# First use: Ariens 24" SHO



## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

This was my first use of the 24" SHO machine. It was delivered to me a couple months ago and we really haven't had enough snow fall to justify hauling it out of the basement...I've made due with the Path Pro so far.

When the machine was delivered to me, it appeared the selling dealer had filled the tank with gasoline. The restrictor/screen makes it nearly impossible to gage how much gas is in the tank. I found out the hard way...

I think we got 5" of snow and we got the machine going without much fanfare. I wanted to shoot a video of it throwing snow but not much had fallen. Regardless, I set up the video camera and let my son make the first couple passes. There wasn't any more than 3" at the top of the drive but lower down there was 10" or so where drifts had formed overnight. The snow was very light, dry.

As you'll see around the 1:10 mark in the video, the machine sputtered and then died. (None of this was proceeding as I intended :wacko: ) I went down the drive and could do nothing to get the machine re-started. We were forced to drag that blower up the drive. Once at the top of the drive, I was able to re-start if after spinning the starter motor for a few seconds. It came back to life and I ran it around for a few minutes clearing some snow outside the garages. It sputtered and died again :facepalm_zpsdj194qh We added a full quart of Trufuel and re-started again. It seemed OK after that. I sent him down the drive again in an attempt to complete our video, but the camera then went dead from the cold air :smiley-confused009:

We continued cleaning for a bit and then the SHO sputtered and died again. Luckily it was at the top of the driveway this time. I checked the fuel level and think it sucked down the entire quart of fuel in a very short period! Is this thing a thirsty beast?? I filled the gas tank again, brimful, with regular gasoline and started it up again so we could finish. It was turning out to be quite the fiasco given how little snow there was.

Observations/thought:

I don't like the chute control design, it's way too floppy. The mechanism on the other machine is far superior, IMO.

Maybe the gasoline the dealer put in had turned stale or separated and caused the initial failure?

I've got to spend some time squaring up the bucket alignment, checking tire pressures and raising the scraper bar. The Auto Turn really causes this machine to jump around a lot...you can see it at the end of the video when he is near the street.

I need to figure out the fuel level on this one. I simply have not had trouble gassing up the other machines which also have that screen in the filler neck.

The rate of forward progress seems very slow on this machine, even with speed 6. Speed 1 feels like it's barely moving.

Apart from that, this SHO really can throw snow far. We just need some real snow to work on!

*Video:*


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Can't view your video. It says "This video is private." Probably need to change the privacy setting to "public"on YouTube.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

That's strange, it's set to public which seems to be the default...


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

does your sho have the 369cc motor


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Video ran fine this time.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

detdrbuzzard said:


> does your sho have the 369cc motor


 William, I believe that's correct. And it's rated at 17Ft*lbs.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I just spent some additional quality time with this machine this morning. The AutoTurn is brutal on this one. No idea why. I did the complete alignment process this past weekend and that hasn't improved a thing. I'm going to re-do the procedure.

The tall, skinny tires are awesome in terms of digging in and climbing the drive.

The town made several passes this morning. We're getting heavy, wet snow, right around 32F. They rolled up some large "snow balls" at end of drive, probably 2.5' in diameter. This machine slices right thru them  No fuss, no muss. I like that very much 

Overall, this larger 369cc engine seems well matched to the machine. It can throw this heavy snow quite a distance.

Compared to my 28" machine, the gearing (in terms of forward and reverse speeds) is somewhat slower. OTOH, with the higher output and narrower bucket, I can move somewhat faster than I'm accustomed to. And, I find I don't need to overlap passes at all. The machine doesn't show any spill-over.

I don't like the chute directional adjustment they've integrated into the dashboard. It's very "floppy" and completely lacks the precision of the other style.

Again, this engine feels a good match for the type of snow we usually see. You won't be wanting for 'more power'. The engine didn't quite start on the first pull, but ran smoothly on the second. It's relatively quiet and certainly smooth running with minimal exhaust odor. I must have been out for 45 mins and didn't run out of gas :wavetowel2:


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

Nice video and I totally know where you're coming from on the chute control


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## PB617 (Oct 17, 2015)

I'll be using mine for the second time later tonight also. First time there was only about 4-5" of snow, hit some big EOD piles and it cut right through! No issues with it at all, started on first pull but i did add more gas with ethanol shield. The place i bought it from back in October had put a little ethanol free gas probably like quarter of a tank. 

