HOW TO SUMMERIZE A SNOWBLOWER (Small Engine Mechanic Approved)

#garagegear #snowblower #maintenance

HOW TO SUMMERIZE A SNOWBLOWER (Small Engine Mechanic Approved). Its SPRING TIME and you might be wondering how you should STORE YOUR SNOWBLOWER for the SUMMER? Should you also DRAIN THE GAS or STABILIZE it? And Should you CHANGE THE OIL now or wait until the fall? In this video, I answer all of these questions and more so you can SAFELY tuck away your snowblower for the OFFSEASON. I also go over one tip that EVERYONE FORGETS ABOUT. LIKE & SUBSCRIBE!!!

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Due to factors beyond the control of Garage Gear, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Garage Gear assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Garage Gear recommends safe practices when working on machines and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Garage Gear, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Garage Gear.

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[MrMattDat]

One last thought on summerizing, when "under the dash" shot some lubricant/light oil into the top of each cable shield. A couple of squeezes to help move it down the cable and you're good. This is too easy and works great to keep those cables moving and in great shape!

[walleyeye]

Interesting. I’ve never heard of making sure of the TDC idea but one thing I noticed you didnt mention is running the machine and spraying fogging into the carb till it dies, pulling the plug and spraying fogging into the cylinder, pulling the piston over to coat the rings and cylinder to prevent rust.

[joebarzo]

So good to be reminded of these snow blower procedures JB. As much as I hear them...I am amazed how many tips and tricks I forget. Thankfully I have you ALWAYS there to remind me. Best wishes and many thanks always dear friend. BTW...use a Spoon!

[Michael-Makes-Stuff]

Great video, JB! As for "To drain or not to drain...", my snowblower sits in an uninsulated garage all summer with hot and humid air. My tools rust like crazy in the garage unless I keep them coated with some kind of fluid film. Way back in the day a really good local small engine mechanic told me if it has a plastic gas tank, drain it; if it has a metal gas tank, keep it full." He said metal tanks can rust or flake off inside because of the humid air so keep them full. I got my Ariens 24 Compact in 2011. I only use ethanol free gas and every summer I fill it with E0 and Stabil. I haven't had any issues with it starting since. (I heard TruFuel works also.) With that said, do you think climate makes a difference? I would rather drain all the fuel but I don't want to get rust in my fuel tank. Also, I once heard some gas will help keep gaskets wet so they don't dry out. Not sure if that matters or not. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Thanks for all the tips! Most of these I never thought of so this video will be very helpful. 👍🏼

[mattbannon]

Great video I don’t do the top dead center but I am going to now thanks for the tip… I do place blocks under my belly pan which lift my tires off of the ground maybe a 1/4 inch that takes the load off of my tires for the summer

[sl]

Good video. After checking the spark plug, I loosely thread it in a couple of threads and remove it monthly to squirt in some fogging oil. I yank the pull cord several times to distribute the oil on the cylinder wall to prevent rusting. I also put antiseize on the oil drain cap to prevent rusting.

[delbert]

Just went out and started everything. Zero turn gas with Stabil since October started right up. Weedeater gas with Stabil since October started right up. Dumped the fuel out of weedeater and put in gas I mixed in June with no Stabil started right up ran great. Started my 1975 Simplicity riding mower that is retired and sits outside gas is a year old with no additives. Started right up. I must have good luck or good fuel or a ghost. Love you JB!! Keep grindin those gears my friend!!

[delbert]

One other thing you can do in the summer or winter. In the winter on a decent day go start your mower and let it run. Same with your snowblower in the summer go start it and let run. Same with your car you don't drive all the time start it and let it run. If that grinds your gears go watch JB. Great video my man we love you!!

[YardworkWithJohn]

I'm so annoyed that we got essentially no snow up in Boston for the second Winter in a row! My machine is full of gas thats been sitting for a while now. Now I have to drain it out, such a pain! And its FULL because there was a big storm coming and the day before it just disappeared.

