# Ariens 10000 Series Restoration



## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I have started to disassemble my Ariens 5/24 (purchased by my father in 1968) . I had planned on only repainting the blower assembly and replacing bearing and bushings as required. The tractor assembly paint was in decent condition, so was going to leave as is.
Once I got into it, it has of course progressed to disassembling the tractor as well :smile2:. I find it a good distraction from all that is happening in the world, to spend a couple of hours a day in the garage.
I pre-soaked all hardware with penetrating oil, and have had no issues with disassembly.
Surface prep (degreasing, rust removal and sanding the gloss off the existing paint) for priming and painting has consumed the most time thus far.

Any tips or suggestions are welcome.


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

You're really getting into it. I love to see these machines being refurbished and you're doing it right.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Looks like your doing a fine job. 

While you have it apart, you want to replace those tires with the proper XTrac ones, as those lawn tires with chains are way outdated, and the new XTrac work fantastic, as all new machines come with them.

Also , you should free up the friction disc sliding tubular rod on its frame, if it is froze like most are, as that will be required to change out that worn friction disc.

I have attached a few photos of my rebuild of one of my 10000 series last year.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Final outcome …..


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

oneacer said:


> Final outcome …..


Is your paint in the impeller housing holding up? I'm thinking of leaving it alone and use some rust protection spray, like liquid wrench instead. If you have rust spots, the rust will expand to other areas underneath the paint. The paint will keep moisture in and cause them to rust faster. Not to mention, it is a lot of work to repaint.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@dman2,

When you do a proper paint job, the preparation is key. You have to sand it down to bare metal, use a good primer, and a good paint.

If you do not do a proper paint job, and don't clean up the rust properly, you will not have a good outcome.

Just spraying over the rust in my opinion, would not be a lasting way to do it, just my opinion.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

oneacer said:


> @dman2,
> 
> When you do a proper paint job, the preparation is key. You have to sand it down to bare metal, use a good primer, and a good paint.
> 
> ...


I know that. That is why I said it is a lot of work. Each paint coat is like a day of waiting before you can apply another coat.
Painting over rust will only cause more problems later on.
And, if you have a rust spot in your impeller housing (of course, you would with all of the rocks and sand), that would expand to other areas. The paint only keep moisture in and cause them to rust faster.

I brushed my impeller housing with a wire wheel and saw so much more rust under that shiny paint. It is best to keep the impeller housing bare metal, so you can apply rust protection on it each year. Paint everything else so it is clean and you don't have to do a lot of maintenance.

Nothing will last forever. We just extend its life and get the most out of it.

Thanks for your reply.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

It is not best to keep your internal housing bare metal as you state.

It should be cleaned properly, primed and painted properly.

But hey, if you want to keep it bare metal, and avoid all that work, by all means go for it.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Also, a glossy painted housing and chute will help with clogging and help the blower throw snow a little further. Wax and fluid film can also help.


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

About six years ago, I coated a corroded wheelbarrow tub with Plastocor. The tub has not since corroded. Admittedly, this is overkill on a wheelbarrow but the Plastocor I got was being tossed out where I worked because its shelf life had expired. 

You can probably get a similar type of epoxy coating for the impeller housing. NAPA sells POR-15 coating for rusted surfaces. 
https://plastocor.com/home/


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

oneacer said:


> It is not best to keep your internal housing bare metal as you state.
> 
> It should be cleaned properly, primed and painted properly.
> 
> But hey, if you want to keep it bare metal, and avoid all that work, by all means go for it.


Based on what I have been seeing and reading from people, paint on the impeller housing is not going to last for very long. So, I was surprised that you painted your and asked if your paint is that good. Maybe because you have a low speed impeller and they don't put out rocks and sands on the street.

Like I said, if you have rust spots, then they will expand to other areas. The paint around them will act like blankets holding the moisture in. That is why when I wire-brushed my impeller housing, all paint came off easy and rust appeared.
With all of that falling out paint craps, it is harder for you to apply rust protection as well.

