Ariens 'walk-behind' snowblower - with a DIESEL

[MD500E]

Speaking of snow and smoke, I have a grasshopper mower with a 21 horse kubota diesel. I found the injection pump could put out lots more fuel than the motor could handle being that it did not have a turbo. So I just did what any other upstanding TDR member would do, and slapped on a small turbo and cranked up the fuel!!! :-laf I would say it is making 30-35 hp now with about 5 psi boost under load. Best part is, I have a snow plow on it now. and when it hits a large pile it will throw out a nice cloud of black smoke before the turbo catches up. My wife thinks I am nuts trying to make the mower smoke like the truck! :-laf

 

[rbattelle]

I'd love to pick up a small 1 or 2 cylinder diesel that needs to be rebuilt and use it to make myself a generator. Can any of you guys offer any suggestions on where I might find one? Is it unreasonable to try for one around $100? I've looked on ebay but they're way more money than I'm willing to spend just to "tinker".



-Ryan

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Ryan:



Good deals can be found on these little engines. BUT, if you buy an uncommon model - good luck finding parts. DEK, Launtop and a few other Chinese knockoffs are all exact replicas of the Yanmar LA series. Parts for those are everywhere.



Before anyone's underwear gets bunched up - this thread isn't about how we dislike the fact that Chinese manufacturers are carbon-copying parts/products and undercutting prices everywhere. Put your posts and thoughts about that in the political forum.



Matt

 

[HoleshotHolset]

We got some snow last Friday night (~4") - here's an action shot captured from the video taken on Saturday afternoon. :-laf (I'm not ducking to avoid the smoke... I'm practically running to keep up with it and maintain control of the machine... )



Oh yeah - I can also VERY highly recommend that people install this impeller improvement kit on their 2-stage snowblowers. I installed the kit on mine Saturday morning and can't believe the improvement it made. Best $30 I ever spent!



Matt

 

[JoshPeters]

Is that your YARD your snowblowing?





Josh

 

[JasonCzerak]

That's just freaking awesome!

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Is that your YARD your snowblowing?

Yeah - I used my GF's lawn tractor to windrow all the snow off the driveway and then onto the grass where I did more plowing. That's the only way I could make ~1' of snow to put a load on it. Otherwise - it's just a run in the park with 5" of snow. :-laf



Matt

 

[JKinney]

With all that smoke what size sticks did you install :--)

 

[Signal73]

You need a bullhauler for your own health :-laf .

Man. is that what snow looks like?

 

[HoleshotHolset]

With all that smoke what size sticks did you install :--)

The engine is 100% stock - with the exception of the smoke stack. It even has the OEM air cleaner. I can't wait to have the injector EDM'd - that's after I get a small IHI turbo on it, though. I think I can get it to spool with 3600rpm and a good load on it.



Here's a link to the new video: http://media.putfile.com/Smoker-Snowblower



Matt

 

[KBennett]

Matt, that is awesome! Great video too!



I thought the Chinese bashing was actually funny. I read it as: "I wouldn't buy that Chinese stuff but the Japanese stuff that everybody was bashing 20 years ago is cool now so I buy it" :-laf



I was messing around in my garage last fall and made my own diesel from a trash picked Mculloch weedeater motor. I filled the head with melted lead from a 250 grain bullet to raise the compression and put it back on.

I had to warm the head a little with a torch(it was 50 degrees) and pull it over about 20 times but it fired and runs on diesel with no spark. It may need a heavier flywheel to smooth it out and the lead probably won't last long but it was a fun experiment.



This diesel thing is addicting

 

[rbattelle]

Matt - how noisy is the engine relative to a comparable gas engine?



-Ryan

 

[JoshPeters]

Ryan,

As I recall from IRP, it wasn't much louder than a normal 1 cylinder gas engine. BUT it had 10 times the torque!



Josh

 

[Headshot zod]

I'm thinking one of these nitrous plates might clean up the smoke a bit

 

[HoleshotHolset]

With the exception of the compression ignition clatter at an idle... it isn't any louder than the 7hp gasser it replaced. The 1" smoke stack made it a bit louder... :-laf



Like Josh said - the torque this thing puts out is unreal for a little 5hp engine.



Nitrous would clean up the smoke, but this thing should be turbo'd with a little IHI charger before next winter.



Matt

 

[fest3er]

... but this thing should be turbo'd with a little IHI charger before next winter.



Matt

Well? It's next winter already... .

 

[glhs]

Matt, since there no snow there let me try it out.

Kurt

 

[MMeier]

Yeah, where's Matt?? When it started to smoke in the vid, what were the EGT's? You did the right thing and installed gauges, right?

 

[JoshPeters]

Matt is kind of hit or miss around these boards lately.



I'm sure the EGT's were within spec... . it was just a grey haze... .

:-laf



JP

 

[HoleshotHolset]

Matt has been too busy for the last 6 months to stop and scratch his own arse. :-laf



I haven't started the engine since around April or so of '06 - this year has been a complete disappointment in terms of snow... I'm going to have to hunt around for a go-kart or mini-bike to put the little diesel in. There's no way I'm going to let that thing loaf all year.



Once things settle down a bit, I'm sure I'll find time to modify the snowblower (and the engine) a lot more.



No gauges yet, but I'll need some once I turn up the fuel and bolt on a little turbo.



Matt