# HS928TAS Auger housing cocked?



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

My first post- been reading this forum and found some great info!

I've had my HS928TAS for 10 years and it's been as reliable as ****. I have a driveway that has a big hill and has slopes at different angles so I thought maybe my driveway was the cause of the catching and dragging that so many people have posted here about. I've carefully adjusted the rear skids and scraper bar many times.

However when I place my blower in my garage (level floor) I've noticed the one side of the auger/auger housing is definitely lower that the other when the tracks are level on the ground (in the mid/high auger position). So what happens is if I level the skids so that the auger has the same clearance from the ground, the tracks don't sit evenly… putting lots of weight (and drag) on the lower end. 

So I've compromised my adjustments a bit and adjusted the skids on the low side so I have the correct amount of auger clearance… but allowed for more clearance for the other side to help the tracks run smooth/flat on the ground. Correspondingly I have to lower the scraper bar quite a bit lower on the "higher" side. I'd say the difference is about 3/8" or so. Maybe not a huge amount but enough to cause problems.

Anyone else ever run into this situation? As far as I can tell the housing has no adjustments and I haven't removed it to try. Thanks!


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Oh and I just yesterday installed the Honda side skids due to recommendations on this forum and elsewhere! Haven't tried them yet. Should I remove the rear skids?  I've heard mixed feedback on that.


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Dave - It sounds like your scraper bar might not be level which is why you're having a tough time getting the skid shoes level with the scraper bar.


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Thanks Freezn. The first thing I try to adjust is the auger height. I make sure the scraper bar is high as it can be and out of the way till the last step. 

With the skids not touching on either side, with the scraper bar out of the way, the housing/auger on the right side is noticeably lower than the left with the blower/tracks level on the ground. It's like the auger/auger housing is rotated/indexed wrong on the blower frame or something. 

To get the min auger height on the right side, and for the tracks to ride relatively level the skid/scraper on the left side have to be dropped a bunch more than the left. I wish I could get pics to show this but hopefully I'm making sense.


----------



## RoyP (Oct 16, 2014)

What is the surface of your driveway...blacktop or stone/gravel ??


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

RoyP said:


> What is the surface of your driveway...blacktop or stone/gravel ??


It's blacktop.


----------



## RoyP (Oct 16, 2014)

I know exactly what your saying. I think my housing may be cocked also. Not uneven as your is, but tilted down, as if I had the height adj in the lowest position. I have to put mine in the highest position to keep tracks level with the driveway surface. But, the previous owner of my machine had a stone driveway and really pitted and chewed up the impeller housing. So much so that I think it has cocked the whole housing. But, I'm satisfied with the adj now. It is fine. Just need to put shoes on the housing instead of the shoes behind the housing.


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

RoyP said:


> I know exactly what your saying. I think my housing may be cocked also. Not uneven as your is, but tilted down, as if I had the height adj in the lowest position. I have to put mine in the highest position to keep tracks level with the driveway surface. But, the previous owner of my machine had a stone driveway and really pitted and chewed up the impeller housing. So much so that I think it has cocked the whole housing. But, I'm satisfied with the adj now. It is fine. Just need to put shoes on the housing instead of the shoes behind the housing.


Yeah mine was like this from the day I bought it. I thought it was just a common behavior on track drives (dragging, jumping). Unfortunately it makes it a little tricky to set up as the auger housing/auger aren't parallel so to speak with the tracks! If I set it up by spacing the auger/skids evenly then the tracks are "off" a bit.

The best thing I've figured, as I mentioned, is to adjust the skid on the "low" side to get me the correct clearance…. then adjust everything else so that the tracks are level and the scraper skids have the correct clearance from the ground. On the "high" side the skids/scraper are extended a bunch more so it moves smoothly. After 10 years I don't think going back to the dealer makes sense.


----------



## RoyP (Oct 16, 2014)

DaveS said:


> Yeah mine was like this from the day I bought it. I thought it was just a common behavior on track drives (dragging, jumping). Unfortunately it makes it a little tricky to set up as the auger housing/auger aren't parallel so to speak with the tracks! If I set it up by spacing the auger/skids evenly then the tracks are "off" a bit.
> 
> The best thing I've figured, as I mentioned, is to adjust the skid on the "low" side to get me the correct clearance…. then adjust everything else so that the tracks are level and the scraper skids have the correct clearance from the ground. On the "high" side the skids/scraper are extended a bunch more so it moves smoothly. After 10 years I don't think going back to the dealer makes sense.


Your machine was cocked from day 1 ??? I swear that somewhere, I don't remember where, I saw, read where Honda had some blower housing that were made wrong from the mfg, and those machines were available for a replacement housing from Honda. BUT, I can't find that literature anywhere, maybe it was a dream. Hope I'm not dreaming about my Honda. 

For me, to keep tracks flat on the ground. I have to put my machine in the high position, then lower the shoes and scraper bar to a nice height for clearance. I have done this, remove the scraper bar and the shoes, try to put the height at the middle position and the housing scraps very bad on the blacktop..more like a rototiller then a blower. this is without shoes or scraper bar,,,,,bare housing metal hitting the ground, of course this is unacceptable.


