jim , one of the best things i have ever done , get some old mud flap and cut and screw it to your 2ed stage auger , keeps the opening clean and will throw the slush & snow farther
Great video and great repair James. I agree with the other commenter, that an impeller mod would be a great touch for that machine. Made all the difference to a couple Craftsmans I did here in Southern Ontario. Thanks for the excellent videos!
Nice work as always, James! A friend of my showed me a great trick for when the snow is like that. Spray the auger and the chute with some silicone lubricant. Helps stop the snow from plugging in the chute.
Original owner here...I haven't seen this video yet but I can confirm it got an oil change each Spring before I put it away for the season. I agree with your suspicion in general though.
@@michaelramsden3337 Thanks for donating the machine to James. It gives us viewers variety from the usual generators and it will have another good home now!
Long but another great vid! Simplicity makes good products, they switched to Briggs engines when Briggs bought them out in 2004. I have the same Briggs snow engine in my garage hydro locked (I think)!
I really enjoy the improved view for us viewers now that you were lucky enough to get that lift. I noticed it immediately from your previous videos. They were all good so far, as I watch them. But it is MUCH improved view at the table level!! Great video, enjoyed it... even though, as retired and in the Philippines, I doubt I can translate much of the snow blower end here for any use here, but the unsticking of a frozen motor will certainly be remembered for use here.
One of the best videos you put out James. Thanks!!! I use some Pam and spray it on the augers and chute when I get that wet snow, I think it works well and much less expensive than the other things they want to sell to do the same job.
Maybe it's just my OCD but I typically clean excessive rust from the outer surface of the flywheel before gapping the coil. That allows the coil to have a proper gap but be closer to the magnets like from the factory. Of course, it won't fix a bad coil. I've never measured the electrical difference but wonder if it induces a better spark.
Superb repair, James. I especially liked you putting the new bearings in and making the auger and blower perform. Nice change from stators and rotors!!
i like to carefully pop off the bearing seal and add grease..then carefully pop the seal back on...youd be amazed at how little grease some companies put inside a new bearing
Great job James! There is nothing simplistic about a Simplicity. Hated how they split the case in half. It's not like an Ariens or a Craftsman where the case splits on a hinge to make it easier. For sure you got very lucky that the parts did not fight you more when replacing that impeller bearing. Really enjoyed the video keep them coming!
Lucky is right. I tried to do the same on my snow blower years ago and nothing came apart without a fight. Not a great design, but at least it came apart.
The cause of the problem was rainwater, or garden hose wash water, in the crankcase. Remember that oil that looks clean? The stuff that looks clean is rainwater, or garden hose water. Drain that crank case garbage out first ! Check the gas tank for water, you won’t be able to see the water, so, just drain the old gas, and add some new fresh gasoline. New oil, and new gas, will go further toward fixing it than anything else easily done. Also pull the plug, and put 1/8 cup of engine oil and anti seize oil, mixed, in there, let it sit.
Don't ask me why but I feel like when Tapping/Chasing threads are an intimate act. I cringe at work when I see my coworkers slap a tap on a drill and send it, I believe in lots lube and slow strokes. I will go above and beyond to never split a machine, it is just a difficult task when alone. For the most part I will time it right for when the Mrs. comes home. Simplicity would benefit greatly from an impeller mod. I love those machines, well built and of course great job!
Thanks Jason. I feel the same way with a drill and tap. Figured I could get away with it on a piece of sheet metal. Worst case I could weld a nut to the backside. Thought I was home free when the engine freed up. Luckily everything came apart for the auger bearing.
Great video. Especially good work diagnosing the various issues, and leaving no stone unturned so to speak. Your thoroughness is admirable and undoubtably has added many many years of life to the machine.
You Sir are a true craftsman and the quality of your work is outstanding. The way most people beat the living hell out of mowers, lawn tractors and snowblowers never ceases to amaze me.
Does that blower have a bottom scraper blade? I've used hardfacing rod to weld to the surface of the shoes and scraper. They will last forever. You can add rubber paddles to the impeller to help blow snow farther. I changed to a smaller pulley on the blower shaft and used a shorter belt to speed up the impeller. Lining the chute with 3M packing tape allows wet snow to flow better and not stick to the chute. You can also paint the interior with Slipkote graphite paint.
Just a small note on Anti-seize use . a very ,very thin film is all that is needed , over applying it usually makes the dried antiseize stick the parts in place more so than the rust that would form . the amount you applied on that pulley shaft was equivelent to the amount i have used on my last 30 brake jobs . Less IS more .
Another great video James! I am in awe of the way you were able to stitch the scenes together and not miss a beat! It had to take a lot of patience to wait on mother nature to deliver the props you needed for the test scenes! Thanks for the great content!
