# New owner of 826LE: sitting in garage for 10+ years, looking to revive it!



## 204Noob (Oct 28, 2020)

Hi all, I'm new here. We came into possession of a snowblower than has been sitting in someone's garage for 10+ years. I've read some great posts about maintenance. I just wanted to double check if there's any recommendations on what I should do before trying to start this up for the first time in forever.

So far:

I've drained the engine oil. This was a mess because the cap couldn't come off and I just unscrewed the entire pipe off - this was expected (mess) and unexpected (how large of a mess) so I had to buy some engine oil cleaner - my poor garage now reeks of oil. I'm going to get a vice later to try to hold the pipe in place while I try to unscrew the cap.
I've also removed the spark plug but plan to just replace with the E3 10.
I've taken a look at the belt and it's intact, doesn't look too loose I'm able to pull it with my finger and it returns to its position. I'm not sure if I should be concerned with the state of the belt, it looks fine except some rust(?).

So here are my upcoming steps and questions:

replace spark plug
add oil (is there anything I should add given it has been sitting for so long or is the recommended SAE 5W30 good enough)
add gas (I expect that the gas has evaporated given how long it has been sitting, opening the gas cap shows that it is empty).
Try to start it up and see what happens.
Any critiques? 

Thanks!


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

HI welcome to the site.
The belt is rusty?


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

5w30 is what I use, a lot go with synthetic oil.
I would take the tank off and rinse out the inside.
Might be spiders in there? Metal tank? I would look inside for signs of rust.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Welcime to SBF 204Noob

Just my personal preference, don't waste your money on the E3 spark plug. I've tried them and I've never found any advantage. In small engines they actually seemed to be poorer performing than just a standard Chanpion or NGK.
I do like to waste my money on synthetic oil as I do believe it makes the engine easier to pull over when it's well below zero. I run a Mobil 1, 0-40 I get at Walmart. I don't have my blower near an outlet  The older I get the more I like the option of electric start.
I would use a measured amount of Lucas Fuel Injector Cleaner with your fuel to help clean out any gunk (after you've rinsed it out). You can also use Sea Foam but I've had better luck with the Lucas. You can always toss the excess into your car.
The belt might show some signs of rust from sitting against the pulleys. The rust would come from the pulleys.
Pull the carb bowl and clean it out.
Put a drop or two of oil on anything that rotates or moves.
Make sure you can take the wheels off. Nice thing to do yearly as once they seize on the shaft you're screwed if you get a flat or need to remove that axle for a failure in the wheel drive system.
I'd tip it up in the service position and pull the belly pan and check the chains, lube if necessary and also the hex shaft the friction wheel slides on. Might need to be cleaned and very lightly oiled/greased. (in video)
In the video they talk about using anti-seize. I love the stuff on bolts and nuts but on shafts and more loose fitting parts I'd stick with grease. If you don't have any I'd buy marine grease as it stands up to water better. I use Mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease as it's what I have on hand and use in my bearing packer.
Don't forget to check the grease/oil in that auger gearbox.


.


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## 204Noob (Oct 28, 2020)

Big Ed said:


> 5w30 is what I use, a lot go with synthetic oil.
> I would take the tank off and rinse out the inside.
> Might be spiders in there? Metal tank? I would look inside for signs of rust.


I'll venture to understand how to take the tank off and rinse. Thanks for the advice. Yea, I couldn't tell how the belt appeared to be rusty, but as Kiss4aFrog mentioned, maybe it's from the pulley.

Thanks for your time!


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## 204Noob (Oct 28, 2020)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Welcime to SBF 204Noob
> 
> Just my personal preference, don't waste your money on the E3 spark plug. I've tried them and I've never found any advantage. In small engines they actually seemed to be poorer performing than just a standard Chanpion or NGK.
> I do like to waste my money on synthetic oil as I do believe it makes the engine easier to pull over when it's well below zero. I run a Mobil 1, 0-40 I get at Walmart. I don't have my blower near an outlet  The older I get the more I like the option of electric start.
> ...