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Dave - Sorry I can't be of more help. I have a wheeled Honda, so I'm not too familiar with leveling the auger bucket and track height. Let me take a look at the shop manual and see if I can stumble across some useful info.


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

RoyP said:


> Your machine was cocked from day 1 ??? I swear that somewhere, I don't remember where, I saw, read where Honda had some blower housing that were made wrong from the mfg, and those machines were available for a replacement housing from Honda. BUT, I can't find that literature anywhere, maybe it was a dream. Hope I'm not dreaming about my Honda.
> 
> For me, to keep tracks flat on the ground. I have to put my machine in the high position, then lower the shoes and scraper bar to a nice height for clearance. I have done this, remove the scraper bar and the shoes, try to put the height at the middle position and the housing scraps very bad on the blacktop..more like a rototiller then a blower. this is without shoes or scraper bar,,,,,bare housing metal hitting the ground, of course this is unacceptable.


Wow… I'd love to know if Honda did have some kind of defective housings! I'll do more searching on this.

As far as the housing scraping- I can see that for sure. I'd expect that. What I would also expect is that if you set the machine in the high position- that the bottom of the housing should be close to parallel with the ground.  Hence when you set if up for the mid position the skids and scraper should be close to set up the same side to side. Mine isn't. 

I think I recall the dealer insisting my blower was set up correctly… at the time I just didn't know any better… and I was able to adjust it so it was mostly fine. Just bugs me still!


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Oh my… look what I found on another forum:

" My 1132 is about 3 years old. When I first got it, same issue you're having. Pull to the right. I called my local guy and he said, "Is it always to the right?" It turns out that there were several units made in which the entire housing was misaligned. Apparantly they weren't confirming the alignment when the two main pieces of the housing were coupled. (Honda states that this part was subcontracted.) This is a $1000 part. The dealer picked up the machine and installed a new housing under warranty…….
The key to noticing if this is your problem is that despite the fact you've setup the machine, per the manual, as you rock it forward from the highest position, take notice of which side of the housing contracts the ground first. If it's the right, by an inch or so, you've got a defective housing. Now, getting your dealer to honor this is another challenge."

Amazingly… it's the right side of mine that is the low side. Now what to do???


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

DaveS said:


> My first post- been reading this forum and found some great info!
> 
> I've had my HS928TAS for 10 years and it's been as reliable as ****. I have a driveway that has a big hill and has slopes at different angles so I thought maybe my driveway was the cause of the catching and dragging that so many people have posted here about. I've carefully adjusted the rear skids and scraper bar many times.
> 
> ...


Yes Honda did make a couple thousand auger housings that were twisted.
They were subcontracted out, built by another company.
I think they were made in Canada, I'm not sure.
I used to be a "Power Pro" technician for American Honda back in the 90's early 2000's.
I had noticed the problem with the 828 models and brought it to the attention of my district service representative. I went into extreme detail of the problem and what was the cause of it.
About 6 months later he got back to me about it, he took it up with the engineering department, and they realized the problem and had to make adjustments with the fabricating "jig" to align the parts correctly during assembly.
I also have a cocked auger housing on my 828 snowblower. I asked Honda if they would replace my housing since I worked at a Honda Power Equipment dealership at the time, and he told me that Honda would not replace my housing because my snowblower was out of warrenty. That upset me quite a bit because I was the technician who alerted them in much technical detail of the problem, and I also worked for a Honda dealership at the time.
Honda said "No" because of the cost of the part, if I had a newer snowblower, they would have made good on it.
Almost every model 2 stage snowblower model is subject to the cocked auger housing, but not every one has a bad housing.
Many were made with a bad part and many got through quality control and were shipped that way, until they realized the problem and made a "fix", meaning a non cocked housing.
It happens every year with many different products, not only Honda.
I hope this will be of some help to you.
I used to have the service bulletin about the problem back in the 90's, but I don't have it anymore.


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Yes Honda did make a couple thousand auger housings that were twisted.
They were subcontracted out, built by another company.
I think they were made in Canada, I'm not sure.
I used to be a "Power Pro" technician for American Honda back in the 90's early 2000's.
I had noticed the problem with the 828 models and brought it to the attention of my district service representative. I went into extreme detail of the problem and what was the cause of it.
About 6 months later he got back to me about it, he took it up with the engineering department, and they realized the problem and had to make adjustments with the fabricating "jig" to align the parts correctly during assembly.
I also have a cocked auger housing on my 828 snowblower. I asked Honda if they would replace my housing since I worked at a Honda Power Equipment dealership at the time, and he told me that Honda would not replace my housing because my snowblower was out of warrenty. That upset me quite a bit because I was the technician who alerted them in much technical detail of the problem, and I also worked for a Honda dealership at the time.
Honda said "No" because of the cost of the part, if I had a newer snowblower, they would have made good on it.
Almost every model 2 stage snowblower model is subject to the cocked auger housing, but not every one has a bad housing.
Many were made with a bad part and many got through quality control and were shipped that way, until they realized the problem and made a "fix", meaning a non cocked housing.
It happens every year with many different products, not only Honda.
I hope this will be of some help to you.
I used to have the service bulletin about the problem back in the 90's, but I don't have it anymore. 
The same housings were used on both the wheel and track drive models.
They had problems originally starting with the 624 models all the way up through the 1132's.
That happens in a fast paced production shop, unfortunately mistakes are made and it takes how long for the problem to be noticed, a quality control issue.


