# Ariens 1032 repower



## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

Looking but not finding quite what I'm looking for.

Picked up a 1032 from the transfer station, free, but not running. I couldn't get running; I had checked the points (fine) and finally got spark working, but wasn't running right. Put on a carb from Amazon but still not running right: been a few months since I messed with it but I think I had to choke it to run at full throttle and no choke to idle.. or opposite... and it wasn't responding well to adjustments.  Maybe prior owner got rid of it for a reason?

Anyhow I'm tempted to get a Harbor Freight 6.5 HP motor to put on it. Reason being, it'll run and I can use the machine. And the 13hp version isn't a direct swap, but the 6.5hp is -- I checked the hole mounting locations, and the PTO height, and the 6.5hp matches the 10HP Tec.

But will 6 hp be enough? My Toro 521 rarely felt underpowered (didn't throw far but the engine was always fine), the MTD something or another that I just got of similar size seems the same. And I've been impressed with how OHV sips gas compared to my sidevalve engines (both the 521 and the various lawnmowers I've had over the years).

I'm not that mechanically inclined so I really don't want to mess with drilling new holes and figuring out longer belts at this time.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

that 6hp will be ok on small snow amounts but i suspect will be lacking greatly with that 32" bucket unless you go very very slowly in anything more than 5 inches or so.

the new machine is 50% wider than your old toro


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

On the internet there is a video of someone running a 32" with a 212 Predator but IMO it's way too big. Wet snow, forget it! 27" would be the max and best 26" or less.

If you are not willing to drill holes, find the right size belt, deal with engine bolt holes, and if your engine has 2 crankshafts then forget about it, it needs to have only 1 crankshaft, post it on here for free.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Have you pulled the head and checked the valve clearances? You might be throwing $$ / parts at a compression issue.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I would also check the valve clearances, as well as the flywheel key way, before I toss the old engine.


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## mannrodc (Dec 24, 2017)

32" with 212 predator engine. 
Works just fine for me

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

Alright, pulled the cover on the springs, intake is about 0.010 or 0.011 (0.012 won't fit), exhaust is less than 0.002 (my smallest feeler gauge). I found a manual that covers HM100 and it says I should have 0.008 to 0.012 clearance for valves. So clearly the exhaust valve is off. I noticed that it does have a compression bump so I made sure to not measure while on that.

I don't see any way to adjust it, so I pull the head.

Cross hatch looks good but all the carbon makes me think the rings are shot. Intake valve has very little play in the guide, but the exhaust has more wiggle. I'm thinking the exhaust valve has to come out and get ground down to open up the clearance. Yes/no? And rings?


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

That much carbon buildup lends itself to oil burning. It’s clearly tired. But might be worth resurecting. 

Since the head is off, I’d lap the valves, file the stems into adjustment, clean the carbon buildup and see how it goes. 

Is it a single or dual shaft engine? And what’s the crankshaft diameter? If it’s a single shaft and 1” diameter a pred 420 is a no brainer.


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

supton said:


> Alright, pulled the cover on the springs, intake is about 0.010 or 0.011 (0.012 won't fit), exhaust is less than 0.002 (my smallest feeler gauge). I found a manual that covers HM100 and it says I should have 0.008 to 0.012 clearance for valves. So clearly the exhaust valve is off. I noticed that it does have a compression bump so I made sure to not measure while on that.
> 
> I don't see any way to adjust it, so I pull the head.
> 
> Cross hatch looks good but all the carbon makes me think the rings are shot. Intake valve has very little play in the guide, but the exhaust has more wiggle. I'm thinking the exhaust valve has to come out and get ground down to open up the clearance. Yes/no? And rings?


0.002" cold would do it!

on a new-to-me "bad" engine, I like to target the higher end of the range when I'm opening the gap (I use emery paper...takes awhile but I never overshoot). I then lap the valves and the clearance will close-up a little. 

Coke build-up on these engines is normal (maybe excessive due to poor compression). There are 2 ways to test the rings... Leakdown test or disassemble the entire engine and check the bore & ring-end-gap. Lets assume the rings are g2g for now, clean-off the coke and see if the the exhaust valve clearance is the only gremlin.


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

1" output shaft, single crankshaft.

The Predator 6.5 hp won't work, turns out while it is identical in all other dimensions, output shaft is 0.75" not 1". Rules that out. Just as well, I was pretty sure 8hp was more of what was needed. Sounds like I need to measure the belts and order 2" longer ones (crank is a good inch higher according to the drawings).

Managed to sneak the exhaust valve out of the Tec, despite not having a spring compressor. Cleaned off the valve, stuck back in, wiggled it, measure 0.022" of play. That seems like a lot, might explain why the valve was tight? Rocking around causing seat erosion?


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

3/4 to one inch has an adapter...no biggie....


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

cranman said:


> 3/4 to one inch has an adapter...no biggie....