Mouse pee might have also leaked into carb, and caused some extra corrosion on cylinder wall. I would be curious what the cylinder looked like if bore scoped before turning it over.
Love how thorough you are James, but I also like the fact that you know its not always a perfect world and are not afraid to make something work if you need to, such as bending the belt guide in this video cause you couldn't find another one. I think thats what its all about, you want as perfect as possible but sometimes have to do what it is needed. Props on the awesome videos.
You don’t have to torque carburetor, bolts, snug them up why do you have to twerk everything all you need to torque is head bolts and connecting rods. It’s all overkill. You’re getting ridiculous talk and everything
I suppose somebody else could do what you do. . . . .but not many. There is no way I could troubleshoot and fix this machine. Basically, most people would just give up and buy a new one. Bravo !! You even used anti-seize on certain nuts.
Great vid as always watching you methodically diagnose and repair so many issues on that machine was satisfying and educational. Thanks again James. As I watch your videos and see your house go through all the seasons I get a appreciation of how much the seasons effect the lifestyle in your state .
Flames shooting out of the exhaust? People pay extra for that feature. How cool would you look throwing snow out of your driveway with flames. I'd be the most bad-ass dad in the neighborhood.
Even with the minimal amount of tension on the belt it still spits snow awesome to see it back up running and doing work great repair as always @James Condon
Nice job on bringing that back to life. Just one suggestion though, to get more light from the machine, consider mounting an old kerosene lantern to the left side handlebar to get a 500% increase in light.
Another great video. Thank you for sharing these. I always learn something useful watching them. I have an old, small Ariens which I overhauled last summer (similar to what you did, bearings, etc.) Ever since I bought it it has started on the first pull almost every time. But after it's been running a while and fully warmed up, if you kill it then it refuses to start again. Always wondered what caused that. After watching this video, now I have a clue: vapor lock in the carb. Thanks again.
Excellent video. Your calm demeanor and thoroughness is admirable. I really enjoy working on small engines and back 35 years ago took classes to be able to repair many types of small engines. Your videos bring back memories and are extremely interesting. Would love to see a mini bike repair or another go kart as those are way more fun!
You are amazing! You touched almost everything on this snowblower to get it to run. You have the perfect tools to do the job too. Just love your patience and that lift. I would be scared to take apart since I would forget what goes where. lol Excellent video!
James , have you had some form of engineering training ? I ask bc i've worked with some top motor/truck engineers , 30/40 years ago , and you display many of the characteristics that those brilliant engineers had . You would , imho , make a very good teacher . Thank you for these videos . Regards Malcolm , in England .
Simplicity! I have a 90's with a flathead Tecumseh. It's a big boy! The thing is a tank. The handles are C channel and bolted to the frame is 6 spots. Boy does that absolutely chew threw the snow. Awesome vid my man. Keep um coming!
I have that same snowthrower. You can greatly improve the throwing distance by adding a rubber patch to each paddle to help it clear the snow they discharge to the chute. You want the rubber patch to close the gaps between the paddle and the housing. I attached the rubber to the paddles with self tapping screws. Great video! You found a new subscriber!
I know that you know what you are doing, but you should definitely replace that small piece of fuel line on the bottom of the tank while you have it off, even if it doesn't appear to be necessary. I have worked on a ton of those Failtek engines, and that hose has failed relatively quickly every single time I neglected to replace it while I had the tank off.
I do the samething. I have a gas powered air compressor with that same engine took the gas tank off to adjust the governor and just went ahead and replaced the fuel line even though it didn't look like it needed it
That was a two stage, the single stage just has the one two sided flapper to expel the snow while the dual-stage blower, the auger gathers the snow and pushes it to a high-speed impeller which is the bearing he replaced. The engine speed usually determines how far the snow will be ejected.
Hey James, I recently revived a Briggs and Stratton 1024LD 2-stage blower, decided to watch this video. This reminded me to get some shear pins, as well as told me that I shouldn't have the auger housing sitting all the way down
I've never seen the outside of a snowblower carburetor get that dirty and i've worked on thousands of them before moving to southern Ohio and most of the time i can use my leaf blower to clear the snow. I use dawn dish soap in my ultrasonic cleaner and it does a pretty good job at cleaning carburetors
We live in Northern Idaho, quarter mile driveway! One walk behind snow blower, one 3 point hitch blower mounted on the tractor. Extra shear pins for both! Grease on a regular basis, chain lube for the drive chain.
Hi. I don't think you ever had a (strong) spark. The first spark checker you have used has a glow lanp in it. They need almost no current and have a start voltage of around 150V. I think this will light under more or less all circumstances. I agree it's a nice tool with these magnets on it. But it comes in exchange for only little usful informations.