----------



## Apple Guy (Sep 7, 2014)

Can we assume that on the production line when installed you could get one with the "slop" in the bolt hole to stud/bolt you could get a straighter auger or a less straight auger do to bolt hole to stud/bolt location while cinching up the nut? So if you have one of these screwed up models, time to loosen up the auger and turn the twist out as far as you can and re tighten the nuts.


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

I recently restored what I believe was once a landscaper's machine...ridden hard & put away wet. It's a Toro 824 so the only similarities between yours and my machine is that they're both *RED*. 

My machine handled poorly. It was impossible to set the skids & scraper; 1 side was about 1/2" higher than the other I assume from something being caught-up in the impeller...even when trying to loosen bolts & take advantage of any slop (very little).

I ground-off all of the welds and was easily able to correct the twist with a few "precision" slugs with a small sledge. 

It's pretty ambitious but I'm glad that I did it; machine handles beautifully now. 





it only took 3/16" of rotation to correct the twist:


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Dave - Do you think there would be any improvement if you removed the rear bucket skids (assuming you have rear bucket skids right now) and upgraded to Honda Commercial Side Skids or Armor Side Skids? I'm seriously thinking about making the switch myself. At the very least, adding the Honda Commercial Side Skids and raising the rear bucket skids just slightly off the ground. Rich


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Freezn said:


> Dave - Do you think there would be any improvement if you removed the rear bucket skids (assuming you have rear bucket skids right now) and upgraded to Honda Commercial Side Skids or Armor Side Skids? I'm seriously thinking about making the switch myself. At the very least, adding the Honda Commercial Side Skids and raising the rear bucket skids just slightly off the ground. Rich


Ironically, I just installed the side skids for this reason. That is how I noticed just how off my auger housing was. My left side front skid is quite a bit low. But I haven't tested it yet… fortunately, or unfortunately, we have lots of snow coming this week end so I'll get to see. I did give it a quick spin around my driveway and it seems good… but my driveway now has a fair amount of packed snow/ice on it now.

I think they will work good. FWIW here is how I adjusted them with my "modified/tilted" housing: Loosen and raise all skids and scraper. I set the snow blower in the middle position. Set a spacer under the auger to make sure I have 3/8" spacing on the "low"/right side. Adjust the right skids and tighten to maintain that spacing… leaving the left skids loose for the time being. Remove the spacer. Now is the tricky part. At this point the blower is wobbly and will easily dip/drop to the front left. I try to find the correct lift of the left skids to keep the blower tracks even/flat on both sides. The idea is that is if the blower is on level ground there needs to be a good balance and weight on the skids/tracks. Because of the screwed up housing- there is NO WAY to set the auger/auger housing with the spacer for proper clearance without screwing up the way the tracks sit. So I adjust the left skids so the blower seems to sit level and flat. This will result in the left skids being much lower (in my case). Ideally you would want a good balance of weight on the left/right tracks and the left/right skids. Finding this balance is done by feel…. I can't see any easy way to do it.

With my housing cocked to the right… the resultant set up has the auger/auger clearance about 1/2" higher on the left side. I then set up the scraper to be about 1/8" spacer all across the entire bottom… and again, because of the housing, the scraper will be adjusted much lower in the housing on the left side than the right.

I hope I'm being clear because in reality it's pretty simple to visualize. Oh and for now… I have the rear skids in too… I might take them off depending on how it works this weekend. FWIW- I basically did a similar thing with just the rear skids the last several years… but I was always wondering why the heck doing it by the book didn't seem right. My dealer just kept telling me I was doing it wrong… nice huh?

Oh Freezn- I'm guessing that the housing issue causes more of an issue with the tracks than with the wheeled version. But I can see similar challenges to some extent…


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

classiccat said:


> I recently restored what I believe was once a landscaper's machine...ridden hard & put away wet. It's a Toro 824 so the only similarities between yours and my machine is that they're both *RED*.
> 
> My machine handled poorly. It was impossible to set the skids & scraper; 1 side was about 1/2" higher than the other I assume from something being caught-up in the impeller...even when trying to loosen bolts & take advantage of any slop (very little).
> 
> ...


Very impressive… and I'm sure a similar approach would work on mine as well- seems like the same exact issue. I just wish I was that handy!! Nicely done.

Unfortunately I'll just has to live with this the best I can… just like my aging back! LOL


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Apple Guy said:


> Can we assume that on the production line when installed you could get one with the "slop" in the bolt hole to stud/bolt you could get a straighter auger or a less straight auger do to bolt hole to stud/bolt location while cinching up the nut? So if you have one of these screwed up models, time to loosen up the auger and turn the twist out as far as you can and re tighten the nuts.


