# New Deluxe 24



## JoBlack (Dec 18, 2021)

Hi, new to the forum and have just ordered my first snowblower, an Ariens deluxe 24. I am looking for maintenance suggestions. So far my plans are to apply anti-seize to the wheel axles, check the grease on the friction pulley shaft and drive chain/gears, and check the oil and gearbox fluid levels prior to its first use. I am buying it from a box store, Rona, on southern Vancouver Island. I have read that some people apply wax or cooking spray to reduce sticking snow. Is there anything to check with regards to cable adjustments or any tips of what else should be done to keep a snowblower properly maintained? Thank you


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## Zavie (Sep 23, 2014)

Some of the guys like fluid film


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

JoBlack said:


> Hi, new to the forum and have just ordered my first snowblower, an Ariens deluxe 24. I am looking for maintenance suggestions. So far my plans are to apply anti-seize to the wheel axles, check the grease on the friction pulley shaft and drive chain/gears, and check the oil and gearbox fluid levels prior to its first use. I am buying it from a box store, Rona, on southern Vancouver Island. I have read that some people apply wax or cooking spray to reduce sticking snow. Is there anything to check with regards to cable adjustments or any tips of what else should be done to keep a snowblower properly maintained? Thank you


Welcome, also check ALL bolts/screws/nuts to see if they are snug, or maybe even missing. I wouldn't trust an "installer".
Don't over tighten the shear bolts on the auger.
Check the scraper bar for adjustment too, anti seize the bolts.


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## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

+1 for the fluid film. I spray the inside of the bucket and chute and then wipe the outside of the machine down with fluid film. Check to make sure the auger and drive clutch cables have minimal slack. They shouldn't already be preloaded but you also don't want them hanging loose. Also read through the owners manual. It'll have some good information about proper maintenance and adjustments. Good luck with your new machine.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

As already mentioned read through the owners manual for adjustments, operation and maintenance procedures. 

I recommend Fluid Film for preventing snow from sticking and keeping rust at bay.

Use non ethanol fuel if it is available locally (Canadian Tire Gas Bar and Shell premium fuel is non ethanol. Pump should be labeled non ethanol) 
Use a gas stabilizer if using ethanol fuel.

Service manual for Deluxe machines:


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*ALOHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







*


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## BazookaJoe (Oct 6, 2019)

Congrats on the new machine! I have the Deluxe 28 and I'm very happy with it. (same machine as yours but with 4" wider cut) Nice handling, cleans well, excellent throwing performance. Buy the heated grips for your next Christmas or Birthday present. 

I would suggest to double check the adjustment of anything which you think the assembler would have tightened during set up. Mostly, anything to do with the output chute and the handlebars.

One adjustment to verify, is the shifter rod. If this is not correct, your "first" slowest forward speed will be too fast. 
To correctly set the linkage, you will want to move the threaded connector up or down the rod so that the rod is just barely tight when the shifter is moved to the fastest reverse location. 
If you take a look at this shifter rod and think about what's happening inside the transmission housing, it's pretty straightforward to understand the situation.

A few things to note- 
1. Gas tank is quite small. Leave the gas tank strainer in place and just pour gas thru the strainer- you will see the fuel level in the strainer so no need to remove. Fill the tank good and full, or else you'll be walking back to the garage for the gas can.
2. Be sure to twist the awkward throttle to full throttle position or else the engine will not pull a full load.
3. If you want to gain ~15 degrees of additional chute rotation, you can easily modify the gear at the chute rotation. Remove the guard to see the situation. Cut the stops completely off. The gear has an extra tooth, as if it were designed to rotate further but the safety & legal department required the two stops. You'll need to trim a little from the guard and install a couple of rubber bumpers if you want to prevent steel on steel contact. Also, you may need to re-route the cable to the chute deflector. 

Have fun with the new snowblower!


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## JoBlack (Dec 18, 2021)

Many thanks to all, excellent suggestions. I will read the manual and follow through with the tips before starting it up. It is currently in transit on its way to the store


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## Jesse11B (Jan 27, 2020)

Congratulations on the new machine! There are some great ideas above. I’ve really enjoyed my D24 over the past few years. And the information on this forum is awesome.

In regards to the chute drive/gears I found mine had quite a bit of drag and was not smooth. With silicone grease(plastic gear ⚙) applied to the chute driveline gears, and silicone grease applied to the plastic bushing/washer at the chute base, the manual cranking action is much smoother.

On my machine the added grease did not reduce friction to a point where machine vibration rotates the chute. The added grease really helped make for smoother action, which I like since the user has to reach over the dash controls to get to the chute crank handle.

