# My newest "score": Another Ariens First Gen 10ML60D!



## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Yes, again, but perhaps in better overall condition. somewhat local to me, paid $25. original engine in working condition. has the electric starter (but missing the power cord). got it home, fired it up, did quick run around the driveway. worked pretty good. augers are more "noisy" than my '05 Ariens. 

looks like original tires/rims (fancy ariens hub caps!). PO, who owned it for about 4 years, did the belts, and found the carb bowl gunked up, which he cleaned up. seems to run pretty well. he did mention that the tractor wheel set-up includes a "positronic" hub arrangement. kind of old school auto-turn. he provided me with a part and a broken spring that needs to be replaced, because without it it is single wheel drive. perhaps someone with this knowledge can fill me in.

looking forward to opening it up a little and cleaning it. comments welcome.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Another good score! Looks to be in good shape for it's age. Great that it runs and functions, differential repair should be straight forward.

1965 6HP, with the differential. Based on tractor name plate.

Will probably need axle and auger bushings, and impeller bearing.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

my thinking is this is a 63-64 first series. round chute, side extensions, single clutch handle.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

so, according to scot's website, i may have a unicorn 1964 10000 series with series one features!!!!!!!!?

Also, if it were true that there were 1964 10,000 series machines, they would need to be "hybrid" machines, containing a 10,000 tractor unit, but with an older style scoop and a rounded chute..for awhile I assumed these machine must exist..somewhere..but there has been zero evidence of any such machines..No photos..and also no Ariens manuals or diagrams showing such a machine! the ONLY evidence for "1964 10,000 series" is that 10000.pdf manual.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

This is the Ratcheting Hub Assembly


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Jackmels said:


> This is the Ratcheting Hub Assembly


Thanks for that. I have a few of those pieces. The spring is broken. I will look at the good wheel hub. What is the purpose and advantage of his system?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

What is the Tecumseh serial # on the engine nameplate or stamped on the fan shroud?

If it has the original engine, that will tell you what year the machine is for sure.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

rwh963 said:


> Thanks for that. I have a few of those pieces. The spring is broken. I will look at the good wheel hub. What is the purpose and advantage of his system?


Purpose is for Differential type Turning. Friction Springs are Hard to Find and Expensive.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

ok, grabbed the engine info. Lausen division.

model: H60-750030
serial: 4290 05176


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Engine should have been built October 16, 1964 (4290) based on attached information. Some time later the engine would have been installed by Ariens on the machine. IMHO this is a 1965 model, as per Ariens 10000 series manual. Whether a 64 or 65, it doesn't really matter.



_*Dating a Tecumseh motor:* On the side of the blower housing is a two rivet tag with the model/spec/serial number. This style and location of numbers was done on pre-1973 motors. This motor is an H35 spec# 452716, made on the 118th day of 1970._ 













Tecumseh Engine Rebuild for Mini Bikes, Conversion from Snow Blower to Minibike


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

ok, so is this the ultra-rare first year 10k series hybrid?!


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

spent part of the day going over it. did an exterior dirt/grease cleaning. put penetrating oil on many bolts. the caper nuts are worn badly (as is typical). hope they will either turn or break off, hate to cut them off. the belt is shot (i think i can use the belt from the other 10M. the plug was black and gunky. ordered several champion plugs. picked up a 5 qt of synthetic 5/30 oil. gonna do changes in each engine. haven't checked the augers yet. and these ratchet wheels are a something to investigate. might swap the drive axle from the other 10M which just has locking differential button (don't see how that works actually). will probably swap over from first 10M anything superior. if this new one is the better, it might be a candidate for the predator swap. nice thing about one drive clutch is only one belt!


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## kemlyn (Oct 16, 2018)

For 25 bucks that’s a score! The body and paint look really good for its age it was definitely stored inside and even the decals have survived. It’s running so you can go through it and address anything that needs attention. Nice original Ariens for sure it deserves a second lease on life.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

yeah, this may be the "one"! the ratchet hub thing is an issue. gonna do more deep cleaning/investigating tomorrow. 

if i can work out the hub thing, and the augers aren't seized, it nay be a candidate for a predator install. too bad they don't make them in all white!


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

well, after a couple of days of solid work, here is how it looks. opened the belly pan, things looked pretty good. everything looks freshly greased. gave all the orange a good cleaning. then separated the attachment and cleaned it and removed the worn scraper bar. over time the bucket edge has been impacted by some wear. typical separation on the corners.

swapped in some nicer handlebars. needs a new belt badly (anyone know the part number?).

next i have to see about the augers, ratchet wheels, and fuel system.overall i'd give the body and transmission an A-.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Up on a pedestal. Why not?


