# Possible Engine for Repower



## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

So about 2 months ago I brought back to life a 30 year old single stage Bolens 320 with a lot of help from guys on this forum. I really enjoyed the work, and I want to do something much more ambitious.

Not so long story short, I just unexpectedly got a brand new engine. I would love for it to be attached to a snowblower that I could turn around and sell on CL for a small profit. That's if it *CAN* be attached to a snowblower.

Here is the engine. Model No.: AP170F,A-iPower

The problem is I really don't know anything about repowering anything, but I'm fairly well mechanically inclined and definitely willing to put the time in to learn. I know I need to look at the shaft, however, what are the specific measurements I need to look for in a snowblower to make sure that this engine is compatible?


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Looks like a standard clone engine. Would be the same steps as the Predator engine a lot of people are using now.


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## snow2345ffs (Dec 20, 2015)

basically you will want to rejet the carb to make it richer and stronger for cold temps. Might be easier to repower with a predator since there is so much info for using that particular engine. Stock jet is .028 I think, and preferred jet is .030. But I haven't found an aftermarket .030 jet. They sell all the other sizes for only like $2 but people are hand drilling out the stock jet with a mini drill bit (you must find the exact size bit to use because slightest variations will make it too rich), or they are opening up the jet hoel with something called superfloss or something like that. Some have used the .032 aftermarket jet and said it runs superbly with the air filter off.


Then you want to build a heater box/shroud over almost the whole engine and also possibly containing some of the muffler heat (but not the exhaust) to be drawn over to the air filter if you plan on keeping the air filter in because the reason most SBers don't have air filters is because it will ice up and seize the engine if not caught early. Also no air filter is common because usually no dust while snowblowing but that's only like when it first snows, you go out the next day or when the snow is dirty and black and there is dust, and there is dust in summer when you work on the machine and when stored without an air filter you might even find spiders in there. I would at least tape over the intake when storing. I would try and make it work WITH the filter but most modders I think are not using an air filter. The heaterbox/shroud is basically sheetmetal you bend and cut and bolt on (but easily removable) so that you cover the governor and carb linkage springs etc so they don't get iced up. On all my machines, I grease the shjt outa those mini springs, they are so thin and easy to rust out. I grease over all small metal parts like this that won't be compromised from the lubrication (like the metal drive disk wheel that goes by friction of the other rubber wheel if yours has that, you don't want to grease that of course. 



first thing you want to do is make sure the engine will actually fit the frame without getting in the way of things. The crank handle to move the chute, sometimes people furr that out a bit with metal clip so it's not in the way, that can get complicated with the ball joint or whatever it's called near the worm gear if you have to fur it out a couple inches might need to search out new parts. since you machine is older like that, you might have a separate shaft coming from the engine for the drive and auger instead of one shaft for two pulleys. That can get a bit tricky also.


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

Snow2345......Thanks. 

I noticed immediately that this engine has an air filter. That's why in my initial post I wrote "if it CAN" be used for a repower. I was hoping that it could fairly easily, however, from your post it sounds like this engine is not "the right tool for the job."


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

Smolenski7 said:


> Snow2345......Thanks.
> 
> I noticed immediately that this engine has an air filter. That's why in my initial post I wrote "if it CAN" be used for a repower. I was hoping that it could fairly easily, however, from your post it sounds like this engine is not "the right tool for the job."


You *DO* realize you probably have what is known as a "Honda Clone" ....right? (albeit 208cc not 212cc)
EDIT: Compare Predator 212 and Powerhorse 208
If you look at my avatar you'll see yet-another-Chonda-clone....it's my fictitious "Power Tiger" brand that resulted from too much caffeine one day.

I wouldn't say _"it's not the right tool for the job_".... many people have re-powered their snowblowers with cheap Honda clone engines and they seem to be happy. (like Shryp already mentioned). 
I have a couple of these engines myself... one is already on a snowblower and the other will be once I get my act together.

Just search through the re-powering thread for any posting that mentions any of these words...

Honda Clone Chonda ...and especially..... Predator or Powerhorse

Re-Powering - Snowblower Forum : Snow Blower Forums

snow2345ffs gave a good summary of the popular modifications and issues that people address.... but don't let that dissuade you..... these are (arguably) optional cold-weather enhancements for people going the extra mile.

The only real _gotcha _that I know of is the one that affects my Craftsman TRAC snowblower.... (again hinted at by snow2345ffs)... it originally had an engine with 2 shafts. When it was repowered with a single shaft engine the gears ended up working backwards (forwards is reverse and reverse is forwards).... but that's not a fault of the Honda clone per se... that's just caused by switching from a double-shaft to single-shaft engine. Not sure if this is a showstopper or an embarrassment.

