# Time for another shock replacement. YT624



## Newf1986

Had this thing at the dealer last year for a height control issue the shock wasnt holding and I would have to shove the track down with my foot to change the auger height. Seems as if I am starting to have the same issue minus the shock not locking part.

How many of you have had to have this part replaced more than once? They are not very cheap at the dealer, now I worry about when the warranty is up. I have debated trading it in on a Honda.


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## Nickdatech

Newf1986 said:


> Had this thing at the dealer last year for a height control issue the shock wasnt holding and I would have to shove the track down with my foot to change the auger height. Seems as if I am starting to have the same issue minus the shock not locking part.
> 
> How many of you have had to have this part replaced more than once? They are not very cheap at the dealer, now I worry about when the warranty is up. I have debated trading it in on a Honda.


Let me ask u, are the cables touching the rubber boot? Im asking because i had issues with mine not holding and then i noticed that when they did the preparation for the machine the ran the hard cables over the shock boot. It made that the shock mechanism was engaging properly. Send a picture if u can.


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## Newf1986

This one is holding fine the issue is it doesnt assist. Pulling the trigger and lifting up on the handles the track should go down to the ground instead im having to shove it down with my foot. This is exactly how my last shock started to fail before it no longer held locked. 

I plan to see the local dealer tomorrow and see about getting an appointment to get it replaced. Im just concerned this will continue to be a repeat issue. Once the machine is out of warranty I will have to pay out of pocket.


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## ShedLife

Newf1986 said:


> This one is holding fine the issue is it doesnt assist. Pulling the trigger and lifting up on the handles the track should go down to the ground instead im having to shove it down with my foot. This is exactly how my last shock started to fail before it no longer held locked.
> 
> I plan to see the local dealer tomorrow and see about getting an appointment to get it replaced. Im just concerned this will continue to be a repeat issue. Once the machine is out of warranty I will have to pay out of pocket.


Interesting. I thought they updated the shock to remedy the issue? I wonder if it's possible that your replacement shock was older stock? 

The base Honda's don't seem to be as well equipped as they Yamaha's, but I bet you would have a much easier time with troubleshooting etc where they are widely sold in the the USA....

Sent from my VOG-L04 using Tapatalk


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## Newf1986

ShedLife said:


> Interesting. I thought they updated the shock to remedy the issue? I wonder if it's possible that your replacement shock was older stock?
> 
> The base Honda's don't seem to be as well equipped as they Yamaha's, but I bet you would have a much easier time with troubleshooting etc where they are widely sold in the the USA....
> 
> Sent from my VOG-L04 using Tapatalk


I had thought they updated or changed the shock as well. I am figuring perhaps I ended up with and older shock. If I trade the machine in it will be on a HSS724CTD A more expensive machine but im fine with that. I got a good deal on the Yamaha slightly used so I shouldnt loose much on it if I trade it in.

At this point I still havent made an appointment to have the Yamaha fixed we are currently getting snow.


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## ShedLife

Newf1986 said:


> I had thought they updated or changed the shock as well. I am figuring perhaps I ended up with and older shock. If I trade the machine in it will be on a HSS724CTD A more expensive machine but im fine with that. I got a good deal on the Yamaha slightly used so I shouldnt loose much on it if I trade it in.
> 
> At this point I still havent made an appointment to have the Yamaha fixed we are currently getting snow.


I know all too well about the snow. My family lives in St. John's....Like you, they are suckers for punishment.... Haha.

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## billy

Newf1986 said:


> Had this thing at the dealer last year for a height control issue the shock wasnt holding and I would have to shove the track down with my foot to change the auger height. Seems as if I am starting to have the same issue minus the shock not locking part.
> 
> How many of you have had to have this part replaced more than once? They are not very cheap at the dealer, now I worry about when the warranty is up. I have debated trading it in on a Honda.


Mine is doing the same thing. I believe it is a 2016/17 model. I called the dealer and asked about the shock recall and they said there was no recall on it. They wanted $300 for a new OEM shock.


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## Newf1986

Sent from m[/QUOTE]


billy said:


> Mine is doing the same thing. I believe it is a 2016/17 model. I called the dealer and asked about the shock recall and they said there was no recall on it. They wanted $300 for a new OEM shock.


Mine just completely failed again now it wont even hold. Pretty pissed now actually. Expensive piece of equipment to have busted 2 years in a row. Mine is a 2019 model so they didnt have the issue fixed by then. When they replaced mine last year they did it under warranty not a recall. Thankfully it still has 3 years left, its still not much good to me if I cannot use it and have to replace the shock yearly.


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## Robban

I bought mine new a month ago, and from start i´ve had to put my foot on the track and lift the handles to adjust the height.
I tought it should to be that way, but i realize now that i shouldn´t accept that.


