# Subaru/Robin Engine



## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

Just bought a snowblower with a Subaru/Robin SX21 (snowblower version of the EX21) engine.

Any opinions on this engine???


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

IMHO;
As with all engines, it is no better than your ability to maintain it, use good oil, good gas, lube what should be lubed, don't lube what shouldn't and it will last longer than any engine that has not been maintained. Read all the post on all the forums and you will find, it isn't what breaks, it is what wasn't maintained. Have a good one. Geo


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## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

Thank you Geo. I do try to maintain my small engines as best as I can. I have a Kohler CV15 in my lawn tractor...11 years old now and it runs like a champ. I change oil, oil filter, fuel filter, air filter and plug every year and sometimes more often if they get dirty more quickly. Instead of running it out of fuel for the off-season, I start it up and run it for about 20 minutes once a month in the off-season and then top off the fuel tank so that no condensation can form in the tank. This seems to have worked for me for 11 years now so I'm thinking I'll keep doing it this way until somebody can convince me there's a better way.

I use Mobil 1 10W-30 Synthetic in this engine. I broke it in with normal non-synthetic for about 20 hours and then switched to the Mobil 1. That's all fine and good but the real key is to keep the oil clean so I'll change it at the first sign of it getting dark regardless.

My inquiry about the Subaru/Robin engine is just basically about the quality of the engine relative to other small engines. For example...the Honda GX is legendary and it's extensive usage in rental equipment speaks volumes about how durable this engine is. On the other side of the coin there are some small engines that just aren't built to the same standards.

I have no idea where the Subaru/Robin engine fits into that scale and that's what I'm asking. I bought a snowblower with the Subaru/Robin engine as opposed to buying the same snowblower (with more bells/whistles) for $350 more with a B/S Snow Series engine.

What's better....the B&S Snow Series or the Subaru/Robin SX (Snowblower Version of the EX Series)???

Thanks in advance.....I'm just curious as can be.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

In my opinion, the Robin/Subaru engine is as good as any premium line engine. They are on par with Honda, Kawasaki, Kohler, etc. I would not hesitate to purchase a piece of equipment powered by one of their engines.


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## dj722000 (Oct 29, 2008)

Backinthesaddle said:


> For example...the Honda GX is legendary and it's extensive usage in rental equipment speaks volumes about how durable this engine is. On the other side of the coin there are some small engines that just aren't built to the same standards.


 You also have to understand, most of the GX engines, the rental industry can pick up farely cheap. (Scratch and dents, most suppliers do not send them back, they mark them super low to move them, I know, I use to go pick up 7 or 8 at least once a year. Yes we used them as a throw away engines because it was cheaper FOR US to go buy 3 or 4 engines then to rebuild one)

Another thing to consider, any parts you pick up for a GX engine are pretty expensive compared to most engines. One engine that comes close to the GX series is the B/S Horizontal Intek engine.

I have worked on several GX-110 to GX-390 engines and there is nothing special about them. (Have to really pay close attention to the spark plug area on these, there at a weird angle and in some cases you cant pull the plug out once installed on some applications.) But like any other engine, if not properly taken care of, these do not last either. I worked maintenance in a rental business for several years and have seen GX's fail with in a week or so of installing. Which include bad carbs, bad rings to bad oil sensors. The biggest things that kill the GX engines is not shutting off the fuel supply and not cleaning the air filters.

Dont kid yourself, Honda makes some engines that arent that great either. GXV and I think GCX series a few years ago, (I believe they put most of these on push mowers) I have seen some of these notorious for not wanting to start. I just pulled them and put something different on them. They all have there pro's and con's, theres alot of rental companies out there trying to save money anyway they can and engines are one way. Just have to look for them.


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## dj722000 (Oct 29, 2008)

On a side note to GX engines, the company I worked for has over 1500 pieces of powered equipment for rent, ( what I say next is all towards 4 strokes, not 2 strokes.) out of that we had probably around a couple dozen B/S and a dozen or so of tecumsehs, a few Kohlers and one or two of Wisconsin Robins that were way older then any Honda engine we ever had. 

Again, it is a major issue with maintenance because with out it, you have nothing.

I was actually trying to get him to switch over to Kohlers, but again, its a price thing and we couldnt get them cheap enough to start repowering all the equipment.


