Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

If you have problems with a TEC engine not starting or running like Cr@p after repairing it 20 times  and spent hundreds of dollars on parts and labor.  My suggestion unbolt the 4 nuts that hold the engine  on the snowblower  and get yourself a new Honda Clone engine or even better if you can find a nice used Honda GX270 engine and you will have the best running Snowblower  you have ever owned.   It may even out-perform the  over engineered  Honda Snowblowers.

I really like the 139cc Tecumseh two cycle engine in the Craftsman.  I've never seen anything like it.  For some reason, it has "port covers".   Why it does is beyond me.  Maybe they come off some how to allow inspection?   Either way, it looks like a real well built piece and it starts and runs great.  Not bad for a 14 year old engine.  I'm sure it must have a fair amount of time on it because the machine it's mounted in had a severely cracked rear motor mount.  That kind of thing doesn't happen over night.  Regardless, the engine seems to have good compression (90 - 100 psi) when measured with a decompression system and will happily rev out to 6500 to 7000 rpm if you want. 

I also have a Jiffy power ice auger with a Tecumseh 85cc two cycle engine on it.  It's close to 30 years old and still running strong. 

It's sad to see the demise of these reputable American small engine icons.   More than jobs are lost when they go out of business.  A piece of history goes with them. 

Maybe the Chinese should buy up the rights to the Tecumseh name?   Who knows, there might be a TeiKumSee brand small engine coming to our shores some day?

My old JD826 was bought new in 1982 - been used every winter since then and the TEC engine has never had a problem.  

Dr_Woof wrote:
I agree those old TEC engine were and still are a jewel. The tech engine they produced  in  the last 5 years before they threw in the towel are junk. I found one of the best fixes for the new engines is to install the older adjutable Carbs makes the engines run much smoother

I have several Ariens machines with Tecumseh engines.One is a 6HP thats a 1968 and has been in my care since new.It has the original motor with a rebuilt carb,New points condenser and coil.It runs great and throws better than new.This is mostly related to turning the top end up to 3600rpm.It had been at 3300 since it was new.The only problem i ever had was i broke a flywheel on that machine durring a heavy storm.I have a trouts2 rebuilt machine with a excellent original 8HP on it and thats a 1980 ST824 with new carb and new points,condenser and coil.That one is turned up to 3600rpm and has run for 15HRs so far this season and has been a great machine.I will say i have seen 2 snow kings throw rods.One was a 7HP and the other was a 6HP both had been run out of oil.In both cases it was a good show.Both were under load and went off with a good sized bang.But you know those were both the fault of the user and not the Tecumseh engine.These engines may be old stuff now but you can tweek the carbs nicely on them because there adjustable.And the old L head Tecs make nice torque and throw well.I find when the carbs are adjusted perfectly they are very good cold weather starters to with 1 or 2 pulls.

http://s1129.photobucket.com/albums/m508/ranvette2003/

I had two 10 h.p. Snow King engines for more than 20 years.  Neither one ever skipped a beat or used a drop of oil.  They were loud, rough and crude but did their job without ever causing a problem.  Fuel and oil were all they got.   

borat wrote:
YOU NEVER CHANGED OR CLEANED THE PLUGS????

I would think he changed the plugs lol. I do mine every other season they are only 2 bucks at walmart.

There are so many of those old Tecumseh L-heads out there, and there will probably still be some out there running after we're all dead. If you make sure to take care of the oil they'll last forever.

Funny thing about plugs, though. I got my Snow King engine in the middle of the season and when I went to put it away for the summer I looked at the plug when I pulled it to oil the cylinder. It was like new (except for color of course). The next year I picked up a plug but when I pulled it that year, it still looked good so I didn't change it. It's been another six years since then, and that new plug is still laying out in the garage collecting dust somewhere. The original plug still looks pretty good!

I seldom change plugs.  I clean them once a year but that's usually it.   I keep spares for most of my equipment.  Some not.  I carry a spare on any machines (ATVs/dirt bikes) that I take into the bush and a set for my outboards.  Never use them either.  Don't need to usually.  Clean and replace as usual. 

In over 40 years of vehicle ownership/operation and owner of 38 or so small engines, I've had two spark plugs fail.  Both were small plugs used in small two cycle engines.   First plug that failed was back around 1985 in my,  1983 Tecumseh powered Jiffy ice auger and the second failed two years ago in my 1984 Jonsereds 630 chainsaw.   Both were original plugs.  The ice auger caught me off guard being only 2 years old.  The saw however went over 24 years on the same plug.  Even my '96 Toyota T-100 has the original plugs.  No change in performance nor fuel mileage since new. 

Quality spark plugs (NGK, ND and even Champion)  are generally very reliable and perfectly suitable for long term use provided they're cleaned/gapped occasionally. 

If the engine starts and runs well, what's the need to change it?    

Like Borat I never change a plug I inspect it once a season clean it lube the threads with a drop of engine oil and re--Install. I will only change a plug if the outside of the body is rusty. I have only seen 1 plug fail and that was in a 3 year old Honda powered lawnmower.