It is not that I want to keep it bare metal, but I'm weighting the cost and benefit here. It is also to help other people understand.

If painting work for you, then continue to do it. If you just say painting is better without explaining anything and sharing your data (what you saw), I'm not convinced. And, I don't expect you to explain anything. Your comment was okay and useful for some people.

I don't think glossy paint is going to make it smoother. It is just light reflection my friend.
Waxing and fluid film help in some areas. I don't expect it to throw farther that way. I didn't see it throw farther.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@dman2,

Respectfully, your opinion of not addressing a proper rust issue by removing all the rust, properly preparing it, applying a good primer, and properly painting it with a quality gloss paint does not make much sense.

You can certainly avoid all that work and just leave it as is, as many people do not bother to deal with rust properly. But keep in mind, if rust is not removed properly, it will only continue to spread.

By taking a piece of rusted metal, getting rid of the rust, priming it, and applying a good coat of quality gloss paint does not require any explanation or data. It is a known fact that that is a tried and true proper way to protect metal from the elements.

The End.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

I'm not talking about the proper way to repaint something. I'm talking about paint in the impeller housing (is this worth to repaint it?) and the proper way to protect it. It is not just simple as a good rust clean up and then paint over, because it is a lot of work and won't last long. Some people suggested epoxy paint, so maybe you can suggest that to be more helpful.
I wanted to treat this as a discussion, but you seem to be annoyed and not interested. I'm logging out.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

For people reading this,

I still think that rust protection fluid film is the better way to protect the impeller housing (there are some good products out there). It is easy to spray on every year. Where paint will chip off.

If paint last 5-10 years for you, maybe it is worth to re-paint. To do it properly, you would have to remove every thing, so you can clean the rust surface. If you aren't careful with the process, you can grind the metal off and make the sheet metal thinner. Is this worth it?

paint look nice, but it just wear out too soon in the impeller housing. Paint only protect it if it is a full blanket with no holes in it.

THE END.


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## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

Sometimes we just need a nap:grin:


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

oneboltshort said:


> Sometimes we just need a nap:grin:


:iagree: I went out to mow my lawn. There is always things to do.


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## Kielbasa (Dec 21, 2013)

I learned from experience... after I repainted my impeller area over that... the first piece of road, stone, rock or anything that will destroy your paint job. I sanded, primed, spray finish coated two or three times and clear coated. Now... I will sand, give it primer and use the brush on paint. Since it will not last, I use the easiest and quickest way to do the job. Brushing is more controlable.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Degrease, sanded and applied primer to gas tank, tins and engine. Handle bars and wheels have final coat of white paint.
Highs of only 8 to 10 degrees C for next 2 weeks, so be a while before I can primer and paint the blower assembly.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

I just finished painting my chute as well.

Definitely wet sand the inside of it after the final clear coat. It felt a lot smoother after I did that. New paint was rough and sticky (rougher than bare and clean metal).

I was going to polish it with a polishing compound (after sanding), but then I used the wrong car wax/finish compound. I thought it was better that way, because the car wax/finish stuck on sanded surface better. It was the car/wax finish that made it a whole lot smoother and slippery. So slippery that you can make a water slide out of it. No need to polish it and waste your times.

Just a tip for you.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Ziggy,

Very nice storage cabinet wall system ….


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

You sell those tires, don't you.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Some updates on my project, have got engine, tins, tractor body and a few other parts primed and painted.









































Everything from sanding, degreasing and painting takes longer than I expected, which is fine by me. Taking my time, as it is good to have a project to help fill the days in these stay at home times. 

Hope everyone has as good an Easter as possible and stays safe and healthy.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Looking Good ….


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

I like that you're painting the engine white; being faithful to the original colors of the machine.


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## Johnny G1 (Jan 28, 2020)

oneacer said:


> Looking Good ….