I only have about half an hour on it, but the chute adjustment is kind of annoying i agree. It's something i can live with because the size and engine combination can't be beat!


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Sounds like a pretty sweet machine  

I have an older Ariens, a 1024 Pro, which is kind of along the same mindset of high power, narrow bucket. Mine is 24", with a 10 hp, 318cc OHV Tecumseh. So you have a newer engine design, and significantly larger displacement, for the same bucket width. Nice! That will be great for deep/heavy snow, especially EOD. 

I believe your impeller (and augers?) spin faster than typical, so some of the extra power can be put to use processing the snow faster, and throwing it further, which is good. 

Last season, my governor wasn't working as well as it should have, and my machine still did very well with our 2-foot storms. So I'm sure yours will churn through whatever you can throw at it. Enjoy! 

On ground-speed, is the transmission adjusted properly? Is reverse faster than you're used to? If forward is slower than desired/expected, and reverse is faster, then perhaps the transmission isn't adjusted quite right. You can trade-off forward ground speed vs reverse ground speed. You might be able to speed up your forward settings, at the expense of making reverse slower, if that was useful.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Red, thanks. All speeds, including reverse, are very slow. I used speed 5 and speed 6 yesterday several times. I'd never be able to do that with my 28" machine, it would be too fast. I'll learn to live with it and the floppy, wet-noodle chute control. I just need to do something with the AutoTurn cuz it's pretty bad. I'll see if I can get a foto of the sidewalks later today. It looks like a drunk cleared them. The machine was wandering left/right in a bad way.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

One other thing I'll note is the gas tank. It seems like it's a flat, wide shape. It's not deep. If you only fill to the red bar, I think the tank is about 1/2 full. If you remove the strainer/indicator, you can see how much more gasoline it will hold. 




























grease-like goober in the tank:












I think it will do 1.25hrs run time at full throttle. I did not run out of gas yesterday, no engine operation issues at all. Shut off valve will stop the engine running after 20 seconds or so. It runs good and I'm keeping an eye on the oil level. Pull starting is pretty easy considering the displacement.


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## mobiledynamics (Nov 21, 2014)

I've been planning to tinker with my tank off season. Thanks for them pics. I understand the need for expansion, but the *high fill* marker on the strainer is awfully low


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

uberT said:


> Red, thanks. All speeds, including reverse, are very slow. I used speed 5 and speed 6 yesterday several times. I'd never be able to do that with my 28" machine, it would be too fast. I'll learn to live with it and the floppy, wet-noodle chute control. I just need to do something with the AutoTurn cuz it's pretty bad. I'll see if I can get a foto of the sidewalks later today. It looks like a drunk cleared them. The machine was wandering left/right in a bad way.


If the speeds bothered you enough, you could change to a larger pulley on the engine, to spin the drive system faster. You'd have to change the drive belt as well. 

I don't have Auto Turn, but some people say the Ariens poly skids help smooth it out. They could be something to try, if it refused to play nicely. I put them on my machine last year, they seem to have reduced the jerking/catching, vs my steel skids. But I had also welded plates to the bottom of the steel skids, so those edges may have been catching on things.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

Your chute should not be floppy since there is a positive lock on it. Pulling the chute lever back releases the lock so the chute can turn left or right. The lock mechanism is spring loaded in the lock position and is adjustable by the operating cable. Your manual says how to adjust it.

I have removed the screen in the fuel filler neck because it is hard to line up the notches to put the cap back on. There is another screen at the fuel pick up attached to the fuel shut off inside the tank. The fuel filler neck is not level as it is on other machines so the forward edge is low and allows fuel to leak while you are looking at lots of space at the back of the opening. I level the filler neck opening by putting some wood under the bucket in its normal storage position. This allows snow and ice to drain and I can fill the machine before using it. 

Your machine is a 2016 model. Good luck with it.


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

uberT said:


> One other thing I'll note is the gas tank. It seems like it's a flat, wide shape. It's not deep. If you only fill to the red bar, I think the tank is about 1/2 full.* If you remove the strainer/indicator, you can see how much more gasoline it will hold. *
> ...................................
> I think it will do* 1.25hrs run time at full throttle*. I did not run out of gas yesterday, no engine operation issues at all. Shut off valve will stop the engine running after 20 seconds or so. It runs good and I'm keeping an eye on the oil level. Pull starting is pretty easy considering the displacement.


