Two crappy leaf blowers become one...

This is just like the old coffee shop, which was like the old coffee shop down the street. Pull up a chair, sit down and enjoy some good discussions. Please, no political, religious or racial posts.
Post Reply
User avatar
Tom Scott
Chief Moderator
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:11 pm
First and Last Name: Tom Scott
Location: Bentley Springs, Maryland

Two crappy leaf blowers become one...

Post by Tom Scott »

Before I was so into lawn equipment, I was content to buy a hand-held Homelite leaf blower/vac, at least 15 years ago. Ended up buying Dad one too the next year, exact same model.
The "Vac Attack", what marketing...
The "Vac Attack", what marketing...
Blower front.JPG (597.77 KiB) Viewed 2781 times
Fast forward to about three years ago, one of them died, carb mount broke. Replaced with a much better Stihl SH-86-C, more power, smoother, very happy with it.

Fast forward to now, second Homelite dies when the final engine mounting bolts rattle out. Hmmm. Nearly $300 for the Stihl, or see if two can become one...
1872, 46", 50C decks, Haban dozer blade, 450 snow blower
2182-1, Kwik-Way Loader, 3-pt & rear pto, 442 tiller
2182-2, 54" deck, 551 snow blower
Past tractors:  1541, 2135
<><

User avatar
Tom Scott
Chief Moderator
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:11 pm
First and Last Name: Tom Scott
Location: Bentley Springs, Maryland

Re: Two crappy leaf blowers become one...

Post by Tom Scott »

So amazingly, two identical Homelite's with multiple issues, but all different.

Blower 1 issues:
Broken carb mount
Some engine scoring from lean condition due to broken carb mount
Broken throttle cable. Had used for final year with stick wedging throttle open. :roll:
Every blade but one on the fan impeller was 75% gone, must have sucked up one of Mom's garden gnomes in vacuum mode...

Blower 2 issues:
Torn threads in engine block for one mounting bolt.
Fan had spun off in the final death throws, mounting nut launched somewhere.
Fuel filter was mostly clogged, had started to go lean due to issue.

So, used best of both, the heart of "Blower 2" remained, the engine and a fan with all the blades intact. Ran a tap through all the engine mounts since it was built with crappy self tapping 10-24 screws into the aluminum. I only had a 10-32 Heli-Coil kit, but found a good 10-32 screw, so I ran with that.
Ran tap through all, Heli-Coiled this one
Ran tap through all, Heli-Coiled this one
Heli-Coil engine mount.JPG (727.12 KiB) Viewed 2779 times
Chose a carb and just gave it a quick rinse without disassembly. Operated the primer while submerged, good enough.
The parts washer just keeps paying off...
The parts washer just keeps paying off...
Carb washing.JPG (555.83 KiB) Viewed 2779 times
That would be the end of the story except for reassembly, except I decided to get just a little more oomph out of it.
1872, 46", 50C decks, Haban dozer blade, 450 snow blower
2182-1, Kwik-Way Loader, 3-pt & rear pto, 442 tiller
2182-2, 54" deck, 551 snow blower
Past tractors:  1541, 2135
<><

User avatar
Tom Scott
Chief Moderator
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:11 pm
First and Last Name: Tom Scott
Location: Bentley Springs, Maryland

Re: Two crappy leaf blowers become one...

Post by Tom Scott »

So, I'm not spending the $300, but I'm also continuing to settle for a lower level machine. Modern two strokes are compromised to meet emission rules. Generally they restrict the exhaust and run them as lean as they can. A perfect recipe for less power and burning them up prematurely.

The design of these blowers was harder to work with on the exhaust end. Usually you can just open up the exhaust to get more power, but these dumped the exhaust through a tube into the blower air stream. Even worse, the pipe was cut at an angle, and directed towards the pressurized air. The play here by Homelite was to reduce cylinder scavenging which lets less blow through of unburned fuel. Sacrifice performance for emissions. Boo! Need more power.

I did what I could. Opened up the muffler outlet and an internal baffle, tossed the spark screen, and cut off the pipe square so it wasn't getting so much pressure from the air stream. I also opened up the pipe inlet in the muffler. If you get involved in opening up a two stroke, you must have an adjustable carb to add more fuel or you will have created a lean condition and burn it up.
Stock and modified mufflers
Stock and modified mufflers
Blower mufflers.JPG (926.49 KiB) Viewed 2779 times
It didn't turn it into a beast, but it's a little stronger. Tuned it correctly for the slightly better breathing, starts easily, runs fine for what it is.

Used Loctite Red on all the engine mounts, so should stay together for awhile now.
:beer:
1872, 46", 50C decks, Haban dozer blade, 450 snow blower
2182-1, Kwik-Way Loader, 3-pt & rear pto, 442 tiller
2182-2, 54" deck, 551 snow blower
Past tractors:  1541, 2135
<><

User avatar
dag1450
Posts: 2356
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 3:16 pm
First and Last Name: Dave Gibson
Location: Chalfont, Pa

Re: Two crappy leaf blowers become one...

Post by dag1450 »

Wow...u were in deep! I guess this will make up for the hair brained welded wings.....
Good job!
127, 1650, 1572, 1872, 2072 . A mower, blower and blade for each.

Klapatta
Posts: 1352
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 2:25 pm
First and Last Name: Kenneth LaPatta
Location: Rockingham VT.

Re: Two crappy leaf blowers become one...

Post by Klapatta »

I loved the old Homelite stuff. Have a string trimmer and chain say both pushing 40 years old that still run great.
The big problem is finding new replacement parts, that's next to impossible. The saw that I have needs a new oiling pump and manual push oilier and you might as well just forget about that. But you can still get the carb kits providing your parts guy is in the know.

User avatar
Tom Scott
Chief Moderator
Posts: 1762
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 9:11 pm
First and Last Name: Tom Scott
Location: Bentley Springs, Maryland

Re: Two crappy leaf blowers become one...

Post by Tom Scott »

Ken, funny you should mention your "older Homelite string trimmer"... The reason I ended up with the Homelite blowers was that I had bought a Homelite "Bandit" string trimmer nearly 10 years earlier. So, not quite as old as yours, roughly 1993 vintage. Yeah, it was just a bottom end curved shaft trimmer, but that's what I needed at my first house with a small lot.

When I finally got out here to some more land, I still had that Homelite Bandit string trimmer. And over 15 years later, I still have it, at times getting used pretty hard on the weeds that grow up along the woods and areas I try to keep clear near my brush pile. That machine was built while Textron owned Homelite, and it is definitely better quality than the blowers in this thread. That trimmer just keeps running great, have only had to replace the fuel lines a few years ago. Starts after a few pulls after sitting all winter.
1872, 46", 50C decks, Haban dozer blade, 450 snow blower
2182-1, Kwik-Way Loader, 3-pt & rear pto, 442 tiller
2182-2, 54" deck, 551 snow blower
Past tractors:  1541, 2135
<><

Post Reply