 X2 almost like new.


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## ELaw (Feb 4, 2015)

Better than new if you put the right tires on it!

I love the idea of keeping these old machines original, but unless it's going to be a "hangar queen", I'd make an exception for the tires... the modern types are *so* much better.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

ELaw said:


> Better than new if you put the right tires on it!
> 
> I love the idea of keeping these old machines original, but unless it's going to be a "hangar queen", I'd make an exception for the tires... the modern types are _so_ much better.


I agree with you and Oneacer that the XTrac tires are an improvement over the original tires and chains, I have them on my newer Ariens.
I find the old blower with chains has slightly better traction than the new blower with XTracs. My driveway is gravel and I let the snow compact an inch or 2 for a base, so the chained tires are not as bumpy as if running on bare pavement.

However, the reason I am keeping the original tire and chains is because of sentimental attachment. My father bought it new in 1968, living in the snow belt, it saw many years of heavy use. By the mid 1990's it was becoming harder to start and my father was getting older. I thought I would surprise him for Christmas and bought him a cheaper brand blower with electric start (I really knew little about snow blowers then).

As I did not have a snow blower, I inherited the Ariens. I read up on cleaning the carb etc and got the blower running well again. I could tell Dad never really liked the new blower, but it did the job and was reliable. Over the years he would always ask me how the Ariens was working and was amazed when I said it usually started on the 1st or 2nd pull. Dad passed away 8 years ago and the other blower went to my sister, it is on it's last legs and very rusty.

The Ariens is now 53 years old, and I want to keep it as original as possible, but still reliable and functional, as it gets some use and is my back up machine. I have replaced carb, head gasket, axle bushings, impeller bearing and gas line everything else is original . The friction drive wheel is still original, it is hard, but not worn and has not degraded any in the past 25 years and works fine. I have a new replacement, but think the current one will out last me. The build quality and simplicity of this old tank has always amazed me.

Sorry for the long winded post, but I wanted to try and explain how something as mundane as a snow blower can be sentimental and bring back fond memories. I wish he was still around to see the machine when I am done, I think he would be amazed.

Thanks for your advice, it is always appreciated.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Ziggy,

I totally understand, as I have my fathers Yardman 7100 series from 1969-70, which is my go to machine for the big snows.

I did however install the XTrac …


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

I have my father's 1968 Ariens 10000 series _Sno Thro._ It's a 7 HP and all original. The engine is a little tired but I don't want to put a black-colored Predator engine on it because that would too drastically alter the appearance of a machine whose looks help me to remember my dad. That's why I appreciate you for maintaining the original white engine-color on your dad's machine.

My machine also has the turf saver tires with some pretty gnarly chains I installed to replace the original chains. My driveway is gravel which tears up the paint on a snowblower attachment so I have other Ariens 10000 machines for use if and when it ever snows around here (and I hope it doesn't snow). 



Ziggy65 said:


> However, the reason I am keeping the original tire and chains is because of sentimental attachment. My father bought it new in 1967, living in the snow belt, it saw many years of heavy use. By the mid 1990's it was becoming harder to start and my father was getting older.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I've got the tractor assembled and a few more parts primed and painted.

Last Wednesday I knew I would need some more red oxide primer, so decided to order online 2 cans from local hardware store. In Ontario all hardware and auto supply stores are closed to walk in traffic. You must phone your order or order online for curb side pick up. I called the store to find out if they had my order ready yet, as it has been a week. I was told it is best to call the store to place an order, as on line orders go to their central warehouse and get put on the weekly truck delivery, which is today, so hopefully I can pick order up tomorrow.

So I called NAPA store today to order 2 more cans of Chevy Orange DE1620 instead of ordering online and I can pick them up tomorrow morning curb side (gave credit card info over phone). I had a can of Kubota orange in the cupboard and sprayed the augers with it to see if I could stretch the paint I had. Kubota orange is not even close to matching the Ariens colour:icon-doh:

So if your stores are only offering curb side pick up, phone your order in, instead of ordering on line.


