Snow blower question...
 

This past winter I bought a new snow blower.
Now, that I'm pretty sure the snow is gone (for a few months),
should I:

a> Fill it with gas
or
b> Drain the gas out

Thanks.

as it runs out of gas give the primer bulb a push or two.

Gas goes bad and turns into gel and kerosene-like liquid after about 30 days. That stuff screws up carburetors.

If you run it out of gas the seals on the carb could dry out. I put some anti gel shit in my snowblower and sled in the summer and in my mower & rototiller in the winter. After if put it in the tank I runit untill I am sure that the mixed fuel antigel shit has made it to the carb (2-3 minutes). I also buy "fogging oil". It is a spray oil that you spray into the air intake while the engine is running. Keep spraying untill it kills the engine, then put it away for the summer. The other way to use fogging oil is to pull the spark plug(s) and give aeach cylinder a good blast then with the plugs still out turn over the motor a few times to spread it around a little. Then put the plugs back in and forget it till next year.

I know that there are those who swear by one method or the other. I prefer to put in stabilizer (I use Stabil) for the non-use period, run the unit for five minutes and then store it. This winter after being in storage mine started on the second pull - can't beat that. Mine is not the 'right' way, but it does juts fine by me.

Yeah - next I have to get off my butt and label my three different gas cans at home - the big one is know is straight gas, but I can never remember which one has the mix for the chainsaw and which is for the weedwhacker/leaf blower.

I'm going to have to agree with the Stabil guys. Never had a problem with that stuff.

I definately believe in Stabil

Stabil worked for me as well. I didn't even run the nower or do anything else. It just started right up.

it's alive! Okay, this is a snowblower question and I did search the threads, thereby resurrecting this one.

My 5 hp dual stage snowblower (brand name escapes me, MDG perhaps?) was purchased at Home Depot in 2000. It has worked like a charm since then, until this week. It appears that the impeller (the blades behind the auger that throws the snow out of the chute) spins freely when the machine is off (and the spark plug unplugged - I'm no Joe Sakic!) and I push it with my hand.

It also stops throwing snow when there is more than a light fluffy powder.

The auger still turns and chops up snow.

What am I looking at here? I know if I take it into a repair place, it will be several months before I see it again. Is there a home repair for this? I'm thinking that somewhere inside (where???) there is a belt, a gear or a breakaway bolt that has yielded.

By the way, 5 cm of snow coming today, another 5 tomorrow and thursday plus about 10 on Saturday.


As for the OP - I have always drained the gas out of my tank, usually in May, left the cap off to allow for evaporation, and then capped and unplugged the spark, and stored the machine away in the basement until october (it trades places with the lawnmower). I have had no issues with gas going bad etc.

Sounds like a gear has either broken, or come loose. Get in there with a flashlight and move the parts by hand. Do not, I repeat, do not have the snowblower running and be anywhere near the front of it.

I use the stuff year round. Put some in my gas cans every time I fill them. Then I put a little extra when I winter or summerize and run for 5 minutes. Been working like a charm for years.

There might be a shear pin on one of the gears that has broken. Old snowblowers had a pin like that so if anything hard enough to damage the snowblower got jammed, the pin would snap and protect the rest of the machine. To fix it, you punch out what's left of the old pin and drive in a new one.

Again, be sure the snowblower is not running when you check this.

ya, i am trying to find schematics of the machine. IF there is a shear pin for the impeller, it must be inside the gear box.

Oh yes, I wont do what Joe Sakic did!

I think this is probably it as well.

Bought from Home Despot, it's probably an MTD, the conglomerate which builds machines labeled and sold under various names.

Go to MTD's website: BUYMTDONLINE.COM - MTD Genuine Factory Parts, accessories and attachments for all MTD brands including Troy-Bilt, Yard-Man, Yard Machines, Bolens, White Outdoor, McCulloch, Huskee and Arnold and using your model and serial number, you should be able to locate an exploded diagram which will identify the shear pin or other frangible part which requires replacement.

If you have no local outdoor power equipment dealer, then whip out your plastic and order online.

This is the link I used to locate parts for my MTD. I was able to determine what I needed and then picked the parts up at a local store after calling to make sure they had the parts.

MTD Parts Lists MTD Lawn Mower Parts lists

Great, thanks for the last two posts... very helpful!

Agreed! works well for mowers, tractors, leaf blowers, generators ANY gas engine.

Put in the Stabil, fill the gas tank full, fog the cylinder and forget about it till december. Filling the gas tank all the way prevents condesation from contaminating your gas with H2O.

Update: So, almost a year later and i got around to looking at my snowblower last week. The brand is Noma, and the motor is made by Tecumseh. My wife had a very good idea, look in the manual there usually is a trouble shooting section. So, I took a look and followed the instructions to remove the coweling and inspect the auger belt & the drive belts. There should be about half an inch of play in the auger belt.

so I did this, and found that there was about 2 to 3 inches of play in the auger belt. So following instructions, I tightened the tensioner pully, and re-assembled the cowl. Looks like this is the problem, as the belt was so loose, that any load would have caused it to slip around the auger pully, rather than turn it. I will test this weekend once I gas it up.

Instructions! Owner's Manuals. they are useful!

ahh..women, they're a useful bunch sometimes.

Did you check the belt for frays/wear that could have given you the slack? The belt could be getting ready to go entirely. Even if it doesn't look like it is, at 10 years old I would just change it if it wasn't too much trouble.

You're right... and I did check for frays. It looks to be in pretty good shape, but I have placed a replacement order just to be ready!

RTFM man...RTFM

I should have mentioned this already, when you put the new belt on, save the old one. You never know when/why a belt might snap and having the old one could be just enough to limp you through until you get it fixed properly. I save all my old belts that could still be used in a pinch.

Good idea. Thanks!

All I'm waiting for is snow. It's now the last week of January, and it's been above zero most of the month. We're calling it the winter that wasn't. Very strange for the Toronto area. It's all on account of el Nino (apparantly).

Man Law:
When all else fails...read the instructions.

* revision 1:

not until your SO reminds you at least twice.

But I don't have a SO. I guess I'll just have to take care of my yard equipment on my own.