I don’t remember seeing it mentioned above. But it is a good idea to change the engine break in oil after the specified amount of hours. I can’t remember if it’s 5, 10, 15 or 20 some hours. I think the LCT engine manual should state the time.

Tabora has a great article on engine break in posted in the forum somewhere.


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## penna stogey (Nov 25, 2019)

Official welcome


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## dmurphy (Aug 28, 2021)

penna stogey said:


> Official welcome


Congratulations on your new Ariens i just got a pro 28 and the dealer said after the first 5 hours change the oil


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

very wise idea.


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## JoBlack (Dec 18, 2021)

My snowblower arrived and I picked it up this weekend. I like how most of the manual is written, it is refreshing to read instructions that have not suffered through poor translations to English. I am mid way through setting it up and have some questions.
What spacer (gap) would you set under the scraper bar during the initial scraper and shoe set up? I have a good concrete driveway but am planning on using the snowblower on my driveway, neighborhood sidewalks, and neighbor’s driveways after the plow passes by.
I don’t mind leaving a little snow behind as it doesn’t stay below freezing for too long on the west coast. I am concerned about the sidewalks where they angle up or down on the sides of driveways.
What type of skid shoes are preferred and why? I am a machinist and may fabricate some. I was reading about skid wheels and liked the idea right up until seeing how many stick and end up with flat spots.
I was removed the wheels and was surprised to see how little grease was on the axles. I applied a coating of never-seize.
I still have a few things to check as per the manual before firing it up. I will gas up after I am finished with the ‘service position’ and apply fluid film after flashing it up and running the auger and drive


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## penna stogey (Nov 25, 2019)

When my compact arrived I double checked everything, almost another service check to check things were in order, plus to learn the breakdown and grease points of my machine.. So far, no issues at all. Good luck.


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

2-3 well placed paint stirrers will do the trick. I happen to use a couple thin 80 year old floor tiles.


JoBlack said:


> What spacer (gap) would you set under the scraper bar during the initial scraper and shoe set up? I have a good concrete driveway but am planning on using the snowblower on my driveway, neighborhood sidewalks, and neighbor’s driveways after the plow passes by.


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## groomerz (Feb 7, 2015)

Check air in tires make sure they are even and at recommended pressure before adj side skids and or scraper


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JoBlack (Dec 18, 2021)

I checked the tires, they were even at 23 psi on my gauge.
….so for general snow removal across a variety of surfaces, does 1/4-3/8” seem reasonable?


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## Darby (Dec 18, 2020)

JoBlack said:


> I checked the tires, they were even at 23 psi on my gauge.
> ….so for general snow removal across a variety of surfaces, does 1/4-3/8” seem reasonable?





JoBlack said:


> I checked the tires, they were even at 23 psi on my gauge.
> ….so for general snow removal across a variety of surfaces, does 1/4-3/8” seem reasonable?


Yes. Your surfaces are pretty smooth and flat. That tire pressure seems a bit high. I think I run mine around 12 psi fwiw.


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## JoBlack (Dec 18, 2021)

I completed all of the manual set up / adjustments today. What a pleasure getting to know the machine. Found this plastic roller well out of adjustment…















now it has the .5-.875” clearance. Everything else seems good and in spec. I used a small detailing paintbrush to thinly spread the factory grease on the hex shaft and axle drive gears.


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## JoBlack (Dec 18, 2021)

I dropped the tire pressure down within spec and have one final issue to sort out. I notice that the right side of the snow blower seems to touch down before the left when I move it in the garage. When I had it standing in service position I noticed cracked paint at the lower back corner of the auger housing.








I tried to relax the bolts holding the auger housing to see if it would square up prior to setting the skid height. Not quite there yet, I will Have to move things out of the garage if the rain stops and straight edge the floor to find a better spot to adjust it on. Wish I knew how the paint got cracked. When I picked it up, it was on a proper pallet as well as the factory pallet, no damage to the box, and carefully unboxed and set up…


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## Tseg (Jan 29, 2021)

JoBlack said:


> I dropped the tire pressure down within spec and have one final issue to sort out. I notice that the right side of the snow blower seems to touch down before the left when I move it in the garage.


My new Honda had one side touch down before the other. It turns out I needed to reset the skids on a level floor (and paint stirrers under the bucket). Now it touches down square and solid.


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## SNOWJOE (Nov 18, 2018)

Ziggy65 said:


> As already mentioned read through the owners manual for adjustments, operation and maintenance procedures.
> 
> I recommend Fluid Film for preventing snow from sticking and keeping rust at bay.
> 
> ...


Never used Fluid Film before, always wax or WD-40..for preventing snow and slush from sticking in the auger housing...Does this stuff really work and last better??


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Yes it lasts better than WD 40.