Hey James, New subscriber here from Montreal Canada. Really enjoying your channel, very informative and interesting content. Silly question, when adjusting the valves how do you know if you are on the compression stroke? Are there some kind of timing marks? When you put the machine up on the bucket/auger to remove the under belly, did you drain the oil? Thanks Dirk
What’s the deal!?!?! Aren’t there any small motor service companies anymore? If not, THAT would be a good line of business to get into for young people. Small motor & equipment repair services… strange how folks just throw out valuable equipment…
I keep a Toro 3650 wguch is single stage with the rubber paddles for the slushy stuff and then I have various two stage for the dealer snow, one of my favorites is my old Toro 421, that little thing is unstoppable, you'd think the 4cyl wouldn't have enough power but it does and the barrel sugar never clogs.
Haha. James joins the "strangely satisfying" crowd of lawn carers, pressure washers, etc. Snow blowers unite! Seriously, really nice work as usual. Nice change-up.
Verry surprised the engine wasn't broke inside! Also wondering why you didn't clean the rust off the flywheel magnets. Now I'll have to look at my skid plates and auger Berring. You're right about that wet snow clogging up the auger output chute, I have to carry a pointed flat piece of wood to clear it. I have some steep grades on my driveway and need tire chains, if you ever get more than ten inches you may need them too. As far as snowblowers go mine is an Airens about twenty five years old, the Cadillac of snowblowers, in my opinion. Its only a 5 HP Tecumseh engine. If the snow is not too heavy it will launch a steady stream of snow twenty feet, and further with wind component. I enjoy you're channel, James and let me say Let it snow! NWR.
It's crap like that super-heavy wet snow that is the reason why I bought a 2-stage snow blower instead of the cheaper single-stage snow blower's that were on sale last fall... It's saved my bacon several times this year because we've gotten nothing BUT that heavy-wet garbage when it's snowed in my City and with wrecked rotator cuffs in both shoulders AND Osteoarthritis in my hips and back, I can't shovel much snow before ending up bedridden begging for a Morphine drip...I can clear just enough snow to get the blower storage shed door open and then the blower takes over...even with the 2-stage impeller, it's still had a tough time with some of the white-shit we've had dumped on us this year, but it did eventually chew through it all... 😄😁😆😅😂🤣
First my thanks to you machine contributor and yourself. An interesting project! Time to move to Canada and !real! snow. Which I shovelled very often! Now to fing mouse repellent sprays for all these machines?!
I’m kind of disappointed,..😳,..l fully expected Mickey the mashed mouse to be shot out of the exhaust when it fired up,..Oh,well. Maybe next repair you do,..😬
Great video, but you didn't quite address how to piston got seized in the first place. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤷🏿♂️ But this still was a good video anyway. Keep up the good work. 👍🏿
I got my snow blower tested and lubricated for the winter.... and I still haven't needed it. Some years there's over 12" to contend with.... this year less than 1" and it's half melted when I wake up. You must be further north than CLE OH.
Great video James! Okay...........enough with the snow! I am so done with it.......but unfortunately there is more in the forecast, so it ain't done with me!
Well aluminum is cheaper than copper so no surprise there! So all there is left to do is raise the price on the aluminum wire!!! Consumer screwing 101. Also. You needed to run right out and buy yourself a ton of lottery tickets with your luck of getting that pulley to come off with just a few hammer blows!! Wow!!
I have the same machine but with a Techumsa Snow King engine. The thing is pretty much bullet proof. The only thing plastic on mine is the fuel tank. @James, if at all possible someday, I would really appreciate a run-down of your motorcycle lift. I have a HF lift and am always looking for creative ways to automate it.
Hello James I have a generator with 2500w maximum output. The problem is that the voltmeter display always fluctuates and as soon as I plug in a fan heater, or Something else the generator simply goes out after a few Seconds. what could be the problem ?. the fan heater has 2000watts. Greetings from Germany George
Is it just me or is that snowblower running awfully quite. What's your RPM at? or maybe it's just the microphone while filming. Seems like it should do a bit better even in the wet stuff. Just curious is all, since the carbs been off and on a few times. Was thinking maybe the throttle governor spring needs a bit more tension. Great video as always and I collect snow blowers ...lol...and repairs as well. Cheers from Sask.
On a Tecumseh 10 hp engine on a 10/28 snow blower there is a wire under the gas tank that connects to nothing, any idea what it I It’s purpose? There is a female plug in on wire. Enjoyed your thorough procedures . Thx
Hi James. This is Randy in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I can’t help but wonder if maybe the sloppy bearing might have been the reason for the belt slipping. Just an idea.
