My gas Onan 24 seized up on me at only 1400 hours >:( Can buy a new EH722DS with muffler included for $1,350 with correct shaft size. Any thoughts besides the option of going with a Wood-Mizer repower at $2,095 .
Thanks in advance for any info shared,Ray.
I think that if I had to replace my engine I would go with a more HP. I would be surprised if the Subaru has as much torque as the Onan did.
I re-powered my 95 Lt40, but I went with a liquid cooled kawasaki V twin. Fairly easy swap, but there are a couple of minor gotcha's you need to be aware of. Belt guards probably won't fit, due to the crank shaft being a different height than the onan and that can be a problem. The guards hold the drive belt in an oval shape when the drive is de-clutched. If they don't do the job right, you will eat up drive belts. The kaw came with cooling system and muffler. Only, the exhaust outlet of the muffler was about 4 inches away from and pointed right at the plastic fuel tank. Another item is the ignition switch. Some engines need to disable power to the ignition system, others need to ground it out. If the old and new motors are similar displacement wise, the drive pulley will probably swap over. I had to go to a 1/2 inch larger crank pulley. The only real critical item is weight. The head up-down mechanism on those older mills won't handle much extra weight. In general, the design of the LT40 makes engine swaps fairly easy. I was back sawing the next day.
Ray if you aren't going to rebuild it I need a muffler for my p 224 performer engine. I thought about the swap to but emailed wm and got no response to my questions or cost so.
I also put a kawi liquid cooled v twin on my old LT40, was an ez mod. My old mill didnt have any of its guards, I ordered them from WM new and no clearance issues so far! I went to Ace and bought an chrome "J" pipe from the plumbing section and made a little alum Z bracket and used a few hose clamps, my exhaust now points out away from the operators side and doesnt melt my water jug!
Whatever you decide keep us posted and take pics of the conversion process. As more of the Onan's give out more of us will need to go down this trail. Things that you do and learn will help out others.
Victor
Thanks for the input all . I am still shopping around for a good deal and am holding out for more HP . Thinking 30 HP range . Wont need it for ERC but would be nice on some of the 30" plus oak and hickory !
Muffler on the Onan was shot and it was the second one for it.Saw one that looked to be new old stock on the bay for a little over a hundred in case anyone is looking, Ray.
A 30+ hp would be a big plus, more cubic inch and torque. Steve
Miller uses the Subaru EH series on some of there gas powered welders