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I have a log splitter engine I need to check out. It's the original that came on my log splitter.
It's a B&S Quantum XE 5.5HP engine. I used it once in the cold (0-10 degrees F) and it died after a minute of running. It was always stored in an unheated garage. I couldn't pull the cord when I tried to restart it with the hydraulic lever in the neutral position. I assumed the oil (SAE 30) was too thick and I fried the piston. So I replaced it with a used one I found. Now the replacement is falling apart.

Since then, I can pulled the cord easily. So I would like to take a look at the piston or at least the cylinder wall before I try to restart it. Not being an engine guy, I'm not sure what I need to do first. I'm guessing remove the spark plug cylinder head? and I should get a view of the wall? What do I need to remove to get a look? Any advice is welcomed.

What could have caused this failure? It was new and used very little at this point. Was it all in my head?

Take a deep breath, slow down and start from the top
What model engine do you have , numbers off the ID not the blower housing sticker.
Next what exactly is it doing or not doing as the case may be
What do you hear, feel see, smell and how is this different to what used to happen before.

How did it die? did it slowly sputter and die out, did it die like you flipped a switch, instantly, or were they metal on metal sounds? most likely if you messed the piston and walls up, you would have noticed it blowing oil smoke out of the exhaust,

Scrubcadet10 said:

How did it die? did it slowly sputter and die out, did it die like you flipped a switch, instantly, or were they metal on metal sounds? most likely if you messed the piston and walls up, you would have noticed it blowing oil smoke out of the exhaust,

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It's been half a dozen years or more and I don't really remember. Definitely no metal sounds or smoke.

bertsmobile1 said:

Take a deep breath, slow down and start from the top
What model engine do you have , numbers off the ID not the blower housing sticker.
Next what exactly is it doing or not doing as the case may be
What do you hear, feel see, smell and how is this different to what used to happen before.

Click to expand...

Not sure which numbers you're referring to, but this is all I could find. It's on a sticker, so it's probably not the ones you are talking about.

As I've said, it just died after running about a minute. I may have run one split through it, but I don't think so. Just let it warm up. It happened many years ago. No loud noises or smoking, just died. Once it locked up, I tried to pull it once, but couldn't budge it. So I stopped. Contacted two local repairmen and both said it wasn't worth the cost to repair it. Buy a new one. The second guy had a used 6 HP pressure washer engine for $50, so I bought that and swapped them out. Set the locked up one on a shelf and forgot about it. A couple years later, when the replacement engine started to give me problems, I tried to pull the rope on the 'bad' engine, and it pulled freely. It now pulls like nothing ever happened. And I always checked to see if it had oil in it, so that wasn't the problem.

I tore into the engine today and I did not find any additional numbers stamped on the frame any where. This is what I found. Can anything be done with it?

too far gone, IMO... can you hang a fingernail on that gouging? is it rough? you might can get a 799983 short block and swap over external components.

Doesn't feel too bad. Any ideas on what could have caused this? Lack of oil because it was too cold? If the engine is toast. couldn't I just smooth out the cylinder wall with some emery cloth and use it as is since it's freed up?

Lack of oil most likely, usually carbon scoring is smaller vertical lines... It's worth a try with the Emory cloth, though it may burn oil if you get it running

Oil is pretty cheap. Just keep pouring oil in it. Keep the oil level full at all times. This is SG rated and full of ZDDP zinc and other anti-wear additives.

I always checked the oil level before I used it. So I'm guessing the cold temps didn't allow good movement of oil because it was too thick??

Right now all we know is the bore is scored and to be that looks like either a temperature seizure or broken ring.
Anything else is just guesswork till that piston comes out and we have a good look at it

As I've said, this is the first engine I've ever worked on. I've got some time tomorrow, so I'll check into it. So I guess it's pretty obvious what has to come off next to get to the piston?

Engine out of mower
Tipped upside down & sump removed
I find it easier to pop the flywheel off while the engine is still in the mower
Pulleys / blades etc all got to come off.

The engine has been off the LOG SPLITTER for a long time. I can see how to take the sump off, but any tricks to getting the fly wheel off? I hit the nut with WD-40 and tried to use one of the fins to pry against. Popped one of the PLASTIC fins off. I can JB Weld it back on, so I'm not too concerned. Any ideas?