Thanks for the specific product recommendations.

on the E3, it was the only one I could found with a quick google search (I live in Winnipeg, Canada) that was in a retail store. I'll see if they sell Champion (it is the one I pulled out)

Because I'm a noob, just to be clear, your recommendation is:

clean out the tank (as suggested by Big Ed)
clean the carb bowl
any suggestion for oil to add to anything that moves?
take wheels off
check chains/belly pan (buy mobil 1 synthetic wheel bearing grease or similar)
get the Mobiil 1, 0w-40 instead of the SAE 5W30? I don't need to add anything else to the engine oil
buy and add the lucas fuel injector to the gasoline jerry can before adding to the gas tank
start and hope it runs 
Thanks for your time!


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I would clean the whole carb out, all of it.
Sometimes metal tanks that are empty form rust inside.
Plastic tank? Look for cracks.
Metal? I would fill it up with evaporust (or your choice of a rust remover) and let it sit for a few days, good stuff you can use it over and over.




https://www.walmart.com/ip/Evapo-Rust-The-Original-Super-Safe-Rust-Remover-Water-Based-Non-Toxic-Biodegradable-1-Gallon/48810395?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&&adid=22222222227037674623&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=80431885129&wl4=aud-430887228898:pla-177671625409&wl5=9003530&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=48810395&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiZG-xdvX7AIVTMDICh3amg2NEAQYASABEgIus_D_BwE


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

welcome to SBF.
only thing i would do different is fire it up on good old 5w30 dyno oil, run for a while to see how it runs and get it hot change to a full syntech oil, only reason is to flush it out and not waste a bottle of good oil doing so 
other wise good luck enjoy the site and the helpful members


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Have you already checked to see if you have spark ? If so they the only likely problem you might run into is the carb. I would pull the bowl and see how it looks to determine if you want to go further like pulling the carb to clean or replace. I also don't know if you have the time, tools and talent to rebuild ? I would hope that cleaning out the tank and bowl, fresh gas and you might be good to go. The problem with taking off the bowl is being really careful not to tear the gasket so you can reinstall it. 

5/30 is fine, dino, semi syn, full syn anything you have in your garage would likely work I just prefer synthetic as I've found it's easier to pull start the colder it gets. Since most of the engines I have use less than a quart per change I figure the couple dollars the syn quart costs really doesn't amount to much. For most people we're only talking about one snowblower so what's $3?. I actually buy the big bottle as I use it in my riders too. My only exception is straight weight 30 or 40 in the tillers as they only run in warmer weather. Starting a conversation of oil will be like an avalanche. There is a whole forum dedicated to oil stuff. - - > Bob Is The Oil Guy
Depending on what the oil you drained out looked like doing a flush as stated above isn't a bad idea just not sure it's necessary. After all there are guys out there that rarely check if they have any oil in the engine 
much less change it and then there is the new notion of not even needing to change it as stated by Briggs & Stratton - - > https://www.sepw.com/blog/briggs-stratton-exi-engine-no-oil-change/
Heck, I even change the "lifetime" fluid in my supposedly unchangeable rider transmissions since after a couple years it looks like crap. I don't know if they'll last longer but I believe they'll have a longer lifetime with it getting changed than without.


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## 204Noob (Oct 28, 2020)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Have you already checked to see if you have spark ? If so they the only likely problem you might run into is the carb. I would pull the bowl and see how it looks to determine if you want to go further like pulling the carb to clean or replace. I also don't know if you have the time, tools and talent to rebuild ? I would hope that cleaning out the tank and bowl, fresh gas and you might be good to go. The problem with taking off the bowl is being really careful not to tear the gasket so you can reinstall it.
> 
> 5/30 is fine, dino, semi syn, full syn anything you have in your garage would likely work I just prefer synthetic as I've found it's easier to pull start the colder it gets. Since most of the engines I have use less than a quart per change I figure the couple dollars the syn quart costs really doesn't amount to much. For most people we're only talking about one snowblower so what's $3?. I actually buy the big bottle as I use it in my riders too. My only exception is straight weight 30 or 40 in the tillers as they only run in warmer weather. Starting a conversation of oil will be like an avalanche. There is a whole forum dedicated to oil stuff. - - > Bob Is The Oil Guy
> Depending on what the oil you drained out looked like doing a flush as stated above isn't a bad idea just not sure it's necessary. After all there are guys out there that rarely check if they have any oil in the engine
> ...