I can't see how this could work- the mounting of the housing the frame is square, can't tweak the rotation. The front of the auger housing is tac welded to the round tunnel-like part of the housing so no adjustment there either.


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

DaveS said:


> Oh Freezn- I'm guessing that the housing issue causes more of an issue with the tracks than with the wheeled version. But I can see similar challenges to some extent…


Reason I ask, is because in order for my bucket to sit level (using a 24" bubble level), my right skid (standing behind the machine looking forward) needs to be about a 1/4" lower (closer to the ground) than my left skid, otherwise if I placed both skids at the exact same height on a level surface, the front bucket would rock to the right. So I typically level the bucket first (right side lower), then adjust the scraper bar, with slightly more angle on the right side to compensate for the wider gap on the right side between the ground and the bottom of the scraper bar. If I drew an imaginary line straight across the middle of all five scraper bar mounting holes and lined up the top edge of the scraper bar with the imaginary line, the right side of the scraper bar would be about 1/4" - 1/2" higher than the left side. Only way to compensate is to lower the right side scraper bar which takes it out of alignment with the imaginary line, however maintains even ground clearance from left to right on the scraper bar.


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

DaveS said:


> Very impressive… and I'm sure a similar approach would work on mine as well- seems like the same exact issue. I just wish I was that handy!! Nicely done.
> 
> Unfortunately I'll just has to live with this the best I can… just like my aging back! LOL


Thanks! It was actually a job I initially planned to farm out...until I got a quote for 3+ hrs of work . I bet it would've been a 4hr job even for a Pro. There was a long bead for the chute, which bridged the impeller and auger housing, that concerned him the most. 

It prompted me to purchase a welder...then a little liquid courage to start grinding the welds. On an old Toro, it's hard to justify the expense however on a Honda, it would be money well spent IMO.


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Some of them were out due to alignment at the factory and could be re adjusted that way by loosening the bolts, twisting the unit, and retightening the bolts.
That was listed in the Honda service bulletin to try to fix that problem. 
That would work if the auger housing is only very slightly cocked or tilted, but there were a couple thousand made that were too far tilted or cocked and that fix will not work properly, it will be only a quick temporary fix and it wont hold. After using it, it will slip back to the cocked tilted position again.
I have an 828tas and an 828was that are both out by almost 2 inches, the left side is lower than the right side.
That was the reason Honda replaced some under warrenty on the housings, they were too far out to be adjusted.


----------



## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

Apple Guy said:


> Can we assume that on the production line when installed you could get one with the "slop" in the bolt hole to stud/bolt you could get a straighter auger or a less straight auger do to bolt hole to stud/bolt location while cinching up the nut? So if you have one of these screwed up models, time to loosen up the auger and turn the twist out as far as you can and re tighten the nuts.


Some of them were out due to alignment at the factory and could be re adjusted that way by loosening the bolts, twisting the unit, and retightening the bolts.
That was listed in the Honda service bulletin to try to fix that problem. 
That would work if the auger housing is only very slightly cocked or tilted, but there were a couple thousand made that were too far tilted or cocked and that fix will not work properly, it will be only a quick temporary fix and it wont hold. After using it, it will slip back to the cocked tilted position again.
I have an 828tas and an 828was that are both out by almost 2 inches, the left side is lower than the right side.
That was the reason Honda replaced some under warrenty on the housings, they were too far out to be adjusted.


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Freezn said:


> Reason I ask, is because in order for my bucket to sit level (using a 24" bubble level), my right skid (standing behind the machine looking forward) needs to be about a 1/4" lower (closer to the ground) than my left skid, otherwise if I placed both skids at the exact same height on a level surface, the front bucket would rock to the right. So I typically level the bucket first (right side lower), then adjust the scraper bar, with slightly more angle on the right side to compensate for the wider gap on the right side between the ground and the bottom of the scraper bar. If I drew an imaginary line straight across the middle of all five scraper bar mounting holes and lined up the top edge of the scraper bar with the imaginary line, the right side of the scraper bar would be about 1/4" - 1/2" higher than the left side. Only way to compensate is to lower the right side scraper bar which takes it out of alignment with the imaginary line, however maintains even ground clearance from left to right on the scraper bar.


Yep… all makes sense and is basically what I have done I think. I just double checked my set up and noticed my blower was leaving more snow on the ground after I ran a pass with it. I guess when the right side was too low (auger getting real close to the ground) I had enough adjustment on the left side. Problem is my scraper is at its lowest setting on the left side now and I can't drop it anymore. A new scraper might allow me more adjustment. At least I know what's going on and it's not just me!


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

A good friend of mine is a metal fabricator. I might just ask him if he can custom fabricate a scraper bar (using mine as a template) leaving the right side of the scraper bar a 1/2" lower than the left side. That way I can level the scraper bar with the inside of the auger bucket (ie. all 5 mounting holes at the same exact height) and still have level ground clearance with the bottom of the scraper bar.


