# sander engines



## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

have 2 sanders im looking to replace gas engines on, they run decent but im looking to replace before this season starts. whats my best and most cost effective option for two-three small gas engines, one i believe is an 8 horse, one is 11. i dont want to go the Harbor freight route, unless theyre really reliable, havent looked into those too much. just looking for options, or a place to buy/order from. thanks.


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

I have used the HF motors on a few things with zero issues. With that said, I don't think I'd do them on something that you base an income on.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

I would say convert them to electric! A b and s motor will run you 800 to 900 with electric start. You can convert it to electric for 400 on the high end


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## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

fireside, hit me with some options there, would how can i go about that? just mount it custom and find a keyed shaft motor with the proper sprocket? utilize the same gearbox/clutch id assume?


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

1/2 hp motor no fan!! 11 tooth sprocket mine are all 5/8 shaft for the motor. You can leave the electric clutch on or you can take it off. If you do take it off most are 1" shaft and 44 tooth sprocket I will count mine to be sure going from memory. The motor does work less leaving the clutch start the motor bring it to full speed than engage the clutch. If you find the spinner to slow go down 4 teeth to speed it up.

Wiring find a really good set of 4 gauge jumper cables. They are high amp draw and make for a nice clean install. One 50 amp circuit breaker and constant duty 75 amp slonide and a set of grey plugs 75 amp NAPA. Than one 16 gauge wire and a switch all done.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

There's no way I'd ruin a gas spreader by converting it to electric.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Only draw back is it on or off!! I don't care if I have a fancy control box. All the parts you and get anywhere nothing OEM


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## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

so DC straight off battery to lets say a megafuse, then, out to a starter solenoid, then to the motor. so just a hot off the battery to just a normal rocker switch, out to the solenoid to turn it on and bing bang im ready to rock?...also....if i decide to leave the electric clutch, i can just run that back to a secondary switch?


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

John_DeereGreen said:


> There's no way I'd ruin a gas spreader by converting it to electric.


I thought the same thing. Into I did my first one. It is a little slower when I'm pushed for time nothing puts out salt like a gas but the far less problems than my gas units. I have one gas sander left and all the parts are being ordered on tue


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I sold all my electric pickup boxes to try out stainless gas boxes for this season


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

I use a circuit breaker at the battery!! Than replace the solenoid on the sander to constant duty. A starter one is designed for high amps for short periods a constant duty is designed for high amps and be on all the time.

If you have a wiring on the sander already run to the cab use that wiring to turn on the motor soleniod and than turn on the clutch.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

John_DeereGreen said:


> I sold all my electric pickup boxes to try out stainless gas boxes for this season


Reason going back to gas?!?!


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

I will say I hate plastic sanders stainless steel all the way, they sit lower and are far smaller in the bed


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

That sounds like a lot of work, to convert. Plus if there's ever a problem, it's a Frankenstein system your trying to fix. Don't expect any help from anybody but whoever built it. Just buy a brand new version of the motor already on there. Its the same and you know it fits and it's OEM. I run electric spreaders, but I don't think I'D ever convert something and be comfortable at 2am.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

fireside said:


> Reason going back to gas?!?!


I'd rather let someone drive nails through my hands than spread any more salt with electric spreaders.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

What brand where you using?


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

To be honest nothing Frankenstein about it at all!! All parts are off the shelf. No 500 control boxes or ISO modules to go bad. Nothing multi plexed. It really is nothing different than your plow or how your truck starts.