Yeah - most definitely I don't know have the know how to rebuild. I'm going off youtube videos and the manuals provided. I've got a decent ratchet wrench set.

How would I check to make sure it works and I can deal with maintenance afterwards? If I check for a spark and it's good, do you think I can fill with oil and gas and at least attempt to start it? If there's any issues, I'll report back and look into it. I was nervous because I don't want to start it without doing some work, but nervous I'm doing work on a lemon. Hope that makes sense.


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## Shovel (Mar 26, 2019)

To add.
I would squirt a couple spoons of thin engine oil down the spark plug hole..pull it over a few times.
Check for critter nests in the exhaust.


Sent from my LM-Q710.FG using Tapatalk


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

I wouldn't open the carb without having a carb kit on hand. The gaskets won't be pliable anymore and they will likely leak if reused. Bite the bullet and get the correct kit beforehand.


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## 204Noob (Oct 28, 2020)

an update:
I cleaned out the carb float bowl as I wasn't able to take it apart (one of the screws holding the carb I couldn't get out).

So this is what I did:

added Shell 91 octane gas with lucas fuel injector cleaner
added castro SAE 5W30 oil (probably not the brand most would use but I wanted to get it started and perhaps change it down the line).
changed to a new champion RJ19LM sparkplug
I started it and it worked! I didn't let it run for very long because I just wanted to make sure it ran.

Here is what I am thinking next:

open the belly pan and clean the chains and gears. I noticed where I first opened it, the gears looked to have some thick grease build up, so I'll venture to clean that all up
start the engine again and let it run for 5-10 minutes, I wasn't sure what I should be 'listening' for but I've found some videos on surging so I'll try to listen for that.
My tire is rusted to the axle. I was not able to move one of the lock pins (I was able to unlock the pin on the left tire but couldn't pull it out). I tried spraying some PB blaster and left overnight. Hopefully I'll be able to find a way to loosen it up!
Thanks all for help and happy to take criticism!


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

Where are all the pics!


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## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

Grease is a gear or chains best friend. Just so long as it is not being flung onto the drive disk/wheel you really don't need to be too neat.


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

nothing wrong with castrol it is one of the better brands it's the oem brand used in Audi , Porsche vw, bmw,and MB


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## 204Noob (Oct 28, 2020)

So I went into the access panel and took some pictures and did some cleaning. Here's the before









Here's the belt. Looked loose but some other videos I've seen seem to show it is just as loose.









There were some grease clumps on the gear but someone said grease is fine, so I didn't clean this up. i did add some white lithium grease 
















Greased the axle as per the maintenance video









There was some oil on the friction plate so I ventured to clean this up.

















This morning I tried to clean the carb, taking it apart. Looks like there's some sediment in the carb, the washer for the nut is completely done. I also couldn't get the needle out to take the float off. I'm thinking of buying a new carb. I'm still glad I took this apart as it forced me to understand how it works. Here's what I'm thinking of getting - are there other suggestions: Amazon.ca link

Here's some pictures of the carb after I opened it.























However, when I tried to start it up just now, it wouldn't start. I loaded a video to youtube since I can't here (or don't know how to!) 




It did start yesterday though, but I noticed it was surging (I think) and running lean (I saw a spark come out of exhaust), and wouldn't run idle so I thought it maybe it was the carb. of course I screw that up! Here's the youtube video of that: 




Thanks for your help


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