----------



## RoyP (Oct 16, 2014)

Apple Guy said:


> Can we assume that on the production line when installed you could get one with the "slop" in the bolt hole to stud/bolt you could get a straighter auger or a less straight auger do to bolt hole to stud/bolt location while cinching up the nut? So if you have one of these screwed up models, time to loosen up the auger and turn the twist out as far as you can and re tighten the nuts.


This is assuming (I hate that word, never use it) that the bolt hole was elongated to allow such...there is NO mention of this anywhere


----------



## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

Sorry I'm late to the discussion. 

Honda did issue a Service Bulletin back in Feb. 2006 for HS724TA, HS928TA, and HS1132TA track-drive models (not wheel models) that "did not track straight." The cause is due to the auger housing being lower on one side, dragging the ground and causing the unit to pull to that side. 

Once this problem was detected, future production units were corrected, so only units within the following serial number ranges are part of the affected group:

HS724TA 1000001~1039742
HS928TA 1000001~1154063
HS1132TA 1000001~1020083

So, if you have a unit with this problem and it is inside the affected range, what next?
Well, if you are under warranty (3 years), a Honda dealer can evaluate the problem and make repairs. If the pulling issue is due to factory defect(s), repairs will be done at no cost. If you are OUT of warranty, the dealer can still make repairs, but the cost would not be covered.

The basic repair procedure is this:

1. Precisely measure the auger housing height on the left and right sides. Honda's special height measurement tool is recommended. For 7mm or less difference, usually only a skid shoe or scraper bar adjustment is needed. 

2. If the difference is 8mm or greater, the auger height can be adjusted (requires loosening (NOT REMOVAL)) of the track, track plate, etc. If the left auger housing is higher than the right, adjustments are made to the right, and vice-versa. 

3. If after step 2, the difference is still 7mm or more, the auger housing should be replaced. 

If you need to discuss with your dealer, reference _Honda Snowblower Service Bulletin #19_, February 2006.

*Find A Honda Dealer*


----------



## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Great info! Thanks Robert!!!


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Well… as I'd expect- my HS928 is in that range! I will call my dealer but at this time, I'm not sure I would pay the money to fix something that should have been covered years ago.

Oh and thanks for posting this Robert.


----------



## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

DaveS said:


> Well… as I'd expect- my HS928 is in that range! I will call my dealer but at this time, I'm not sure I would pay the money to fix something that should have been covered years ago.
> 
> Oh and thanks for posting this Robert.


Are you very far out of the the 3-year warranty? 

If you're not sure, share the serial number with me and I can look it up.


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

[email protected] said:


> Are you very far out of the the 3-year warranty?
> 
> If you're not sure, share the serial number with me and I can look it up.


Yeah, I bought mine about 10 years ago actually. S/N 1114xxx or something like that. 

Is loosening the track plate, etc a lot of work? I just got a shop manual- I'll try to see what it looks like.


----------



## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

DaveS said:


> Yeah, I bought mine about 10 years ago actually. S/N 1114xxx or something like that.
> 
> Is loosening the track plate, etc a lot of work? I just got a shop manual- I'll try to see what it looks like.


No, not bad at all. Drop me a PM with your email address and I'll send you a copy of the bulletin; it has complete and detailed instructions.


----------



## DaveS (Feb 6, 2015)

Thank you very much Robert. I performed the exact steps in the bulletin. Originally I was about 12-13mm high on the left. I loosened the flange bolts per directions, etc. and now I'm about 8mm… which is just about the limit to acceptable before they recommend replacing the housing. Ironically I didn't think the track moved at all but apparently it did. I think I'm good to go, as there is probably some variation in my garage floor anyway.

With this adjustment and the side skids, I'm sure it will be better now. Where were you 10 years ago Robert??? LOL


----------



## Gotime (Jan 16, 2014)

I know this thread is old, I sent Robert a DM to ask for a copy of the service bulletin #19 but it says he hasn't been active since 2019. Does anyone else have a copy they could send me so I can try to adjust the track plates as well?


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Couple guys here well versed in Honda's .......


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Gotime said:


> service bulletin #19


What's your serial number? Does it fall within the affected range?
HS724TA 1000001~1039742
HS928TA 1000001~1154063
HS1132TA 1000001~1020083

The basic repair procedure is this:

1. Precisely measure the auger housing height on the left and right sides. Honda's special height measurement tool is recommended. For 7mm or less difference, usually only a skid shoe or scraper bar adjustment is needed.

2. If the difference is 8mm or greater, the auger height can be adjusted (requires loosening (NOT REMOVAL)) of the track, track plate, etc. If the left auger housing is higher than the right, adjustments are made to the right, and vice-versa.

3. If after step 2, the difference is still 7mm or more, the auger housing should be replaced.

You can also loosen all 10 of the bolts holding the auger housing to the tractor and see if you can straighten it enough that way.


