# Lubeing Ariens Deluxe 28 Drive System



## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

What type of grease should I use? I have white lithium in a spray can or Mobil one synthetic in a grease gun I can use. Does it matter what kind I use?

Or should I just leave whatever is on there. It appear to have lots of grease left on it.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

I'm still kind of confused where I need to put the oil and grease. 

It looks like whoever grease it before used some sort of green grease. Should I try to find some green stuff?


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

Is the rust on these parts concerning? And would you recommend I put anything on them to keen the rust in check? Fluid film?


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

Last question. This is from the axle. That piece of metal sits in a slot and lined up with a grove on the tire. Is it supposed to come off? The one on the opposite axle seems firmly in place.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Any kind of grease really. Something for low temperatures would be ideal so it doesn't gum up when it gets cold. Definitely don't put anything on the belt pulley though. The rest of those parts could use a light coat to prevent rust. You never want to grease belts, pulleys or friction disc plates though.

A lot of machines use different types of keys to hold parts from spinning on shafts. It is normal for them to fall out when the pieces are taken apart. They just sit in grooves.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

Shryp said:


> Any kind of grease really. Something for low temperatures would be ideal so it doesn't gum up when it gets cold. Definitely don't put anything on the belt pulley though. The rest of those parts could use a light coat to prevent rust. You never want to grease belts, pulleys or friction disc plates though.
> 
> A lot of machines use different types of keys to hold parts from spinning on shafts. It is normal for them to fall out when the pieces are taken apart. They just sit in grooves.


Okay I guess I am really over thinking the whole grease thing but I want the machine to last.. The mobil one says high temp grease not so sure about low temps.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Yea, the issue with grease is when it gets cold it turns to a thick paste. That is bad for the shifter because it will gum up and make it difficult to shift gears. The good news is even if you mess something up you can just wash if off and start over.


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## ICECOLDBEER (Nov 3, 2015)

Shryp said:


> Yea, the issue with grease is when it gets cold it turns to a thick paste. That is bad for the shifter because it will gum up and make it difficult to shift gears. The good news is even if you mess something up you can just wash if off and start over.


Yeah I just did it now. Used the mobil one and started her up. She ran just fine. How much grease is ideal? Does it need to be coated or just very light? I just coated it and then spun the axles and wiped off any excess. None got on the friction plate.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

It has to be a pretty light coat. If you get too much on there it will sling around when things start spinning.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

Mobil-1 grease is what i use, it does just fine in the cold. It is a synthetic grease. As for the light surface rust, I would not be too worried about it. Keep an eye on it over the years.


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## mastaboog749 (Jan 15, 2016)

That rust is nothing man, I really wish I got video of my newest snowblower when I first got it and used it. EVERYTHING WAS RUSTED, and guess what. Threw snow further than my other machines. Well Once I got a couple things unstuck. Sucks I throw batteries in my camera and dies after first pic. Wish I had a smart phone again but I break them so so so so much. Maybe hit up a cvs and try to find a cheapo today so I can get some project pics going. Steel Wool that little bit or sand it down. Or find some liquid stuff that wont strip the paint if you really want it gone.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I wouldn't worry about light surface rust either, if it were me. Be careful not to get things (rust treatments, oil, etc) on the functional surfaces of the belts or sheaves. Cleaning agents could also damage the rubber in the belts, depending on what you used. 

The type of rust that DOES cause trouble for me is rusted fasteners, not surprisingly. My current blower must have been stored outside for a while by the previous owner. Many fasteners have twisted off, despite using penetrating oil, etc. If I had a new/newish machine, I would consider removing easy-to-reach fasteners one at a time, applying anti-seize, and reinstalling them. It could help avoid a lot of grief down the road. 

For grease, I ended up buying snowmobile grease, I think mine might be synthetic. The argument was made that it's waterproof, and meant for use in cold conditions, so it shouldn't get too firm. That seemed pretty reasonable to me, and it's worked fine so far. 

I do try to clean off old grease first, if I can, since apparently mixing greases can be bad, and make it less effective if they're incompatible.


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