What helps a lot in heavy wet snow is to spray the auger and impeller with Pam cooking oil spray. It'll get you through one storm judging by the length of your driveway. Everything needs to be nice and dry before you spray it down.
I know this video is 5 months old. But; due to your advice about degreasers possibly damaging rubber seals/seats i have been using hot water and dawn dishwashing liquid with very good results. I do spray off dirty carbs with carb cleaner or wash them off a bit with diesel fuel, kerosene, or mineral spirits.
Try this to quickly clean that bearing surface on that shaft: get a socket slightly larger than the shaft, put a piece of sandpaper in it and put it over the shaft. Spin it 'til it shines. 😮😊 1:07:26
James, I’m 78 years old and been a mechanic all my life. I have never touched a snowblower. We just don’t have much use for them in Fl! Your channel is one of my favorites!👍🇺🇸
Working in my 7n c les shop I did many like this as a kid. Most stopped using this design or I should say improved on it atleast. I used to hate coming home from school to see 2 or 3 more jobs like this when we had 6 already waiting. The old ariens was the worse. Crazy heavy. It's funny the drive and back part of ariens snow blowers was the same as there tracters almost. Where out the friction disc and it takes most the day to replace. You gotta gut it. Those belt guides could be in short supply sometimes even decades ago. I used to make them in metal shop at school. Lol.
Wow - Snow. Haven't had to deal with that in a while (here in Hawaii - beats Chicago though). Curious you had the auger out, but didn't see you check the fluids in the auger differential drive. I'd a thought that since you dug into the thing so deeply, that would have been something to check when apart. And who is the cat ?
If you intend to use this at night, I suggest either cleaning or replacing the lens of the light... A clean/new lens should give you a much brighter and whiter light improving visibility...
1:00:00 LOL kinds counter intuitive with their brand name "Simplicity" ... I just picked up a Simplicity lawn tractor, its tires have plastic hubcaps, so to fill them with air the valve is located on the inner side of the rim not the outside under the hubcap like most tires.
Do an impeller modification kit (add rubber to the impeller blades) and it will throw snow twice as far and have no issue with that heavy slush snow.). The rubber keeps the snow from building in the impeller housing which stops them from throwing wet snow well.
1:15:28 I think in the future, if you need to split the machine again, take the chute (and chute rotation gear ring) off the machine first...then it won't be in your way (and you'll have an extra handhold to lift and finesse the pully) when putting it back together...
Belt dressing will make an old belt work for a surprisingly long time. Thats a wet heavy snow. fluffy snow would have gone much further. I would lower the shoes a tiny bit.
I used to watch "Mustie", but he tended to talk way too much...
Now I found another garage mechanic for whom I like a lot better!
jim , one of the best things i have ever done , get some old mud flap and cut and screw it to your 2ed stage auger , keeps the opening clean and will throw the slush & snow farther
You could try using a zip tie as a temporary replacement for the shear pin. It should fail easier than a steel bolt.
What a perfect morning. I just grabbed some Dunkin coffee and now I see your video. Thanks for all you do and share with us.
He's the Bob Ross of small engine repair!
Ya but he didn't have any happy leaves. Lol
He's the small engine whisper
I was coming here to say the same thing whatever genre you could call this he is definitely truly the bob Ross
Very strange, I've watched lots of snowblower repair vids, but, this chap seems very able to impart his knowledge to the expert and the novice.
@@0rangecray0n br r rrrr r rrrrrr r rrrrrrrr🎉
Strange that we never have issues with snowblowers all summer .
It's pushing 100 degrees F here, I'm really glad it's not snowing. I can't imagine shoveling snow in this heat!😅
Probably best to find out before you get 2' of snow though !
Great video and great repair James. I agree with the other commenter, that an impeller mod would be a great touch for that machine. Made all the difference to a couple Craftsmans I did here in Southern Ontario. Thanks for the excellent videos!
That lift is a life saver, or at least a back and knee saver.....lolol
Nice work as always, James! A friend of my showed me a great trick for when the snow is like that. Spray the auger and the chute with some silicone lubricant. Helps stop the snow from plugging in the chute.
Engine oil fresh and full to me is suspicious. It often means the oil was topped off after the engine locked up from low oil.
Original owner here...I haven't seen this video yet but I can confirm it got an oil change each Spring before I put it away for the season. I agree with your suspicion in general though.
@@michaelramsden3337 Thanks for donating the machine to James. It gives us viewers variety from the usual generators and it will have another good home now!
@P RO I just watched the video tonight. Yes I agree...a nice change of topic and I'm very happy it found a new home or extended life!
Always change the oil after you blow an engine up. Makes you look good.
Long but another great vid! Simplicity makes good products, they switched to Briggs engines when Briggs bought them out in 2004. I have the same Briggs snow engine in my garage hydro locked (I think)!
