# Tipping snowblower into "service position"?



## Old Geezer (Feb 19, 2016)

Sometime this Spring I'm going to need to replace the friction disc in my 926106. And in order to do this, I evidently need to tip the snowblower up onto its nose into the "service position."

Well, my unit weights - maybe 350 lbs? and I'm certainly not as spry as I used to be. I have tried to use the "brute force" approach, but this brute doesn't have as much force as he used to have, and I didn't get too far. I don't have any sturdy relatives nearby.

So my question is, does anyone have a clever way for one person to do this, or at least to get the tipping started? Ramps? A jack? A hoist? Some clever way to use a long 2 x 4 as a prying lever?


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

:welcome:Simplest method would be to recuit a neighbor, tell them exactly what the expectations are. Also have a few different sized blocks of wood handy. Maybe a few short 2x4 or 4x4 pieces. My Toro 521 needs a block due to the top of the bucket sloping back so much. Before tipping machine make sure the gas tank is close to empty and if not, remove the gas cap and put some plastic over the filler hole and screw the cap back on.
Someone else may have a much better idea but that's the simplest I can think of.
I have to ask..... Have you actually tried tipping it yourself to see if you can do it? 350# is a lot of weight. How big a snowblower do you have? It must be a monster.


----------



## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

hello old geezer, welcome to *SBF!!* now that is a problem, maybe getting the wheels on the 2 x 4 will give you enough leverage to tilt it the rest of the way, I was wondering a few years ago if my portable jack would fit underneath


----------



## td5771 (Feb 21, 2011)

I don't know what you have around but:

a set of old style car ramps. Back up the ramps and then turn it off and let the front down. Walk around to the front and maybe pull it over forward instead of lifting from the back? Or if comfortable enough, drive forward up the ramps stopping short of going over so you can turn it off. Forward would be more of a balancing act. Backwards it wouldn't have anywhere to fall to as the front would still be on the ground. 

Or if you have some time and scrap wood build a platform the size of the machine maybe a foot high, 2 boards to drive up onto the platform then roll the front off slowly and tip the rest of the way from standing position on the platform.


----------



## td5771 (Feb 21, 2011)

Or a bunch of blocks and 1 long 2x4. Use the 2 by as a lever and lift a little, put a block under each wheel, lift a little more, add a block, etc. Once it gets going you can finish pulling over from the front.


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

If you have access to an open beam or truss you may want to consider using one of these. Block the wheels in the front and lift it.

Chain Hoist - Low Sale Prices on this 1 Ton Chain Hoist


----------



## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

Floor jack and jack stands might just do the trick.k:k:k:k:k: Anyhoo, *ALOHA from the paradise city.:smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027:*


----------



## chrisexv6 (Feb 4, 2014)

td5771 said:


> I don't know what you have around but:
> 
> a set of old style car ramps. Back up the ramps and then turn it off and let the front down. Walk around to the front and maybe pull it over forward instead of lifting from the back? Or if comfortable enough, drive forward up the ramps stopping short of going over so you can turn it off. Forward would be more of a balancing act. Backwards it wouldn't have anywhere to fall to as the front would still be on the ground.
> 
> Or if you have some time and scrap wood build a platform the size of the machine maybe a foot high, 2 boards to drive up onto the platform then roll the front off slowly and tip the rest of the way from standing position on the platform.


I almost wonder if you could just back it up the ramps and work on it that way....just need to drop the belly pan which can be done with the unit on the ramps. And the ramps would lift it enough to give a little more room to work, all without having to flip the unit into service position.


----------



## wheelhorseboy (May 30, 2014)

The ramps would be in the way, you gotta be 'up close and personal' to work on the insides of the machine.


----------



## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

If you have fuel in the unit, it's a good idea to turn the fuel shut-off OFF before tilting the machine over; or the float will open the main needle and you'll have fuel all over the place.

And an empty tank is always best; but I read somewhere that a double layer of saran wrap (or any plastic wrap) on the fuel tank inlet with the cap screwed back down tight will seal the Air Vent in the Cap, and keep the fuel inside the tank) . . . . I don't know where I read this (and I've searched); but it works !

Just remember to un-do whatever it is that you did to prevent spillage BEFORE trying to start the Unit again . . . . because it won't start otherwise. I've learned this.


----------



## Old Geezer (Feb 19, 2016)

Thanks to all for the various suggestions. I probably will try the ramp approach, in one for or another. But this all will need to await warmer weather. 

It is pretty easy to disconnect the fuel line and drain the gas back into a storage can, I've done that several times already.

Anyone else have any ideas?


----------



## Hanky (Nov 14, 2014)

Remember to drain the oil, good time for a oil change while you are at it.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I've tipped my Tecumseh machines up many times without draining the oil. Just make sure the dipstick is screwed on tight! 

Do you have another person available? If so, maybe you could try something rather clumsy. Put a long board (2x4) across the handles, sticking out to the sides. Strap it or tie it securely to each handle (ratchet straps might work well). Now you could put one person on either side of the machine, and each use the board as a handle, so that each person is only lifting half the weight. It might also be less awkward, as you could move as the machine tips up. 

You might be able to use a concept like this (attaching a board, to give you a longer lever) to use with just one person, but it would be tougher. 

