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Toro CCR 3650 Maintenance

14K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  LouC  
#1 ·
Hello all.

Over the weekend I ran into a good deal on the CCR 3650 on Craigslist. The guy was asking $200 and I ended up taking it home for $150. He had a Lawn Company and was going out of business and liquidating his equipment...so I am very happy with the purchase.

The first thing I did was replace the paddles and scraper bar. Both were in bad shape. I then tested the machine with the few inches of snow we have on the driveway and it performed great!

I am a computer guy and know little to nothing about engines and machinery. All my knowledge comes from watching How-To YouTube videos. What are some things that I should check, clean, whatever to keep my new snowblower in pristine running condition?

I am sure this blower got a lot of use, so I want to do all I can to make it last a long time. It does start very easily with just one or two pulls.

Thanks for your feedback!
Troy
 
#2 · (Edited)
Welcome to the Toro single stage world. Some of the other things to check and think about replacing are the belt, spark plug and fuel filter. Use good gas (ethanol free if you can find it) with fuel stabilizer and if a rtek 2cycle engine a good oil to mix with the fuel (some include fuel stabilizers). Note 4 cycle engines don't mix oil with the fuel but check the engine oil level and change with recommended oil when needed. I also like to spray any bolts and nuts with wd40 anytime I take them off so they don't rust so easy. Some people coat the metal behind the paddles and chute with wd40 or fluid film to keep snow from sticking and rust away (paint probably will get scratched rubbed off).

Also though replaced routinely check the paddles and scraper bar because they can wear and cause the blower to scrap metal on the ground.
 
#4 ·
:welcome: spaceace414
The guys have pretty much covered everything. If I had to change the paddles and scraper I'd definitely check the belt, under the left side cover as William pointed out. They're a good machine. I had one and wish I'd never gotten rid of it.
Those paddle bolts are a load of fun to reinstall aren't they?
 
#6 ·
:welcome: spaceace414

Thkse paddle bolts are a load of fun to reinstall aren't they?
Ha, your not kidding about that! The one on the left side was just ridiculous, but I did it and saved $40 labor from the local small engine place!

Thanks for all the input guys. I will check the belt soon. It is a 2 cycle engine which I love since I don't have to worry about changing oil.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Yes definitely check the belt, a year or two ago I checked my belt and I was shocked the blower was even moving snow at all because a ton of belt material had scraped off the belt grooves and was just sitting in the belt area, I quickly replaced with a Toro genuine belt, checked this year and belt looks great.

I find when buying for belt, scraper, and paddles that Toro genuine parts seem to last longer and fit better than other brands.
 
#7 ·
You should run the model number and serial range on toro.com, click parts and manuals, then select your serial. Will give you the year and and schematics. If it has the plastic carb, may want to start saving for the metal replacement one. Depending on the year and serial they were part of a recall for leaking gas tanks. They are a sweet blower, I still look for them on CL but they're either beat to death or priced like museum pieces around me.
 
#9 ·
You should run the model number and serial range on toro.com, click parts and manuals, then select your serial. Will give you the year and and schematics. If it has the plastic carb, may want to start saving for the metal replacement one. Depending on the year and serial they were part of a recall for leaking gas tanks. They are a sweet blower, I still look for them on CL but they're either beat to death or priced like museum pieces around me.
you can also download an owners manual free on the toro website
 
#11 ·
Toro has always specified a TCW-III 2 stroke oil in their manuals, but you can use the more common 2 stroke oil used for air cooled engines. I researched this a bit and found out that the reason why Toro recommended this oil (TCW-III) which is most commonly used in water cooled 2 strokes, is because their snow blower engines run slower than most air cooled 2 strokes and cooler as well. The TCW-III oil will result in less deposits in the cyl, around the rings etc. I use Pennzoil Marine Full Synthetic TWC-III in the Toro. A gallon of this will probably last me 20 years lol. Very high quality oil. The more commonly found air cooled 2 stroke oil (Echo semi syn is a good choice) will work fine too but smoke a bit more.