Change the Engine Oil – Drain the oil into a oil bin and then dispose of it properly at a recycle location. Before you drain the oil, run the engine for a few minutes to warm up the oil. You find that it drains much more quickly and thoroughly if you do this. Add the recommended oil for your engine in the correct quantity. Check the level with the dip stick before and also after running the engine to ensure that the correct amount of oil has been installed.
Check the spark plug – Always take the plug out, check the gap after first giving it a good cleaning. If it is corroded etc, then replace it with a new one after you have set the proper gap.
Check the belts – The belts should be free of cracks, and wear and tear. Check that they are also properly tensioned as per your snowblowers manual.
Grease the Auger – The auger usually has 4 grease points. Give each at least two squeezes from your grease gun.
Grease the Wheel Axles – Remove the wheels and grease the axles and then place the wheels back on, taking care to put them back in exactly the same way. This may seem like a waste of time, however if you have a flat tire and need to remove the wheel, you will be glad you did this.
Check all of the electrical connections. Reconnect or tighten any that are needed.
Test All Moving Parts – Finally start up the engine, make sure it is running smoothly and test that the auger and impeller are working properly. Check all of the gear speeds to ensure that there is no other maintenance required.
That’s a pretty good check list to make sure that your snow blower will be ready for the season. There is still a chance that it might be hard to start in the cold weather, but at least you know that all of the major things have been addressed in your tuneup.
For more repair and maintenance information, click here.
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View Comments
I'm wondering if you can give me some tips. I have an older model Craftsman model C 459 52250, which came second hand. No manual. It looks much like the one in the photo above.
It ran great last season. We put did the routine maintenance, removed the gas and put it away for summer but lost the key. (metal key not plastic)
I was told I could simply connect the two wires to bypass the key. However, it looks like there is only one wire, attached to a small piece that was attached to the key hole. But without a manual I am not sure how it should work.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The housing for the key is grounded to the housing of the snow blower. Touching the wire to the housing should complete the connection. Having said this we strongly recommend that you find another key. This is a safety feature and should not be bypassed
Ernie:
Regarding the wire to the key that is a ground to turn off the snowblower for the above noted model unit, can you tell me where it is connected to the housing. My wire can off and I cannot for the life of me find where it connects to the housing. It is a spade connector about 1/4' long and a little less in width.
Thanks
Bob
I also have a craftsman snowblower, the image shows where the ground wires connect on the housing just below where the safety key is inserted. You can see the red safety key in the image in the upper right part of the picture. In this case, there are at least 3 green ground wires connected to the metal tab attached to the housing.