Toro to old?

[monipit]

I have a '83 Toro 826 snowthrower, which was bought new. My father and I split the price, and since we lived next door to each other it got double use every winter until 2004. Actually got triple use the last seven years; my aunt and uncle lived next to my parents and my uncle plowed his driveway up to '97.
In '04 the machine wouldn't move when put into forward or reverse. My father having been an auto mechanic before he retired, took it apart figuring it was a belt. He said it was more than that and the part would cost more than the Toro was worth. Long story short, bought different machine, sorry I did. Just not as good. Same price, but 21 years later I should have realized that shouldn't be. Bought it in a hurry and figured more hp and wider cut, its got to be better. Wrong. So, I have the Toro sitting in the garage, does it make sense to get it repaired? Still has little rust, the body is real metal not tin and its heavy as hell. Also the chute is much bigger than the newer one which is something I miss. Think the 21 years of wear is too much (even though it still was going strong when it stopped moving)?

[HayZee518]

if the mechanism for the drive is still intack I doubt if it is worth it to re-sleeve the combustion chamber. If you want check in northern freight. they have replacement motors in their catalog and you might find a horizontal shaft that might work!

[monipit]

Can a 9hp horizontal shaft Tecumseh engine (which runs great), which was used on a 3 yr. old Craftsman snow thrower, be used to replace the 8hp horizontal shaft B&S engine on the 826 Toro snow thrower? Possibly need to make up a mounting plate? What else would be involved in such a swap? Suggestions appreciated.

[HayZee518]

don't see why not! bolt pattern might be different - does the pulley use the same shaft size?

[LazyPup]

Your old Toro was built back in the day when they actually installed metal bearings instead of plastic sleeves and they used real steel to make the body components. I would not hesitate to restore it by changing the engine.

I have a 1974 model Troybuilt at my sisters farm. The snowblower head can be removed and a rear tine roto-tiller attachment put on the back of the frame for complete year around performance. That machine is currently on its third engine and still going strong.

My neighbor has a 1966 International Harvester Cub Cadet tractor that he paid the outrageous price of $700 for when it was new. He uses that machine to maintain 14 acres of lawn, a push blade for light dirt or snow removal and he has a snowblower attachment and full canvas cab for when the winters get rough. He also has a hydraulically operated garden plow and disc for serious garden work. That machine has an 18hp engine and real hydrostatic drive and i have yet to see any tractor on the market today that can keep pace with it, even though it is still operating on the original engine albeit a bit noisy since the muffler rusted out years ago.