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

Picked up a beatup YS624W which needed work.  It came with a matted mouse nest in the tractor base and a worn through impeller barrel due to tossing rocks.  The rusted sections on the right and left of the barrel bottom are pushed out about 1/2 -3/4 of an inch.  The main drive gear support post and flange bearings were also worn (pictures below).

The impeller area diameter is only 10.5 inches and has a whole worn through.  The worn an pushed out sections are in the forward part of the lower barrel.  A sheet of steel was installed with rivets.  The machine is an impressive tosser and due to it's high impeller speed and powerful engine that does not sag much under load so able to keep up the RPMs.

A nice feature is a class viewing window to check the oil level.  Note the heavy cast iron oil catch whch is part of the bracket for the engine support mount.

The impeller arms are mishapen and the plate also distorted but not as bad as the picture shows.  The bent area is due to camera angle distortion.  Note that the impeller diameter is 10 inches.

Got the impeller back into reasonable shape and put on some Rustoleum.

The muffler was rusted but the metal solid so taken off, wire brushed and painted with hight temp paint. 

Muffler heat shield and air box covers painted.  Muffler in much better shape.

The engine sits on motor mounts about 1/2 in above the tractor base.  Two big rubber mounts on standoffs support the mounts which are connected to the engine cover by heavy brackets.  The left facing bracket has a rusted section at the L bend.  It's cracked at the rust area for almost it's entire lengts.  I've had about 6 of these machines and two have had broken motor mount brackets.  The other was on an 828 base bracket but both 6 and 8 hp machine use the same bracket.  2 out of 6 with broken brackets makes me suspect that the brackets may be a weak point in the design.  I did not notice on the other machine if the brackets were broken or cracked but they may have been. 

Note the brackets are mounted to the engine front cover which is made of very thick aluminum about twice the thickness of a Tecumseh cover.  It's also very nicely machined. 

Rear engine mounts.

The engine is raised up off the base about 3/4 of an inch, enough to snake a cable underneath.

Wheel drive gears are enclosed in a case which mounts to the tractor base side.  Note the grease is well spread on the gears.  There are voids in the case but the paste grease still got around somehow.  BUT, notice the center of the primary gear on the left.  It's mounted on a post with flange bearings on both sides.  The flange bearings were completely worn away.  There were no traces of the flange bearings in the case.  They had been ground to a powder and mixed into the grease. 

The gearcase cleaned up.  Note the roller bearings in the case.  You can see the primary gear support post is heavily worn out of shape.  The post is a tight fit so pops out and only a few dollar part.  The post may be a weak point in the design due to not getting any grease.  The flange bearings on the primary are very thin and do not have self contained oil so they don't get lub'ed.  The gase does have a gasket so fitting a new gasket and adding sealer might be tried in hopes it will hold liquid grease.  A screw hold can be added to the top for dumping in liquid grease.  The primary gear center section was worn so bad it had to be replaced, $89.  The teeth of both gears were fine so the paste grease fine there but did not help much for the center section and post.  All in all it lasted about 26 years so not bad but having lub would be better.

Nice engine with lots of power.  Note no crankshaft going out of the block.  The drive is from the camshaft PTO.  The engine runs at 4000 rpmon the 6hp and 3850-3900 on the 8hp.  The PTO runs at 2000 RPM.  The rakes I think run at 300 and the impeller 1400 or so.  These engines are very nice and do not sag much under load compared to a Tecumseh.  They are at least equal to a Honda GX and probably better.  Note the black rubber mounts on top to dampen gas tank vibration.  The tank has 4 posts and set into the tank mounts with hair pins.

Nicely machined head area.  The engine is getting rings and a valve job.  The engine compression was within spec but at the low end of its range but it had very good spring back.  It would be nice to get it peaked so with get some work.  The goal is to get it running well and compare it to a Honda 624.  The Honda 624 is a great machine and so is the YS624 but I think the Yamaha may have a slight edge.

When the piston is covered with my hand and the flywheel turned through a compression stroke the flywheel will bounce back and the spring back can be done once or twice more before it leaks by the rings. 

Liner inserted and painted. 

Lower bucket side distortion due to being thinned and pushed out by rocks.  The machine will clean up nicely but unfortunatly will have the rivets showing and the bulges.  

80 psi on the compression.  That motor is going to run for another 30 yrs.

How has the engine been to start? Many pulls? After it starts is it finicky until warmed up or does it settle right down?

Labor aside, how much should I set aside for a ring set and gaskets?  