It takes about 2 hours to convert it about the same time to change the gas motor. I have done 8 of them in my shop. My first one was done 6 years ago and done nothing to since can't say the same for my gad unit


Freshwater said:


> That sounds like a lot of work, to convert. Plus if there's ever a problem, it's a Frankenstein system your trying to fix. Don't expect any help from anybody but whoever built it. Just buy a brand new version of the motor already on there. Its the same and you know it fits and it's OEM. I run electric spreaders, but I don't think I'D ever convert something and be comfortable at 2am.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

fireside said:


> To be honest nothing Frankenstein about it at all!! All parts are off the shelf. No 500 control boxes or ISO modules to go bad. Nothing multi plexed. It really is nothing different than your plow or how your truck starts.
> 
> It takes about 2 hours to convert it about the same time to change the gas motor. I have done 8 of them in my shop. My first one was done 6 years ago and done nothing to since can't say the same for my gad unit


That's fair. Though you have a shop and a functional knowledge of things. You say everything's off the shelf, but I can't go into my spreader supplier and ask for a circuit board for my battery. There's also the resale value to consider, there won't be much. These are just things that Id consider before considering this.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Yup that's true a snowplow dealer may not have it but I go to napa ,advanced auto,auto zone, pep boys and so on $21 they all have circuit breakers in the electrical fuse isle. 

I was pulling tractors today talking to a fisher dealer about the electric spreaders he NO LONGER even orders any gas spreaders. He hasn't sold one gas unit in 4 years. He did relate its s regional thing but fisher sells electric spreaders 3 to 1 vs gas


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## JMHConstruction (Aug 22, 2011)

fireside said:


> I was pulling tractors today talking to a fisher dealer about the electric spreaders he NO LONGER even orders any gas spreaders. He hasn't sold one gas unit in 4 years. He did relate its s regional thing but fisher sells electric spreaders 3 to 1 vs gas


Our big dealer here is the same way. Said they just sit if they have them in stalk. They'll order them if you want, but didn't keep any in stock. Even the municipalities are apparently going electric. I'm curious to see how that goes with the large spreaders.

I understand though where JDG is coming from though. He has many large accounts, and needs to service them quickly. If that's the case, I could see dealing with gas for that.

I'm getting my first spreader, and it will be electric. I'm hoping without using anything else, I won't notice the difference in power. For what I do, I just didn't want to deal with the headaches of a gas engine.


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

I thought electric was the ****...until I ran something else. 

Honestly if you're only dropping a spreader or two a night you probably won't notice a huge difference. I'd probably opt for a pintle chain in electric drive though.

I think drowning the engine in fluid film, keeping the oil, air filter, and spark plug changed, and keeping everything washed that we will be just fine with it. Ask me in the spring, and in a couple years and I'll give you my final answer.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

All true my gas engine is 7 years old and is rusted off the mounts! The sander it's on is a 1988 Henderson stainless so it's a repower.I do the whole fluid film and maintance stuff it's got to costly to run it anymore. The city where i work has a 5 yard electric for two years zero problems at all. Sound like they are going to try a even larger unit this year. Tibreplace a all season body


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

You can't go wrong with a Honda. 

I ran Hondas and Briggs on my spreaders. My only complain with the briggs was they seemed to rattle themselves to death.


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

Philbilly2 said:


> You can't go wrong with a Honda.
> 
> I ran Hondas and Briggs on my spreaders. My only complain with the briggs was they seemed to rattle themselves to death.


I too have had the best luck with Honda's.


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## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

i have to say this. i have no issue wiring this system into my truck, or getting it to function. im positive i can probably even keep and electric clutch. i just want to know optimal sprocket tooth count for certain electric motors to jive with the gear reduction in the gearbox. 

i used to install fisher equipment. at 6AM, when i rolled into the shop, there would be twice the amount of spreaders in there for repair than plows. these were all gen 2 poly cast. i also had nothing but issues with a first gen poly cast. it sucked, i had the slightest break in a communication wire in the harness. it took out my module, and controller in one swipe. 800$ in OEM parts later.. now. as for my gas units... they seem to start fine, electric start. i keep the carbs clean, gas fresh and plugs current. yet id be out there pulling like an animal for 15 minutes before it would fire, i put a full size car battery to them and they start no issue. however, i would trust an electric motor, and something i wired over some module/low voltage computer system any day. my gas units are older, and starting to run richer and rougher, and like i said tough to start at 2AM when its cold.. i have no issue with a gas repower, but it seems cost effective and pretty reliable to shift to electric..


