Abby’s Guide > Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) > Discussions > Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions |
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jrtrebor
 
Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539
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Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Original Message Dec 15, 2010 10:50 pm |
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Shryp
Location: Cleveland, OH
Joined: Jul 26, 2010
Points: 532
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Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #7 Dec 16, 2010 9:51 pm |
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Looking good. Is this the same blower you added the electric controls and the stainless to? I too would be interested in your progress as I just fitted an 11 HP on my 924026 since the original HM80 decided to throw a rod. Was my first time blowing an engine and I was a little disappointed it was far from spectacular. No smoke, noise or boom. The only thing it did was sound like something got wrapped around the augers as I heard the tick tick tick from the crank hitting the rod after it came apart. The 11 is probably overkill, but I grew up watching Home Improvement :) I am sure the 6.5 would have worked. Mine is only a 24" bucket, but I wouldn't mind maybe finding a 32" in the future and switching it over. I also wanted a little overhead so I could possibly switch to a larger pulley and get the impeller up to the 1300-1400 rpm range. I got mine mounted, but need to get some longer belts as the auger doesn't quite disengage fully. The mounting on mine was a bit tight as the bolt holes had to be drilled right at the very edge of the top plate where they have the 45 degree bank for the handlebar mounts. I also still need to come up with a new belt cover yet. I was thinking of using some roofing flashing or some sheet metal and also had someone suggest some of that fiberglass resin stuff. I had to spin my recoil starter around to the other side so now my Greyhound decal is sideways, but I can live with that. Not sure if I want a battery or not. It seems nice in theory, but might be more trouble than it is worth keeping it charged in the off season. If I don't use a battery would I be correct in assuming I can just mount powered stuff to the red wire on the started and the black wire that is suppose to be grounded to the engine mount? I think it would be nice to have lights and maybe some day rig up some electric controls like you did. I too have never been able to find the amperage put out by the built in stator. I have seen different clones reporting different numbers and even Hondas come with different amp outputs. I put a 6.5 on an old Toro 3521 last year and that worked great for last winter with no freezing up issues.
This message was modified Dec 16, 2010 by Shryp
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jrtrebor
Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539
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Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #8 Dec 17, 2010 12:04 am |
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Thank you all, for all the nice comments. I really appreciate it. I enjoy doing this kind of stuff and it's nice to be able to share it with others who have the same interests. Shryp - yes it is the same power with the electric controls and stainless. After I swap engines and get the electric all hooked up I'll post some photos. I wanted the battery on board so I can run a larger watt light(s). Nothing that will burn the paint of things. Probably a 30W Halogen. Also with the battery on board I can remove the current battery that is running the chute and deflector motors. At some point I'm going to take off the double belt pulley and put on two single pulleys. The drive pulley will remain the same size. But I'm going to put on a 1/2" larger impeller drive pulley. I have that pulley already. Just need to get a 2 1/2" with a 1" bore pulley for the drive. If my math is correct that should give about a 200 rpm increase at the shaft. And a impeller tip velocity increase of about 730 ft/s. That is one of the reasons I wanted to use an 11Hp and line the impeller housing with stainless. Here are a few photos of the belt cover that I had to modify because the center of the crank (as you know) is higher on the clones. I used a material called Sintra it's really easy to work with. It's also formable when you put heat to it. we'll see if it holds up. If it doesn't I guess I will use it as a pattern and see if I can make the cover out of thin aluminum. I was fortunate to have to have a old blower without the blower. To do most of the measuring and fitting for the engine swap. That is what the engine is sitting on. Now I know exactly what I have to do to my 1032 to make the swap. Another project I'm thinking about (there is always another project) is mounting a 3" blade to the front of my spare drive unit. You can see in the photos the rear piece of steel that I cut out of the back of the impeller housing from and out wasted blower housing. That is what I will beef-up and mount the plow blade to. What I really want and have been looking for, for about a year is one of the Ariens Broom attachments. That is why I've hung on the the drive unit I have. I have actually found, just the other day in my price range. But unfortunately it's 330 miles away, pick up only. Oh well, I really don't have the money to spend right now anyway. Almost forgot, chefwong I'm a 3rd generation finish carpenter. So, same processes different materials and tools. Measure, cut, fit, assemble. Also my mom sent me to summer school when I was about 11 or 12. It was a class in small engine basics and repair Thanks Mom !! (She probably just wanted to get me out of the house and know where I was.)    