That belt conversion has me interested. I just cringe at the thought of spend $40 for a V-belt.  

Underdog,

It sounds very nice, aggressive with a deep note.  At 4000 it’s ferocious and seems like it could go through any amount of EOD easily.

 

   Starts on the second pull and can go to full throttle quickly without barfing.  It can go quickly to low idle also.  No finicky warm-up on this one.  The second pull start might be a sluggish fuel pump.  If it got a wicked rip for a first pull it might start.  I definitely lucked out with this engine.

 

   The rings are $13 and the head gasket $8 from boats.net.  It did not get a piston (84) or a rod (64).   Pricy but quality.   Parts are reasonably priced at boats and just about everything is available for these.  Worse case they have to go to Japan for parts.  Some things marked obsolete but are available on other models which is weird like the auger support bearings.  They used a standard size 6203 RS (RS being sealed).  Honda also uses 6203 but a LU and UU which I think are more ruggedized for slow turning.  The bearings in the older Yamahas are often shot but the same with older Hondas.  I found a non-OEM 6203 RS for $3.50 in 10 packs which I might get.

 

>>>I just cringe at the thought of spend $40 for a V-belt.  
   They are wicked nice belts but a HD Kevlar should be fine.  The expensive drive belt on this one was replaced within the last few years and in fine shape.  The drive belt has some age but also in good shape.  

 

    Doing the rings is fairly straight forward like a Tecumseh.  The only caution is to set the governor weights in place before installing the cam, easy.  The hard part is getting the engine off and remembering how to put it put it back on in order.  It was done in 4 steps with 4 parts piles to help me remember how it goes together.

Those parts prices are really not bad. Some of the YS624 came equiped with electric start.  It there an advantage to the metal tank vs. the plastic tank? Or visa versa? We are all still waiting to see a photo of the blower back together again!

   The electric start versions are nice.  I had a YS624TEN and sold it.  I'll probaly never see another.

   I've never had a metal tank model.  They are the older versions.  I've gotten used to and like the plastic tank because it won't rot.  It's does vibrate a lot though even with the rubber mounts.  I'm not sure about the metal tank but I would think it bracket mounted with no rubber gromets. 

   The project is done except for buttoning it up.  The shear pin was rust frozen in and had to be drilled out.  Broke several drills and two punches.  I then found the auger rust frozen to the axle.  I've given it a couple of applications of heat, twisting with a big pipe wrench and lots of PB Blaster but it won't budge.  I only have MAP gas.  I'll give it a few more tries and if it does not break bring it to a shop.  He's got gas and a 20 ton press.  I would not mind buying a press but I think you have to have gas with a press.  When I get stuck and bring things to the dealer he always has to use both to get things to break. 

    Finished the Yamaha.  The machine cost $70 and the parts $210.  For $280 the machine is an OK deal.  It's working fine and will make a great machine.  The work in was reringing, valve job, back auger support bearing, auger bearings, carb rebuild, main drive gear, bucket liner, decarbonize the head, reset the impeller, unfreeze the augers and wheels, paint and assemble.

The brown is some protection for the engine supports which rust in those areas.

It's a got a $#%*fortable to use dash with a nice chute control, remote hood, on off switch on the right and a useful range of gears.  I've never used a Yamaha wheeled before but the tracks are great.  The reverse on these is fast enough to make backing up a non-issue.  They controls have rods which can't be seen and the cables used are very good quality.

The shifting components are complex and tough to set but once set the operation is smooth and easy.  The shift internals in the tractor section (can't be seen in the top picture) and robust and even with the abuse this machine had all are shiney and look new.

Looks good! Going to keep it for yourself? Seems like there should be plenty of years left in it.

Bill_H wrote:

    If there's anything in there that will wear out in a few years I missed it.  

    It will probably stick around until we get a few decent storms next year and I get some use on it.   I've got a Honda 624 track I want to test the Yamaha against. 

NICE JOB TROUTS!!!! Looking real good.

The routing of the chute control says it all.  Yamaha made every effort to create a machine that is a joy to use (and worth rebuilding).   Speaking of "using" are you sure there isn't a pile of snow left from this past winter?  Maybe behind a garage wall or near a hedgeline?  With all that snow we had last year there must be something to blow. 

Note: if you removed the bolts that hold the friction pads at the base of the chute be sure to locktite them back in place. Vibration can easily cause them to shake loose and drop off.  I lost one of those when I was working on the blower last year. I keep thinking that parts will turn up now that the snow is gone.

u could go to a hockey areana they'll have some snow out back to plow LOL