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

That looks fantastic! Is Chevrolet orange the color of their engines? Is it a good match with Ariens orange?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

badbmwbrad said:


> That looks fantastic! Is Chevrolet orange the color of their engines? Is it a good match with Ariens orange?


Yes, it is almost a perfect match. There are several shades of Chevy engine orange. The closest match to the Ariens colour is Duplicolor DE1620. I have read that Allis Chalmers orange tractor/implement paint is also a close match. However in my area I could not find it, even at TSC stores. Most auto parts stores and Canadian Tire carry the Duplicolor brand of engine paint.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I have finished painting , so thought I would try posting some photos to see how the new format works.

Attaching photos is definitely easier with the new format.

When the new site format was rolled out, I immediately did not like it. I said to myself,---- self, give it some time, you will get used to it and maybe even like it. Time will tell.


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## penna stogey (Nov 25, 2019)

Looking good...Well done


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

Very nice job. When it's finished, it will look better than new.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

I have finished reassembling the machine, it went back together without a hitch.

Fluids were changed, moving parts were greased and lubed, rusty hardware replaced.

She fired up on the first pull, ran it around the driveway with the augers engaged everything seems to be working as it should.

These old 10000 series machines are very easy to work on, most parts seem readily available and they are built with much more robust parts than newer machines. They have very little $ value compared to newer blowers, but if you are looking for a snowblower project to fill your time, I would recommend one of these old machines.

Thanks for your input/help and comments.


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

What is the electronic device affixed to the handlebars?


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

badbmwbrad said:


> What is the electronic device affixed to the handlebars?


It is a tachometer/hourmeter, ordered it on Amazon the price was very reasonable, easy to install and works well. Here is a link to a thread on tachometers, which helped me decide to get one.









Adding Hour / Tach Meter


Found these RunLeader hour/Tach meters made for small engine's, like lawnmowers, snow blowers, etc.... This particular one offers a few extras such as IP67 submersible water rating, clock/time, hour, tachometer, job time, RPM alarm, and 2 programmable maintenance alarms. It's $23.00 and only...




www.snowblowerforum.com


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## paulm12 (May 22, 2015)

very impressive restoration Ziggy.

tx


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Thanks Paul, I am happy with how it turned out.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Ziggy65 said:


> Thanks Paul, I am happy with how it turned out.


This is some beautiful work!!! You probably know that I do this with Honda's so know what you went through to get this result. It almost looks like the powder coating I do. I bring my parts to a shop and they bead blast and powder coat. Did that to a bunch of machines until they jacked up their prices 50% so now I am doing the ol fashion way , sanding , grinding , primer , and Painting.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

The one thing I haven't been able to figure out is protecting a paint job from gasoline. Sometimes I have to put machine on nose to work on it an gas has leaked from carb onto bucket and hurts paint job and I have to clean and redo that area.

Usually I put protective cover on bucket but sometimes I forget. Is there so kind of clearcoat or application to put on a paint job to protect from gas and chemicals?


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## paulm12 (May 22, 2015)

orangputeh: how long after painting are you seeing the gasoline damage the paint? It can take weeks for paint to fully cure, and I wonder if that is part of the issue? Regardless, I love powder coat finishes, and I have a local guy that does my parts when he has time and is doing that same color. He is very thorough and very reasonable on cost, or at least he was before this shut-down, hopefully he will survive. 

tx


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

orangputeh said:


> This is some beautiful work!!! You probably know that I do this with Honda's so know what you went through to get this result. It almost looks like the powder coating I do. I bring my parts to a shop and they bead blast and powder coat. Did that to a bunch of machines until they jacked up their prices 50% so now I am doing the ol fashion way , sanding , grinding , primer , and Painting.