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ws01
Joined: Dec 17, 2010
Points: 1
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Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #11 Dec 17, 2010 3:01 am |
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Thank for info.
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New_Yorker
Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary
Location: Long Island, NY
Joined: Nov 26, 2010
Points: 219
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Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #12 Dec 17, 2010 8:46 am |
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Thank you all, for all the nice comments. I really appreciate it. I enjoy doing this kind of stuff and it's nice to be able to share it
with others who have the same interests.
Shryp - yes it is the same power with the electric controls and stainless. After I swap engines and get the electric all hooked up I'll post some photos.
I wanted the battery on board so I can run a larger watt light(s). Nothing that will burn the paint of things. Probably a 30W Halogen
Obviously you have the equipment to create the excellent shields and modifications, as well as the talent to use them. Well Done.
I thought, based on the quote above, I should tell you that the accessory light for a Honda HS 928TAS model snowblower with the GX 270 8.5 HP engine is a 50 Watt Halogen bulb that runs off the engine stator and has no need for a battery, so I suspect the set up you have could drive a light capable of melting the snow instead of simply blowing it away. Just thought you'd like to know. The Honda Snowblowers have a shield over the carb inlet but No Air Filter. I don't like it but they do it for two reasons, they do not expect dust and dirt in a snow storm or its aftermath, and the blowing snow can melt and saturate a paper filter cartridge (which is what Honda installs on the engine in all other applications) I have an Amsoil "Pod Filter" that I will install whenever, as in the off season maintenance, I start up the snowblower when dirt is a possibility. It is essentially a small foam filter with a sping in it to hold its shape, and vibrate any dust of the oil saturated foam (Amsoil sells excellent and very, very sticky, Foam Filter Oil for such air filters. Had you planned on using the paper filter ? The small foam one is highly resistant to water intrusion should you want an optional version better suited to blowing snow. I just purchased the new Honda, and as I do with every machine I go over it to add or subtract what I think it needs. The skid shoes for example are being upgraded to the very heavy commercial ones Honda sells as an accessory. The installation requires me to mark and drill the mounting holes very precisely. I have even ordered Stainless Steel Flange Bolts and Lock Nuts to hold the skid shoes to the auger housing because in a location guaranteed to be exposed to water and salt, Honda ships the skid shoes with plain steel nuts and bolts. Good Luck removing them after a few years of rust, so i thought I'd make that job easier when the day arrives. I also add 3M 680 Reflective tape, PM 'Spitfires, and a few relectors to all sides of the machine to make it Highly Visible at night in the headlights of any vehicle that might do it harm. . This way if it ever conks out at the end of the driveway everyone can see it at night. Thanks for sharing the project, I'd love to see a video of it in action some day.
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jrtrebor
Location: Michigan - 3 hours north of Chicago on the lake
Joined: Feb 10, 2010
Points: 539
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Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #14 Dec 18, 2010 10:14 pm |
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shryp - Yes, I would think that you should just be able to just use the red to get power for lights. By the way I made my engine swap yesterday and
I also have the problem with the blower belt not disengaging so to speak. The belt is plenty loose it slides right around the engine pulley when the engine isn't running.
I know what the problem is and have tried 4 or 5things but haven't come up with a solution yet. Actually it's two problems.
One is that because the engine/crank sits higher the distance between the pulleys is greater. Which changes the angle that the belt comes to and leaves the pulley.
The angle is steeper, the arc that the belt makes over the pulley is tighter.
The other issue is that the vertical center of the crank is not in line with the vertical center of the drive and impeller pulleys.
Which makes the angle of thebelt even steeper on one side.
An exaggerated way to put it would be that the belt now comes at the pulley from the bottom instead of from the side of the pulley.
The arc over the pulley is simple to small or to tight. Centering the vertical center of the pulleys would probably fix it.
But you can't do that without making a mounting plate for the engine so it can be moved to the left or right.
As you know the holes you have to drill for the engine base are right on the corner of the bend in the tractor housing.