My dealer said to fill the tank to the red marker, but Mary Lyn from Ariens said that the red plastic full mark did not apply to my machine. So it does not apply to your machine either. 

I think all manufacturers say to run the engine at full throttle. What affects fuel usage is the load put on the engine by the quantity and weight of the snow. Some are getting as low as 40 mins from a full tank. Ariens says in their advertising it should be 2 hours, but no mention about how much snow.

Good luck.


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## Stuofsci02 (Feb 16, 2015)

uberT said:


> Red, thanks. All speeds, including reverse, are very slow. I used speed 5 and speed 6 yesterday several times. I'd never be able to do that with my 28" machine, it would be too fast. I'll learn to live with it and the floppy, wet-noodle chute control. I just need to do something with the AutoTurn cuz it's pretty bad. I'll see if I can get a foto of the sidewalks later today. It looks like a drunk cleared them. The machine was wandering left/right in a bad way.


I am not sure I understand the issue with the slow speed. If your old machine could not run in gear 5 and 6 because it was too fast then it sounds like it was your old machine that had the problem (not this machine being too slow).

In speed 6 on this new machine do you feel like you want to be able to go faster? If not then having the slower gears seems like a win. I really like that the low speed on my machine is really low since it helps when I am clearing tight areas or go through drifts and banks. I find speed 6 is a fast walking speed which I can go often, but I wouldn't want any faster.


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## vmaxed (Feb 23, 2014)

Put your Armorskids on and give it a try,mine work great especially on the grass.I don't see any difference in speed forward or back on this ariens compared too others I had


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Stuofsci02 said:


> I am not sure I understand the issue with the slow speed. If your old machine could not run in gear 5 and 6 because it was too fast then it sounds like it was your old machine that had the problem (not this machine being too slow).
> 
> In speed 6 on this new machine do you feel like you want to be able to go faster? If not then having the slower gears seems like a win. I really like that the low speed on my machine is really low since it helps when I am clearing tight areas or go through drifts and banks. I find speed 6 is a fast walking speed which I can go often, but I wouldn't want any faster.


 It's not a problem. I'm just comparing/contrasting the other machine which moves much faster in Speed 6.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Vmax, fitting the ARMORskids is the next step.

I re-aligned the entire thing again today. I found a couple patches of snow to try it on ... maybe it's better now.

Here's a picture of the sidewalk ... see how nice and straight my path isn't:


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## vmaxed (Feb 23, 2014)

uberT said:


> Vmax, fitting the ARMORskids is the next step.
> 
> I re-aligned the entire thing again today. I found a couple patches of snow to try it on ... maybe it's better now.
> 
> Here's a picture of the sidewalk ... see how nice and straight my path isn't:


One more thing is to make sure the scraper bar is not to low,when I go on my grass I set the scraper bar @ 3/4 ".


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

It's not the scraper bar. I've got at least 1/8" and can see plenty of daylight the entire width.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Yup, it definitely looks like a drunk guy cleared the walk  I hope you can get it working more smoothly.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Town said:


> Your chute should not be floppy since there is a positive lock on it. Pulling the chute lever back releases the lock so the chute can turn left or right. The lock mechanism is spring loaded in the lock position and is adjustable by the operating cable. Your manual says how to adjust it.


Town, thanks. It's not the dashboard control handle that's floppy, it's the chute itself. Mine is really loose. You can rock it in all directions with just your finger tips. Maybe it's intended to be like this ??

I'll look for the guidance on adjustment in the manual.

Thanks again!


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Are you guys saying that I can/should just removed that strainer insert and set it aside?

Thanks.


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## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

uberT said:


> Are you guys saying that I can/should just removed that strainer insert and set it aside?
> 
> Thanks.


Yes UberT just remove it altogether. I did it on mine and a lot less frustration followed.


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## vmaxed (Feb 23, 2014)

I removed both pieces,they were added to last years gas tank because they where leaking.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Thanks, guys!


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Okay! Strainer removed and I learned why my chute is so floppy. My most professional local dealer, during their professional set up and calibration, missed tightening the two bolts at the base of the arm that holds the chute in place. The two bolts were finger tight  I've tightened them and that eliminates most of the flop. The chute also now travels the full range of its intended motion. Much better 

Snow INCOMING !!


