Do i need a new engine for my splitter, huskee 22 ton?

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orenn89

New Member
Dec 14, 2014
70
Central Ct
So i screwed up big time. I just picked up a huskee 22 ton splitter on saturday for 650. Looked to be in amazing shape, guy kept it in his garage and didn't use it much at all. We started it up and it ran great so i took it home. Well i got it home and wanted to play with my new toy, so i started it up (stupid i know without checking it over) then after about running for 30 sec, engine starting making a wierd noise, like a clacking noise not sure how to describe it, then i turned it off and now the engine is siezed. I checked oil level and it was almost empty, i cant believe i didn't check the oil level.
So after beating myself up, im wondering if during transporation bouncing around the oil may have drained? or did the guy just not have any oil in it for some reason? Do i need to get a new engine? If so, is it just a standard 6.5 vertical shaft? What type of specs do i need to be sure to get to make sure it fits and works right?
 
I doubt the oil disappeared while hauling or towing. I would pull the spark plug and put some tranny fluid in the sparkplug hole. I would raise the splitter up so that the cylinder would be verticle (if its a verticle engine), that way the oil goes all around the piston. I would put plent in it too. You are not gonna hurt any more. Let it sit for a couple day and then try it. If you are needing and engine, i know of a couple sites that has excellent deals on them.
 
Yeah engine is vertical, i was going to pull it off tonight and put penetrating oil in it to see what happens, even if it frees up, would there be any long term damage?
 
That's a shame. My dad did the same thing with a new mower. The dip stick had some oil on it from factory testing. The they drain everything for shipping. So a new engine and it's like new.
 
If the shaft diameter and length and the bolt pattern match up the chonda 5.5hp vertical shaft engine at Harbor Freight is on sale for $120. With a 20% coupon it would be 90 bucks. I have one of their horizontal shaft ones on my splitter and have run the crap out of it for years.

The shaft size and bolt pattern are in the manual here.

http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/69000-69999/69731.pdf
 
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Most small engines can come back after being locked up. Put oil in it and get it freed up, I bet it will run fine.
 
orenn89 said:
Would i notice the loss in performance of going from a 6.5hp to a 5.5 hp engine?
Click to expand...

My 22 ton had a five horse engine originally. Only split a few hundred cord with it before the engine started irritating me. The one I replaced it with is 6.5hp and I haven't noticed any difference in operation at all.
 
Well i guess i'll see if i can get her freed up, if not looks like a replacement briggs is 170 vs the harbor freight for 90, I think im leaning towards the harbor freight.
 
UPDATE: so i got it kinda freed up. It soaked with PB blaster in the cylinder for about an hour then i took a pipe wrench to the shaft to see if it was loose. Initally it moved hard, and then felt normal. However it is only free for about a turn then it jams up again and i need the pipe wrench to turn it. Spark plug is removed and the piston is going up and down. What is going on here? Why would there be a particular point in the cycle where it jams up?
 
orenn89 said:
UPDATE: so i got it kinda freed up. It soaked with PB blaster in the cylinder for about an hour then i took a pipe wrench to the shaft to see if it was loose. Initally it moved hard, and then felt normal. However it is only free for about a turn then it jams up again and i need the pipe wrench to turn it. Spark plug is removed and the piston is going up and down. What is going on here? Why would there be a particular point in the cycle where it jams up?
Click to expand...


No way to know for sure what's causing the friction......but.....

Guy that sold it should have (or did) know it was using oil, but it goes without saying you needed to check it also. Unless you tipped it over, it wouldn't have leaked oil from transport. It's a shame, but nothing to do now but tear it down for inspection, and see if it can be freshened up/repaired, or just swap the motor out. Does yours have the briggs 6.5?

Depending on your comfort/skill level, I'd tear it down and see if you can just swap some parts. Shame, feel for ya.
 
Replace it and split some wood. Parts will cost more than the new engine.

BB - Who discovered that there actually is a $90 carburetor for a five horse Briggs.
 
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DodgyNomad said:
No way to know for sure what's causing the friction......but.....

Guy that sold it should have (or did) know it was using oil, but it goes without saying you needed to check it also. Unless you tipped it over, it wouldn't have leaked oil from transport. It's a shame, but nothing to do now but tear it down for inspection, and see if it can be freshened up/repaired, or just swap the motor out. Does yours have the briggs 6.5?

