it onto the Searsasaurus back in January when it threw a rod. If I had had more time I might have tried to mount it, but with too much snow coming I just found another TEC 10 HP and put that on instead. 


In looking at different clone engines, the VCT looks similar to a Subaru, which appears wider than some of the others like the HF Predator bigger ones. Being you have another engine already, it's easy to check but if you need to buy one then that can be important in your purchase decision.


By the way, IIRC that blower chassis uses a single shaft motor which would make repowering it a lot easier than if it had a twin shaft on it, long as you can work around any interference issues between the motor and the chassis.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

JLawrence08648 said:


> I have the exact sane machine excerpt mine is a 10hp/29" .
> 
> It's a single shaft machine with pulleys for the drive and auger. I think the OP was confused between the difference between dual shafts and dual pulleys on snowblower engines.
> 
> ...


i know the difference between a single shaft and dual shaft output. that little 5/23 craftsman has a dual output. i got the manuals and everything for the 8.5/27. i just have it parked at my sisters place behind my summer car so i haven't really got to look at it too good. i was more worried about if that 208cc engine had enough power to really run the machine. i know my 26" machine has a 257cc B&S engine and it really don't bog much at all. 

i might do the impeller mod if i keep it. like i sad have not really looked it over too well yet. i main like the handles on them. it is not that i really find the handles regular snowblowers uncomfortable. i still might try keeping the spring tension light like you said but with the way i was running my blower the other day i ended up with a pretty good blister. i think if i had a handle like the one on the craftsman machine it might not have happened. i am pretty sure i read the thread about the rectangle exit chute and opening it up. it was another thing i was going to put on the list of things to do even tho i likely won't really get to use this blower till next year. 

thanks for the input. i might stick to my original plan and stick the 208cc engine on my 20" blower and maybe just use the craftsman as is.


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

Sure, replacing an engine with something larger (HP) makes sense. I did get mixed up reading the posts here so I am not sure if the replacement the OP planned to use was larger or smaller, I think it was smaller.


The point that I wanted to make pertains to fuel consumption that the OP was striving to improve. What would one gain doing that? Heck gas is under $3 now even with the current higher oil prices in affect. So Making a change for improved fuel efficiency in a snowblower baffles me. And something I do remember well from my younger years...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i know some people have said the ohv engines have a bit more power than the flat head engines of the same displacement.

fuel may be under $3/gallon where you live but last time i was at the gas station fuel cost me $4.20($5.30CAD)/gallon. definitely not cheap especially with how much i use my snowblower. i usually end up doing 5+ driveways most times i fire up my machine. the 257cc engine on the 26" machine i got seems like it is great on fuel. it ran for 4 hours straight on 1 tank of fuel. i don't even think i would be able to run half that time with a flat head


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

I agree, the OHV engines do seem good on Gas, I put a 254cc LCT on a 24" SnoTek in place of the 208cc and it seemed to just keep going, Will be using a 24" Ariens Deluxe with the 254cc next winter and hoping it too is that good on fuel but when the snow gets real deep I will pull out my 27" Ariens with a 10hp flathead. It may use more gas but it really moves snow and does have a good sized tank so don't run out if I fill up before starting.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The OHV engines are good on gas but it's mostly due to the lean carbs on them. It's also why they can have a surging problem when brand new even before any gas has a chance to gum them up.

If you put that 208cc on the 27" I think it's going to be a bit short on power, just my opinion. If you like the 5/23 but it boggs down you won't IMHO be happy with that 208cc unless you're crawling. If you want to be able to run it in second or third into a foot of snow you'll likely want to go with something bigger. My 179cc on a Troy 24" is ok but I sure wish I had more engine to get the job done faster and without pulling the engine down as much.

.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i know some snowblowers have a surging problem but so far none of the OHV engines i have got surge much if at all but i usually take pretty good care of them. 

ya i figured the 208cc might be too small. it should definitely work good on my 20" machine. i currently have a 196cc engine on it but it is a standard summer engine so it does get frozen up when i don't cover it up well enough. the only thing that sucks is i can't use the pulleys of the 196cc engine since the 208cc engine has a 1" output shaft. i would have had the swap completed already if it wasn't for that 1 small detail. 

thanks everyone for the input.


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## Dauntae (Nov 10, 2016)

Make sure that shaft IS 1” before you order pulleys, the 179cc powermore engine (same brand you have) but anyhow the 179cc has a 7/8 shaft so not sure what they use on the 208cc


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

thanks. ya it is 1" shaft. i got some 1" pulleys off a 10hp that i test fit on it since i am pretty sure i am going to need the 1 pulleys off the 10hp to even stick it on another machine. all the pulleys that came with the 208cc engine are 2 piece pulleys so they need to stay on the shaft to use them but i don't think the shaft is long enough for the blower i was going to put it on.


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