Another freebie engine score!

[anickode]

Driving home... Guy 3 houses down from me is wheeling this beast out to the road. I pulled in and asked if he was getting rig of it. "Yep! You want it?" Sure do! He looked at me, looked at my truck (it's pretty recognizable) and said "you just life a few houses down don't you?". Yes I do! "Well shoot, it's probably easier if I just push it down there instead of lift it up there, eh? I offered to just walk it home myself after I parked the truck, but he was happy to be rid of it, so he just did it himself.

Free and delivered.

Engine spins nicely, definitely has compression. I haven't torn anything apart yet, but I believe these machines had actual transmissions in them instead of friction disc.

This might be more worthy of restoration than repurposing.

 

[anickode]

A peek underneath...

The orange box in the center is an FNR gearbox. Dual output shafts with different sprockets. 2 speed gear selector on the jackshaft.

Sprockets and chain are all #35

Decisions decisions. That box looks like it'll take a fair bit of speed. Pulley ratio suggests ~1500 rpm on the input. Reduction ratio is high, but not crazy, as it's got 2 stages of chain reduction after it as well.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Wooooow...........

 

[Tpdingo]

*raises fist* - If you don't make this into a go kart...

Nice find!

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

Quite frankly, Anickode, do you really need a snowblower?
Oh, wait, you're in Michigan.

 

[Dingocat]

I like snowblowers....

My dad gets them and rebuilds them. His main blower is a 36" Ariens from 1974. Believe it's a 10hp.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

If we ever get snow here in Texas, it's just a sugardusting.

 

[anickode]

I already have 2 older (and restored) Ariens walk behinds and a 48" CASE hi-cast for my 448... I certainly don't need another snowblower, but man this thing is cool.

The chute control uses a bevel ring and pinion gear instead of a worm screw. Smooth as silk and it goes lock to lock in 2 turns. If the chute neck is the right diameter, I'm definitely transplanting that gear drive on to the HiCast.

 

[JTSpeedDemon]

I already have 2 older (and restored) Ariens walk behinds and a 48" CASE hi-cast for my 448... I certainly don't need another snowblower, but man this thing is cool.

In that case:
GO KART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes I went to town on the EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[anickode]

That 7hp Briggs will be torquey as ****, that's for sure.

 

[Hellion]

Rebuild/Repair it, spiff it up some (make the paint shiny again so it looks healthy) and put it on the market.

A. De-carbon the cylinder head
B. Do a valve job if needed

Definitely love anything "old iron". Good score, man.

Mustie1 on YT has done a few snowblower repairs if you need inspiration.
Not everything needs to turn into a go kart.

 

[anickode]

Rebuild/Repair it, spiff it up some (make the paint shiny again so it looks healthy) and put it on the market.

A. De-carbon the cylinder head
B. Do a valve job if needed

Definitely love anything "old iron". Good score, man.

Mustie1 on YT has done a few snowblower repairs if you need inspiration.
Not everything needs to turn into a go kart.

Yeah, I'm kind of leaning that way. If the trans was clapped out or it was all rusty I might be thinking differently, but this thing is pretty darn solid.

 

[bthompson224]

Rebuild/Repair it, spiff it up some (make the paint shiny again so it looks healthy) and put it on the market.

Not everything needs to turn into a go kart.

Agreed. I have an old tiller, same thing. More valuable as a tiller than the engine will ever be.

 

[BigWes]

My first question was gonna be "what the **** is it?" but others answered it.

It looks dang cool though.

I'd fix it up if it works.

Awesome score!

Two thumbs up

 

[anickode]

My first question was gonna be "what the **** is it?" but others answered it.

It looks dang cool though.

I'd fix it up if it works.

Awesome score!

Two thumbs up

Location: Alabama

Born and raised I'm guessing? . I don't suppose you come across too many snowblowers down there.

 

[BigWes]

Location: Alabama

Born and raised I'm guessing? . I don't suppose you come across too many snowblowers down there.

Snowblowers? Not So Much. My idea of a snowblower is something that goes on the front of a big truck.

I spent 8 years in the USAF. 5 of those were in Tacoma WA. No, I've never seen a snow blower before. I've been to Alaska on several occasions and even lived there for almost a year as a child. No snow blower. Snowmobiles? Yup. Snow plows? Yup. When I first seen that pic I was like that sure is a funny looking tiller then I was like wait...the tines dont look right...no, I dont think it's a tiller...LOL it wasn't!

If and when it snows where I live, we all go inside and wait till it goes away. Which normally doesn't take too long. Less than a few hours most times. But I mean a little ice down here shuts the entire state down. I live in South Alabama...about meh, say roughly 90 miles from the gulf so yea...snow...it's what other people in other places have! but...your machine is still awesome none the less!

 

[landuse]

Cool score!!!

Why was the guy getting rid of the blower?

 

[anickode]

Cool score!!!

Why was the guy getting rid of the blower?

Guessing he bought a new one. This one is 50 years old, VERY heavy, the tires are dry rotted, and doesn't have a lot of the conveniences that modern ones do. A new machine this heavy would be twice as large, have twice the HP, power steering, electric start, headlights, heated handles, etc.

On the flip side, these old Gilson blowers are built 5x better than anything now days. For Pete's sake, it's 50 years old, and mechanically perfect. No dents, cracked welds, or major rust either.

The entire mouth of this thing is made from ~11ga steel. Most modern ones are in the 16-20ga range. You could probably hit it with a big hammer, and it would ring like a bell instead of bend.

O
To top it all off, I put a pint of gas in the bone dry gas tank last night, gave it 30 seconds for the bowl to fill, choked it, and it started on the second pull, running smooth as silk.

 

[Dingocat]

We trash picked a newer one with a 6hp tecumseh on it, (which went to the tiller) and the front end on that blower was a mess, bent in on both sides and bent blade with a sheared shear pin.

 

[BigWes]

you guys need to move...when I get home tonight I'll post a pic from somewhere nice.

snowblowers....

btw, I have an old AF buddy that lives in the UP...LOL he gives rednecks a good name...not that I'm a redneck or anything...just saying