Thanks Ken.
Luv your lift a back saver
I really enjoy the improved view for us viewers now that you were lucky enough to get that lift. I noticed it immediately from your previous videos. They were all good so far, as I watch them. But it is MUCH improved view at the table level!! Great video, enjoyed it... even though, as retired and in the Philippines, I doubt I can translate much of the snow blower end here for any use here, but the unsticking of a frozen motor will certainly be remembered for use here.
One of the best videos you put out James. Thanks!!! I use some Pam and spray it on the augers and chute when I get that wet snow, I think it works well and much less expensive than the other things they want to sell to do the same job.
Yep, Pam is the answer for the wet West Coast snow on Vancouver Island.
Maybe it's just my OCD but I typically clean excessive rust from the outer surface of the flywheel before gapping the coil. That allows the coil to have a proper gap but be closer to the magnets like from the factory. Of course, it won't fix a bad coil. I've never measured the electrical difference but wonder if it induces a better spark.
Rust does not stop magnetism.
Superb repair, James. I especially liked you putting the new bearings in and making the auger and blower perform. Nice change from stators and rotors!!
Nice, a lot of work but probably good for another 12 years, provided the owner keeps mice away from it.
I was sitting here yelling at the screen....MOVE THE THROTTLE LEVER!!!!!
Details
do the impeller mod and it will have no problem handling that wet and sloppy snow.
i like to carefully pop off the bearing seal and add grease..then carefully pop the seal back on...youd be amazed at how little grease some companies put inside a new bearing
Great job James! There is nothing simplistic about a Simplicity. Hated how they split the case in half. It's not like an Ariens or a Craftsman where the case splits on a hinge to make it easier. For sure you got very lucky that the parts did not fight you more when replacing that impeller bearing. Really enjoyed the video keep them coming!
Lucky is right. I tried to do the same on my snow blower years ago and nothing came apart without a fight. Not a great design, but at least it came apart.
@@jcondon1 agreed. I had to do all the work you did on my Ariens Platinum 30 a few years back.
Thanks Jim. We could never get a repair shop to do such fine work like you do.
What a beautiful neighbourhood.
The cause of the problem was rainwater, or garden hose wash water, in the crankcase. Remember that oil that looks clean?
The stuff that looks clean is rainwater, or garden hose water. Drain that crank case garbage out first !
Check the gas tank for water, you won’t be able to see the water, so, just drain the old gas, and add some new fresh gasoline.
New oil, and new gas, will go further toward fixing it than anything else easily done.
Also pull the plug, and put 1/8 cup of engine oil and anti seize oil, mixed, in there, let it sit.
You need a torque wrench sponsor. 😎
Also…congrats on 100k subscribers. No idea when that happened, but we’ll deserved regardless. 🍻
Thanks!
Don't ask me why but I feel like when Tapping/Chasing threads are an intimate act. I cringe at work when I see my coworkers slap a tap on a drill and send it, I believe in lots lube and slow strokes.
I will go above and beyond to never split a machine, it is just a difficult task when alone. For the most part I will time it right for when the Mrs. comes home.
Simplicity would benefit greatly from an impeller mod. I love those machines, well built and of course great job!
Thanks Jason. I feel the same way with a drill and tap. Figured I could get away with it on a piece of sheet metal. Worst case I could weld a nut to the backside.
Thought I was home free when the engine freed up. Luckily everything came apart for the auger bearing.
Great video. Especially good work diagnosing the various issues, and leaving no stone unturned so to speak. Your thoroughness is admirable and undoubtably has added many many years of life to the machine.
You Sir are a true craftsman and the quality of your work is outstanding. The way most people beat the living hell out of mowers, lawn tractors and snowblowers never ceases to amaze me.
Does that blower have a bottom scraper blade? I've used hardfacing rod to weld to the surface of the shoes and scraper. They will last forever. You can add rubber paddles to the impeller to help blow snow farther. I changed to a smaller pulley on the blower shaft and used a shorter belt to speed up the impeller. Lining the chute with 3M packing tape allows wet snow to flow better and not stick to the chute. You can also paint the interior with Slipkote graphite paint.
Also those shoes are designed to be turned over once one side gets worn. Good point on adding extra wear surface.
Nice fix. You had your work cut out for you on that machine. Nice Job!!
Pretty snow. Good fix. Enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing
Just a small note on Anti-seize use . a very ,very thin film is all that is needed , over applying it usually makes the dried antiseize stick the parts in place more so than the rust that would form . the amount you applied on that pulley shaft was equivelent to the amount i have used on my last 30 brake jobs . Less IS more .
The bigger the glob the better the job!
