Thanks for all the help. I'll be looking to replace it as they're pretty cheap, and the rest of the splitter is solid. I'm sure the thing is no longer putting out 8hp, so anything 5hp and up should be fine. I'll be using it this weekend so I'll try the running the exhaust into water and see how it works. I didn't think any thing I can buy would solve the smoke, just trying to buy some time while I find another one. The one sammyg found looks like it's worth a call.
Thanks again!

That cover serves a purpose. Directs air to the cooling fins..........

Around here, lawnmower repair shops have a ton of donor engines for next to nothing.......You could do a piston and rings in an evening before you drank 3 beers.......

The cover is back on minus the recoil. I have a socket jammed on there now and use a drill to start it. The cover was so rusted that it kept coming off with the recoil every time I pulled on it. It's on there nice and tight now.

My neighbor kept telling me to do the piston and rings, I'm just not into doing any work on the engine, it's a rusted mess.

I'd do what LCE suggested.... or splurge 80-100 bucks at HF.

I'd hit the repair places....if they are a dime a dozen....it'll cost less than 1 cent :D

A rebuild kit (piston, rings, rod, gaskets and seals) is gonna cost at least $50 or $60 depending on the source.
And if the crank or cylinder is toast it's all for naught.

Iffn it were me (and your glad it's not) I'd take it apart to see what condition it's in on the inside, then throw it away and replace it.
And the only reason I'd waste that step is to satisfy the curiosity of not knowing.

But when it comes to engines, I've been known to do things that don't make a lot of sense.
YMMV


PS if you go to summit racing, you can get a high performance kit fer it like they use in the junior dragsters.
I bet with a little tweaking you could get 10 hp out of it, but you'd hafta run racing gas ;)

If that shroud is correct and it is an I/C then its a good engine has a steel bore has a much better chance of being saveable but its certainly less hastle and chance of failure just to swap it out since you have to take the engine off anyway. Just need one with the same size shaft and a working governer. Id pull the head and have a look if the bore looks good it may infact be stuck rings it probably sits around alot. In that case the snake oil juices might actually help set them free. The head gaskets on the flatheads usually survive for reuse.

What do you have that calls for 40:1? Everything I've ever purchased has been 50:1 (Stihl & Echo), more than a dozen (chainsaws, trimmers, blowers). My dad was always old skool...liked to mix at a lower ratio thinking it was "good"....but it isn't. That's coming from my Stihl dealer....they also don't like the Stihl oil (particularly the non-syn orange bottles)...Echo brand Red Armour....

I've done otherwise over the years...plenty. But the new equip. isn't as tolerant....stick to the specs imo.

I always use 50:1 in my Stihl MS 310, and it doesn't smoke, so for this thread I mentioned 40:1 because likely, that would be smoking !

^^^ Got it. I hesitated to even make that post 'cause I know you aren"t some novice city-slicker ;).

My dad used to have some well built Robbins 2-cycles....they actually called for 30:1 back then....times change. Get the Echo Red-Armour oil... also contains a bit of stabilizer ....good stuff :)...

Classic overthinking! :DBetter to write "Don't put mixed gas in there..." Gotta leave the ratios open to the minds of the readers!

By the way- looking forward to post mortem pics of the engine autopsy!

Is 0:1 a ratio? Asking fer a friend :D...

Success! Well, mostly. After 5 or 6 days of letting the Marvel Mystery oil/ ATF mixture sit. and turning over the engine a few times during, we started it up yesterday. After a minute or two of smoking after start up, it cleared up. Very little smoke. Much better. Only time it smoked some was when it was working against a large hard log. Will be going back out there again today we'll see how it hold up.
I'm still planning on replacing the engine, but this bought me some time to find the right one.
Thanks to everyone!

Awesome...now you can take your time and find a replacement!

it's good that drug therapy worked and you did not have to do any exploratory surgery

So I guess the idea of souping it up with high performance parts is off the table now?

Bummer.