Didn't know they existed. 30 seconds and voila! Amazon has 'em.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Personally, I'd consider at least a Pred 301.


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

drmerdp said:


> Personally, I'd consider at least a Pred 301.


I hear you--I'd much rather do that too. Problem is, the mounting base for that is 7.6" center to center on the holes. The 212cc engine is 6.38". This snowblower is about 7.5" wide on the mounting base, then the base rolls off. Mounting a larger engine would need a plate installed so as to get a larger mounting base.

I know that's not impossible, it's just more work than I wanted to do. Plus I've yet to see this machine move snow. Everything else seemed fine, but...


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

The Predator 301 base for reference.


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Should be some bigger Tecumsehs or Brigg's floating around that will work.and the bolt pattern should be already drilled on your base for the Briggs. I've got some 8 hp Tecumsehs I'd sell, and a 10 or 11 Briggs that burns oil but runs good....


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

I just went through this during my GX390 install which has similar mounting dimensions; the mounting holes are ~7.6" apart side to side. You do end up drilling close to the edge of the base before it rolls off, but it definitely can be done without a plate. 


















However, I understand the reluctance to drill. If you're going to go with the 212cc, at least go for the Hemi version (p/n 63063).


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

cranman said:


> Should be some bigger Tecumsehs or Brigg's floating around that will work.and the bolt pattern should be already drilled on your base for the Briggs. I've got some 8 hp Tecumsehs I'd sell, and a 10 or 11 Briggs that burns oil but runs good....


You're right, some poking around on Northern Tool shows some engines which would work. I will have to look later.


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

db130 said:


> I just went through this during my GX390 install which has similar mounting dimensions; the mounting holes are ~7.6" apart side to side. You do end up drilling close to the edge of the base before it rolls off, but it definitely can be done without a plate.
> 
> However, I understand the reluctance to drill. If you're going to go with the 212cc, at least go for the Hemi version (p/n 63063).


Hmm, I'll have to contemplate that, bigger is better, and HF is cheap motors. Six of one, half dozen of another. At the moment it's mostly I don't want to hammer out the mounting studs, drilling holes I don't mind (assuming they line up properly!). Yeah once out I can always drop bolts through, it's more of not having to line everything up and work from both sides of the machine while securing.


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

Well, elected to toss the 212 engine onto it, mostly so I'd get it done and out of the basement. Wound up having to remove the studs that were holding the engine to the blower; PTO was shorter (always miss something!). But the correct holes were already in place so no biggie. 3/4 to 1" adapter worked fine. All bolted up and the engine started on first pull (after I read the choke instructions for a second time). Seems to be a one-pull starting engine.

Machine is a beast. I need to put those plastic skids on as when it hits a rut it really likes to come around. It does not like uneven ground either. I think it's oversized for my driveway to be honest, but it was a free blower so it's been more of a project for fun.

Will say, 6.5 hp in the end is too small. I didn't think the 6" of snow we got was that much, nor heavy, but it definitely bogged down on the stuff by the road. 8 hp is really the lower limit I suspect--go figure, the factory installed 10 hp motor might have been there for a reason...


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## beandk (Feb 13, 2019)

You might check the spark timing. I got a free Ariens with Tecumseh and it seems the magneto magnet on the flywheel had come unglued and shifted. So it would make a spark but not run right. It was easy enough to find the clean spot on the flywheel where the magnet belonged and epoxy it back on.


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## foggysail (Feb 21, 2015)

Working an under powered machine in heavy wet snow can be a BPITA. If you are laboring to change a motor, don’t make life harder for yourself for the couple of extra bucks a 10 is going to cost


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

foggysail said:


> Working an under powered machine in heavy wet snow can be a BPITA. If you are laboring to change a motor, don’t make life harder for yourself for the couple of extra bucks a 10 is going to cost


Problem was, it's more than $100 to go bigger motor--the 6.5hp was $120 while the 13 was $360 (before any coupons). Plus I would need to figure out what belts to get. It's a 30 minute drive to get to a parts store, so running back and forth would get real old, real fast, if I don't know exactly what belt to get. Finally I knew nothing about this machine, if the auger was any good, if the diff was any good, etc.

Calculated gamble. Maybe this summer I'll get another motor (since this machine does seem to work well enough) and swap that in at my leisure. Then again, I found this machine a bit too big, so maybe I'll make it someone else's problem.


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## supton (Feb 10, 2019)

beandk said:


> You might check the spark timing. I got a free Ariens with Tecumseh and it seems the magneto magnet on the flywheel had come unglued and shifted. So it would make a spark but not run right. It was easy enough to find the clean spot on the flywheel where the magnet belonged and epoxy it back on.


I doubt I'll bother putting back together. At the least I need a new head gasket (could reuse but that seems dicey), and I need to grind 10 mils off the valve stem somehow in a proper flush manner--and ignore the fact that valve guide is shot. Seems like a shame but I think the old gal did its time.


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