Runs pretty good idling on its own after catb install and gesrs work it moves under torque and power nice @33:08
“Flames coming from the exhaust”
…. Holy shit
i'm from california, and we do not have snow. last tome it had some snow 25 years ago.
today i have learned alot from you. thanks for the show!!
Another great video James! I am in awe of the way you were able to stitch the scenes together and not miss a beat! It had to take a lot of patience to wait on mother nature to deliver the props you needed for the test scenes! Thanks for the great content!
Mouse pee might have also leaked into carb, and caused some extra corrosion on cylinder wall. I would be curious what the cylinder looked like if bore scoped before turning it over.
My back feels so much better every time you use the lift😊👍
It's doing a pretty good job blowing that slush good working machine
Love how thorough you are James, but I also like the fact that you know its not always a perfect world and are not afraid to make something work if you need to, such as bending the belt guide in this video cause you couldn't find another one. I think thats what its all about, you want as perfect as possible but sometimes have to do what it is needed. Props on the awesome videos.
You don’t have to torque carburetor, bolts, snug them up why do you have to twerk everything all you need to torque is head bolts and connecting rods. It’s all overkill. You’re getting ridiculous talk and everything
So what exactly caused the flywheel to seize up
Snow the never ending battle. great video James.
Great video as always. Wow that lift really has come in handy hasn't it?
I suppose somebody else could do what you do. . . . .but not many. There is no way I could troubleshoot and fix this machine. Basically, most people would just give up and buy a new one.
Bravo !! You even used anti-seize on certain nuts.
Great vid as always watching you methodically diagnose and repair so many issues on that machine was satisfying and educational. Thanks again James. As I watch your videos and see your house go through all the seasons I get a appreciation of how much the seasons effect the lifestyle in your state .
Flames shooting out of the exhaust? People pay extra for that feature. How cool would you look throwing snow out of your driveway with flames. I'd be the most bad-ass dad in the neighborhood.
You need a long duration cam and a MSD ignition and you'll get flames out of the exhaust.
Even with the minimal amount of tension on the belt it still spits snow awesome to see it back up running and doing work great repair as always @James Condon
Great show brother 😊 I enjoyed it
Nice job on bringing that back to life. Just one suggestion though, to get more light from the machine, consider mounting an old kerosene lantern to the left side handlebar to get a 500% increase in light.
Don't you run the risk of a fire??
Another great video. Thank you for sharing these. I always learn something useful watching them. I have an old, small Ariens which I overhauled last summer (similar to what you did, bearings, etc.) Ever since I bought it it has started on the first pull almost every time. But after it's been running a while and fully warmed up, if you kill it then it refuses to start again. Always wondered what caused that. After watching this video, now I have a clue: vapor lock in the carb. Thanks again.
Had a lawn mower do the same thing. Found that the coil was gapped too tight resulting in the no start when it was hot. Re-gapping cured it.
Excellent video. Your calm demeanor and thoroughness is admirable. I really enjoy working on small engines and back 35 years ago took classes to be able to repair many types of small engines. Your videos bring back memories and are extremely interesting. Would love to see a mini bike repair or another go kart as those are way more fun!
Dirt bike repair in the works
You are amazing! You touched almost everything on this snowblower to get it to run. You have the perfect tools to do the job too. Just love your patience and that lift. I would be scared to take apart since I would forget what goes where. lol Excellent video!
James , have you had some form of engineering training ? I ask bc i've worked with some top motor/truck engineers , 30/40 years ago , and you display many of the characteristics that those brilliant engineers had . You would , imho , make a very good teacher . Thank you for these videos . Regards Malcolm , in England .
No engineering degree unless you count computer science.
@@jcondon1 James contact me asap , someone is scaming your viewers using a telegraph a/c in yor name .
Simplicity! I have a 90's with a flathead Tecumseh. It's a big boy! The thing is a tank. The handles are C channel and bolted to the frame is 6 spots. Boy does that absolutely chew threw the snow. Awesome vid my man. Keep um coming!
Hi James , great job
I have that same snowthrower. You can greatly improve the throwing distance by adding a rubber patch to each paddle to help it clear the snow they discharge to the chute. You want the rubber patch to close the gaps between the paddle and the housing. I attached the rubber to the paddles with self tapping screws.
Great video! You found a new subscriber!
There’s a distinct acoustic sound of a snow blower with fresh fallen snow.
For a substitute shear pin, you can use a thin nail or cotter pin.
I know that you know what you are doing, but you should definitely replace that small piece of fuel line on the bottom of the tank while you have it off, even if it doesn't appear to be necessary. I have worked on a ton of those Failtek engines, and that hose has failed relatively quickly every single time I neglected to replace it while I had the tank off.