Thanks for the kind compliment, means a lot coming from you, as I really respect the skill you have repairing/refurbishing and restoring the Honda machines.

Shopping out to a quality powder coater would be the way to go for sure, as grinding, sanding and degreasing is dirty time consuming work. Also, there is a lot of time taken up between applying the coats of primer and paint. Unfortunately there are no powder coaters near me.

Like painting, powder coating is only as good as the prep work done prior to applying the final coat, so a good powder coat guy is important. I see so many machines 5 to 10 years old that have the original paint or powder coating peeling off in large areas because the metal was not properly prepared.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

orangputeh said:


> The one thing I haven't been able to figure out is protecting a paint job from gasoline. Sometimes I have to put machine on nose to work on it an gas has leaked from carb onto bucket and hurts paint job and I have to clean and redo that area.
> 
> Usually I put protective cover on bucket but sometimes I forget. Is there so kind of clearcoat or application to put on a paint job to protect from gas and chemicals?


I know exactly what you mean. After reassembling the Ariens, I put some gas in the tank checked for leaks and started it up, ran it around the driveway testing it out. Didn't notice any leaks and didn't turn the gas shutoff off (normally never do) as I was going to run it out of gas the next day before putting it in the shed for summer.
Next day I found that all the gas in the tank had leaked out through the carb overnight and ran down the side of the tractor body. 










I had never had an issue with the carb before, but suspect the float got stuck after I had removed the engine for degreasing and painting. I know I had it on end and jostled it around quite a bit. I removed the float bowl and made sure the float was freed up and operational. Added more gas to the tank and ran engine for a while and let sit over night and had no leaks.

Removed the wheel, resanded the damaged paint, spent a lot of time masking and taping to prevent over spray, repainted and you can't tell there was ever an issue.

I definitely think and hope the paint was damaged so badly because it had not cured completely. I have read that it can take several months to cure. I also noticed that the white Tremclad rust paint I used on the handle bars was not damaged at all. It had been applied about 2 or 3 weeks before the orange on the tractor body.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Ziggy65 said:


> I know exactly what you mean. After reassembling the Ariens, I put some gas in the tank checked for leaks and started it up, ran it around the driveway testing it out. Didn't notice any leaks and didn't turn the gas shutoff off (normally never do) as I was going to run it out of gas the next day before putting it in the shed for summer.
> Next day I found that all the gas in the tank had leaked out through the carb overnight and ran down the side of the tractor body.
> 
> View attachment 167232
> ...


I'd rather powdercoat as gasoline doesnt hurt it. The cost is justified on the bigger blowers as I can recoup a couple times my cost but on the smaller ones I usually do what you did. Saving $20/30 an hour so that is the same as earning it.

You take pride in your work as I do. I take pictures and enlarge them , frame and put in garage. wife thinks i'm nuts. I asked her if she rather go back to my old ways and hang out in bars.

I love threads on restorations like yours.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

If you want it to look good, just sand it and put another color coat on. It happened to me all the time. I let the paint dry up for 2-3 days and it still wrinkle up when I applied clear coat.


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## 60s music 70s machines (Oct 4, 2020)

Hey couple of quick questions from a person new to Ariens snow blowers. I have two Ariens series 10000 machines I want to restore next summer. One is a 1971 910002 and the other is 1969 10965. I don't have time to get to them this year as the weather is already getting too cold to paint much. I would like to remove the easy to get at metal covers and shrouds and give them a quick coat of something to keep them from rusting further until I can do a more thorough job

Question 1 there are about 7 or so visible nuts on top of the engine - are these only to secure the metal shrouds or are some of these also head bolts ? I would like to remove all the sheet metal I can BUT my torque wrench is MIA at the moment and I dont want to accidently remove any head bolts

Question 2 were the ORIGINAL white handle bars painted or powder coated from the factory ?