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## Breathing Borla (Aug 25, 2014)

wow you guys clear in 6th gear?

I guess I'm a slow poke but I never really get going that fast.

I love the auto-turn it works great for me so far.

I only had to use it once this year though, lol. el nino around chicago we haven't gotten any snow really


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I rarely clear that fast. But I did last night, since we only had about 4" of fluffy stuff, and the driveway was smooth. No hidden ice to suddenly get caught on. The engine just churned along, not bogging down or struggling. It was kind of fun


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## Stuofsci02 (Feb 16, 2015)

Breathing Borla said:


> wow you guys clear in 6th gear?
> 
> I guess I'm a slow poke but I never really get going that fast.
> 
> ...


I run the speed as fast as the machine will go without bogging. I find if I keep it well loaded it throws the snow further.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Stuofsci02 said:


> I find if I keep it well loaded it throws the snow further.


 Same here. But our snowfalls have been so light and so minimal that the engine rarely hits the governor where it really starts to make its power.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I went thru the entire adjustment process again last weekend. I've used the machine once and it is clearly better in terms of it jumping around with the AutoTurn, but I'm leaving way too much snow now. I'm going to go ahead and fit the ARMORskids this weekend and probably do a couple of oil changes. I'm starting to get concerned about winter winding down ...


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## richwoodrocket (Nov 22, 2014)

When you're clearing 4-5 foot deep snow, first speed seems really fast. I would prefer a slower first gear, but I don't think that's possible with the current design of the drive system.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

You can adjust the transmission to help reduce all your forward speeds, while increasing the reverse speeds. Which would help give you a slower 1st gear. 

Or you could go to a smaller pulley on the engine, for the drive system, to slow all of the speeds down.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Guys, it would be nice if we could all say a little prayer for some snow so I can finally run this machine !! No white Christmas in this area. Supposed to be sunny and 40F - 45F right thru New Year's Day :icon_cussing_black:


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I've had some good use from this SHO today. The machine can throw snow horizontally all the way across the widest part of my driveway/pkg area. It opens up a new clearing strategy for me and that's nice!


Two issues I'm noticing: The auger mechanism is sticking in the engaged position when the machine is first started and the auger is initially engaged. You cannot get the auger to stop even if you reach down and try to move the little arm the cable connects to. It was making a light banging noise for a couple of minutes today and then all returns to normal. This is the second time it's happened.


There's something odd about the fuel tank. The machine starts sputtering and acting like it's running out of fuel, however, you open the fuel cap and it appears at least 1/3 full  Strange. I top off and all is OK.


The machine consumes notable amounts of gasoline. Today's snow seemed to have a high water content even though it's been fairly cold. I'm not going to say the machine struggled with the end of drive mess, but the 17ft*lbs was not an excessive amount of torque...


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

I noticed the same thing with the fuel tank and the sputtering on my 28 SHO as well. Comes in handy if you are down the street doing neighbors yards or down a hill somewhere, you know you had better high tail it back to the gas can, if you have a big heavy can like I do.


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## mrsteve7 (Sep 2, 2015)

>There's something odd about the fuel tank.
>The machine starts sputtering and acting like it's running out of fuel, however, you open the fuel cap and it appears at least 1/3 full Strange.
>I top off and all is OK.

My buddy is having the same problem and he's determined the gas cap is not venting properly, resolved by loosening the cap.

I suspect the same thing is happening in your case; you're releasing the vacuum (neg pressure?) upon refilling the tank


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Steve, thanks, I'll check that but I don't hear any release of vacuum when removing the fuel cap.


It "ran out of fuel" again this morning. There's at least 1/3" depth of gasoline in the tank:












It must be something to do with the fuel pick up design


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## outrag1 (Feb 10, 2017)

uberT said:


> Steve, thanks, I'll check that but I don't hear any release of vacuum when removing the fuel cap.
> 
> 
> It "ran out of fuel" again this morning. There's at least 1/3" depth of gasoline in the tank:
> ...


I used my new 24 Platinum (921050 not 921038) yesterday as well. Gas tank was only issue I had. Auto steer was great. They shifted the axle for the 921050 model but I also use poly skids. I had no issues with that aspect. Machine was very powerful but I did run out of gas. Put more gas in it and it ran fine. 


