# Any tips for a new Honda owner ?



## POG (Nov 22, 2014)

Hello all, 
Greetings from sunny Buffalo, NY.

It's been a long hard winter and _used it to justify _pulling the trigger on a new 
*Honda HS928TAS*

I've only run it once but it's impressive. It was all condensed ice mess and I was blowing it a good 30 -40 feet. I dug out my old Honda CRV that had drifts a good 5 feet against it. I'll get video next time I run it.

I've only run Ariens machines before. My question is about maintanence and storage. Any tips for a Honda newbie ?
I’ve already been told:
Keep 6 shear pins on hand
Use Non-ethanol gas
Use K100 stabilizer
Start in neutral and slowly rev it up

Any other good advice?
I don’t see Buffalo getting any warmer and I want to keep this machine till I retire to Floridia … someday.


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

turn the fuel shutoff to off and let it burn all the fuel in the carburetor when not in use


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## tinter (Apr 20, 2014)

You look after it. It will look after you. They're like the energizer bunny, they keep going and going and......


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## Rockproof (Jan 12, 2013)

Year two or three of ownership, pull the augers and apply a liberal amount of anti-seize to the auger shafts (repeat every three to five years). Use fluid film liberally to bucket, chute, and any non-stainless parts during season. Store in garage or shed. Wash and wax good after each season. She'll last forever. Your kids will be putting it in their Will...


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

there supposed to be really easy to remove from what ive heard. this video demonstrates the removal(at least on this model)


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## RoyP (Oct 16, 2014)

43128 said:


> turn the fuel shutoff to off and let it burn all the fuel in the carburetor when not in use


I agree...keep the fuel tank full of fuel. You have a metal tank, if dry it will rust. Add fuel stabilizer,, grease the auger shaft and change the oil...


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## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Yup..keep the fuel tank full of fuel. Treat the fuel in the tank with marine grade Sta-Bil and a couple ounces of Seafoam. Run the fuel line dry, engage the fuel shut-off lever, then open the fuel drain valve on the bottom of the carb and release any remaining fuel. Spray the bucket, auger rakes, discharge chute, and cables (throttle, drive, chute deflector) with silicone. Pull the auger rakes every two or three years and coat the auger shafts with anti-seize. Great machine. Enjoy many years of trouble free performance.


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## Prof100 (Feb 9, 2015)

Here is another video from Donnyboy that discusses why the auger gearbox failed due to the augers that seized or jammed on the auger gear box output shafts. He advises lubing the augers annually as was mentioned earlier by RoyP. The gearbox replacement and repair had to have cost the owner $400 plus.


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## POG (Nov 22, 2014)

Thanks guys. Good information here. This may be a whole new thread but ...
Any recommendations as to brands for the silicon and anti seize ?


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## Freezn (Mar 1, 2014)

Most brands should be fairly similar for both the anti-seize and the silicone spray. I think I use Permatex Anti-Seize (bottle cap with built-in brush) and whatever the generic 100% silicone spray I can find at Lowes or Home Depot. I go through a ton of silicone spray each winter (maybe 3 or 4 cans) because I soak the inside of the bucket and discharge chute before and after each use, but in my honest opinion it makes a huge difference in rust and corrosion prevention. Well worth the $3.00 per can investment.


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## 94EG8 (Feb 13, 2014)

Drill and tap the gearcase for grease nipples. Grease it once a season. You may want to wait until it outside the warranty period before you do this.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Anti-seize works great on threaded parts but it's not the best choice for something loose fitting like auger to shaft. It tends to dry out. I prefer to use grease and when possible drill and install grease zerks in the augers so it's easy to pump a little synthetic grease in there. It's so much easier to grab the grease gun and pump a couple times rather than pull the augers out and apart to apply a coating to the shafts and reassemble.
IMHO I think grease is a better way to go for the augers.


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## pass1 (Jan 24, 2015)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Anti-seize works great on threaded parts but it's not the best choice for something loose fitting like auger to shaft. It tends to dry out. I prefer to use grease and when possible drill and install grease zerks in the augers so it's easy to pump a little synthetic grease in there. It's so much easier to grab the grease gun and pump a couple times rather than pull the augers out and apart to apply a coating to the shafts and reassemble.
> IMHO I think grease is a better way to go for the augers.


 I agree with that but the only thing is the auger shaft is hollow from one end to the other, so you will have to use A LOT of grease to fill it up, unless you find a way to fill out the shaft and be able to grease only where you need it.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

True, first time it does take quite a few pumps but from then on out it's a couple and you'll see grease ooze out the ends pretty easy.
Either way it's just something to do to prevent it from seizing. If you wanted you could always just tip it sideways and squirt some oil in there too and rotate the auger to spread it around.
I'm easy, whatever works.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

I tend to use anti-seize (Permatex gray bottle here too - a blend of aluminum, copper and graphite lubricants) on bolts and some nuts (but never shear pins) and white lithium grease from a tub on the auger shafts. I've only done this once on my HS828 in 24 years. (google: Ice caves Sleeping Bear Dunes then hit images, for my area. We get a lot of snow...Thank you Alberta Clipper, thank you Great Plains, thank you Wisconsin, thank you prevailing winds and thank you Lake Michigan ).