Question 3 the 71 machine had a carb unbelievably coated in black gooey sludge/ varnish. I ran it through an ultrasonic cleaner and it looks much better But I was shocked when a plug of varnish came out the fuel inlet nipple - so Im not sure what might still be inside the carb in places that can't be seen. The carb rebuild kit by me is almost $20. A lot of Chinese generic carbs are $30 -has anyone put one of these carbs on the old tecumsehs ? I know many of the Generic carbs don't have idle screws or hi-lo adjustments - No adjustments concerns me, but in honesty in all my old cub cadet tractors and other snow blowers I almost never adjust anything, so maybe its really not needed

thanks for any help


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

1, The carb heater box and front shroud tin can be removed without touching the 8 head bolts, but if you want to remove the recoil shroud, gas tank mounting bracket etc you will have to remove head bolts.
2. These old Ariens were painted not powder coated
3. I ordered an adjustable carb off of Amazon.ca, and so far it has worked fine. You must really make sure the one you order exactly matches the existing carb. The one I ordered ended up not exactly matching, but I was able to use some parts off the old carb to make it work. Perhaps someone has a link to the correct adjustable carb you need on the Amazon US web site.

If I were you I would wait until summer to do any painting, what ever rust is present now has taken 50 years to develop and one more winter will not make it any worse. If you are concerned you could spray some Fluid Film on rusty areas for now.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

what type of paint did you use? the type of paint used will effect how long it looks that way. i am guessing you didn't use automotive grade or gas and oil resistant paint since you had issues with fuel damaging the 1 area. most of the time when i paint things now i use engine enamel. you can get it pretty cheap and it is gas and oil resistant.


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## 60s music 70s machines (Oct 4, 2020)

Thanks ziggy that's what I was afraid of. I was hoping there were a bunch of head bolts under the metal, but I knew what was showing were too big to just be holding metal covers. If I find my torque wrench do you remember what to torque them at or which order you remove and re-install them ?

I agree , with the idea of waiting but unfortunately I have already pushed off maintenance a few years now, and I just uncovered my 1971 and I was surprised at how much she has been rusting the last few years. what have you guys used for protective films ? I have used old car oill buts its pretty messy , and I have never used it on anything I was thinking of restoring


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## 60s music 70s machines (Oct 4, 2020)

Hey ziggy I see the stickers on your refurb look original - did you just tape them off and sand and paint around them ?
I did that on a few projects but it was tough getting the tape just right and then not ruining the tape during sanding and stripping. But the new stickers are outrageous, over $70 for a set of ariens stickers


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

60s music 70s machines said:


> Hey ziggy I see the stickers on your refurb look original - did you just tape them off and sand and paint around them ?
> I did that on a few projects but it was tough getting the tape just right and then not ruining the tape during sanding and stripping. But the new stickers are outrageous, over $70 for a set of ariens stickers


I taped off the stickers and sanded and painted around them.
Attached is link for the Techumseh engine manual. On page 86 is the torque sequence and they say 200 inch/lbs

I use Fluid Film for preventing rust and to prevent snow from sticking in the auger area and chute.



https://www.allotment-garden.org/rotavator-manuals/Techumseh-L-Head-Engines-Manual.pdf


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

crazzywolfie said:


> what type of paint did you use? the type of paint used will effect how long it looks that way. i am guessing you didn't use automotive grade or gas and oil resistant paint since you had issues with fuel damaging the 1 area. most of the time when i paint things now i use engine enamel. you can get it pretty cheap and it is gas and oil resistant.


I used Duplicolor Chevy Orange engine paint and Tremclad or Rustoleum white rust paint on the handle bars and engine.
So far the white paint has not been affected by any spilled gas. I am hoping the issue with the Duplicolor paint is because it was only a few days old and had not cured completely. I have used the same paint before and it has lasted quite well.
Rust removal, sanding and completely degreasing area to be painted and using a good primer is important to getting a long lasting paint job.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

strange. maybe you had a bad batch of engine enamel. i have only seen paint like tramclad or rustoleum metal or rust paint do stuff like that when it comes in contact with gas. i use engine enamel for almost anything i paint on my vehicle and never had much issue but i also do usually sandblast most thing before even priming them.