Depending on your comfort/skill level, I'd tear it down and see if you can just swap some parts. Shame, feel for ya.
Click to expand...

Ill tear it down after work tomorrow. And yes its the 6.5 briggs. Do you know of a good replacement? I still cant believe i didnt check the oil....
 
Could be part of the ring broke off or facture of piston skirt and is jammed between piston and cylinder wall - causing high resistance to part of the piston travel. Like BB says, parts may cost HF engine price. Get your Briggs model # from shroud near muffler - eg. 126T02-0675-B2 and check piston and ring price on fleabay.
I just lost a PP260. It gets ugly in there when engine ingests the choke plate screw. Amazing but cylinder looks great. Is it worth $18 piston kit and scrounging a proper choke rod? I dunno - I sell them for $70.

PP260 piston 1.jpg
 
Without verifying and off the top of my head, I think this is the briggs replacement. I haven't verified, so check your shaft specs first.

http://www.amazon.com/Briggs-Stratton-126M02-1015-F1-32-Inch-Crankshaft/dp/B0076815DA

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200118974_200118974

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Briggs-Stratton-675-Series-Quantum-Gas-Engine-126M02-1015-F1/205158159

I'd get a briggs vs. a harbor freight engine if you can. Break it in right and it will last a LONG time....
 
Bart said it - These small engines aren't worth repairing, as replacements can be had rather cheap. Did you try to start it? Is the "tough spot" too hard to get past with the pull cord?
 
Don't be afraid of a harbor freight engine. I built a splitter a few years ago with a harbor freight engine. It's been fantastic for me, and you surely can't beat the price.
 
It may not be worth repairing if new parts are required, but sometimes it's not as bad as it seems. Tear it down and take a look. Sometimes you can hone out light scoring marks in the cylinder and a cheap piston (with rings) can be had from salvage or even new, after-market for ~$20 sometimes. There is no way of knowing how bad it is until you look.
 
So i tore it down. Bottom half with crank and connecting rod looked in pretty good shape, cylinder wall is destroyed and i would assume piston is too, some very deep gouges that if i tried to remove, im certian i wouln't have any compression left. Anyways about the replacement motor. I did some searching and found a post on here about the engine and apparently it is a custom engine that i cant seem to find. Problem is the shaft length is around 2.75 which is not a common size, any ideas? Would you try to get the longer shaft and cut it down?
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/huskee-22-ton-log-splitter-review.88166/
 
orenn89 said:
So i tore it down. Bottom half with crank and connecting rod looked in pretty good shape, cylinder wall is destroyed and i would assume piston is too, some very deep gouges that if i tried to remove, im certian i wouln't have any compression left. Anyways about the replacement motor. I did some searching and found a post on here about the engine and apparently it is a custom engine that i cant seem to find. Problem is the shaft length is around 2.75 which is not a common size, any ideas? Would you try to get the longer shaft and cut it down?
https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/huskee-22-ton-log-splitter-review.88166/
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear it. The briggs listed in the links above have shafts under 3.16 in length, so less than 1/2 inch longer than your original. I know I saw the exact replacement for mine a couple of years ago online, but haven't looked lately. I'll see if I can find it again.

I'm guessing the shaft has a keyway, and could be cut/ground down a touch if you had to, or you could get some washers and shim/raise the engine a little bit. Just a thought.

I've used and still have the Harbor Freight engines also. They work pretty good, but are a bit louder with a fair amount more vibration and harmonics. You have to look them over pretty good, and tighten them up from time to time, as well as swap out the fuel lines sooner, etc.. But they do work for the $. Wouldn't be my first choice, if the rest of the splitter is as clean as you mentioned.
 
I had the same shaft length issue going from the horizontal Briggs to the HF. Just adjusted for it with the Lovejoy coupler and longer bolts to the pump.
 
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Thanks for the help guys, im going to pick up the HF engine tonight afterwork and some washer to raise the engine. With any luck ill be splittin this weekend!
 
Make a plate to raise it, that way you will spread out the stress over the whole bottom of the engine instead of just the corners. I have also seen hockey pucks sandwiched in to help with vibration.
 
You could always buy a horizontal engine too and it will work. They seem to last longer.
 
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