I usually spin the augers around and feel/listen for any resistance after a shear pin breaks. On average I go through about 2-5 pins a season, so it pretty much doesn't have much of a chance to rust up. I also keep mine in an unheated garage and I brush off the entire top-side of the blower after every use, but never have I cleared off the augers...too hard. So far so good).

This season I have not cleared any paths around my house yet (to the propane tank and woodshed) and I haven't had huge ice chunks at the EOD so I haven't broken a pin...yet.

I use silicone spray once in a while and when temps rise I'll spray WD40 in the auger and chute areas when the snow melts off. The gallon I have has lasted me about 15 years and I'm almost out. (I go through PB Blaster and sometimes Breakaway a lot more frequently...but that's another story...keeping old cars going)


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Honda shear pin for $2? Hah hah haaaaa. Get yourself a batch of them on ebay - MUCH cheaper than buying them from a Honda dealership. One other thing that would not hurt (I know you have tracks, but for everyone else) is to pull the axle pins on the wheels and grease those shafts as well. A used unit I bought had the older split type rim frozen to the axle and it was a pain to change the tire. And yes, silicone spray EVERYWHERE.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

Shear pins from boats.net are .84¢ each (95701-06016-00 - BOLT, FLANGE (6X16) (Honda Code 2410892) - 2 years ago they were .62¢ each. Nuts are .28¢, but nuts that fit are about .7¢ each at Menards. I figure the nuts are there just to hold the bolt in place so no need for Honda spec on what I call consumables that are not mission critical. 

2 years ago I bought 20 of each (Honda) and I have 16 left and last year I cleared close to 27' of snow off 350' of driveway and another 300' of paths and parking areas.

This is odd, but after living in this house for 24 years, I've never found a shear bolt/pin or nut in my driveway (and I have looked). Where do they go?  (Oh god, the Honda haters will hate this...but...probably 20-30 feet on either side of my driveway).


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

I was out of shear bolts and went to Honda dealership to get two with the nuts- $9.69 with tax!!!!!! Plan ahead and buy elsewhere.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

You sure want to plan ahead and do some price shopping so you're not stuck having to have them right then and need to go to dealer. Five bucks a bolt (w/nut), that hurts.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

The first time I needed shear pins - after I used the one extra supplied in the tool kit - I went to my dealer and spent close to $5 for a bolt and nut, yikes!...bought two and went through those by the end of the season. It was on this site that I heard about boats.net - and their better prices (but bummer on shipping unless you spend some serious cash).


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Sounds like Honda owners need to form local shear pin group buys to get reasonable prices.


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## 94EG8 (Feb 13, 2014)

Just run 8.8 metric bolts. 6mm x 1.00 x 1" that's all the regular sheer pins are, the aftermarket ones have the bolt grade stamped right on the head.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

The Shear Pin Club®

Or more realistically, The Honda Shear Pin Club®


Not a bad idea.


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## jrom (Jan 10, 2014)

94EG8 said:


> Just run 8.8 metric bolts. 6mm x 1.00 x 1" that's all the regular sheer pins are, the aftermarket ones have the bolt grade stamped right on the head.


You're probably right. I still have a hard time using a non Honda bolt though. I've done it once with no problem, but after seeing the auger gear box (auger transmission) on Donyboy73's video, I thought I'd better stick to the oem. Now if they keep going up in price the way they have, I'll probably go the 8.8 metric route. Either way, thanks for posting that info.


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## Center Mass (Mar 11, 2015)

43128 said:


> turn the fuel shutoff to off and let it burn all the fuel in the carburetor when not in use


This is a good tip. I will follow it.


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## dhazelton (Dec 8, 2014)

Put some Marvel Mystery Oil and stabilizer of choice (I use StarTron or Seafoam) in your fuel and run it for a few minutes. That will coat things nicely. Then drain the fuel bowl. If you leave even a miniscule amount of fuel in there it will turn to that white powder and when you restart next year it could clog the main jet.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

dhazelton said:


> Put some Marvel Mystery Oil and stabilizer of choice (I use StarTron or Seafoam) in your fuel and run it for a few minutes. That will coat things nicely. Then drain the fuel bowl. If you leave even a miniscule amount of fuel in there it will turn to that white powder and when you restart next year it could clog the main jet.


Another little trick to help prevent the white powder substance on the aluminum carb body and fuel bowl, called "oxidation", is to remove the fuel bowl and spray everything inside the carb bowl area, float and all, including the fuel bowl with WD40.

I've had people who drain the carb at the end of the season and disconnect the fuel line, and put WD40 into the carb through the fuel line until the float closes off, filling the carb with it and leave it in the carb until the next season.

They drain the fuel bowl, close off the drain valve, turn on the fuel, wait till the bowl is full, shut the fuel off, shake the carb around a bit to rinse the WD40 off, drain the fuel bowl again, then refill with fuel, and start the engine.

The WD40 protects the metal surfaces of everything it comes in contact with, and does a good job of cutting down on the corrosion, or "oxidation".

It can be pumped into the fuel line with a tube attached to an aerosol can, or if you have a gallon can of it, it can be put into a smaller bottle with a nipple fitting on it, like what is on bottles of gear lube, and pumped into the fuel line to the carb that way.


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