# Worth doing an engine swap?



## Swenny (Feb 18, 2019)

Hey everyone. Lots of good info on here.

I have a MTD 31A-3BAD729 snowblower with a Tecumseh 5.5HP (195cc). Engine model is LH195SP-67517D. I believe it's from about 2004 or 2005. It's one of those where it has the swinging bars for controlling it. One for the auger, one for the drive. No speed controls.

The engine has a single horizontal shaft with 2 pulleys on it, which seems like it could be a good candidate because it would not require a lot of changes. Can anyone provide some opinions on this? Will I really see a large boost by *only* adding 1HP/17cc?

Thanks!


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

Swenny said:


> Hey everyone. Lots of good info on here.
> 
> I have a MTD 31A-3BAD729 snowblower with a Tecumseh 5.5HP (195cc). Engine model is LH195SP-67517D. I believe it's from about 2004 or 2005. It's one of those where it has the swinging bars for controlling it. One for the auger, one for the drive. No speed controls.
> 
> ...


Does the existing engine still work well? It' not that old and if its not broken, why fix it? 

That said, putting a more power engine on it cannot hurt anything. The OHV engine is a better breathing engine. Just be sure to measure everything properly so you don't create problems with belt length, alignment etc.


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## Swenny (Feb 18, 2019)

skutflut said:


> Does the existing engine still work well? It' not that old and if its not broken, why fix it?


It has worked just fine for the 10 years that I have owned it other than replacing a couple of belts. I live on the corner of a cul-de-sac so I get all of the stuff from the side of lot as well as the front. I got to use my neighbor's Ariens Compact 24 with a 9HP motor to clear it the last time and just watching it fling the snow over the 3 foot mounds with ease just made me wonder if I can get a little more power out of mine. Right now I barely can clear the sides when I go down the middle of my driveway.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Just me...but I would sell the MTD and buy a used 924 series Ariens with the features you want......look at any ST 824...you'll be happy.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Your snowblower is very low end and lacks the power of others as you have noticed from your neighbors. It lacks the multi speeds that other snowblower have. You have only one speed from a lightweight transmission that is subject to failure where most snowblowers use a friction disk that has a proven track record for 70 years. I don't like how the auger cable hooks to the bail bar exactly the same as a lawnmower with that twisted "L" "S" shaped lead which breaks. Also there is a plastic piece that acts as a clamp for the drive cable housing that breaks and cracks, sometimes when being replaced.

I would sell it and use the money to buy something else. There is a market for this type of snowblower as it is lightweight and folds, taking up a smaller footprint in a shed. And this is a great snowblower for someone who only has a car and has multiple properties to do and wants to put it in their trunk. I know it fits in the trunk of a Honda Accord because I own the same snowblower we are talking about, that's why I know yours well.


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## SimplicitySolid22 (Nov 18, 2018)

If you can't fix the power easy you might wan't to think about what others have said...maybe sell and look around for a little more power on a Snow blower that you might like that is similar to your neighbors.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to SBF Swenny

That thing just shouldn't be sold in Minnesota or anyplace this far north. It's just not made to handle what we get. Bigger engine will help but you'd be way ahead with less frustration just selling it and applying the money to a good used Ariens, Toro, even a Craftsman or MTD that's two stage and with multiple speeds forward and back.

Might be good for clearing off a deck but a driveway would be a bit much and especially the EOD pile from the plow. You'd get a whole week of workout just trying to clear that.


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## Swenny (Feb 18, 2019)

Thanks everyone for the replies, even JLawrence08648's criticism :wink2:

The nice thing about this model is that I can wheel it between the two cars in the garage. I can probably fit a 24 in there also, but I'm not sure about a 26. I'll keep looking around.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Swenny said:


> Thanks everyone for the replies, even JLawrence08648's criticism :wink2:
> 
> The nice thing about this model is that I can wheel it between the two cars in the garage. I can probably fit a 24 in there also, but I'm not sure about a 26. I'll keep looking around.


Swenny, Thanks for being a Gentleman, I came down hard with my criticism about your snowblower in my initial response then I edited my response.

You buy a snowblower width on the area you need to clear. If you decide to go for a 24" width, many have a 5hp 212cc engine, consider going larger 7hp-8hp, 250cc; same for a 26" width, go larger. It will handle the deeper snows better but more importantly the wet snows better, and do it faster.


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## tdipaul (Jul 11, 2015)

Swenny said:


> Thanks everyone for the replies, even JLawrence08648's criticism :wink2:
> 
> The nice thing about this model is that I can wheel it between the two cars in the garage. I can probably fit a 24 in there also, but I'm not sure about a 26. I'll keep looking around.



Hey now, don't get touchy. You asked for opinions. 

.


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## Swenny (Feb 18, 2019)

JLawrence08648 said:


> Swenny, Thanks for being a Gentleman, I came down hard with my criticism about your snowblower in my initial response then I edited my response.
> 
> You buy a snowblower width on the area you need to clear. If you decide to go for a 24" width, many have a 5hp 212cc engine, consider going larger 7hp-8hp, 250cc; same for a 26" width, go larger. It will handle the deeper snows better but more importantly the wet snows better, and do it faster.


For sure. Seems like almost all the 22s or 24s are the 208 or 212cc engine. Tough to find the smaller widths with a larger engine.




tdipaul said:


> Hey now, don't get touchy. You asked for opinions.
> 
> .


:smile_big:


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## SayItAintSnow (Dec 15, 2017)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> :welcome: to SBF Swenny
> 
> _That thing just shouldn't be sold in Minnesota or anyplace this far north. It's just not made to handle what we get.
> _



So 'Frog.....what are you saying? Is this the kind of snowblower that should only be sold to folks that live in Alabama? :devil:
.
.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Or maybe 500 miles south like Kansas City or that latitude IMHO. I lived in KC and they just don't get much for a snow. This machine would do nicely there and on the rare heavy snow you just work it a bit harder and or take smaller cuts.
Where I live having only one speed would either drive me nuts going too slow if the snow is light or too fast and bogging down constantly on the heavy stuff. And we all agree I'm way too nuts already so I don't need the added nuts ness.
Seldom is the snow just right for a single speed machine. It's just my 2 cents but I'd actually rather have a SS with no self propulsion than this machine. At least with a SS you can feed it into the snow at a rate it can handle and have some control.
Plus that dinky, looks like plastic differential that they call a transmission makes me nervous just looking at it.

.


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## SayItAintSnow (Dec 15, 2017)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> _....Plus that dinky, looks like plastic differential that they call a transmission makes me nervous just looking at it.
> _
> .



Yeah....gotta agree with you there.......That thing looks more like part of an old record player than it does as part of a snowblower......:surprise:
.
.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

They're out there. My 24” has a "10hp" 318cc OHV. It can fit in our modest garage, but is still powerful.

Ariens' SHO models are their current high-power machines. The SHO 24" has a 369cc engine  

https://www.ariens.com/en-us/snow-products/snow-blowers/platinum/platinum-24-sho


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

I replaced the bucket on my ST1236 Ariens with a 24 inch clamshell from a 1976 twinstick. Lots of snap...full impeller kit and tall chute and ST824 axles. Next stop, speeding up the impeller with a half inch bigger engine pulley.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Dang, that's pretty awesome  I'll bet it takes a lot to slow that down!


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Red....It's still in the testing phase.......we've only had 2 inches of wet snow so far....it handled that fine though. I didn't like the way the cable mounted deflector worked....either I'm going to have to adjust it so it will throw higher, or change to a manual.


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