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## Freshwater (Feb 28, 2014)

pipelayer said:


> i have to say this. i have no issue wiring this system into my truck, or getting it to function. im positive i can probably even keep and electric clutch. i just want to know optimal sprocket tooth count for certain electric motors to jive with the gear reduction in the gearbox.
> 
> i used to install fisher equipment. at 6AM, when i rolled into the shop, there would be twice the amount of spreaders in there for repair than plows. these were all gen 2 poly cast. i also had nothing but issues with a first gen poly cast. it sucked, i had the slightest break in a communication wire in the harness. it took out my module, and controller in one swipe. 800$ in OEM parts later.. now. as for my gas units... they seem to start fine, electric start. i keep the carbs clean, gas fresh and plugs current. yet id be out there pulling like an animal for 15 minutes before it would fire, i put a full size car battery to them and they start no issue. however, i would trust an electric motor, and something i wired over some module/low voltage computer system any day. my gas units are older, and starting to run richer and rougher, and like i said tough to start at 2AM when its cold.. i have no issue with a gas repower, but it seems cost effective and pretty reliable to shift to electric..


Cool let us all know how it works for you. You also seem to have a functional knowledge of these things. A lot of people don't which is why some of us post the way we do, some people need to be protected from themselves. John Deere salts way too many acres for electric, that's why he hates them lol. Document the build for us, we like pics.


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## pipelayer (Oct 6, 2013)

i still have not figured out the posting thing from my phone, which is why my pictures blank, lol. i will see whats most cost effective but if i do go that route i will definitely document it. but i agree there are far to many people out there who are nothing but dangerous when it comes to picking up a tool. 

my last question on this post, is has anyone done this in a newer pickup with a BCM, or worse in a late model dodge with one accessory circuit. i want to know if the inital amp draw is going to effect the insane amount of electronics on the truck. and when i say one acc circuit, i mean the 12v cigarette lighter circuit is the only ram approved circuit to splice ignition power into. the only one. its pathetic.


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Amp draw is not a problem at all. You have two options wire in a relay so there is no amp draw or put in a constant duty soloniod than run all the ignition power from that point. You really should never run anything off any new trucks wiring. 

As for sprocket count for the conversion 11 on the motor and 42 to 50 depending on how fast you want it to run. 50 is slower but has a little more torque to get it started when it's full.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

pipelayer said:


> my last question on this post, is has anyone done this in a newer pickup with a BCM, or worse in a late model dodge with one accessory circuit. i want to know if the inital amp draw is going to effect the insane amount of electronics on the truck.


THIS^

A plow motor draw can make your radio and heat shut off on these new trucks if not set up properly. You mean to tell me a motor with a 40 amp draw will not? 

Not a betting man, but I would bet that you will need another battery or a capacitor that is isolated from your system for draw but not charging on a new truck. Hopefully I am wrong...


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

Nope no additional battery needed. I do run one on two units but matched to the truck battery! Your plow actually draws more Amps than the sander will. It's no difffent than a fisher ploy caster to be honest it's less draw with only one motor drawing 39 amps to start and 28 running. As for a battery isolation module you only need one to separate batteries of unequal size such as deep cycle and your truck battery. They are commonly found in RV to charge deep cycle battery's off the truck charging system. It just prevents unequal battery charging. That's the simple answer. I run a niehif constant duty soloniod with built in electronic battery isolator on my sons utv. It has a large deep cycle battery installed to run his Blizzard plow plus the normal battery. Long and short it shuts off the power to the charging system under heavy draw. Draw stops it turns back on deep cycle battery for charging. The reason is charging system in the utv only puts out 41 amps at full charging. It will prevent the stator from burning out under high amp draws. That's a $62 part vs a normal soloniod at $19.


This is not rocket engineering plow running is 39 to 48 amps and a sander is the same but 28 amp once it's running not a big deal st all


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## fireside (Mar 1, 2008)

I'm running three 2012,2013,2015 all chevys with no problems


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