Time to put the snow blowers away......don't forget to give em some love.

So with any luck the last snow storm is behind us and your looking to put the blower away until next winter. Step I, clean it up. No upside to storing with road salt n grime all over it, just gonna cause rust and corrosion. Next, add either SeaFoam or your favourite stabilizer and let it run for at least 10 minutes. While still warm, drain the dirty oil and refill with fresh. Of applicable, drain and refill the gear case. Grease all fittings and lube the controls then top up the tires with air. With the gas petcock turned off, fire it up and let it run till it stalls out. Even better if you also drain the last bit outta the float bowl as well but not a deal breaker if you don't. Allow to cool, tuck er in the corner until next fall.

How much Seafoam for a full tank? Whole bottle?

Mine wouldn't start for half of this season, so I'm going to hit mine with a bat a few times and tell it to fuck off to the shed.

A couple of ounces is lots. Must run long enough to see it fully mixed then make it's way to the carb.
Oil changes, most overlooked aspect of lawnmower and snowblower maint.

Thank you sir.

With todays fuels and the challenges they bring, SeaFoam or similar is an absolute must or carb issues are pretty much guaranteed.

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Originally Posted by Not4you

Mine wouldn't start for half of this season, so I'm going to hit mine with a bat a few times and tell it to fuck off to the shed.

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Originally Posted by Not4you

Mine wouldn't start for half of this season, so I'm going to hit mine with a bat a few times and tell it to fuck off to the shed.

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I have a toaster that needs fixing. Where do I drop it off?

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Originally Posted by Not4you

Mine wouldn't start for half of this season, so I'm going to hit mine with a bat a few times and tell it to fuck off to the shed.

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Same as my stupid fucker. It wouldn't start at all, pissed me off to no end. It's all shiny clean and just takes up space in my garage.

You guys store properly last spring / summer?
Long gone are the days of using then dumping in the garage for the summer and expecting them to run without a carb rebuild.

Mine gets used, abused, and put away in the shed when I get around to it, not clean, stabilizer in the tank but that's it. Had it for 5 years, never changed the oil or lubed anything, check the oil once a year and give'er.
Good advice though, no joke.

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Originally Posted by ZR

You guys store properly last spring / summer?
Long gone are the days of using then dumping in the garage for the summer and expecting them to run without a carb rebuild.

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It was my Dads, he gave it to me at the beginning of this season. Not sure how he stored it. Prime button thing just sucks air, no fuel to the carb at all. I'd like to get it running when it is a bit warmer to hang out in the garage and then prepare it for storage as you have suggested.

Good idea.
Primer button, not uncommon to dry out and crack, can be replaced.

Just Shell V-Power in mine last year and it started no prob this season.

Wishful thinking on ZR part, keep your blowers handy and you snow tires on, were not finished yet !
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/%7Edbehm/Images/JeepInSnow.jpg

Mine is two stroke, no oil to change and fuel stab is already in the oil. I do normally wash it tho.

I always fog it and spray some oil in the cylinder and she fires right up first pull...it has electric start but I've never had to use it...wonder if it works? LOL

This year was a pain in the ass for mine, she'd start and run for 5 min than shut off, keep restarting with it firing right up and than dying instantly. For the most part after a couple of tries she would run for another 5-10min and than repeat the start and stop bull shit. My blower is approx 10 year old, I was thinking about doing a basic tune up this year before storage, ie new plug, air filter and whatever else is involved in tuning her up. I've only changed the oil once in 10 years, always put fuel stabilizer in the gas can and empty the gas and run her dry before storing.

^^^lol, oil would be a good place to start...should change it at least once a season...oil breaks down even if you don't use it...most machines don't have air filters per say...but air screens...pull that off and spray it clean, let it dry, put it back on the carb...

Already got the oil ready to go, bought it last month hoping to do all this as soon as the weather got better, do I need to change the plug? Seems to start fine, just doesn't want to stay running sometimes. Thanks for the info.

might want to pull apart the carb and clean and look for anything that is effed up...sounds like the bowl is running out of fuel if it keeps stalling so somewhere along the line it could be running out of fuel...or getting too much and flooding out

Thanks Ghost Rider I think I will do that, I'm sure youtube will have something to assist me with instructions on cleaning the carb.

last year...snowblower wouldn't stay running...the carb kept overflowing...took the whole thing apart and there was this little tiny assed plastic pin with a tiny assed piece of rubber on it and I mean tiny tiny...I thought it was a piece of dirt...it had a crack in it and was falling off so I picked the rest of it off...figured how important can this thing be?


