Gas Snowblower: How do I tune up my snowblower?

Tuning up your snowblower ahead of winter is always essential to efficient, trouble-free snow clearing all season long. Thorough maintenance and adjustment of your machine will keep it working smoothly in the harshest winter conditions.

Follow these guidelines for conducting a complete snowblower tune up of the engine and snow-clearing components.

Start by clearing fluids from the engine

Draining gas and oil from the engine will allow you to tip the snowblower over to perform thorough maintenance of auger and ground drive components later in the tune up.

Drain the gasoline from the fuel tank

Move your snowblower to a well-ventilated area and drain fuel from the gas tank.

Leave the tank empty for now as you complete the rest of the tune-up.

Once you finish the tune-up, filling the fuel tank with fresh gasoline will help your snowblower run efficiently and smoothly.

Drain oil from the engine

Leaving oil in the engine as you tip the snowblower over will cause engine to enter the cylinder.

Drain the oil and don’t refill it for now. You’ll refill the engine with oil as one of the last steps in the tune-up.

Replace the fuel filter

Most snowblower engine manufacturers recommend replacing the fuel filter at the beginning of every snow season. The engine will run smoothly and efficiently when gasoline flows freely through a fresh fuel filter.

Replacing the fuel filter is an advanced repair in some snowblower engines. Follow the steps in our Replacing the Fuel Filter on a Snowblower YouTube video to replace the fuel filter in a snowblower when the fuel filter is behind the engine shroud.

Check the fuel line

Harsh winter conditions can cause the fuel line to crack. A crack in the fuel line can cause the carburetor to suck in air instead of gasoline through the fuel line. The engine won’t start or it won’t run properly when the fuel line is cracked.

Thoroughly check the fuel line and replace it if you find cracks or damage.

Our DIY YouTube video Replacing a Snowblower Fuel Filter provides easy-to-follow steps the replacing the fuel filter in common snowblowers and snow throwers.

Replace the spark plug

A fresh sparkplug will provide dependable ignition for the engine cylinder. Pull the sparkplug and replace it with a new one. Be sure that you set the gap on the new spark plug to the right specification when installing it.

Follow the easy step-by-step DIY instructions in our How to Replace the Snowblower Spark Plug Repair Guide to properly install a new spark plug in your snowblower.

Inflate the tires

Check tire pressure and inflate both tires to the pressure recommended in your owner’s manual. Inflating the tires to the same pressure will help you accurate set the skid shoe height in the next maintenance step.

Adjust the skid shoes

Skid shoes attach to the side of the auger housing. The hard plastic skid shoes elevate the auger housing and scraper blade so they clear the ground, protecting them from wear and damage. The skid shoes slide along the ground so the snowblower moves smoothly.

The plastic skid shoes are designed to intentionally wear down as you use the snowblower. Adjust the skid shoes so the shave plate and sides of the auger housing stay about ¼-inch above the pavement or concrete surface. Our DIY YouTube video How to Adjust the Snowblower Skid Shoes shows how to properly set skid shoe height using a sheet of cardboard.

Lubricate the snow throwing components

Now it’s time to lubricate all of the parts that throw the snow.

Lubricate the auger shaft

Remove all the shear pins on the auger shaft. Spray a light coating of silicone lubricant inside the shaft and around the spacers and flange bearings.

Inspect the shear pins for wear or damage and replace them if necessary. Reinstall the shear pins and secure them with the cotter pins.

Lubricating the auger shaft will keep the auger from seizing up in the dead of winter.

Spray the auger housing and snow chute with SNOW-JET

SNOW-JET is a surface lubricant that keeps snow from sticking to auger housing and snow chute surfaces. You won’t have to worry about clearing clumps of snow from the auger housing and chute when you use SNOW-JET.

Grease the axle

Follow these steps to grease the axle:

1. Carefully tilt the snowblower on its nose. (This is why you emptied fluids from the engine.)

2. Using a socket wrench, remove one of the ground drive wheels.

3. Clean and coat the axle with multi-purpose automotive grease to keep it from rusting up.

4. Reinstall the wheel and secure it back on the axle.

5. Repeat the process on the other wheel.

Lubricate the hex drive shaft

You should coat the hex drive shaft with oil at least once per season or after every 25 hours of snowblower operation. Follow the steps in our YouTube DIY video How to Lubricate a Snow Blower Drive Hex Shaft to access and coat the shaft with oil.

1. Remove the lower frame cover from the underside of the snowblower.

2. Using a soft cloth, apply a coat of engine oil or 3-in-1 oil to the hex drive shaft. Be careful not to get oil on the aluminum drive plate or friction wheel. Oil on those components can cause ground drive problems.

3. Wipe off any excess or spilled oil from the shaft and surrounding area.

4. Reinstall the lower frame cover.

Lubricate the auger and drive controls

Tilt the snowblower upright and clean off any dust and dirt from the auger control and drive control pivots on the control panel. Spray the pivots with silicone spray to lubricate them and help prevent corrosion.

Next, clean and spray the auger cable bracket at the bottom of the snowblower. This will help the auger controls work smoothly.

Refill engine fluids

Now that you’ve finished all maintenance steps, you can fill the engine with oil and fill the fuel tank with fresh gasoline.

Test and adjust auger and drive controls

Take your snowblower outside and test out both handles under normal operation. If either handle control doesn’t work properly, you’ll need to adjust its cable.

• If the augers spin with the auger control disengaged, follow the steps in our How to adjust a snowblower auger control video to adjust it.

• If the snowblower creeps forward with the drive handle disengaged, watch this video to learn how to adjust the drive control: How to Adjust the Snowblower Drive Control.

With your snowblower tuned up and adjusted properly, you’re now ready for a trouble-free season of clearing snow. Enjoy the peace of mind that your snowblower is in top shape for the winter.