EDIT: Then there are the "inconveniences" that spring to mind.... not show stoppers...
1) converting shaft diameter if necessary 3/4" to 1" (or switching out pulleys)
2) getting the chute crank to miss the engine (again mentioned by snow2345ffs)
3) Re-drilling mounting location (if necessary)

There is information on all the above tucked away on the re-power thread.

Maybe there needs to be a once-and-for-all well-written sticky that brings all this information together into a single posting for clones.
It's the kind of thing I'd like to contribute if I had a little more hands-on experience. Maybe one day.

BTW - This thread probably needs to be moved to "re-powering" and I'm guessing one of the moderators will do that.


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## snow2345ffs (Dec 20, 2015)

stuart80112 said:


> I wouldn't say _"it's not the right tool for the job_".... many people have re-powered their snowblowers with cheap Honda clone engines and they seem to be happy.
> 
> *They seems to be more than happy. All types of go kart and mini bike etc small engine aficionados rave about the predator, and for $99, if you live near a harbor freight, you can't go wrong.*
> Edit: they are also new on ebay for like $125 shipped.
> ...


I was going to make a thread asking for others to make something like 'simplified predator repower guide' to basically point out the heat box mod, and the rejetting etc and all the steps with minimal discussion (extra pages) to the thread. 
As you mentioned, they supposedly do function all right when just thrown on without any modification but won't be optimal but the modding is pretty easy. Like you said, the only time it might be a big PITA is if you have an older machine made for an engine with dedicated pulleys (more than one crankshaft). 

Strangely the .030 jet is hard to come by. I didn't search too long but I don't know if it exists sold alone. I think I saw it as part of a kit with other jets but it was like $75 and you only need the one jet anyway. Someone should manufacture a .030 jet or just buy a bunch of .028s for $2 and drill them out correctly to .030 to avoid the sort of gamble of hand drilling them out with a mini bit that most people don't have.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

snow2345ffs said:


> ..lots of good stuff.. read it...


One thing that seems pretty much undocumented is the _longevity _of these clone engines. We often hear of 20 or 30 year old Tecumseh engines chugging along (somewhat) nicely.
I wonder who has the oldest Predator re-power and just how old that is?
At $99 a pop, maybe people aren't too worried about longevity.. but I would be interested to know.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

snow2345ffs said:


> Strangely the .030 jet is hard to come by. I didn't search too long but I don't know if it exists sold alone.[/QUOTE]
> 
> I mentioned on my $50 Predator posting that there are two high-altitude kits discussed in some Predator manuals (but not others)
> They are for altitude ranges above 3000 feet and again above 6000.
> ...


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

stuart80112 said:


> .....two high-altitude kits discussed in some Predator manuals (but not others)
> They are for altitude ranges above 3000 feet and again above 6000.
> I haven't nailed down what those jet sizes are yet.
> 
> I'll edit this post when (or if) I find out.


Ok I called the HF techincal support line minutes ago and here's what I was told.

Standard Jet = 0.75mm (which is 0.295 inches) in *both *CA and non-CA engines)
Hi Altitude 3000-6000ft Jet = 0.77mm (0.030 inches)
Hi Altitude 6000-8000ft Jet = 0.80mm (0.031 inches)

So now I'm really confused!

The reference I found last night talks about decreasing bore size with altitude. The Predator tech support talks about increasing bore size with altitude.

*Does anyone know enough about carburetor theory to straighten this out for me please? *Preferably with links to references.

As a side note... this looks like one way of buying your 0.030 jet without drilling!

Also... lot's of posts talk about the "standard" jet being 0.028.... where are people getting THAT number from? At least one tech at Harbor Freight says 0.295

EDIT: I just called a second time to check my facts and got a _different _support person.
This time he said he did not know what the "standard" jet sizes are but he confirmed the high-altitude sizes 0.77mm and 0.80mm
That's part number 15486 $5 + shipping for both jets in the high-altitude kit. For some reason their website does not seem to have it listed. Phone orders only I suppose.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Well I can tell you one thing: on an automotive engine-management-system forum I frequent, there's a lengthy ongoing debate about fueling compensation vs. altitude. Some say you need more, some say less, some say it depends on the engine.

There are a lot of factors at play more complicated than you might think: mass flow vs. volume flow through the carburetor, the fact the venturi suction has to lift the fuel from the float bowl might mean that even though less fuel is needed due to the lower air density, a larger jet is needed to compensate for the air's lesser ability to draw fuel. And just to confuse things further, altitude affects scavenging... there will be less combustion products in the cylinder at the end of the exhaust stroke because the lower ambient pressure draws them out more.

The bottom line is I have no idea, but would go with what the manufacturer recommends since presumably they've done testing... :wacko:


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

Never having repowered anything, let alone a snowblower, I want to make this as easy as possible. I don't want my first time to be so frustrating that it is my last time.

There is a lot of talk about the Predator engine, will anything I find on this be the same as mine? Or, is the information on the Predator only close to what I can apply to what I have: A-iPower AP170F 208CC?

