Non winter rated engine powering snow blower

[Sj08]

Last winter I bought a Honda GX630 to power a snow blower and noticed it doesn't get very warm when using it, for example after using it and working it hard for about an hour I felt the engine block and oil filter with bare hands and it was barely luke warm, and the outside air temp was in the 20's, I plan on on using it in much colder weather during an average winter, we had above average temps and below average precipitation last winter.

I'm thinking that working a cold engine is not good for long term engine life, and would like some opinions if I should try to get it to run warmer or if it won't hurt anything to leave it alone. I was thinking about possibly trying to cover the external oil cooler to start with?

 

[Dennywires]

A lot of engine for snow throwing is this a walk behind machine? Anyway do you have an infrared thermometer?take temp after use.

 

[samven]

I am not 100% sure what the differences are but I have noticed that my snow blower engine has sheet metal covers over all the cooling fins unlike the lawn mower.

 

[Dennywires]

Like engines that run in extreme cold temperatures.. when they cover the radiator..

 

[Sj08]

A lot of engine for snow throwing is this a walk behind machine? Anyway do you have an infrared thermometer?take temp after use.

Not a walk behind, its a Bercomac, an attachment to be used on atv's and side by sides. I'll have to take some temps the next time I use it, hopefully not for a month or more, but I think barely warm to the touch is too cold after being worked hard for an hour.

 

[Dennywires]

As the other poster said, try starving the engine of air flow.

 

[Kuato]

If you ran it in 90°F temperatures, it would get plenty hot on the outside. Feeling the fins in 20°F temperatures only tells you the OUTside temperature, and that the cooling fins are doing their job.

What's important is the temperature of the oil, which I'm sure would be plenty hot. Grab a thermometer and report back with the oil temperature.

 

[Sj08]

Thanks for the comments.
I should have taken a temp. of the engine and oil filter when I used it last, but at the time I was thinking that touching it would give an idea of what its running at, and I felt the oil filter and side of the engine block, including the bottom by the oil sump and pulling the dip stick out and wiping the oil off, after a hard run and all of it was warm at best. I won't be using it for a while, just getting it ready for the season.
For a comparison I start it once a month during the off season, and last month after running it with no load on it just full speed, the oil filter was too hot to touch after a couple minutes.

I'm not sure I want to restrict the airflow to the entire engine without having an actual temp gauge to monitor while its running.

I'll try an attach a pic. of the oil filter and cooler I was thinking about covering to keep the oil temp up. A lot of cold air blows on the oil filter and cooling fins the filter is mounted to.

 

[Dennywires]

Cold is attracted to heat I'd get some tin and make an enclosure around the filter and filter cooling perch.. of course monitor engine temp as well.

 

[JTK]

Much of the shrouding on snowblower engines is intended to keep hot air around the carburetor and intake manifold to prevent it from icing and/or sucking up snow. Snowblower engines don't typically use an air filter either.

 

[Sj08]

Much of the shrouding on snowblower engines is intended to keep hot air around the carburetor and intake manifold to prevent it from icing and/or sucking up snow. Snowblower engines don't typically use an air filter either.

I have some concern of the carb icing up, but figure I can address that issue if/when it happens. On the GX630 the carb is tucked in the valley between the 2 heads, so I'm hoping it has enough engine heat to prevent icing.

 

[wwillson]

I was thinking about possibly trying to cover the external oil cooler to start with?

In your cold temps that sounds like a good idea. Wrap it in something to keep the heat in and check every once in a while to see how hot the oil is getting. If you have an IR thermometer, that would be ideal. Nothing wrong with running the oil temp up to 200°F, but I'll bet you lunch you'll never see the oil temp that high in the winter, even with the cooler/filter completely insulated.

 

[wag123]

IMO you don't have anything to worry about.

 

[repairman54]

That cooler / filter housing may very well be thermostatically controlled. Parts breakdown may confirm that.
My 2 blowers in different low temp. areas have different oil issues. One see's sub 0 use and the other never see's sub zero. Both are 8 hp Tecumseh motors. Sub zero shows signs of condensation in the oil due to the low temp's but clears up on the warmer days, Warmer climate motor never shows signs of moisture on the stick.
Spring oil change with a full warm up before changing on a warm day and zero issues on 15+ yr old motors. 5-30w ST full syth. oil.

 

[Sj08]

That cooler / filter housing may very well be thermostatically controlled. Parts breakdown may confirm that.
My 2 blowers in different low temp. areas have different oil issues. One see's sub 0 use and the other never see's sub zero. Both are 8 hp Tecumseh motors. Sub zero shows signs of condensation in the oil due to the low temp's but clears up on the warmer days, Warmer climate motor never shows signs of moisture on the stick.
Spring oil change with a full warm up before changing on a warm day and zero issues on 15+ yr old motors. 5-30w ST full syth. oil.

It could have a thermostatically controlled cooler, but it also says it has a full flow oil filter so the oil would be constantly pumped through the filter, so I'm guessing that the oil filter temp is somewhat close to the temp of the oil in the engine.

Nice to hear that you have no issues with 15+ yr old engine with condensation in the oil.

 

[Sj08]

Thought I'd give give an update after doing some experimenting.

First tried a quick temporary cover around the oil cooler and that didn't seem to change anything, after a couple hours of blowing I checked with an infrared temp reader and the warmest part of the engine I found was the head by the spark plug at 115 degrees and oil filter at 90 degrees. I didn't plan on doing anything else, but the oil started rising and made it about 1/2 inch above the full mark, so I drained out around 1/2 quart to bring it back to full.

I added small pieces of duct tape to the fan screen and checked often since concerned about getting too hot, ending up with 4 currently, now it runs at 170 at the head and 130 around oil filter. outside air temp when operating it today was 0. So think I will leave it like this for now. Could end up using it in the 20's or low 30's.

 

[The_Eric]

It could have a thermostatically controlled cooler, but it also says it has a full flow oil filter so the oil would be constantly pumped through the filter, so I'm guessing that the oil filter temp is somewhat close to the temp of the oil in the engine.

Nice to hear that you have no issues with 15+ yr old engine with condensation in the oil.

Just a note on your remark - full flow is an oil filter design. It means that it will handle all the engine's oil flow. This does not necessarily mean that you couldn't also have a thermostat to control oil temp.

Full flow, as opposed to bypass design, where a small portion of the engine's pressurized flow is shunted off to a filter of MUCH higher efficiency (and more restrictive) to better filter the oil. This is typically done in conjunction with a full flow filter.

 

[FZ1]

If it ain't broke; Don't "Fix" it. You could ask your dealer re your concerns. .02

 

[JTK]

@Sj08 It sounds like it's starting, running and performing as it should. I wouldn't worry about the temperature thing. I'd just change the oil more often.

I know we've got two older Hondoo snowblowers at the plant. Larger 2-stage machines. One is track drive, the other has tires. The flywheel covers on those engines are just solid sheet metal. No screen/mesh on these particular Honda snowblower engines. What I'm getting at is maybe Honda OPE engines are just designed to shed heat really well.

OT I know.... Other than the annoying (and over complicated) hydrostatic drive on these machines, I've never used a snowblower that will suck up and throw snow as well as a Honda 2-stage. Better than any Ariens, Toro, etc. I've used.

 

[iahawk]

now you have me thinking...do my snowblower engines have the same forced air cooling that my non snow engines have? First thought is no, they dont (could be wrong)...plus they do have shielding over the carb and intake area..