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

haven't decided yet, but i think it might make most sense to remove the ratchet set-up and install the differential set-up into this blower. the rims and tires on the other blower are in nicer condition (snow tires, not garden tires). no one has told me why i should keep the ratchet set-up. and, based on ebay prices, some of the ratchet parts are selling for nice $ due to there being obsolete. could be win/win.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

rwh963 said:


> haven't decided yet, but i think it might make most sense to remove the ratchet set-up and install the differential set-up into this blower. the rims and tires on the other blower are in nicer condition (snow tires, not garden tires). no one has told me why i should keep the ratchet set-up. and, based on ebay prices, some of the ratchet parts are selling for nice $ due to there being obsolete. could be win/win.


flip flopping on this one. gonna try a friction spring search instead.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

did a lot of work on it today (see my ratchet wheel thread). also gave it an oil change, removed the engine and cleaned the deck. worked on the other 10M drive axle (see other thread). removed the auger shear pins. thankfully they were not seized. unfortunately, both augers are seized. that's disappointing but not unexpected. ariens really screwed up by not putting grease fittings on the augers. no way to seasonally lube them. now i have to pull the whole thing out and choose a way to unseize them. gonna work on the first 10M as an example before doing it this better one. any great tips welcome.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

big question: how many years was the ratchet kit offered? wondering if it was available through the 10k series?


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

in for a penny, in for a pound! continued working on the blower. removed the white cover plates for eventual repainting. after removing the top bolts, the top of the cylinder was loose, so in i went. the gasket looked OK, though should just be replaced. cleaned up old oil crud. i remember reading ariens suggested regular scraping/cleaning of this area (de-leading/de-carboning?). i noticed a thin black layer. what should i use to remove it? also, is the gasket available in stores like napa? and anyone know the torque specs for the top engine bolts?


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Briggs and Stratton carbon deposit cleaning:

According to the B&S website:

"Clean combustion chamber deposits every 100-300 hours."

Using unleaded gasoline reduces carbon deposits, but you should still remove the cylinder once each 100 hours of operation and scrape off the carbon, using the tools and solvents described in this section. Clean the cylinder more frequently if you use your engine heavily.
This is in their "maintenance" section.

Place the piston at the top dead center so that the valves are closed. Then, scrape carbon gently from the cylinder head, using a wooden or plastic scraper. Take care not to dig the scraper into the aluminum. On stubborn deposits, use a putty knife, wire brush or steel wool (images A, B, and C), taking care not to bear down on the metal surfaces.

Clean away the remaining carbon with solvent, using fine steel wool to smooth rough spots. You can also soak metal parts for up to 15 minutes to remove stubborn deposits. Scrape again, if necessary, to loosen stubborn grit. Then, clean the area thoroughly with the solvent and set the head aside.
With the piston still at the top of the cylinder and the valves closed, use the same method to remove carbon deposits from the piston and the end of the cylinder (image C).


Turn the crankshaft to open each valve, and carefully remove any visible carbon deposits on the valves and valve seats (image D), using only a brass wire brush. CAUTION: Do not allow grit to fall into the valve chambers or between the piston and the cylinder wall (image E).

Inspect the valves and valve seats to see if they are cracked, rough or warped. Bring damaged parts to an authorized service dealer for inspection before reassembling the head.

Using a scraper, solvent or both, remove any remaining carbon and residue left behind by the head gasket on the cylinder head and engine block. Clean the surfaces thoroughly before installing the new head gasket. Any debris or oil left on the cylinder head or engine block may prevent a tight seal and cause eventual engine damage.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Better?


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

did you check the valve lash since your in there that far? might even be worth lapping the valves since your that far in there.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

english please!


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)




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## Dusty (Dec 13, 2018)

rwh963 said:


> well, after a couple of days of solid work, here is how it looks. opened the belly pan, things looked pretty good. everything looks freshly greased. gave all the orange a good cleaning. then separated the attachment and cleaned it and removed the worn scraper bar. over time the bucket edge has been impacted by some wear. typical separation on the corners.
> 
> swapped in some nicer handlebars. needs a new belt badly (anyone know the part number?).
> 
> next i have to see about the augers, ratchet wheels, and fuel system.overall i'd give the body and transmission an A-.