I do the samething. I have a gas powered air compressor with that same engine took the gas tank off to adjust the governor and just went ahead and replaced the fuel line even though it didn't look like it needed it
the shop ramp lift is the star of the show... 👍😎👍
Great job James, you make it look so easy. I think the heavy and slushy snow is why folks prefer the 2 stage blowers and large HP models
That was a two stage, the single stage just has the one two sided flapper to expel the snow while the dual-stage blower, the auger gathers the snow and pushes it to a high-speed impeller which is the bearing he replaced. The engine speed usually determines how far the snow will be ejected.
Hey James, I recently revived a Briggs and Stratton 1024LD 2-stage blower, decided to watch this video. This reminded me to get some shear pins, as well as told me that I shouldn't have the auger housing sitting all the way down
It has a Failtek engine, and those things are hit or miss when they are new. Good luck with this one.
I've never seen the outside of a snowblower carburetor get that dirty and i've worked on thousands of them before moving to southern Ohio and most of the time i can use my leaf blower to clear the snow. I use dawn dish soap in my ultrasonic cleaner and it does a pretty good job at cleaning carburetors
0:06 ...from a loco subscriber 👍
We live in Northern Idaho, quarter mile driveway! One walk behind snow blower, one 3 point hitch blower mounted on the tractor. Extra shear pins for both! Grease on a regular basis, chain lube for the drive chain.
Hi. I don't think you ever had a (strong) spark. The first spark checker you have used has a glow lanp in it. They need almost no current and have a start voltage of around 150V. I think this will light under more or less all circumstances. I agree it's a nice tool with these magnets on it. But it comes in exchange for only little usful informations.
Hey James,
New subscriber here from Montreal Canada. Really enjoying your channel, very informative and interesting content.
Silly question, when adjusting the valves how do you know if you are on the compression stroke? Are there some kind of timing marks?
When you put the machine up on the bucket/auger to remove the under belly, did you drain the oil?
Thanks
Dirk
What’s the deal!?!?! Aren’t there any small motor service companies anymore? If not, THAT would be a good line of business to get into for young people. Small motor & equipment repair services… strange how folks just throw out valuable equipment…
I keep a Toro 3650 wguch is single stage with the rubber paddles for the slushy stuff and then I have various two stage for the dealer snow, one of my favorites is my old Toro 421, that little thing is unstoppable, you'd think the 4cyl wouldn't have enough power but it does and the barrel sugar never clogs.
Haha. James joins the "strangely satisfying" crowd of lawn carers, pressure washers, etc. Snow blowers unite! Seriously, really nice work as usual. Nice change-up.
Verry surprised the engine wasn't broke inside! Also wondering why you didn't clean the rust off the flywheel magnets. Now I'll have to look at my skid plates and auger Berring.
You're right about that wet snow clogging up the auger output chute, I have to carry a pointed flat piece of wood to clear it. I have some steep grades on my driveway and need tire chains, if you ever get more than ten inches you may need them too.
As far as snowblowers go mine is an Airens about twenty five years old, the Cadillac of snowblowers, in my opinion. Its only a 5 HP Tecumseh engine. If the snow is not too heavy it will launch a steady stream of snow twenty feet, and further with wind component.
I enjoy you're channel, James and let me say Let it snow! NWR.
It's crap like that super-heavy wet snow that is the reason why I bought a 2-stage snow blower instead of the cheaper single-stage snow blower's that were on sale last fall...
It's saved my bacon several times this year because we've gotten nothing BUT that heavy-wet garbage when it's snowed in my City and with wrecked rotator cuffs in both shoulders AND Osteoarthritis in my hips and back, I can't shovel much snow before ending up bedridden begging for a Morphine drip...I can clear just enough snow to get the blower storage shed door open and then the blower takes over...even with the 2-stage impeller, it's still had a tough time with some of the white-shit we've had dumped on us this year, but it did eventually chew through it all...
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First my thanks to you machine contributor and yourself. An interesting project! Time to move to Canada and !real! snow. Which I shovelled very often!
Now to fing mouse repellent sprays for all these machines?!
I’m kind of disappointed,..😳,..l fully expected Mickey the mashed mouse to be shot out of the exhaust when it fired up,..Oh,well. Maybe next repair you do,..😬
Great video, but you didn't quite address how to piston got seized in the first place. 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤷🏿♂️ But this still was a good video anyway. Keep up the good work. 👍🏿
Great job, that 2 stage was a very bad design for belt change, it's obvious engineers said this looks GOOD ON PAPER, thank you from nyc
I got my snow blower tested and lubricated for the winter.... and I still haven't needed it. Some years there's over 12" to contend with.... this year less than 1" and it's half melted when I wake up.
You must be further north than CLE OH.
