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Tips and tricks ....

4K views 21 replies 5 participants last post by  Oneacer 
#1 · (Edited)
Fwiw ....... Today, working on a snowblower, the auger was just a tad sloppy left and right ..... I did not really want to put a steel washer on each side, and did not have any plastic washers. So, I took a pvc conduit with the same ID as the auger shaft and cut off my own small spacer washer. Worked great.

Always good to have a selection of PVC, CVP, and other piping to quickly fabricate washers and spacers.

Also, always good to have artists brushes for paint scratch touch up, as well as to lubricate hard to reach areas or gears.

Also, always good to keep your empty gallon plastic milk jugs.. Makes it easy to transport waste oil to local station or recycle facility.

Also, always have sandwich zip bags for bag-n-tag nuts, bolts screws, etc. ... As well as masking tape to label.
 
#2 · (Edited)
O-rings are generally not a 'part number', they are a bulk standard item. So are nuts and bolts. Buy 'em that way and save 90%.

Edit: Goes for cotter pins too... saw an online outfit yesterday selling bog standard "part numbered" ones for $2.99ea.

Dude they're five cents in bulk... oi.


Keep the workshop fridge stocked with beer.
 
#4 ·
Whenever you have no room, and have to start a bolt with a socket, place a piece of masking tape in the socket, push in the nut, and carefully screw it in ... Just make sure not to cross thread it.

Also, every shop needs those cheap magnetic dishes ... They come in assorted sizes ... I like the 4 and 6 inch ones. They hold your screws, nuts, bolts, etc., Instead of losing them and wondering where they went.

Also, if you have a stripped out carriage bolt square hole, use a serrated washer over the carriage bolt, or even use an Allen carriage bolt ( Allen drive cap screw)

Oh, and never work on equipment on a lawn if you can avoid it ... You'll never find the dropped screw, pin, nut, etc. in the grass.
 
#5 ·
You can get 3 paint brushes for a dollar at the dollar store....good one time use. You can also get wire brushes, tape , zip ties , wd 40 type oil that works pretty good, funnels, oil collector pan

mandatory stuff

duct tape
wire
zip ties
super glue
thread locker
anti seize grease
all purpose grease
penetrating oils
sharpie
razor blades

tools i use everyday

locking pliers
needle nose plies
flashlight
clamps
spark tester

i also keep a snowblower bag in the truck with extra shear pins, starting fluid and various tools to be johnny on the spot for anyone having a blower problem in the neighborhood.

10mm sockets ( had to throw this in for levity.
 
#6 ·
Dollar store is good for a lot of items, especially plastic oil drain pans, little dust pans, etc., Etc...... Also Walmart.

By the way, clean a little brush real quick with a squirt of carb cleaner over your waste basket. Just make sure you are always wearing safety glasses when spraying carb cleaner.
 
#7 ·
Just be careful what the brush is made of, carb cleaner will melt some of 'em. Lacquer thinner always at hand, good for brushes and cleaning up many things.

Also: Super glue yep, the good stuff. Handy for tacking stuff up, and if you cut yourself you can dab some on and be back at it without a gooey band-aid flopping all over.
 
#8 ·
a good trick i have used without fail is to take a break if i run into a difficult situation. something like removing a difficult bolt or maybe a part that wont line up , or getting a carburetor dialed in correctly or a puzzling no start issue.

I take a break............and revisit in several hours, the next day , or work in the yard or something else.

It seems when I come back to the problem it is usually resolved quickly.
 
#10 ·
Ya walk away, lest you get frantic and do yourself an injury. And probably you'll only make the problem worse acting in haste.

Also don't try to use a C-60 tape when you need 40 minutes per side... oops... hey what forum is this anyway. They were next to each other on the rack I plead the fifth.
 
#11 ·
another trick is you-tube videos. probably have spent DOZENS of hours watching repair videos, finding the best tools, the best lubricants, penetrating oils, other shop materials.

I can learn a repair better watching a video than reading a shop manual but doing both gives you a better understanding.

I do almost all my home repairs, home upgrades, vehicle repairs , plus most of my snowblower repair education from You-Tube ( and Snowblowerforums.com )
 
#12 ·
If you're trying to install washers and a nut in an area difficult to see or reach, apply a light coat of grease so they stick to the surface and give you time to position the nut.

Never use an air or battery impact wrench to install a nylock nut at full speed. Likewise, don't use them at full blast to remove a rusty bolt or nut.

If you know you're going to be working on rusty hardware, apply a good coat of penetrating oil several hours in advance if possible. Even better, apply multiple treatments over several days. Liquid Wrench is my favorite store brand but a 50/50 mix of ATF and acetone is even better. I've managed to remove scraper bar carriage bolts that looked like a blob of rusty metal with patient applications over several days.

My best tip-- take lots of "before" photos with your cell phone. That's saved my bacon countless times, especially when I can't finish a repair task the same day.
 
