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New_Yorker


Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary

Location: Long Island, NY
Joined: Nov 26, 2010
Points: 219

Avoid the Most Common Damage & Wear done to Any Snowblower . . .
Original Message   Dec 10, 2011 10:37 am
Most Common Damage Done to any and all snowblowers is NOT preparing the engine and machine for the summer months.  The most necessary part of this is to prevent the unused engines one engine piston rings from rusting themself to the cylinder wall.  The solution is simple and easy if you posess the tools and the technical know how to change a spark plug.    Go to a local drugstore and buy a plastic syringe, tell them you need it to feed liquid medicine to a sick cat.  Then go home and remove the spark plug from the engine on your snowblower.  Fill the syringe with ordinary clean fresh motor oil, and empty it into the engine cylinder, then pull the starter cord a few times to distribute the oil on the cylinder walls and the piston rings, then  replace the spark plug.  Now Pull the cord slowly until it provides the maximum resistance, and then stop pulling.  This will effectively have closed all the engine valves and will keep the warm moist air of summer from getting into the engine cylinder.  This must be done every year once the threat of snow is gone.  April Fool's Day is a good day to remember if you've done such chores.

The other things are less important since they will not be so damaging, but drain all the gas out of the tank, the carburetor, and the lines.  Cover the machine with a plastic cover that allows air movement, like a piece of woven plastic or most housewraps, so long as yoy store the snowblower in a garage and out of the sun.  

Remember that snowblowers have no air filters so it is common for moisture-water to be injested during a snow storm.  For this reason I put the machine in the garage and run it until the gas runs out once I have shut off the fuel line.  My old snowblower required that I install an In-Line fuel shut-off valve because the $ 1100.00 bucks I paid wasn't sufficient for MTD to have included one when they built my Sears Craftsman Snowblower.  So if your engine has no fuel shut off, you too should install one yourself.    Oh, and always use gas that has sufficient fuel stabilizer in it, and always use fuel that is less thyan six months in the can even if it does have stabilizer in it.  Thenattempting to start the snowblower when you awake to the blizzard won't throw you into a state of panic.

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New_Yorker


Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary

Location: Long Island, NY
Joined: Nov 26, 2010
Points: 219

Re: Avoid the Most Common Damage & Wear done to Any Snowblower . . .
Reply #47   Dec 15, 2011 11:47 am
Actually the engine is aluminum with a steel cylinder liner and not as jrtrebor wrote:
I would agree, it isn't the "most common damage".  There is nothing wrong with fogging an engine if a person feels compelled to do so.  But the way his statement is worded it makes it sound as if there is a real reason and need to do so.  Secondly, unless your engine has a cast iron bore (Honda's are, but most are not ).  The only parts that can even develop rust are the rings themselves.  The cylinder walls are aluminum and so are the pistons. 
New_Yorker


Preach the Gospel always, use words when necessary

Location: Long Island, NY
Joined: Nov 26, 2010
Points: 219

Re: Avoid the Most Common Damage & Wear done to Any Snowblower . . .
Reply #48   Dec 18, 2011 11:22 am
mobiledynamics wrote:
OT...New Yorker. Mind posting some pics of the unit with the light mods, side skids, etc.....

I am about to go out and take it out of summer storage, and clean it, then I'll take a few photo's and see how to post them.
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