Extreme motor vibration

[Curt Doles]

I have a Cyclone Vacuum with a B&S 6HP Intek engine.I checked the oil prior to vacuuming, it was good, started on first pull. I used it for the first time this season, did a full trailer of leaves. When I went to empty I noticed an extreme vibration and oil everywhere. I think the oil came back through the dipstick tube due to the vibration.

When I got back to the garage I cleaned it up and checked oil. It was down 3/4 quart. Topped it off started again with same result. The fan on this unit has a broken blade, been that way for years. I was using last years gas but it had Stabil added and started/ran OK. If I pull the rope gently, I don't hear anything unusual. Any thoughts?

I'm thinking of a predator or Briggs replacement, $149 vs $400.

Really bad timing, the leaves are coming down!

Curt

 

[mgonitzke]

When you say the fan is broken, are you talking about the cooling fan on the flywheel, or the vacuum impeller?

I'd suspect a broken impeller and would be looking into that before running it anymore or replacing the engine if it were mine.

 

[Curt Doles]

Thanks Matt, yea I meant the impeller. One of the 4 or 5 blades is about half the length of the others but it's been that way a couple of years. I'm planning on removing the impeller and see if that corrects the vibration. I think the cost is about $150 to replace the impeller and it ran fine before and functioned well, maybe another big chunk sheared off?

 

[gary noblit]

If it's the unbalance of the impeller it probably took out your engines output seal or worse..

 

[Robert Davis]

I have a Cyclone Vacuum with a B&S 6HP Intek engine.I checked the oil prior to vacuuming, it was good, started on first pull. I used it for the first time this season, did a full trailer of leaves. When I went to empty I noticed an extreme vibration and oil everywhere. I think the oil came back through the dipstick tube due to the vibration.

When I got back to the garage I cleaned it up and checked oil. It was down 3/4 quart. Topped it off started again with same result. The fan on this unit has a broken blade, been that way for years. I was using last years gas but it had Stabil added and started/ran OK. If I pull the rope gently, I don't hear anything unusual. Any thoughts?

I'm thinking of a predator or Briggs replacement, $149 vs $400.

Really bad timing, the leaves are coming down!

Curt

Check all your mounting bolts and hardware. Anything loose amplifies vibration of the engine and attachments. As you mentioned about blade that added to one cylinder engine normally ‘walking” vibration can cause the underlying sloshing of oil into crankcase vents etc.
Hope you find the issues and get going without too much expense

 

[Curt Doles]

The issue was a second broken blade on the impeller. The replacement kit was $160 or so. replaced it, no vibration.
My brother in law had an almost identical Cyclone he wasn't using had new used. He dropped off the engine fan assembly and next day after a 15 minute swap I was ready to go. I was happy to find a dry gas tank. Checked the oil, started up and I'm vacuuming. A bit later I noticed a large oil spot where it was sitting. After each load, I'd check and top off oil, 4 or 5 ounces. Finished for the season. Then I injured my right hand. I stabled both and planned to set both on cardboard, I know the borrowed one is going to leak and hope the original does not. I was going to run both to pull stabil through and check. Just thought I'd report back. The impeller I removed had 100's of stress cracks!

 

[gary noblit]

Curt, glad you posted about the impeller..It's a strong lesson to anyone ,if it vibrates bad something is seriously wrong..You got a tad lucky it didn't create a hand grenade effect while running..

 

[Curt Doles]

I'll snap a pic and post here, I'm guessing the enclosure con contain the grenade?
Curt