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## dubs11 (Jan 27, 2011)

If it's anything like the EX series then you should be fine. Subaru engines are very well made and will last for a long time providing you maintain it.


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## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

Thank you all for replying to my inquiry. Sounds like the Subaru/Robin is a good engine.

Anybody care to comment on the B&S Snow Series engines. It seems like they have taken the lions share of the snow blower market away from Tecumseh. For many years it seemed as if every snow blower sold had a Tecumseh Snow King engine. Now it's almost all B&S.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Backinthesaddle said:


> Thank you all for replying to my inquiry. Sounds like the Subaru/Robin is a good engine.
> 
> Anybody care to comment on the B&S Snow Series engines. It seems like they have taken the lions share of the snow blower market away from Tecumseh. For many years it seemed as if every snow blower sold had a Tecumseh Snow King engine. Now it's almost all B&S.


Well they really didn't take it away from Tecumseh, but fell into it when Tecumseh stopped making engines in December 2008. There are some new players in the field from what I understand, but Briggs may be the most recognized engine currently being used and therefore have the lions share of business.


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## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

30yearTech said:


> Well they really didn't take it away from Tecumseh, but fell into it when Tecumseh stopped making engines in December 2008. There are some new players in the field from what I understand, but Briggs may be the most recognized engine currently being used and therefore have the lions share of business.



Wow...didn't know Tecumseh stopped making engines. Did they go totally down the tubes? I know they were also into the compressor market.


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## dj722000 (Oct 29, 2008)

Yeppers, went all the way. I think Husqvarna bought peerless, pump section got sold, engines and parts got sold to a place over here in Janesville, WI. It got split up all over the place.

I kinda liked the engines personally, its to bad. They been around for years.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Backinthesaddle said:


> Wow...didn't know Tecumseh stopped making engines. Did they go totally down the tubes? I know they were also into the compressor market.


They sold off everything except the compressor division from what I understand, they still manufacture compressors.

Certified Parts Corporation purchased Tecumseh Power Division. I heard that they were going to begin production of some of the engines, but I have not seen anything of them as of yet.


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## beast1624 (Mar 28, 2009)

Can't speak to Robin since Subaru took them over but I have 2 old Snappers (a 1989 and a 1993 Hi-Vac) that both have the 5 HP Wisconsin/Robin. Both are still humming along. From my experience both are as durable as anything out there and to this day start first or second pull. In fact, the 1989 model has outlasted the steel deck.


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## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

One thing that gave me confidence in buying a piece of equipment with this engine is that the parent company is Fuji Heavy Industries. The Polaris ATV I just sold has an engine built by Fuji Heavy Industries. It's a 425cc 4 stroke water cooled single. I also had another Polaris ATV in the 80s with a Fuji Heavy Industries 249cc 2 stroke and both of these engines proved to be trouble free. I don't know if the Subaru/Robin engine I now have on my snowblower is manufactured in the same plant or to the same standards.


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## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

The design this Subaru/Robin SX engine is single cylinder, horizontal shaft, slant cylinder, chain-driven OHC/OHV, splash lubrication. It uses a "finger" splasher on the crank to throw oil onto the chain to lubricate the upper end of the engine.

What does the B/S Snow Series engine use for lubrication? How does it get oil to the upper end? I believe the B/S Snow Series engine is OHV but not OHC.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Backinthesaddle said:


> The design this Subaru/Robin SX engine is single cylinder, horizontal shaft, slant cylinder, chain-driven OHC/OHV, splash lubrication. It uses a "finger" splasher on the crank to throw oil onto the chain to lubricate the upper end of the engine.
> 
> What does the B/S Snow Series engine use for lubrication? How does it get oil to the upper end? I believe the B/S Snow Series engine is OHV but not OHC.


Pretty much the same design, but it's a push rod engine not an OHC. The Briggs engine uses motor oil for lubrication  and uses a splash type oil distribution.


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## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

30yearTech said:


> The Briggs engine uses motor oil for lubrication


LOL.....Smart Arss!!! ;-)


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## Backinthesaddle (Jan 22, 2011)

What's the better engine!


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Backinthesaddle said:


> What's the better engine!