Great video James! Okay...........enough with the snow! I am so done with it.......but unfortunately there is more in the forecast, so it ain't done with me!
Well aluminum is cheaper than copper so no surprise there! So all there is left to do is raise the price on the aluminum wire!!!
Consumer screwing 101.
Also. You needed to run right out and buy yourself a ton of lottery tickets with your luck of getting that pulley to come off with just a few hammer blows!! Wow!!
Because its a Briggs&Stratton Engine, I think you have to read the datecode 040815 the european way. 4th of August 2015.
I have the same machine but with a Techumsa Snow King engine. The thing is pretty much bullet proof. The only thing plastic on mine is the fuel tank.
@James, if at all possible someday, I would really appreciate a run-down of your motorcycle lift. I have a HF lift and am always looking for creative ways to automate it.
Hello James
I have a generator with 2500w maximum output.
The problem is that the voltmeter display always fluctuates and as soon as I plug in a fan heater, or Something else the generator simply goes out after a few Seconds. what could be the problem ?. the fan heater has 2000watts.
Greetings from Germany
George
Is it just me or is that snowblower running awfully quite. What's your RPM at? or maybe it's just the microphone while filming. Seems like it should do a bit better even in the wet stuff. Just curious is all, since the carbs been off and on a few times. Was thinking maybe the throttle governor spring needs a bit more tension. Great video as always and I collect snow blowers ...lol...and repairs as well. Cheers from Sask.
Not a vale i just guessed lol
On a Tecumseh 10 hp engine on a 10/28 snow blower there is a wire under the gas tank that connects to nothing, any idea what it I
It’s purpose? There is a female plug in on wire. Enjoyed your thorough procedures . Thx
Hi James. This is Randy in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I can’t help but wonder if maybe the sloppy bearing might have been the reason for the belt slipping. Just an idea.
52:26 Gotta love bolts that use the German Standard Torque Spec...
Good-n-tite...
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What helps a lot in heavy wet snow is to spray the auger and impeller with Pam cooking oil spray. It'll get you through one storm judging by the length of your driveway. Everything needs to be nice and dry before you spray it down.
I know this video is 5 months old. But; due to your advice about degreasers possibly damaging rubber seals/seats i have been using hot water and dawn dishwashing liquid with very good results. I do spray off dirty carbs with carb cleaner or wash them off a bit with diesel fuel, kerosene, or mineral spirits.
Try this to quickly clean that bearing surface on that shaft: get a socket slightly larger than the shaft, put a piece of sandpaper in it and put it over the shaft. Spin it 'til it shines. 😮😊 1:07:26
Wow very interesting you pushed the valves down manually by hand then all of a sudden its no longer stuck 🤔🤔 strange 🤔 @James Condon
James, I’m 78 years old and been a mechanic all my life. I have never touched a snowblower. We just don’t have much use for them in Fl! Your channel is one of my favorites!👍🇺🇸
Not getting much snow up here the last few years either.
Working in my 7n c les shop I did many like this as a kid. Most stopped using this design or I should say improved on it atleast. I used to hate coming home from school to see 2 or 3 more jobs like this when we had 6 already waiting. The old ariens was the worse. Crazy heavy. It's funny the drive and back part of ariens snow blowers was the same as there tracters almost. Where out the friction disc and it takes most the day to replace. You gotta gut it. Those belt guides could be in short supply sometimes even decades ago. I used to make them in metal shop at school. Lol.
Wow - Snow. Haven't had to deal with that in a while (here in Hawaii - beats Chicago though). Curious you had the auger out, but didn't see you check the fluids in the auger differential drive. I'd a thought that since you dug into the thing so deeply, that would have been something to check when apart. And who is the cat ?
If you intend to use this at night, I suggest either cleaning or replacing the lens of the light...
A clean/new lens should give you a much brighter and whiter light improving visibility...
1:00:00 LOL kinds counter intuitive with their brand name "Simplicity" ... I just picked up a Simplicity lawn tractor, its tires have plastic hubcaps, so to fill them with air the valve is located on the inner side of the rim not the outside under the hubcap like most tires.
Do an impeller modification kit (add rubber to the impeller blades) and it will throw snow twice as far and have no issue with that heavy slush snow.). The rubber keeps the snow from building in the impeller housing which stops them from throwing wet snow well.
1:15:28 I think in the future, if you need to split the machine again, take the chute (and chute rotation gear ring) off the machine first...then it won't be in your way (and you'll have an extra handhold to lift and finesse the pully) when putting it back together...
Belt dressing will make an old belt work for a surprisingly long time. Thats a wet heavy snow. fluffy snow would have gone much further. I would lower the shoes a tiny bit.
James, Would you ever consider making a video on how you make your UA-cam videos? Like the equipment you use and the editing process et cetera.