Another product that others recommend is Rust Check that is a little cheaper. Both are available at Peavey Mart, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware etc., I bought a can of Rust Check but have not tried it yet. FF is a fantastic lubricant made from lanolin and stays in place longer than many other products.

A good coat of wax will also definitely help, I apply mine in the spring when I am servicing the machine for summer storage. Any automotive wax you have will work fine.









FLUID FILM | Powerful Corrosion Protection & Lubrication


FLUID FILM® is Eureka’s own unique lanolin-based brand of corrosion preventive and lubricant, used worldwide in a multitude of industries and applications.




www.fluid-film.com


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## quexpress (Dec 25, 2013)

Ziggy65 said:


> Yes it lasts better than WD 40.
> 
> Another product that others recommend is Rust Check that is a little cheaper. Both are available at Peavey Mart, Canadian Tire, Home Hardware etc., I bought a can of Rust Check but have not tried it yet. FF is a fantastic lubricant made from lanolin and stays in place longer than many other products.
> 
> ...


Do you spray the Film Fluid onto the blower or spray it onto a rag and then wipe it on?
Thanks!


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## JJG723 (Mar 7, 2015)

quexpress said:


> Do you spray the Film Fluid onto the blower or spray it onto a rag and then wipe it on?
> Thanks!


I spray the inside of the bucket, augers, impeller, and chute then let it sit. The rest of the machine I spray then wipe.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I spray it on the rims, inside the bucket, augers, impeller and inside the chute on all my machines as well as under the dash on my D28 SHO and leave it.
I don't apply any to the rest of the machine, as it will get a coat of wax.


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

JoBlack said:


> I checked the tires, they were even at 23 psi on my gauge.
> ….so for general snow removal across a variety of surfaces, does 1/4-3/8” seem reasonable?


i only run 8 psi in my tires. lower pressure will give you a little better grip and contact patch.


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## SNOWJOE (Nov 18, 2018)

CarlB said:


> i only run 8 psi in my tires. lower pressure will give you a little better grip and contact patch.


But if you run at a lower pressure the weight will shift away from the front of the auger housing, so you might get climbing in deeper snow..Just the opposite of what you want to occur...Higher pressure should put the weight more forward...I put it at 20lbs ....


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Higher pressure will not improve the machine from climbing when going through packed EOD snow, reducing the speed will help as well as adding weight to the bucket.

I run my machines with 12 PSI tire pressure, 20 PSI is over inflated IMHO, although it won't hurt anything as over inflating a car tire will. 20 PSI will also probably cause a little more bounce when operating the machine.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

20 lbs. is usually max load pressure as stated on tire .... I keep mine around 15


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## SNOWJOE (Nov 18, 2018)

Ziggy65 said:


> Higher pressure will not improve the machine from climbing when going through packed EOD snow, reducing the speed will help as well as adding weight to the bucket.
> 
> I run my machines with 12 PSI tire pressure, 20 PSI is over inflated IMHO, although it won't hurt anything as over inflating a car tire will. 20 PSI will also probably cause a little more bounce when operating the machine.


Been doing this at 20 PSI for decades, no bounce what so ever...Most of the weight is centered on the tires, from engine ,frame, gears, axle, handle bars, etc...if you reduce tire pressure too much, you are shifting any balance to the rear, thus making the auger end somewhat lighter...sure you'll get some better traction, but who's climbing mountains in their driveways..Try it , you'll like it...


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

SNOWJOE said:


> But if you run at a lower pressure the weight will shift away from the front of the auger housing, so you might get climbing in deeper snow..Just the opposite of what you want to occur...Higher pressure should put the weight more forward...I put it at 20lbs ....


my large frame commercial grade 83 cub cadet weighs 280lbs and i have an additional 20lbs of nose weight on it and it doesn't even think about climbing up on packed snow. I also have a set of roller skids on it that i made back in 2012 and have never had to adjust them due to wear.


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## SNOWJOE (Nov 18, 2018)

CarlB said:


> my large frame commercial grade 83 cub cadet weighs 280lbs and i have an additional 20lbs of nose weight on it and it doesn't even think about climbing up on packed snow. I also have a set of roller skids on it that i made back in 2012 and have never had to adjust them due to wear.


Well since you run it at only 8 psi, you need that 20 lbs nose weight to counter the shift towards the rear...The Deluxe 24 weights 240lbs, if I remember correctly..Even at 20 psi on the tires, I had some climbing until I added a 11lbs weight on my auger front...


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

i've run it with and without the nose weight and never had a problem. It does get a little nose light without the nose weight with the snow cab on it which isn't very often. 
with the roller skids and the differential the nose weight really has no effect on maneuverability.


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