After babying and tinkering with the engine for 5 years now I'm fed up with it. I googled and came up with a 6.5 HP predator at harbor freight. I had seen the blue max drop-in a few years ago but it looks like it's extinct in the wild. Would the HF work without having to modify anything? I've been spitting the old fashioned way but I cut a big dump trailer full of old doug fir that was decked up for 4 years and most of it too big to split with 3 wedges including the pyramid type and the fancy fiskars maul. There are 3 stuck in a log while I wait for a new bar to cut them out. I'm stuck with bucking it up and renting a splitter for a day this year, got a late start and ended up with more than I bargained for. And there's at least 20 cords worth left that I can have for free lol.
Fed up with blue max splitter engine!
- Thread starter Orerockon
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A lot of splitters have a bolted flange that connects the hydro-pump to the engine, you’ll want to check that the predator engine has the mounting /shaft interfaces that match the pump or you’ll have to get creative
The predator engines are pretty solid and sort of designed to be drop in replacements, so if it looks like it’s going to fit, it probably will. I did a predator (Honda clone) swap on my 70s Ariens snow blower a few years back and it basically bolted right up. I ran it for 3 or 4 years before i sold it and bought a new one… never should have done that.
I swapped in a Predator 6.6 HP (224 cc) Max Performance engine in for the Honda GX200 that originally powered the loader my logging trailer. It bolted right in with no issues.
I went with the 6.6 HP Max over the 6.5 HP (212 cc) because while the HP was essentially the same, the Max had a significantly higher torque spec at 10.23 ft-lbs as compared to the 212cc unit (8.1 ft-lbs). The Honda GX 200 had a torque spec of 9.1 ft-lbs, and I did not want to go any lower.
Once I got the engine broken in, it has better power than the GX200 it replaced. Not hugely different, but enough that I could easily notice it. I don't have a whole lot of hours on the engine yet, so can;t speak as to its durability at this point.
I went with the 6.6 HP Max over the 6.5 HP (212 cc) because while the HP was essentially the same, the Max had a significantly higher torque spec at 10.23 ft-lbs as compared to the 212cc unit (8.1 ft-lbs). The Honda GX 200 had a torque spec of 9.1 ft-lbs, and I did not want to go any lower.
Once I got the engine broken in, it has better power than the GX200 it replaced. Not hugely different, but enough that I could easily notice it. I don't have a whole lot of hours on the engine yet, so can;t speak as to its durability at this point.
As pointed to above...check the bolt pattern for the pump mount, the height of the crank shaft to engine mount and shaft diameter. If there is a difference in diameter it can often be corrected by obtaining the proper size Lovejoy half. Also check the engine mounting bolt pattern.
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