#13 ·
When it comes to a snowblower......DON'T GO CHEAP!!

I have seen too many snowblowers where the owner tried ******* fixes, used cheap aftermarket carbs instead of OEM and just thinks duct tape and baling wire is all you need to keep er going.

Yes , many times these fixes can work in a pinch but when you really need your snowblower in a big dump it may let you down. WHY GAMBLE??? Do it RIGHT the first time or pay someone to do it right for you. You'll have Peace Of Mind that your snowblower will be ready when you need it.

edited Jeff Foxworthy's favorite word ( red****) is a forbidden word??? what is this world coming to?
 
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#14 ·
I have many machines runnning with the less expensive aftermarket carbs just great ... Even my new Cub Cadet has an aftermarket carb ... I never had one fail me yet. (Usually Amazon, or Ebay ) Corroded carburetors is propbably the number one reason for small machine failures. 12-18.00 for a new replacement works for me every time .. :)

Pegboard over your work bench is a must, and anywhere else is good if you have the room.

Slide a piece of 1 1/2 PVC pipe over a peg board hook and fill it with your zip ties for easy access.

Definatly want to have a hose reel mounted for your air hose.
 
#18 ·
I have many machines running with the less expensive aftermarket carbs just great ... Even my new Cub Cadet has an aftermarket carb ... I never had one fail me yet. (Usually Amazon, or Ebay ) Corroded carburetors is propbably the number one reason for small machine failures. 12-18.00 for a new replacement works for me every time .. :)

Pegboard over your work bench is a must, and anywhere else is good if you have the room.

Slide a piece of 1 1/2 PVC pipe over a peg board hook and fill it with your zip ties for easy access.

Definatly want to have a hose reel mounted for your air hose.
I agree that you can use cheap aftermarket carbs on your own equipment but I have built a couple dozen Honda's from the ground up and my reputation is at stake. Also when I repair someone's Honda I dont' need to gamble with a cheap carb that may come back needing tweaking or replacement after a couple years.

I have worked , cleaned , rebuilt a couple hundred Honda carbs that are 25-30 and even 40 years old that are good as new after a good cleaning. The casting of a aftermarket carb is poor , the parts are flimsy compared to OEM .

Happy they work for you. But not good enough for me.
 
#15 ·
Plus Juan on the air hose... got a 40' reel down in the Lair and also a tap upstairs... no reel there I just plug in what I need.

Air hose reel tip: It goes back in easier if you de-pressurize the hose before trying to feed it in there.

Also water separators ftw, and an oil feed for air tools. Keep the hose for oil dedicated.

A decent compressor setup has more good uses than you can shake a stick at. Well worth the investment imo.
 
#16 ·
@Yanmar,

Agreed ... I would also recommend at least a 30 gallon tank or above ( 60 gallon is the gold, but many don't have the room, electrical, or dollars for such a beast)... I have a 33 gallon in my shop, and another 20 gallon up in my garage for tires, blow gun, etc....
 
#17 ·
The Harbor Freight lift table sure makes projects a lot easier. Working on a small engine at eye level is so much easier on my creaky back and knees.
Also, look for inexpensive medical furniture to outfit your shop. I paid $10 for these adjustable doctor's stools which are far better than professional mechanics seats. Likewise, the medical crash cart at $40 is great for mobile tool storage.
Wood Wheel Automotive exterior Rolling Gas
Furniture Product Automotive tire Floor Office chair
 
#19 ·
Just a quick tip I thought I would mention, which I just came across again ......

If you ever have to replace a hexagon or round bushing, or even a bearing, into a flanged opening in the side of the body housing, and it is loose fitting, take a punch and tap the flange opening edges inward slightly. This will close up the opening slightly, enough to give the bushing/bearing a snug fit.
 
#20 ·
Tip for snowblower owners. Purchase or download your owners manual........worth their weight in gold. paper copies can sometimes be found on ebay.

Mechanics, restorers, hobbiests , side hustle snowblower people........invest in official shop manuals........also worth their weight in gold.
 
#21 ·
Was working on a cast iron gearbox and had a heck of a time keeping the worm gear key on the impeller shaft in place as the worm gear is sliding in place as the auger axle is introduced through the side ......

Solution: applied a little gel super glue to the key, put it in place and did a dry run with the impeller worm gear ..... then marked the worm gear for the keyway slot on the teeth .... kept the key in place and easily lined up the gear as I inserted the auger shaft. Just no space in a side cover cast gear box, but very well built.
 
#22 ·
Thought I would mention ..... when looking to replace a bushing, without beating the thing out of the body casing, just use a threaded rod or large bolt, couple washers, and a couple sockets, with one being just larger than the bushing, and the other being slightly smaller than the bushing ..... just run the rod through and tighten .... makes your own little portable press.
 
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