I'm also going to look closer at the fuel system. The strainer/cap design is not great. It does seem like there is a little gas still in tank when it runs out.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

outrag1 said:


> It does seem like there is a little gas still in tank when it runs out.


Yeah, more than a little gas left over


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## outrag1 (Feb 10, 2017)

Just used it again and it worked great. On the gas cap issue, removing the screen system is one solution but not sure if the screen system is there for any other functional reason. What I did as a workaround was to adhere the screen to the cap off line and then install the whole assy. Still not a great design but was easier than installing cap while screen was already in the tank.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

The Ariens people said it was OK to remove the screen.


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## Strato (Aug 6, 2016)

outrag1 said:


> I used my new 24 Platinum (921050 not 921038) yesterday as well. Gas tank was only issue I had. Auto steer was great. They shifted the axle for the 921050 model but I also use poly skids. I had no issues with that aspect. Machine was very powerful but I did run out of gas. Put more gas in it and it ran fine.
> 
> 
> I'm also going to look closer at the fuel system. The strainer/cap design is not great. It does seem like there is a little gas still in tank when it runs out.


I agree. The cap design of the Platinum 24 is head-scratcher. It's difficult to remove anytime (hard to grip), but in snow, with gloves, it's a real pain.

I haven't noticed the fuel issue you both mentioned. But, I've never really scrutinized the fuel level when the machine runs out.

It seems to run fine for about an hour, under heavy use, before I need to refill.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

This seems to be the source of my auger problem. The auger continues to turn when the handle is released and there is a cyclic banging noise. Once warmed up for a few minutes, things seem to return to normal.


The belts are running way off center. They look OK when the machine is off, alignment is pretty good:














Once the machine is running, belt alignment is *way off* and there's very little tension on the belt towards the front of the machine:


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## outrag1 (Feb 10, 2017)

That sounds like the source of your auger problems for sure. I don't know if it would come from Ariens like that or if the dealer is supposed to check belts, etc. during their prep. Someone else posted on another thread their 28 deluxe belt was out of alignment too...


Hopefully you can realign, tighten up and you'll be good...


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Looks like the double belts may be crooked on the idler pulleys. Are the idler pulleys loose, or is the bar that they sit on loose, or bent ?


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Thanks, guys. I can't tell for certain but the idler pulley arm looks like it might be slightly cocked. Those belts are very loose when the auger is not engaged.


I spent a little time looking thru the Service Manual. I can't find (yet) anything that addresses those components and this is going to move outside of my expertise.




I think I'm going to do a quick video and then discuss it with the dealer.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I was reading one of the others threads on alignment. Is this potentially an engine alignment issue? Is that what controls where the belts run on the pulleys?


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

uberT said:


> I was reading one of the others threads on alignment. Is this potentially an engine alignment issue? Is that what controls where the belts run on the pulleys?


Is your engine loose ? Otherwise, the holes are a pretty tight fit. Is the pulley bolt tight on the crankshaft ?


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Thanks, RIT. I'll have to go out and check...


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Here's the video we attempted last year. Plenty of gasoline in the tank this time  Snow was heavy and dense, probably 7" of new snow.










The machine was not acting up today.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

I've made arrangements for the selling dealer to fetch this machine and get it sorted. He said they've had to shim other machines with similar problems.


$110 for the roundtrip pickup/return service.


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

That sounds more like, shim the machine for $110, and Free pick-up/delivery. Isn't that a new machine? How far away is the "Supporting" dealer??

GLuck, Jay


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## djc11369 (Feb 17, 2014)

Shim it, aka band-aid fix. If Ariens isn't shimming from the factory then there is apparently a quality/design problem somewhere and should be replacing what's not right even if it's the whole machine. A warranty is for a reason, not to fix things half-a*s to get it out of their hair till next season or until it's entirely your problem. Contact Ariens, if they don't want to figure it out and fix it right then they should at least pick up the tab for the transportation fees.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

djc11369 said:


> Shim it, aka band-aid fix. If Ariens isn't shimming from the factory then there is apparently a quality/design problem somewhere and should be replacing what's not right even if it's the whole machine. A warranty is for a reason, not to fix things half-a*s to get it out of their hair till next season or until it's entirely your problem. Contact Ariens, if they don't want to figure it out and fix it right then they should at least pick up the tab for the transportation fees.