I see the friction disk assembly is on a splined shaft on that first gen instead of a hex shaft like all the 10k series models. They kept changing things that first decade and into the second decade. Even the last two years of production of the 10k series, they changed their impeller and all those other safety upgrades they made, the gearbox itself changed. They were continually evolving. By 73 they finally had all the major designs in place standard, the augers and impeller on the 73 ran all the way into the early 2000's. Is this the machine with the frozen augers? I thought you said it was on a 1965 10k series. Thats a 1964 first gen unit, even if its a "hybrid" its all first gen designs and parts their, now wonder you don't have grease fittings, I never touched a first gen before. They probably realized grease fittings were a good idea in 1965 on the 10k series when it came out, along with the grease fitting on the differential end of the axle, since thats the year the locking hub was put on starting with the 10K. If a 1965 first year 10K doesn't have grease fittings on the augers, I'd like to know what year they put them on. But were looking as a 64 first series here, so if they didn't have grease fittings on them yet, I wouldn't have known, I never saw a first gen in person or one that had the optional side pieces on the bucket. The earliest ones I've messed with were all one piece bucket 10k series units. I know 1969 was the last year of the older style augers with the V's on them, 1970 they started using the newer style with the little kickers that flared out on the inner ends of the augers. From what others have said, the first gen was still pretty primitive, with that one lever system and lack of grease fittings, the round muffler that stuck out with a pipe, etc. They were still experimenting as seen with those ratcheting hubs. Their cool, and unique, definitely still in the early stages of designs. So that would have taken the Gard n Yard attachments than. The 10k series had the trac team line of attachments. Interesting stuff. I saw a 1960 first year machine for sale in PA mint a few years back for $100 bucks. It was gone the next day. It would be really cool to get one of those.
I have the Operators and parts manuals for every machine from 1961 to 1974. In the future if you have questions about if something is their or not such as grease fittings, give me the year and model machine and I will pull out its parts manual and we can see whats what.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

ziggy,

this is your earlier statement:

"Engine should have been built October 16, 1964 (4290) based on attached information. Some time later the engine would have been installed by Ariens on the machine. IMHO this is a 1965 model, as per Ariens 10000 series manual. Whether a 64 or 65, it doesn't really matter."


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Yes that is my earlier statement. 

The engine was definitely made in October 1964. Based on the tractor serial #, according to the Ariens manual it is a 1965 model, but it has been known to possibly have inaccuracies.
Your machine has many 1st generation parts and features.
It is possible the original engine was replaced at some point.

In the grand scheme of things does it really matter if it is a 1963, 1964 or 1965?


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Ziggy65 said:


> Yes that is my earlier statement.
> 
> The engine was definitely made in October 1964. Based on the tractor serial #, according to the Ariens manual it is a 1965 model, but it has been known to possibly have inaccuracies.
> Your machine has many 1st generation parts and features.
> ...


yes, it doesn't matter to me. i was just going on your suggestion that this could be an early 10k series, based on the engine info. in the end, its a snowblower.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

a few fuel tank questions: 

1) what kind of metal is it made of? mine seems to be in excellent condition inside. wondering is if is something other than steel.

2) the tank shut-off: anything to rebuild (o-rings, etc)?

3) my cap is two pieces. anything possibly missing?


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

also, like to get replacement tecumseh stickers for the flywheel cover. anyone have pics of what it should be, and sources for reproductions?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Many members recommend this company






Reproduction Snowblower Decals - Ariens - Page 1 - Vintage Reproductions







www.clickitandstickit.com


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Ziggy65 said:


> Many members recommend this company
> 
> 
> 
> ...


thx, i do know about that site. i didn't see the tecumseh indian logo offered. and have to track down a pic of the original period logo and layout.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

TECUMSEH Vinyl Decal / Sticker ** 5 Sizes ** | eBay


Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for TECUMSEH Vinyl Decal / Sticker ** 5 Sizes ** at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!



www.ebay.com


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Yup, saw that too. Looking for something like this, and says made in USA


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Not sure if you are going for period correct (mid 60's), but that Tecumseh label is on an engine from the mid 70's to 80's. 

60's Ariens labels:


1966









1964









Early 60's


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

you're right, that decal is from a seventies. i would like to stay somewhat period correct, but don't mind straying a little outside the lines.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

How does the interior of my gas tank look?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Pristine, quite remarkable for the age.

My 1969 tank is good but not that nice.


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## Dusty (Dec 13, 2018)

Ziggy65 said:


> Not sure if you are going for period correct (mid 60's), but that Tecumseh label is on an engine from the mid 70's to 80's.
> 
> 60's Ariens labels:
> 
> ...


You can get reproduction Ariens decals from clickitandstickit.com I got picked up a set of the Rotary mower decals and the A logo. It looks factory original.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Ok, moving this one to the front of the line again. Been busy with the 10k series and 824 dump picks. Want to get this running nice like the 10k. Get ready for my questions!


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Careful .... restorations can become habit forming ..... 😊👍🏻


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

Did some work on the fuel tank staining and disassembled the brackets for a repaint. Decided to leave the rest of the covers in their original painted form. They are in pretty good shape, and like to keep things original if possible.


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## rwh963 (Nov 21, 2019)

actually, mis-posted this comment, meant for my 10k series thread, not the 10M series thread!


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

1000 in roman numerals is M ....... i.e. 10M is 10,000


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