Moving the engine left or right takes the engine base off into space. That's why you'd
have to make a mounting plate out of probably 3/16" plate.
Bolt the engine to the plate and then bolt the plate to the blower. I don't like that the
blower keeps spinning, but guess I may just have to live with it until I can figure something else out, or make a plate.
I kind of like solving problems like this. We'll see. If I figure something out I'll let you know.
Who knows, maybe once the belt gets broken in a little, gets a little glaze or shine on the sides it will start slipping the way it supposed to.
Hirschallan - Well my work space is kind of heated, sometimes. I have a small propane fired Ceramic infrared heater that mounts on the tank. It helps raise the
temperature a little. I live in Michigan and last week I used my infrared thermometer and took the temperature of various things in my shop. Walls, workbenches,
tools. All read about the same temperature 17°. It think I've had it up to about 45°. Felt like summer time. I wish it was heated, cause your right it. It would
make it a whole lot more enjoyable.
New Yorker - Thanks for the info about your HS 928TAS light. 50 watts would be plenty you can run a car headlight with 50 watts.
It's not like you need to be able to see 20 or 30 yards out in front of you.
I guess if I really want to know what the 'current" output is on an 11hp engine with a 12V starter system I'll have to call Honda
The new engine came with a new air filter so I took that out. And I happened to have an old air filter element and cover from another Honda. So I took the old filter and pulled all of the
paper element out of it through the bottom hole. Then just used the empty cage in the air cleaner box. That way the top cover has the center support that the filter
provides when you tighten down the wing nut.
Using SS bolts and nuts on your skids is a good idea. I used them to hold on my cutting edge as well. I love stainless anything. I do always cringe a little
though when I buy stainless hardware. It's so expensive. I always keep my eyes open for stainless nuts, bolts etc. at garage and estate sales.
I had to laugh, I have some 3M Conspicuity tape on my blower as well. I have a set of hole punches and I use the 3/4" one to punch out circles of
the tape. Then I just stick them on where ever. I've got a few on the sides of the bucket and the chute. That tape really lights up.
This message was modified Dec 18, 2010 by jrtrebor
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Shryp
Location: Cleveland, OH
Joined: Jul 26, 2010
Points: 532
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Re: Someone asked about Honda clones and cold weather proofing
Reply #15 Dec 18, 2010 11:43 pm |
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Ahh, at first I could not understand what you were saying about vertical center. Then, as I kept reading I now understand you are referring to the crankshaft setting directly on top of the impeller shaft or slightly off to the side. I have not had a chance to get a longer belt yet, but I was thinking of taking some measurements of the pulleys and making a trip to tractorsupply and getting some new belts and seeing what different size pulley ratios I can come up with. I think I had the opposite problem with my belt. When first installed it seemed to slip a bit so it was spinning slowly then it seemed like the belt got kind of gummy and started sticking more. They are cheap belts from the hardware store down the street and might not be OPE rated so that could be part of my problem. I will add that my 2 belts are definitely a bit tight, so when I get them replace I will report back on the problem. Here some info I ran into about the charging system: " Depends on which charging system you have. There are 3 different charging systems for GX390. 3 Amp with one charging coil under flywheel. 10 Amp with two charging coils. 18 Amp with four charging coils. I have the 10 amp system, and I have headlights, running lights and turn signals on my UTV, and it keeps the battery fully charged. The 3 amp system will barely keep the battery charged. The Clone 3 amp systems have been suspect, as to whether they put out the needed power to charge the battery. If yours is a clone, you might consider changing to the OEM Honda coil. If your motor is a 3 amp, you need more than the coils to upgrade to the 10 amp. The rectifier is different on the 10 amp. The wiring also is different on the 10 amp. The rectifier and wiring on the 18 amp are different than the 3 and 10 amp systems as well. Reply With Quote " The parts diagram lists only 1 charge coil, and I believe I have heard these are 3 amp coils before so the information seems to fit. The original thread was here: http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/clone-engine-swaps/38923-duromax-vs-carrollstream-engine.html I just did a google search for "honda clone battery" and found some info. I have not had much chance to get into the garage yet, but should have plenty of time next week.
This message was modified Dec 18, 2010 by Shryp
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