P.S. Disregard, I got it off.

you'll need a 3 jaw puller, or screw the flywheel nut back on where the top is just flush with the end of the crank/threads,
get a prybar under the flywheel and pry up on the flywheel, and hit the nut dead center with a hammer may take a whack or 3 but this will knock it up off the taper.

I just got it off. Getting the nut off was the problem. Large channel locks on shaft.

I'm to this point now. I see the carb, muffler and magnet all have to come off. But I don't see any bolts holding the cylinder to the rest of the motor housing. Is it all built into one? The cylinder and the part with the shaft?

I once had a similar problem with an old Wheel Horse, I used various grades of flapper wheels and time, but it did a great job, so great that I kept on going until I was 0.010 over. I think that old guy is still going strong.

flip the engine over, the sump cover/oil pan, is on the bottom.

I got the sump bolts off, but am having a little separating the two halves. Any ideas?

Typing before I got your reply.

Joed756 said:

I once had a similar problem with an old Wheel Horse, I used various grades of flapper wheels and time, but it did a great job, so great that I kept on going until I was 0.010 over. I think that old guy is still going strong.

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Are you talking about honing the cylinder wall before removing the piston? Or after?

Yes it is one piece

djg618 said:

Are you talking about honing the cylinder wall before removing the piston? Or after?

Click to expand...

After...and replacing rings with .010 oversized rings.

OK, switching gears again, I got the piston out of the ORIGINAL log splitter engine. The piston is deeply scored so it's junk. The cylinder wall likewise is scored enough so a fingernail catches on it. I think that's how someone described it. Anyway, too deep, I believe, to hone it down. I'll probably keep the cylinder to practice on honing techniques before I try them out on my chainsaw that I'll likely have to do.



My question now is, for educational purposes, what might have caused this? I've always thought the lack of oil due to cold weather, but some disagree with that theory. Any others?
The rings on the side of the piston damage are nearly flush with the pistons as you would expect. The pistons are locked in place and do not rotate freely around the piston. This may be an effect of the failure??

i'm thinking You may have had a type of seizure that can happen in 2 strokes (chainsaws etc)... being so cold out, the piston and cylinder are slightly smaller, if you start it up and run it at full throttle from the get go, the piston expands faster than the cylinder wall from heating up and Voila.

Thanks, and you agree the cylinder is too far gone to try and hone it smooth?

I did a quick search and think I could get a new piston/rings for around $50. Just a thought.

You'd probably have to have it bored over, which would end up costing more than a new engine.

That cylinder looks pretty ragged. I can see texture on it with my glasses off. If you want to rebuild an engine to learn, I suggest finding one that will be serviceable. Hell, you can rebuild mine.

Here's what will happen if you put a new piston/rings into that cylinder, no matter how well you hone it:

It will burn oil like crazy. You'll be cleaning the spark plug constantly, and removing the head to scrape out carbon.

It will blow lots of oil out of whatever crankcase ventilation it has, making a huge mess in your intake, carb, air filter, or lawn depending on where the crankcase is vented to.

Your oil will be contaminated with blowby, which is corrosive and degrades oil viscosity.

The new rings will wear out quickly, making all these problems worse.

Oh NO! I wasn't saying I was going to rebuild it anymore. I was just asking to confirm my thoughts that it WAS too far gone. I will, as I said, practice honing the cylinder to see how much comes off with each method I use. But I won't waste my time and try to go all the way. I have a chainsaw that will need a new piston etc. A lot more value in it than this engine.

Since this engine has been officially declared deceased, I would appreciate your thoughts and comments on my other thread "Intake Manifold". I would like to get this one running if I didn't screw it up too bad.

Thanks

New rings are cheap, try to smooth the piston and bore out the cylinder. You don't have much to lose.

Joed756 said:

New rings are cheap, try to smooth the piston and bore out the cylinder. You don't have much to lose.

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I got the REPLACEMENT engine going and installed on the splitter, but I still plan on working on this one. I believe the piston is toast. It's deeply scored. The cylinder is still up in the air. I'm going to clean it up and see. I think piston/rings are like $50, so still better than a new engine. Need a new $6 gasket too.