...turns out very! lol

ordered and new piece put everything back together and she fired up first pull and stayed running and didn't piss gas everywhere, was shocked how such a small part plays such a big roll

anyways...point being...be carefull cleaning...sometimes shit that looks like dirt...isn't LOL

:)

I get my tuned up about every 4 years by a local guy in his garage. Cost me $75.00 for service.
He says drain the excess fuel and leave a tiny bit. Start it and run it dry. Something about the crap winter gas we use.
Anyways been doing this for years and it always starts and runs like a champ all season.

i always use sea foam and make sure the tank of gas it is stored with is shell high octane
same with the chainsaw,roto-tiller,trimmer,generator etc makes them easy to start up later

Hose mine off change oil during the summer sometime,fire it up next season on 2 to 3 pull No electric start 14 years old Ariens bought new.

won`t be putting snowblower(s) away for awhile yet until they quit calling for snow up here .... just used them today from last nights snowfall and calling for more on Tuesday the 1st

Not for a while yet , they're calling for more snow after the weekend here .

http://i1092.photobucket.com/albums/...nowbank001.jpg

.......mines due for a complete overhaul...but it's worked great for free....works even better when I use fresh gas:tongue-new:

I always put mine away with near empty tank. No adding crap to gas. In fall, fil it with fresh v power. Starts 2nd 3rd pull always. 20 year old craftsman 8hp

this is the "tempting fate" thread...right?

Giving the snow blower back to the neighbors in better shape than I got it in.. Gonna buy a brand new one for next season.... Looking forward to cutting the grass soon though!! :)

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Originally Posted by allicedout

Thanks Ghost Rider I think I will do that, I'm sure youtube will have something to assist me with instructions on cleaning the carb.

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Hemant, pull the carb off and bring it by my place. I will take it apart and put it in the ultrasonic cleaner for you. If you are unsure, pm me and I will pop by to pull it off and have it running like a top for you.

Being that it is ten years old, there are some specific metering channels you need to make sure you clean with tagwire, otherwise all the cleaning in the world won't help.

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Originally Posted by swalt

Hemant, pull the carb off and bring it by my place. I will take it apart and put it in the ultrasonic cleaner for you. If you are unsure, pm me and I will pop by to pull it off and have it running like a top for you.

Being that it is ten years old, there are some specific metering channels you need to make sure you clean with tagwire, otherwise all the cleaning in the world won't help.

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Coming to London any time soon?
You know where I live http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/r...omics/1143.gif

I topped mine off with Shell 91 that's been sitting in the gerry can since Feb. Started it up for a few minutes and then shut her down and put her away.

No additives at all.

This will be the Shell 91 experiment. I'll post up again next winter and let you all know how it went :)

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Originally Posted by Armen

I topped mine off with Shell 91 that's been sitting in the gerry can since Feb. Started it up for a few minutes and then shut her down and put her away.

No additives at all.

This will be the Shell 91 experiment. I'll post up again next winter and let you all know how it went :)

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It will start up right away.

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Originally Posted by MrTinkertrain

It will start up right away.

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It should. I did the same last season and no issues.

I'm giving mine back to the guys next door in better order than I got it. Next year a nice new one from Sears :D or wherever lol

Time of the year to get those blowers out n fired up, not a bad idea to start, warm up then run up and down the drive a couple or three times with blower spinner to ensure everything is working as it should. It's also good for the engine to be put under load and burn off at least a little of that older fuel.

Also the time when many are storing gas powered summer yard equipment. If it's a 4 stroke, be sure to change the oil, they all need grease / lube all controls n cables. Next, good shot of SeaFoam (with non ethanol fuel is even better) then run long enough to be sure it's through the entire fuel system then shut off the fuel petcock n get it cleaned up and ready to go away.

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Originally Posted by ZR

Time of the year to get those blowers out n fired up.

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Too late for that...had to use mine twice this week already... :(

^ Great news brother.