 
DJ, I think I agree with 100% of what you said. I don't like the idea of shimming....seems Mickey Mouse. Clearly a manufacturing issue exists and they kind of ignoring it. The service guy did admit they've shimmed others with the same problem.


After heavy use this afternoon, I see it's leaking what appears to be oil. So, I'm feeling somewhat deflated about the whole deal.


Jayz, these are your buddies just down the street on 1A


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Is it possible that I'm just seeing crap drip on the ground from the little rubber breather drip tube? I just ran my hand all around the machine and don't find evidence of an oil leak but the machine is still real wet with snow and all. I noticed the dripping was worse when the engine was under extreme load and no dripping when just cruising along. I notice drips coming from my single stage machine once in a while...the drops appear to be coming from the little rubber breather line near the carb. I assume that's normal.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Maybe this breather is the source of my "leak":












I sure hope so.


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## outrag1 (Feb 10, 2017)

I noticed on my new 24 platinum today some brownish spots as well on snow, but looked almost like grease that was really warmed up from the engine working so hard. Maybe axle grease I don't know. My machine worked great once again so I'm not too worried about it. This was heavy wet snow today so this thing truly got a workout especially at the EOD areas...


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Yeah, today was the heaviest snow I can remember dealing with. I just came back inside from running the B&S machine (rated at 16.5 ft*lbs) and that sucker was struggling like I'd never seen before. I thought it was going to stall at one point.


I'm hoping these little drips are nothing more than an oily mix from something like a PCV valve. I will spend some time investigating when the machines are dry and it's a bit warmer. Maybe this will be their final use for this season, but the weatherman just said another nor'easter is heading this way for the upcoming weekend.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

There would be some sort of residue present in that tube if it was coming out of the breather.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

That's what I've got to double check.


I had the machine in the "service position" before having the shop take it for repairs. Maybe there is some oil residue left in there because of the tipping.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

OK, maybe this "leak" isn't really a leak. I left the machine sitting on the snow overnight and there wasn't a single drop of anything to be seen this morning. It must be stuff dripping from the breather. The end of the tube is definitely wet.


I did check the engine oil level (engine was *cold*) and it was only about 1/2 full. I want to check that again when the engine is warm/hot. 


Is putting the machine in "service position" when it's gassed up and filled with oil a solid strategy??


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## nastorino (Jan 28, 2016)

I'm going to check this breather tube when I get home. I didn't notice it previously so I wonder if it's routed into my under carriage where the autoturn is.

I took delivery of mine on 1/10 started it for 20min, let it sit until the 24th. When I went to go use it I found this puddle of oil beneath it. It's honey in color, very thin. Dipstick is still okay.


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## djc11369 (Feb 17, 2014)

uberT said:


> Is putting the machine in "service position" when it's gassed up and filled with oil a solid strategy??


Oil yes, gas no, or should I say it really depends on how much gas is in it. When I put my in the service position with "too much" gas it starts to leak out around the cap. I haven't tested it out to figure out what is the max. amount where it won't leak.


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## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

OK, thanks, DJ. I noticed the gas leaking out the cap when I did it.


I know whenever I turn a lawn mower on its side, it always blows a ton of oily smoke out when it's re-started. Why wouldn't a sno thro suffer from something similar?


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

uberT said:


> OK, thanks, DJ. I noticed the gas leaking out the cap when I did it.
> 
> 
> I know whenever I turn a lawn mower on its side, it always blows a ton of oily smoke out when it's re-started. Why wouldn't a sno thro suffer from something similar?


Good question on the oil/smoke. I was wondering that myself.


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## djc11369 (Feb 17, 2014)

uberT said:


> I know whenever I turn a lawn mower on its side, it always blows a ton of oily smoke out when it's re-started. Why wouldn't a sno thro suffer from something similar?


I don't know the reason why, perhaps if it's up long enough you will get some seepage past the rings. Maybe the piston rings are made differently? For the amount of time I had it up there wasn't anything noticeable to me for oil burning. Regardless, the most that's going to do is foul the plug which you should replace yearly so replace it after the initial start up. Or, drain the oil and gas, do your service and then add back. Lots of ways to skin a cat as my father used to say, not sure where such a sick saying came from but it sticks with you.


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