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## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

I know this thread is a bit older, but I just wanted to say what a beautiful job!! I just picked up a new Ariens Platinum 24 SHO and I hope in 50+ years it looks as nice as yours did even before you started the rebuild. Your Dad would be proud of the work you did.

Just curious, how much do these old models go for (not restored, but working)? I don't need one, but it would be fun to work on one and rebuild it.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Thank you for the kind words.
You can usually pick up a *working* 10000 series for $100 -$200.00 in my area. In the US they seem to be even cheaper, many on this site have picked them up for free, that only needed a carb cleaning and/or some minor repairs.
Even after restoration or refurbishment they are still not worth much more. IMO they are much better built machines than many of the used but newer low cost brands for sale, but most prefer newer and shiny over reliability and quality. 

Keep your eye out for one for sale or free especially after winter and through the summer (best time to buy). It will be an enjoyable experience to rebuild it, and you will gain the confidence that you can repair anything on the machine that arises in the future. 

The helpful and knowledgable folks on this site will be there for you if you have any issues or questions along the way.

Cheers


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## kd8tzc (Dec 6, 2020)

Ziggy65 said:


> Thank you for the kind words.
> You can usually pick up a *working* 10000 series for $100 -$200.00 in my area. In the US they seem to be even cheaper, many on this site have picked them up for free, that only needed a carb cleaning and/or some minor repairs.
> Even after restoration or refurbishment they are still not worth much more. IMO they are much better built machines than many of the used but newer low cost brands for sale, but most prefer newer and shiny over reliability and quality.
> 
> ...


There was a guy nearby this summer who used to fix small engines. I don't know if he died or what, but they liquidated everything. I should have gone there and taken a look. He had hundreds of small mowers, tractors, and I'm sure snow blowers. I'm kicking myself now.


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## quexpress (Dec 25, 2013)

@Ziggy65
Awesome restoration! Very nice!


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

When I did my '008, I painted in open air during 80's and 90's heat in July, a bunch of days in a row with nothing but sunlight. Rustoleum rattle can engine paint, multiple coats over rusty metal primer - for the black engine and orange chassis. The handlebars I used Rustoleum appliance epoxy.

Then I let all the pieces sit in the sun all day long for a week straight. Pieces got pretty darn hot for "air drying". Then I didn't re-assemble until roughly a month later.

I've spilled some small amounts of gas and oil on the engine and frame since...didn't mar the paint a bit. Granted, didn't have a carb leak on it overnight so not sure how it'd hold up to "standing gas" on it...but so far the paint has held up to spills plus the normal bumping of machines in the shed quite well.

Still looks just like this yet today (I did not paint the auger/gearcase assembly). Engine and everything else though, yup.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Letting the paint cure over the summer and fall has resulted in paint (both orange and white) that withstands gas spills fine. 

Not sure if this paint will now withstand soaking in gas for 24 hours and I don't have any plans to test this any time soon.


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Just an update on the machine a year later.

Yesterday I went through the entire machine and checked for any loose hardware (there was none). Completed a thorough inspection and annual maintenance (oil change, drained fuel, complete lube etc.). Still have to wash out auger housing and spray with Fluid Film before storing it for the summer. 

Noticed a few stone chips in the chute from shooting some stones from the gravel drive way at the beginning of the winter, but over all the paint has held up very well. Had to tighten up the chute control mechanism at the beginning of the season, as the chute would not stay in place when blowing heavier snow.

The machine performed flawlessly this winter, no issues, started first pull every time. Snow fall was below normal this year (basically zero in January). I mostly use the D28 SHO, so I only put 5 hours on the old Ariens, but sure enjoyed myself when I did use it.


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