# How To Get a ARIENS Snow Thrower To Run Stronger /Faster



## Iron horse (Feb 9, 2015)

I got a new Ariens at Homedepot two years ago. And after using it 3 or 4 times I was unhappy with the slow or low RPMs . So I took it to the dealer while still under warranty. And showed them the problem. They told me that because of the EPA there are no carborator adjustments they can make for me .
So this winter came and I had to do something because it was having to much of a hard time with the heavy wet snow . So after checking spark plug and valve gaps , pulleys and belts . I had a brain storm for this SIMPLE FIX .

All I had to do was file to right side of the throttle slot open a little more , a good 1/8 " with a small round file . To get the throttle arm / lever to travel a little more to the right which gave the motor more gas . This gave the snow thrower about 100 more RPMs 

Even though this is a unauthorized repair it DID WORK GREAT !
So what is the throttle slot , it's the square hole that the throttle lever moves in from slow / turtle to fast/ rabbit the hole job should take no more then 3 mins to do. I hope someone make this a sticky because it should work with all snow throwers !


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Welcome to SBF Iron horse!

What machine (engine & blower) did you modify?


----------



## AandPDan (Nov 18, 2014)

I think the dealer blew you off.

It should be a simple governor adjustment, not a carburetor adjustment.


----------



## Iron horse (Feb 9, 2015)

classiccat said:


> Welcome to SBF Iron horse!
> 
> What machine (engine & blower) did you modify?


It was a Ariens Deluxe 28" mod # 921022 with the 255 cc 11.5 gross torque motor with elec start .


----------



## Iron horse (Feb 9, 2015)

AandPDan said:


> I think the dealer blew you off.
> 
> It should be a simple governor adjustment, not a carburetor adjustment.


My fix didn't need to be for the governor or the carborator . All I did was gave the carb more gas by increasing the spand of the throttle.


----------



## AandPDan (Nov 18, 2014)

The governor works by balancing spring tension with the flyweight in the crankcase.

Increase the spring tension and the throttle will open further for given movement of the throttle. No need to increase the span.

On many small engines the spring tension is adjustable by bending a tab.


----------



## Iron horse (Feb 9, 2015)

AandPDan said:


> The governor works by balancing spring tension with the flyweight in the crankcase.
> 
> Increase the spring tension and the throttle will open further for given movement of the throttle. No need to increase the span.
> 
> On many small engines the spring tension is adjustable by bending a tab.


I don't quite understand what your saying. I though the governor keep the crank from going over speed.


----------



## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

Iron horse said:


> I don't quite understand what your saying. I though the governor keep the crank from going over speed.


And it should stay way if you don't want problems. Just saying


----------



## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

All I had to do was file to right side of the throttle slot open a little more said:


> Do you have a tach to have seen before and after?


----------



## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

AandPDan said:


> I think the dealer blew you off.
> 
> It should be a simple governor adjustment, not a carburetor adjustment.


I have to agree with this statement. They should have put a tach on it and verified the high speed RPM's. And they can adjust it, just not the mixture.


----------



## Pathfinder13 (Feb 28, 2014)

I would advise buying 14 dollar tach/hr meter like the one on amazon and installing it, just to be sure you are not beyond the high rpm for that engine. And if you are still way below for some reason you will be able to adjust higher but more important you can back itoff if you need to.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

probably got blown off by the dealer because his machine was purchased at home depot


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Iron horse said:


> I don't quite understand what your saying. I though the governor keep the crank from going over speed.


 When your throttle lever is in the "fast position", the governor's purpose in life is to sense when the crank/cam slowing down (_like when hitting a load_) and open the carb throttle butterfly the appropriate amount in an attempt to get back to normal operating Revs; in otherwords, try to maintain constant RPM. (_not prevent you from going too "fast")._

The governor spring tension & governor arm setting are what determine your normal operating RPMs. 

Extreme caution (i.e. with a tachometer) should be taken whenever you tweak anything relating to the governor.

+1 on getting a tach...simple inductive tachs wrap around the plug wire...very easy to install. We don't mean to pile-on...want just don't want to see you grenade your engine!


----------



## Ray 1962 10ML60 (Oct 14, 2011)

Ditto to what classicat said. He nailed it...you playing with fire by jacking the rpms without a tach.


----------



## time2time (Jan 8, 2015)

*Automotive dwell tach*



Normex said:


> Do you have a tach to have seen before and after?


Won't say off topic (more like tangent)..

I was thinking it would be nice to have a tach for work on my blowers. I think i might have an old automotive dwell tach buried somewhere, but my blowers are 2 stroke. Was wondering if the tach i have would work.. Did some googling and found the following:

"The arithmetic is not too difficult. If the gauge "thinks" it is monitoring a 4-cylinder 4-stroke engine it counts the number of discharges per minute, divides by two, and displays the answer as the RPM. If, in fact, it is monitoring a single-cylinder 2-stroke engine, then it ought not to have divided by two. So, when a tachometer set to "4-cylinder 4-stroke" is fitted to a single-cylinder 2-stroke engine, the reading displayed is half the true RPM, e.g. 600 RPM displayed on the gauge corresponds to 1200 RPM on the engine."​
Anyone have any experience using an automotive dwell tach on 2 cycles? If it is not worth digging it out, better to know before i spend time hunting for it..


----------



## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

Sendec make a nice little tach. I picked one up on Ebay for around $35


----------



## Iron horse (Feb 9, 2015)

Pathfinder13 said:


> I would advise buying 14 dollar tach/hr meter like the one on amazon and installing it, just to be sure you are not beyond the high rpm for that engine. And if you are still way below for some reason you will be able to adjust higher but more important you can back itoff if you need to.


So at what RPMs should it be running at ? I'm thinking 1700 to 2000 at full throttle. And thanks for the tip ,it sounds like a very good tool to have .


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Iron horse said:


> So at what RPMs should it be running at ? I'm thinking 1700 to 2000 at full throttle. And thanks for the tip ,it sounds like a very good tool to have .


Most small 4 stroke engines like these are around 2200 at idle and 3600 at full throttle.


----------



## Iron horse (Feb 9, 2015)

detdrbuzzard said:


> probably got blown off by the dealer because his machine was purchased at home depot


Yes it was but the Ariens dealer delivered it to my house becuase I bought it online.


----------



## TheBeast (Feb 3, 2015)

If it's still under warranty, ninja mod it for more rpm (a lot more), enjoy the much more kick it will make until the rod decide that it have enough and ejects from the block, then take it it in for some warranty work regard your concern on no-start and there's oil all over the place.


----------



## Iron horse (Feb 9, 2015)

TheBeast said:


> If it's still under warranty, ninja mod it for more rpm (a lot more), enjoy the much more kick it will make until the rod decide that it have enough and ejects from the block, then take it it in for some warranty work regard your concern on no-start and there's oil all over the place.


Ninja mod it . I'm a harley guy 2004 Sportster1200C and a 2005 Deuce I don't do the run it to your rev limiter thing . Besides my ears can tell me when it's above a safe RPM range.  SA


----------