[garryr]

It was a weird winter. I bought a new blower for this winter. Followed your new machine prep video and did a break in oil change. I don't think I used it enough to get to the 5 hour oil change. Will give it an after season oil change and drain the gas as per your videos. And I use a spoon.

[apexiumim]

Rustproof course is awesome, lots of tips/tricks etc. step 1… get cardboard!!! Only used my new snowblower 3 times this season…. what an absolute easy winter. I’ll follow the course again to a T as I run a trail to my chicken coup and sometimes a little dirt gets thrown. Gotta make sure all creeks n crevices are clean n clear. Definitely will empty gas, and I’ll leave the tank open and in the sun to evaporate any remaining gas left in the tank.

Great vid JB!!

[giuseppecasara]

Great explanations and great video as usual JB.
I drain all the petrol out (as you you suggest) and forget the troubles....I've been following your professional advises for years with no troubles at all.
Thank you so much once again from Giuseppe

[danstarcevich]

Thanks! I have used these videos a lot. But I have a problem not addressed. I have craftsman 24 inch snowblower. The shift cable handle has become detached. I am not sure how to align everything, reattach it and make sure the tension is properly adjusted. Can you help with that sometime? TIA

[jayrichman]

Good morning! Big fan of yours! This year, for the first time ever, I am going to try what you like to do, which is to drain the fuel from my snowblowers. Here in northern Wisconsin, we've had very little snow, and I didn't even need to use my '21 Ariens Deluxe 28. I used my '73 Ariens 7/24 and a '22 Toro 518 ZE only. The fuel in these and my other blowers, which I occasionally use and keep just for the heck of it, have months old gas in their tanks. So, a question I have is, after I drain their fuel tanks, and I intend to put the old gas in my '11 Pilot, should I somehow spray some kind of rust inhibitor inside the steel tanks I have? The plastic tanks of course will not rust, but since I will be draining my newer Ariens and a couple others with steel tanks and keeping them dry for months, I don't know what to expect. If you have addressed this on one of your videos, I have not seen it. Thank you, and keep up the great and informative videos.

[Stevie]

JB- I went to drain my gas out of the drain bolt but I noticed that there was still some gas in the tank. I pressed the primer a few times and tried to tip my 920029 Arlene’s compact 24 towards the carb side and shake it a bit but I couldn’t get it completely 100 empty. I also used home depot power card 4 cycle ethanol free gas’s for the 1st time she is surging in run🤷🏻‍♂️. Removed the carb bowl, super clean. Runs fine when half choked . Should I try my regular 87 treated fuel ? She ran fine before I put the caned gas lol . Also side note, found a random bolt and washer in my belly pan, tho let than the ones that hold on the cover to the pan .. when I opened her up to grease and clean the pan.
Can’t figure out where she came
From . Any ideas ?
As always, appreciate you

[jerryq]

Good info. I've been the guy that tops off the tank to prevent condensation. I use Marine Sta-Bil year round in every small engine I have.... This year, I'm draining the tank. Do you recommend fogging the cylinder as well - like I do with my outboard?

[spartanj]

I use only classic gas.
I once stored a blower w/o gas, filled it up and had rust floating,
after the first season.
For yrs now I store the tank full, in fall I drain it burn it in my car .one year I did everything else right but forgot to drain the gas it started and ran good. That's all

[IrishOhionan]

My only nit is last spring, I completely drained my brand new Ariens snowblower gas using the carb method shown.When I went to fill it and run it, the carb leaked gas...badly. The shop said the gasket dried out because it sat all summer with no fuel to at least keep the gasket pliable.

[cwcole]

Thanks for the tips. I use non-ethanol gasoline and Star Tron in all our small engines. Anyone else use Start Tron and have an opinion? I added a fuel shut-off valve to the snow blower and use that as a drain point. I'm not aware of a fuel drain plug on our Cub Cadet 2X 528 SWE. I'll have to look for that and report back. "Garage Geezer" 😆😆

[scottyscave]

If you use ethanol free Tru-Fuel…you’re good to go no problems. I live in northern Canada, it’s all I use on a 5 year old snowblower and lawn tractor…no stabil ever. Starts every time, first pull…first crank. No brainer.