I have got a Ryobi RGBV3100. 2001 model Ryan engine, with the easy switch knob to go from vac to blow. Had it a couple of years but never used it. I scored a bag for it cheap the other week. The fuel lines were weeping so replaced them. Has always been a pain to cold start in that it needs ¾ choke for a good 20 seconds to keep going. Runs fine and needs choke to start hot.
After flat out running for 30 mins today, it is piddling black metallic oil from somewhere- it’s actually splattered all over the underside of the tank, the side of the motor and drips down the plug lead. The cylinder base gasket looks alright and the spray path makes me think the main seal behind the flywheel is gone. Bearing doesn’t sound great either so its probably cooked the seal and that explains the metallic hue.
I have a spare vacuum (of course haha) but problem is it’s in good condition so I am loathe to bin it. I also can’t replace it as the last petrol one like it on the market is 1.5kg heavier (morrison ezyswitch). The ryobi is 6.1kg dry and the morrison is 7.4kg – add 300g of fuel and half a bag full of leaves and its bloody heavy.
My question is has anyone short block swapped a 31cc motor from a ryobi whipper snipper straight onto one of these blowers? For $15 at the tip (if the thieves haven’t upped the price since last time) it would save me a lot of agro replacing the bearing, seal and redoing the oil hardened ignition cable.
I recommended it to a guy about 5 years ago as his got straight fuelled but never heard how he went
It's a pity you weren't looking for an engine a few weeks back as I just threw a trailer load of good trimmers and blower vacs out, there were lots of Ryobi trimmers and blowers , I threw out a lot even if the motor looked brand new with virtually no carbon on the top of the piston.
I haven't swapped a trimmer motor into a blower but would think only a trimmer engine with a clutch drive would fit as it has the longer shaft.
I saw a Ryobi blower vac at the side of the road about 4 days ago and didn't bother picking it up.
I would never pay $15 for a trimmer or blower ,I usually fix them and give them away for free ,have sold a lot for $5 each that just needed a spark plug but most of the time I can't even get $5. for one on Gumtree ,I only sell them at $5 if someone asks me for a lot that they can fix.
Most of the time here when I've sold a mower I've said to the buyer you can have a free working trimmer or blower vac ,a lot of the time they say no they already have one and don't want it, so then I say well you could probably sell it for $30 and about half the people then take it.
I don't bother fixing any power tools where if the starter cord breaks you have to pull the whole machine down to get to the cord , just use the engines that have a starter that bolts on the end.
I can keep an eye out for what you are after and send the motor in an Aus post small Prepaid Satchel it would only cost you $10. all up but if it was me I'd look for a better blower vac for free or $5 at a market, swap meet ,auction, scrap metal yard , one guy told me he asks at mower shops for free old equipment that they no longer want and says he likes to repair the old equipment and they just give him stuff for free.
Lately I've been throwing out a lot of newer snippers like the one below but that won't fit the blower vac.
I have thrown out a few of that style trimmer as well recently - spark issues seem to be big with them
I am thinking I have a spare in a 240l bin full of motors - I know I have a good homelite sx 135 bandit motor from the 90s in there and a few others
Thanks for the thought, I will definitely keep it in mind if I don't have one in this bin.
Funny thing is I have better leaf blowers but this is the best design as you can quickly swap between the 2 modes and it vacs really well. Thinking back I have seen so many of these covered in oil, I always assumed it was fuel lines and a dusty environment but maybe its their weakness in the half crank bearing
There are usually lots of good blower vacs around here thrown out Tyler ,some look brand new, sometimes just needing the mixture screw adjusted and they run like new again ,I've got a few Honda 4 stroke blowers for free that worked.
I've also repaired over 100 electric blower vacs and given them away but find with all the blower vacs with plastic fans, they will wear and break the fan blades if you use them a lot as a Vac and vacuum up small sticks.
The better ones having a metal fan.
It's amazing how many get thrown out just because they are jammed up with sticks and leaves and won't work properly until you clean them out .
The ones with wheels on the front are a lot easier to use , less weight to drag around. Sometimes just an attachment on the Ryobi to fit the wheels.
One blower Vac I liked was an electric Flymo it was so quiet but still moved a lot of air.
I'll let you know if I grab a 2 stroke Ryobi blower vac to pull the engine from Tyler.
Never a shortage of good blower vacs is there Max. I drove past one of those flymos free a few months ago.