I doubt that it would help you. But it's easier to do physically. You *could* remove the bottom plate with the machine in the normal position. Then push the handles down to the floor, and hold them there with something. Or prop something under the bucket. This would give you poor, inconvenient access to the underside the machine. This is definitely not a great option. But pushing the handles down to the floor is easier on my machines then tipping them up on the bucket.


----------



## Old Geezer (Feb 19, 2016)

Unfortunately, the only crew to work on this problem is me, myself, and I. If I had a helper, the repair would have been over and done with by now.

Regarding oil draining - my oil drain faces out the back of the engine, so when the snowblower is in the service position, the drain would be pointing straight up.


----------



## Smitty4ut (Feb 9, 2016)

If you have something to hook it too, a block & tackle would do the trick.


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Just make sure you have a way to get it back down too. If you can't lift it from the floor, you probably aren't going to be able to hold it up to slowly lower it. You don't want it slamming back down.


----------



## markd (Oct 29, 2014)

Just tipped mine forward by myself to get all the old gear oil out of the auger box. I'm replacing with 90W gear oil but that's for a different thread. This is how I did it: I put a car jack under the rear of the blower and jacked it up about one foot. This was enough to get the weight of the engine forward enough that I then could very easily push the machine to nearly vertical to get the old gear oil out. I then lowered the blower back onto the jack and then lowered it to the ground. I know it doesn't seem like the jacking would make a difference but it did. By the way, my Toro weighs in at about 300lbs., and I'm an older guy too. If you decide to try this, be careful that your blower doesn't slip off the jack!


----------



## nwcove (Mar 2, 2015)

would there be any foreseeable issues with sliding a couple pieces of metal pipe over the handle grips, say two maybe three feet long ? as you push up on the machine, just slide your hands down the extensions. just a thought.


----------



## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Old Geezer said:


> Unfortunately, the only crew to work on this problem is me, myself, and I.


The 3 of you can handle it easily.


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Smitty4ut said:


> If you have something to hook it too, a block & tackle would do the trick.


+1 with this method. That's what I had suggested as well.


----------



## Old Geezer (Feb 19, 2016)

*Problem solved !*

I tried the ramp approach suggested, but that was very cumbersome. The suggestion re an overhead hoist or block and tackle was not possible because the snowblower is sitting in a garage with a finished ceiling. The idea of slipping pipes over the ends of the handlebars is a good idea - but something else came to mind first.

Namely - I went to Harbor Freight and bought a lawn mower service lift, on sale for $99. I had been meaning to get one of these anyway, so I don't really mind the cost. 

Once I got the lift assembled, raising the snowblower to about a 45 degree angle was easy, after which tipping it onto its nose was not a problem.

(with the cover plate removed, the problem with my snowblower turns out to be that the pinion shaft had egged out the hole in the side of the frame, causing the small gear to jump out of engagement with the big gear. But there is a repair kit for that, 52603500, which I have ordered)


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

That's great!! I'm glad you got a working solution. And thank you for sharing it, I was not aware of those mower lifts. This is a good method to know about.


----------



## Cardo111 (Feb 16, 2015)

I was wondering how to get my unit on blocks for off season storage and what size wood blocks would work best.


----------



## shallowwatersailor (Feb 19, 2013)

I made this stand/rest a few years ago for my Ariens. It keeps the tires about an inch higher off the ground and is as wide as the wheels on the axle. I just kick it in or out while tilting the snowblower forward. The snowblower rests on it all the time. It keeps the tires from flatspotting during storage, and allows the tires to dry after use. I can also use it for putting on chains.

It is just a rectangular frame with a vertical piece that I covered with a piece of a floor mat. The braces, it turns out, are a bit overkill and could be made with smaller dimensional lumber. It is also painted Kubota Orange as that is what I had at the time.


----------



## WIHD (Dec 15, 2019)

I read threads on this but didn't see any pics, but the wood block was a good idea. I already put some under the wheels, but tipping onto a 6x6 was useful. If you can get it up on 4x4s, you can kinda do a 'squat' (like weightlifting) and push upward lifting the machine into the service position. YMMV


----------



## gam (Aug 23, 2020)

anybody have VIDEO of a blower bring tipped into service position, by 1 person😉?


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Like, as to whether it can actually be done by 1 person? I do it to my machines, though they're not huge, either 26" or 24". But no video, sorry.


----------



## gam (Aug 23, 2020)

ya...1person....id just like to see a video of someone actually doing it
I have a big ol' 27" cut Craftsman, weighs a ton!


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Old Geezer,

While you are doing work on it, I would pull the pins off both wheels, and clean them up, and touch up the paint if necessary, and then clean and put some Never-seize on those axles,...... the rust looks terrible, and will cause you problems down the road.

BTW, I tip all my blowers over by myself, but I am only 68 years young ... boy, it would be nice to be 35 again though ...


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Old Geezer was doing that in 2016, so hopefully the machine back together again by now


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

LOL ... I should pay more attention to those threads that are reopened years later ....


----------



## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

I wouldn't pay a nickel to be 35 again. That would mean 25 more years of work. No way Jose. Loving retirement.


----------

