Snow Blower Maintenance 101

Snow Blower Maintenance 101

Nov 29th 2017

Snowblower Maintenance 101
In 1870, Robert Carr Harris of Dalhousie, New Brunswick, Canada created the first-ever snow blower prototype. Dubbed the “Railway Screw Snow Excavator”, this large machine was initially purposed for railway use in order to clear impacted snow and ice so that trains can safely operate during the Winter season. However, it was Arthur Sicard’s “Sicard Snow Remover Snowblower” in the year 1925 that paved the way towards development of smaller and more practical designs that would eventually evolve into the modern snow blower.


Snowblowers make Winter snow and ice removal easy!
Today, many rely on the mechanical strength of the snow blower to easily cut through sections of fallen Winter precipitation from driveways, walkways, and sidewalks versus the strenuous physical labor of shoveling snow manually. A snow blower can effectively and efficiently do the job that once required muscle and elbow grease in a drastically reduced amount of time and with little effort. But like any other piece of power lawn and garden equipment, proper snow blower maintenance must be performed to ensure that your machine is in top working condition before attempting to operate. Discount Starter & Alternator specializes in small engine and power equipment service replacement parts. We’ll go over the basic essentials in snow blower maintenance tips so that you’ll be ready for when that first blast of Winter weather comes to visit your neighborhood.



Learn about snowblower engine maintenance.

ENGINE

The majority of snow blowers are powered by an internal combustion engine, either 2-stroke or 4-stroke, that run on gasoline. Most of today’s gasoline suppliers add ethanol to their formulas as means to supplant petroleum usage with renewable energy. Ethanol is an alcohol, which means it has the unfortunate side effect of attracting and drawing in atmospheric moisture. As we all know, oil and water do not mix. Gasoline containing ethanol can suck up moisture in the air and contaminate its purity, Like any engine that will be sitting dormant for extended periods of time between uses, it is a good idea to purchase fuel stabilizers that combat the effects of Ethanol and prevent further fuel degradation. STA-BIL (link to manufacturer's site) is a fuel stabilizer that helps increase the shelf-life of gasoline. The brand also offers fuel system cleaners and oil stabilizers that protect against gum and varnish buildup, carbon buildup, and reduces the corrosive acidic properties of engine oil.



Change old oil before use.
Speaking of engine oil, it’s imperative that you drain and replace the oil before firing up the snow blower after a year or so of inactivity. As previously mentioned, engine oil becomes acidic over time as it mixes with excess fuel and hydrocarbons. This caustic material will scar and corrode the engine internals. This is especially true for 2-stroke engines as the fuel and oil is mixed together to serve the triple purposes of fueling, lubrication, and cooling. Thus, 2-stroke engines are more susceptible to fuel/oil breakdown. Refer to your engine type (2-stroke or 4-stroke) for the proper oil.



Clean dirt and debris away from the carburetor throttle bore.
Don't forget: this would also be a good time to clean the carburetor and fueling system. A shot of carburetor cleaner or carburetor/throttle body cleaner spray down the throttle bore will break up and loosen gum, varnish, and carbon deposits. For tough and stubborn spots, remove the carburetor and manually scrub away the buildup with a toothbrush while soaking the stain with carb/throttle body cleaner. Inspect the fuel filters for clogs and leaks. Replace if necessary.



Change air filters periodically, just as you would in your car.
While you're in there, inspect the air filter element for clogs and debris. These can be either the paper or foam-type. Replace if necessary.



Spark plugs do not last forever.
Check the spark plug(s), specifically near the electrode tip. An regularly-used, aged spark plug will have some discoloration and moderate dirt buildup. Replace if necessary and be careful not to crossthread the plug during removal and installation. Be on the lookout for fouled spark plugs. Fouled spark plugs will have an oily residue on the electrode tip or be encrusted with excessive soot and carbon buildup. Both may be indicative of a related engine issue.



Tecumseh snowblower engine starter at Discount Starter & Alternator

STARTER & STARTER SOLENOID

The starter is one component of any engine that often takes the most abuse. While designed and engineered from the factory to withstand normal, regular operation, it is not invincible from age and time. If your snow blower refuses to start, before you begin dismantling the engine in search of gunk buildup or mechanical failure, you may want to check the starter first. If a failed starter is determined to be the culprit, Discount Starter & Alternator sells replacement starters for engines by Tecumseh, John Deere, Toro, MTD, Cub Cadet and more top manufacturers. We also stock starter solenoids, the part of the starter that actually takes the brunt of the abuse during ignition. Replacement of the starter solenoid, rather than the entire starter unit itself, can often save yourself precious time and money. Of course, it will be up to you (or your mechanic or small engine specialist) to do the detective work and investigate the exact cause of death for the starter.



Tecumseh snowblower engine ignition coil at Discount Starter & Alternator

IGNITION COIL

Without spark, the engine cylinder will not fire. For multi-cylinder engines, a misfire or down cylinder can initiate a whole slew of oncoming problems. As part of the regular engine tune-up service along with replacing spark plugs and checking wires, be sure to check the condition of the ignition coils. We stock aftermarket replacement ignition coils for popular Tecumseh and Honda engines.



Toro ignition key switch at Discount Starter & Alternator

IGNITION KEY SWITCH

We’ve all heard the stories in the news about faulty ignition key switches on cars and the eons of issued recalls they’ve produced. While a bad ignition switch on a snow blower is far less catastrophic than on an automobile, it can be equally frustrating when such a small part can be responsible for an entire machine to become disabled. For snow blowers that require an ignition key, Discount Starter & Alternator stocks replacement ignition switches and keys for Briggs & Stratton engines, plus other top manufacturers including Subaru, Toro, and Husqvarna.



Shop Discount Starter & Alternator for replacement PTO clutches.

PTO CLUTCH

PTO (Power Take-Off) clutches engage and disengage an accessory from a power source, much like how the foot clutch in a manual transmission car links the engine and the transmission together and must be opened and closed whilst shifting into gear. The PTO clutch in a snow blower can be used on the power source, from a battery, or for activation of the snow blower cutting blades and screw auger. Now, the engine may be running perfectly but if the snow blower fails to take in any snow, a dead PTO clutch may be to blame. We sell a variety of replacement PTO clutches for popular engines by Cub Cadet, John Deere, Husqvarna, MTD, Warner, and more.



Rectifier/Regulators for small engines at Discount Starter & Alternator

RECTIFIER/REGULATOR

The rectifier converts AC voltage to DC voltage, which is used to keep the battery charged and to operate the electrical system. The regulator limits voltage as to not damage the battery and the electrical components. This is an important component to the electrical ignition system of any internal combustion engine. Discount Starter & Alternator sells rectifier/regulators for many top name engine manufacturers including Briggs & Stratton, John Deere, Honda, Kubota, and more.



Discount Starter & Alternator has complete small engine tune up maintaenance kits.

MAINTENANCE KITS

Instead of buying separately from an auto parts store or a hardware store or having to make multiple trips, we round up and prepackage basic service parts into a simple kit that includes oil, replacement filters (oil, fuel, intake air), drive belts, and other tune-up service essentials. We have service maintenance kits available for Cub Cadet, Kawasaki, Kohler, MTD, Stihl, and Husqvarna engines.

Trust Discount Starter & Alternator for all of your service, maintenance, and tune-up parts for lawn & garden equipment, snow blowers, as well as for powersportsautomotivecommercial, and industrial machines.