I just find the modern ones so un-ergonomic - you have to connect up a tube, sling a bag over your shoulder and covers you in dust, the exhaust invariably blows either in your face or burns through the bag.
This one is mainly used for ficus, ice cream bean tree (beautiful shade tree and attracts birds but makes a hell of a mess) and frangipani leaves. I'm dealing with over 40 frangis varying from chest height right up to 35 year old 3m+ trees. With a plastic fan it definitely doesn't like magnolia seed pods
I have the wheel attachment for the ryobi as well but it rarely gets used as for paving I fire up the walk behind vac I've got - 25cc Star vac. Same as an echo vacsac but with a 34f chinese motor.
See what I mean about a backup for the backup haha
Sounds like you need one of the original F/c or PT Victa Vacs Tyler, you will never damage the fan in those they are so overdesigned, you will never see anything like them ever made again
Victa vac I have thought of but 90% of leaves aren’t on paths, it’s in the garden beds or paths with jarrah wood chips so a victa vac wouldn’t work – probably would end up with a bag full of wood chips. There was one a few suburbs away with a good bag for $150 last year but couldn’t justify it.
The ryobi is good because it is easy to poke under bushes and tends to not pick up much mulch if you are careful.
Looking at it, I reckon a regular ryan engine will fit – fingers crossed
Yes Tyler, not much point in having a machine if it isn't going to help you. How would a leaf rake go to drag the leaves and rubbish out into the open and just pick them up from there. I bought an electric vac many years ago to pick up the leaves that kept ending up over an area of scoria. Problem was it too easily sucked the scoria up so I only used it the once and ended up getting rid of the tree
I often use the rake to drag it out into the open or into piles, the only downside being the tines will drag mulch out (especially sugarcane straw mulch).
I have used the 240v ones as well – main problem I have is the same as you – they generally have only single speed motors and suck pebbles and mulch. This petrol one has a paddle under the handle with 5 stops so it will cruise control at the desired speed. I set it at about stop 3 (5000 rpm) and it will pick the leaves off the mulch and even pea gravel with no issue. You really have to ram the nozzle into the ground for it to pickup woodchips and sugarcane is generally matted so it doesn’t touch it.
Sounds stupid that a Ryobi product would be so useful but it is
Luckily I have a spare one for now until I have time to tear into it
I've found a few blower /Vacs lately if your still after a motor ,the Ryobi RGBV3100 blower vac below starts easy but compression is only 40 psi and I have a spare line trimmer motor that's on 50 psi but you usually loose 10 psi with the long hose comp tester.
They will go into scrap if they aren't wanted , the blower vac has a loose fanwheel ,It looks like $11. to post a bag with up to 5 kg so could put the motor in with a spare barrel and piston.
Looks like a Ryobi snipper engine will fit the Blower /Vac if you cut a short length off the crank but you need the snipper with a centrifugal clutch to get the longer crank.
This Ryobi Blower Vac has A worn fan nut so the fan slips .
Many thanks for the offer I picked up 3 on the side of the road about 2 months ago. All run with fuel down the carb (one actually works just fine with a carby tweak. 2 have clutch and one doesnt, still havent had the chance to pull it apart
Ok no worries ,I haven't seen that much of the older Ryobi equipment thrown out these days ,I think the old Ryobi carby would fit an old Echo trimmer with a little modification.
A second hand Snipper motor is a better engine to use in a Blower vac because the Blower Vac engine wears the half crank bearings out quicker with the fan on one side.
I was surprised this one ran as well as it did considering the amount of oil it ended up throwing everwhere.
Only difference with the echos I can think of is some of them had the little pulse port offset on the intake manifold and carby whereas every ryobi I can think of had them centred.
Only difference with the echos I can think of is some of them had the little pulse port offset on the intake manifold and carby whereas every ryobi I can think of had them centred.
I usually drill the manifold to suit the port on a different carby Tyler but it's not usually worth the time messing around with them.
It's quicker just to grab a better snipper for free ,found a Tanaka today at the end of my street ,took the fuel and primer out of the Ryobi blower and put them into the Tanaka and it ran well and starts easy.
When I took the flywheel off the Ryobi blower vac it was a little dirty and oily ,the crank seal looked dry ,it had a little bit of play in the bearing whereas the Ryobi snipper engine crank bearing had no slop in the bearing.