Also, redrilling the mounting location seems to be something that might be avoidable if I choose the right blower to repower. Is anyone aware of a machine that might be easily repowered, with the least amount of modds necessary, for the engine I have?


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

Smolenski7 said:


> Never having repowered anything, let alone a snowblower, I want to make this as easy as possible. I don't want my first time to be so frustrating that it is my last time.
> 
> There is a lot of talk about the Predator engine, will anything I find on this be the same as mine? Or, is the information on the Predator only close to what I can apply to what I have: A-iPower AP170F 208CC?
> 
> Also, redrilling the mounting location seems to be something that might be avoidable if I choose the right blower to repower. Is anyone aware of a machine that might be easily repowered, with the least amount of modds necessary, for the engine I have?



Take a look at the photos of the Predator I bought in the last week.

Photos:
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/851882-post52.html

...and take a look at the video of it running for the first time....

Video:
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/853010-post54.html

What do you think? Do they look "the same" to you?

Part of me wants to say "Yes they are all the same.. go for it".
However, strictly speaking, The Predator is a 212cc and yours is a 208cc so they are not identical in each and every respect.

If you tore the engine apart and looked at the innards, then I suspect that there would be gross similarities and only small differences. But you won't be doing that anyway. 
I could talk about the internal differences between the Hemi and non-Hemi Predator, but that's not relevant for your immediate question.
From an external perspective, that just changes the shape of the valve cover and that's probably the only difference you'll see between yours and mine (apart from labels and colors). 
If you are interested, that difference looks like this.
https://www.google.com/search?q=non-hemi+predator&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwij9tWczqrKAhVO_WMKHY_MDysQ_AUICSgD&biw=1920&bih=1046#imgrc=xODctk9DgHnWbM%3A


From the outside.. I think you'll find that they are very similar indeed... But what do *you *think as you look at them?

EDIT: For repowering, you probably just need to ask yourself...
How big is the engine (Horse power) Is it strong enough? 
How big is the engine (physically)? Will it fit?
What is the footprint (bolt hole locations etc)? Drilling holes is not a huge deal. May not even be necessary at all.
What size is the shaft compared to the old shaft? An adapter is available for low cost.
How well do things line up? 
Do I need to get new belts because the height of the pulleys is slightly different before and after?
Does the chute crank clear the side of the engine or do I need to move it out slightly? (with a bracket or maybe an eye bolt and grommet).

These questions (and answers) will be pretty much the same for your engine and for a Predator.
From that perspective, I think that the Predator threads will address the (hopefully few) issues that you bump into.

All the stuff about jets and carburetor heat boxes can be left for later when you get hooked and want to add "go fast stripes" to your pride and joy snowblower.
I'm not saying they are unimportant considerations.... I'm just saying that it might just confuse matters at this stage.
I apologize for rambling on about jets earlier. I should have started a new thread for that. It was not helpful.


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

So this ad just popped up on CL. Does anyone have any idea what is being sold? Even better, what are the odds it would be a good candidate for a 1st time repower?

https://hartford.craigslist.org/grd/5375691854.html


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Smolenski7 said:


> So this ad just popped up on CL. Does anyone have any idea what is being sold? Even better, what are the odds it would be a good candidate for a 1st time repower?
> 
> https://hartford.craigslist.org/grd/5375691854.html


All 3 pictures are Ariens 10,000 series with some type of I-beams welded to the buckets. They were probably added for weight.


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

https://hartford.craigslist.org/grd/5375691854.html

Thanks Shyrp. $125 seems way too much for a 40+ year old machine with no engine.

1. Is it a good candidate, assuming it's in at least "ok" condition, for a first time repower and maybe small restoration? 

2. If the answer to #1 is "Yes," then what would a fair price be for that particular machine? I'm thinking way less than $125, but I could be wrong.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

I have never used one quite that old, but most likely it would be good. Maybe $50 tops? The one thing with the older ones is they used 1 belt for both the drive and the augers so you can run an oversized pulley to speed up the impeller.


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

I felt sorta bad, but I couldn't offer him any where near his asking price $125. If the machine is 40 years old and doesn't even have an engine....and logic would dictate that there has to be something else wrong, I don't think he's in the ballpark. ....Maybe not even the parking lot. I offered him $35 and an apology for appearing to lowball him.


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## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

jmo, but your offer isnt bad.... even if the missing crank handle, belt cover, and engine pulley are in the mix.


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## Smolenski7 (Nov 24, 2010)

nwcove said:


> jmo, but your offer isnt bad.... even if the missing crank handle, belt cover, and engine pulley are in the mix.


I thought it was fair too, but he declined. Responded with $75.

As it turns out, he has all of the missing parts you mentioned. I noticed too and sent an email asking. I just don't know why they are not attached nor pictured.


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