I would still go with the Robin/Subaru, I feel it's just a better quality engine and overall will last longer then the Briggs. Don't get me wrong, I think the Briggs engines are good and I would not hesitate to purchase one, in fact one of my generators has a Briggs Intek engine on it, and it's has operated flawlessly over the past 4 years, and I use it almost every weekday for my work.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Backinthesaddle said:


> LOL.....Smart Arss!!! ;-)


Well.......... You did ask!!! :thumbsup:


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## dj722000 (Oct 29, 2008)

30yearTech said:


> Pretty much the same design, but it's a push rod engine not an OHC. The Briggs engine uses motor oil for lubrication  and uses a splash type oil distribution.


ROFL This made my day. Thanks.


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## Scott2021 (Oct 2, 2021)

Can anyone shed some light on the oil consumption in Subaru Robins 14hp single cylinder engine? I have one that is consuming oil, not leaking, although there is a lot of blow by that saturated the air filer from the oil tube coming from the valve cover. I ran this engine for a couple of hours on the mineral oil it came with before switching to Mobil 1 10w30. It now has 143 hours on it and if I run my Ridgid 8000w generator with this engine for 24 hours straight, it uses 5 ounces of oil. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

Well, Kohler's maximum standard for a cast-iron block engine (years ago) was 1 oz. of oil per hour, per cylinder. At that point, you could smell it.
OHV such as your Subaru inherently consume less because of better cylinder wall distortion than a flat head (better cooling).
Overall, I don't see a problem with 5 oz. in a 24hr. period. But, the air filter getting wet, now that's a problem...
The oil passing through the breather (hose) means that there's either blow-by as you state (wear/scoring, or blown head gasket by push-rods), or, a crankcase leak (breather can't keep partial vacuum control), or, the breather itself has failed (reed valve). Unlikely, but a very worn valve guide could also cause that.
You can do a leak-down test; inspect with a borescope; or pull the head.

Also, Mobil 1 changed their formula a few years ago...they degraded it.


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## Scott2021 (Oct 2, 2021)

paulr44 said:


> Well, Kohler's maximum standard for a cast-iron block engine (years ago) was 1 oz. of oil per hour, per cylinder. At that point, you could smell it.
> OHV such as your Subaru inherently consume less because of better cylinder wall distortion than a flat head (better cooling).
> Overall, I don't see a problem with 5 oz. in a 24hr. period. But, the air filter getting wet, now that's a problem...
> The oil passing through the breather (hose) means that there's either blow-by as you state (wear/scoring, or blown head gasket by push-rods), or, a crankcase leak (breather can't keep partial vacuum control), or, the breather itself has failed (reed valve). Unlikely, but a very worn valve guide could also cause that.
> ...


Thank you paulr44. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. I also checked the valves and they were spot on at .14mm. Engine starts easily, runs smooth and strong. I actually run it on natural gas which saves an incredible amount of money over gasoline. $13/day vs $35. I am a stickler for regular maintenance so I will just keep adding oil everyday if another hurricane comes our way in Baton Rouge. I ran this generator for 9 days, 24 hours a day only shutting it down to check and add oil. Oil was changed every 4th day at 96 hours.


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

Scott2021 said:


> Thank you paulr44. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. I also checked the valves and they were spot on at .14mm. Engine starts easily, runs smooth and strong. I actually run it on natural gas which saves an incredible amount of money over gasoline. $13/day vs $35. I am a stickler for regular maintenance so I will just keep adding oil everyday if another hurricane comes our way in Baton Rouge. I ran this generator for 9 days, 24 hours a day only shutting it down to check and add oil. Oil was changed every 4th day at 96 hours.


If the weather is warm enough, you could go to a straight weight oil, i.e. 30w. Multi-vis oils break down faster, especially with heat. And, a gaseous fuel engine can run hotter and despite looking clean the oil can be broken down or acidic.


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## Scott2021 (Oct 2, 2021)

paulr44 said:


> If the weather is warm enough, you could go to a straight weight oil, i.e. 30w. Multi-vis oils break down faster, especially with heat. And, a gaseous fuel engine can run hotter and despite looking clean the oil can be broken down or acidic.


I have thought about going to an SAE 30 to see if it lowers the oil consumption. Thanks again for the advice.


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