----------



## Gotime (Jan 16, 2014)

My serial number falls in the zone on the HS928TA and I have the issue. The reason I want the exact procedure is I want to understand what bolts they are loosening and and what ones they are leaving on the crawler/track plates.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Gotime said:


> My serial number falls in the zone on the HS928TA and I have the issue. The reason I want the exact procedure is I want to understand what bolts they are loosening and and what ones they are leaving on the crawler/track plates.


In my experience it takes a lot of trial and error. With the bucket off you can measure the diagonals ( which should be the same measurement ) on the front of engine bed as a start. The bolts that connect the engine bed plates can be loosened and adjusted to square it up. 

I guess I have been lucky so far. I have not had to try to adjust the side crawler plates. I do take them off if the bearings need replacing. Easy to tell if there is play with the plates. 

When I install the housing I always just start all the 10 bolts and then from the service position of the machine laying back on the handlebars , I lift the bucket from the bottom and tighten the 2 bottom bolts first and then the top corners. You want the bucket tilting up as much as possible. Learned this thru trial and error.When the bucket is tilted down even a couple mm's the machine will not track correctly no matter how many adjustment you make with the scraper bar and skids.

There may be an actual official Honda procedure but I do everything learned thru my own trial and error.

I have had a couple buckets that have been tweeked by accidents. People backing into them with vehicles, hit but plows etc. Have straightened them out by clamping long 2 X 4's on the top and tweeking them back into place but I think that is a totally different topic for you. 

You should read @tabora's post above again. he is the tech whiz when it comes to Honda's. the go to guy. there are a couple others like JnC and ST1100A and others but most of these guys are not active now.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

Hi everyone. New guy here. Lots of great info on this site. I have an 1132 where the bucket sits about an inch lower on the right side. I have had the bucket off to do the belts, and I followed the way @orangputeh described in his last post about putting it back on. It’s still way lower on the right side than the left. 
If I could make the track plate adjustments as described above here, and I could get it closer, I’d be very happy.

Do any of you have the details or some pics of what exactly needs to be adjusted on the track plates? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

SOS Ridgerider said:


> Hi everyone. New guy here. Lots of great info on this site. I have an 1132 where the bucket sits about an inch lower on the right side. I have had the bucket off to do the belts, and I followed the way @orangputeh described in his last post about putting it back on. It’s still way lower on the right side than the left.
> If I could make the track plate adjustments as described above here, and I could get it closer, I’d be very happy.
> 
> Do any of you have the details or some pics of what exactly needs to be adjusted on the track plates? Any info would be greatly appreciated.
> ...


pictures may help. wanna see if the bucket is worn down on one side over the other.
an inch difference is HUGE


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

orangputeh said:


> pictures may help. wanna see if the bucket is worn down on one side over the other.
> an inch difference is HUGE


I just took some pictures now. I was a little off on my measurements, it’s more like 3/4”. 
From what I can see there’s not a lot of wear on the bucket itself, but I could be wrong.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

on a completely level surface can you measure both sides of the end of engine bed with the pedal in the travel ( up ) position? 
in picture by what i mean is ends of engine bed on far left.

I wonder if your engine bed could be cocked that much. I have seen that with bad engine bed bearings. 

as a matter of fact ran into that yesterday when one of the bearings holding the drive axle was completely gone! and the bed was tilted to that side.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

orangputeh said:


> on a completely level surface can you measure both sides of the end of engine bed with the pedal in the travel ( up ) position?
> in picture by what i mean is ends of engine bed on far left.
> 
> I wonder if your engine bed could be cocked that much. I have seen that with bad engine bed bearings.
> ...


I’ll check the engine bed after work tomorrow. I’ll take some pics as well. I appreciate the help.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

Took some pics of the engine bed. Right side is 5mm lower than left. This is in travel mode, on level ground, and machine just sitting statically on the floor.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

Actually, when I look at the pics, it doesn’t look to be much off at all.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

SOS Ridgerider said:


> Took some pics of the engine bed. Right side is 5mm lower than left. This is in travel mode, on level ground, and machine just sitting statically on the floor.


So, start with the track leveling and then the auger housing loosening/adjusting if necessary, followed by scraper bar and skid adjustments.

Track leveling to fix the first 5mm difference in the tractor measurements: loosening (NOT REMOVAL) of the track tension nuts, track plate bolts, etc. If the left side is higher than the right, adjustments are made to the right, and vice-versa.
Auger housing adjustment after tractor is level: loosen 10 bolts (2 on top, 2 on bottom, 3 on each side) holding auger housing to tractor. Adjust as level as possible and then re-tighten bolts.
Adjust scraper bar to be perfectly level and re-tighten. Set it down onto a yardstick or other spacer, then set the skids flush on the floor and re-tighten.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

tabora said:


> So, start with the track leveling and then the auger housing loosening/adjusting if necessary, followed by scraper bar and skid adjustments.
> 
> Track leveling to fix the first 5mm difference in the tractor measurements: loosening (NOT REMOVAL) of the track, track plate, etc. If the left side is higher than the right, adjustments are made to the right, and vice-versa.
> Auger housing adjustment after tractor is level: loosen 10 bolts holding auger housing to tractor. Adjust as level as possible and then re-tighten bolts.
> Adjust scraper bar to be perfectly level and re-tighten. Set it down onto a yardstick or other spacer, then set the skids flush on the floor and re-tighten.


Thank you for helping out. What is it that I’m adjusting on the track and track plate? Which bolts?


----------



## nikko7501 (Nov 12, 2021)

Put the snow blower on level ground and measure both handlebars to the floor. If they are significantly off as well, you might have the same problem I had. Everything was not square from the center, and by the time you get out to the auger housing corners and the handles, everything is noticeably off.

At the center, there are six sides that form a cube around the hydrostatic transmission. The top being the engine bed, the right, left, bottom, and back engine bed stays, and the front side is completed by mating to the auger housing. I had to take all six sides apart and then put them all back together, except for the auger housing. With the five sides together, use a flat surface such as a concrete floor to make sure everything is square, then slowly bolt all sides together evenly. Resist the temptation to use an electric driver. A right angle tool and bubble level help too. Once everything is square and bolted down, put on crawler plates, crawlers, and tracks. Check level at each step. Lastly roll everything up to the auger housing and bolt.

I had to do this for my HS624TA. You might need extra hands to steady the engine bed (handle bars make it hard to keep everything balanced) and the right transmission case all together as you start the bolts. A warning though, this is a lot of work. I would only do this for a Honda snow blower. Anything else I would not have cared enough or just sold it.

Anyways this fixed my problem where my right handlebar and right side of the auger housing was noticeably lower than the left side. It was so bad, the right handle was 1.2" lower than the left. I thought the previous owner had crushed the snow blower and bent something on the right side. One more thing, if you already have the right transmission case off you might as well repack with new grease or even drill and tap a grease fitting.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

nikko7501 said:


> Put the snow blower on level ground and measure both handlebars to the floor. If they are significantly off as well, you might have the same problem I had. Everything was not square from the center, and by the time you get out to the auger housing corners and the handles, everything is noticeably off.
> 
> At the center, there are six sides that form a cube around the hydrostatic transmission. The top being the engine bed, the right, left, bottom, and back engine bed stays, and the front side is completed by mating to the auger housing. I had to take all six sides apart and then put them all back together, except for the auger housing. With the five sides together, use a flat surface such as a concrete floor to make sure everything is square, then slowly bolt all sides together evenly. Resist the temptation to use an electric driver. A right angle tool and bubble level help too. Once everything is square and bolted down, put on crawler plates, crawlers, and tracks. Check level at each step. Lastly roll everything up to the auger housing and bolt.
> 
> ...


Interesting. will have to try this someday. I'm not sure SOS can perform all this unless they have a shop manual with all the diagrams/instructions.

Took apart a 928 this week and it was obvious that the owner hadnt a clue when he took apart and put back together. EVERYTHING was put back together wrong. It was obvious the tracks were removed. The washer and collars were all on wrong. The auger/drive cables wrong. They were crossed inside the chassis where the tensioner is. Just about everything on this machine was a ******* fix.

I have had to repair engine bed, replace tensioner, replace engine , replace cable , replace replace replace. Hope owner can afford bill. I told him the only way I will repair this is the right way.


----------



## nikko7501 (Nov 12, 2021)

orangputeh said:


> Interesting. will have to try this someday. I'm not sure SOS can perform all this unless they have a shop manual with all the diagrams/instructions.
> 
> Took apart a 928 this week and it was obvious that the owner hadnt a clue when he took apart and put back together. EVERYTHING was put back together wrong. It was obvious the tracks were removed. The washer and collars were all on wrong. The auger/drive cables wrong. They were crossed inside the chassis where the tensioner is. Just about everything on this machine was a ***** fix.
> 
> I have had to repair engine bed, replace tensioner, replace engine , replace cable , replace replace replace. Hope owner can afford bill. I told him the only way I will repair this is the right way.


Yes I agree that it can get complicated and is a lot of work. I don't really work on snow blowers much, but I do work on cars. So I am used to taking pictures and tagging/cataloging parts as I disassemble. Even so I had to disassemble and reassemble one additional time. Those tensioner springs all look alike!


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

I measured my handles, and they’re spot on, and even from the found up, so doesn’t have that problem at least. I do appreciate the input, though. I’ll explore every avenue to get this thing right.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

SOS Ridgerider said:


> I’ll explore every avenue to get this thing right.



Track leveling to fix the first 5mm difference in the tractor measurements: loosening (NOT REMOVAL) of the track tension nuts, track plate bolts, etc. If the left side is higher than the right, adjustments are made to the right, and vice-versa.
Auger housing adjustment after tractor is level: loosen 10 bolts (2 on top, 2 on bottom, 3 on each side) holding auger housing to tractor. Adjust as level as possible and then re-tighten bolts.
Adjust scraper bar to be perfectly level and re-tighten. Set it down onto a yardstick or other spacer, then set the skids flush on the floor and re-tighten.



SOS Ridgerider said:


> What is it that I’m adjusting on the track and track plate? Which bolts?


Loosen the track plate bolts #23... And, if necessary, the track tension nuts #17 & #18.


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

I havent run into this problem very much. The only time is when the machine has fallen or been tipped over in an accident.
Also if the bed has been taking apart and not squared up before tightening on reassembly. I have made this mistake myself when rebuilding a right side tranny when that side of engine bed has to be removed. It gets cocked when I also remove the belly plates. What is a sure sign is when installing the bottom plates and the holes for the bolts do not line up. 

Hope you get this done.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

tabora said:


> Track leveling to fix the first 5mm difference in the tractor measurements: loosening (NOT REMOVAL) of the track, track plate, etc. If the left side is higher than the right, adjustments are made to the right, and vice-versa.
> Auger housing adjustment after tractor is level: loosen 10 bolts (2 on top, 2 on bottom, 3 on each side) holding auger housing to tractor. Adjust as level as possible and then re-tighten bolts.
> Adjust scraper bar to be perfectly level and re-tighten. Set it down onto a yardstick or other spacer, then set the skids flush on the floor and re-tighten.
> 
> ...


Thank you! I’ll get to it this weekend, and report back with my results.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

orangputeh said:


> I havent run into this problem very much. The only time is when the machine has fallen or been tipped over in an accident.
> Also if the bed has been taking apart and not squared up before tightening on reassembly. I have made this mistake myself when rebuilding a right side tranny when that side of engine bed has to be removed. It gets cocked when I also remove the belly plates. What is a sure sign is when installing the bottom plates and the holes for the bolts do not line up.
> 
> Hope you get this done.


I appreciate all the info from you and @tabora 
I hope it’s not bent, but I’ll find a way to bend it back if it is. It doesn’t have any dents or dings in it, though, so I don’t think that‘s it.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

I have done the adjustments as well as I can. I’m still about 15mm off, though, and it feels like I‘m more or less where I was as far as the adjustments to the skid shoes and scraper bar. 

I’ve set it up with the same amount of load/weight on the skid shoes, so it tracks straight, and doesn’t pull hard to the right. 

Could I alleviate some of the pull by installing a set of poly skid shoes on the sides of the bucket? Would it slide better, and possibly make it so I could level the bucket out a little more?


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

SOS Ridgerider said:


> I have done the adjustments as well as I can. I’m still about 15mm off, though, and it feels like I‘m more or less where I was as far as the adjustments to the skid shoes and scraper bar.


So, let's take it one step at a time; were you able to get the 5mm difference in the tractor height corrected?


----------



## WrenchIt (Dec 6, 2020)

SOS Ridgerider said:


> I have done the adjustments as well as I can. I’m still about 15mm off, though, and it feels like I‘m more or less where I was as far as the adjustments to the skid shoes and scraper bar.
> 
> I’ve set it up with the same amount of load/weight on the skid shoes, so it tracks straight, and doesn’t pull hard to the right.
> 
> Could I alleviate some of the pull by installing a set of poly skid shoes on the sides of the bucket? Would it slide better, and possibly make it so I could level the bucket out a little more?


15mm is about 5/8". If that is as far as you can go, you might try the poly skids. You should be using poly skids (or better yet rollers) anyway, though from what I read about the tracked machines, they hold the auger up off the ground so that you can blow snow off uneven driveways. Using the machine this way, the auger is suspended above grade and the skids don't touch down at all. If your drive is smooth, then by all means go uhmwpe (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene).


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

tabora said:


> So, let's take it one step at a time; were you able to get the 5mm difference in the tractor height corrected?


I don’t think I did. It’s still off. I loosened the bolts and nuts, but couldn’t really figure out how to make any adjustments.


----------



## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

SOS Ridgerider said:


> I don’t think I did. It’s still off. I loosened the bolts and nuts, but couldn’t really figure out how to make any adjustments.


You loosen the bolts and manhandle the track(s) to eliminate the height difference side-to-side and then tighten the bolts. Until you get this done, the rest is pointless. Kinda like trying to align the wheels on a car with a broken spring. A small error on the tractor leveling has a bigger effect when you get out to the auger housing.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

tabora said:


> You loosen the bolts and manhandle the track(s) to eliminate the height difference side-to-side and then tighten the bolts. Until you get this done, the rest is pointless. Kinda like trying to align the wheels on a car with a broken spring. A small error on the tractor leveling has a bigger effect when you get out to the auger housing.


I gotcha. I’ll try again. Thanks for bearing with me.


----------



## SOS Ridgerider (Nov 16, 2021)

I have tried to level it out again. There‘s not much play to work with, to adjust it. I’ve tried every which way, and it doesn’t seem to make any difference for me. I loosened the track plate, loosened the tensioner nut on either side of the bar behind the tensioner rod, manhandled it to try to get it to sit differently, but it doesn’t do much. I end up in the same spot over and over again. I’m fairly mechanically inclined, but this doesn’t seem to agree with me. What could I be doing wrong?


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

check post #28
they had the same issue with some HS models.
There may be a service bulletin on the newer HSS models with the same issues.


----------