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## ShedLife

Robban said:


> I bought mine new a month ago, and from start i´ve had to put my foot on the track and lift the handles to adjust the height.
> I tought it should to be that way, but i realize now that i shouldn´t accept that.


Sounds like something isn't set up right.

If I want mine to really really dig in on the pavement I'll pull the release and lift up on the handles a little to get the nose to dig in but I can easily adjust my auger height on the fly for the most part. It's a great feature when going over the bump at the end of the driveway or into grass or gravel. 

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## billy

Spoke to Yamaha via email and they said my machine was out of warranty.

*"We can only recommend you go to a dealer for repair.
The warranty has expired nearly two and a half years ago on this unit; Yamaha is not in position to offer assistance for this repair, I’m sorry"*


This summer I am going to retrofit a Honda HSS724 shock instead of buying the OEM Yamaha piece. I don't think it would take more than a couple of hours to do so, and I would save over $200. With this issue alone, I would NOT recommend Yamaha.


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## ShedLife

billy said:


> Spoke to Yamaha via email and they said my machine was out of warranty.
> 
> *"We can only recommend you go to a dealer for repair.
> The warranty has expired nearly two and a half years ago on this unit; Yamaha is not in position to offer assistance for this repair, I’m sorry"*
> 
> 
> This summer I am going to retrofit a Honda HSS724 shock instead of buying the OEM Yamaha piece. I don't think it would take more than a couple of hours to do so, and I would save over $200.


So I was checking over my machine over the weekend and I think my shock is going as well. It is slower to lower and makes noise it never made before. I removed the rubber boot to have a look and it was filled with water oddly enough. I cycled the machine up and down and noticed rusty water coming out on the shaft.

There has to be a design flaw there for sure.....

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## snoopy152

Newf1986 said:


> Had this thing at the dealer last year for a height control issue the shock wasnt holding and I would have to shove the track down with my foot to change the auger height. Seems as if I am starting to have the same issue minus the shock not locking part.
> 
> How many of you have had to have this part replaced more than once? They are not very cheap at the dealer, now I worry about when the warranty is up. I have debated trading it in on a Honda.


I have a YS928J that's 10 -11 yrs old. Never had an issue with shock though... If you have to get a new one, I'd try aftermarket rather than go through Atlantic Rec.


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## sbx

Hi, I'm brand new to the forum. I'm very interesting in hearing about the outcome regarding the shock issue with the YT624. I'm looking to upgrade to a new snow blower and am very interested in this model. I was pretty much decided on the Yamaha before coming across this post and now I'm a little hesitant. Is this a common issue with the newer models or could it be a bout of bad luck? Encountering this issue two years in a row would have me believe it's possibly more than bad luck. I wouldn't want to invest a significant amount of money and end up having to deal with mechanical issues so early on. Thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Cheers!

BTW... I live in the metro St. John's area and more than likely would be purchasing it locally.


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## ShedLife

sbx said:


> Hi, I'm brand new to the forum. I'm very interesting in hearing about the outcome regarding the shock issue with the YT624. I'm looking to upgrade to a new snow blower and am very interested in this model. I was pretty much decided on the Yamaha before coming across this post and now I'm a little hesitant. Is this a common issue with the newer models or could it be a bout of bad luck? Encountering this issue two years in a row would have me believe it's possibly more than bad luck. I wouldn't want to invest a significant amount of money and end up having to deal with mechanical issues so early on. Thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Cheers!
> 
> BTW... I live in the metro St. John's area and more than likely would be purchasing it locally.


First off, I'm sorry about where you live. Just kidding. My family lives there, and I lived there many moons ago when the snow wasn't so bad. 

I have a 724 and the damn thing blows like crazy. My shock was working perfectly until recently. I think what happens is that water gets in behind the rubber shield, then inside the shock, rusts and causes issues. I'm going to try to lube up that shock shaft and try to get it up inside the the shock (sounds dirty lol) and see what happens. 

I have no experience with Honda's (the only alternative to Yamaha if you ask me), but the things I love about the Yamaha are the easy auger height adjustment, electronic chute control, quiet motor, and compact size.

I don't like the scraper bar sitting on top of the auger housing as the bottom lip of the housing can hook on stuff.

Also keep an eye out for crooked Auger housings. Most I've seen have been a bit higher on the drivers right side. They also have units made in Japan, and China. I would go for a Japanese one but this is based on nothing in particular. Mine is a Chinese built.

Lastly, the USA doesn't get the newer Yamaha's so you won't have the same parts availability and "hacks" that you would see for the Honda's.

Good luck and let us know what you go with. My mom sent me some pics yesterday. There's an awful lot of snow down.

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## 140278

sbx said:


> Hi, I'm brand new to the forum. I'm very interesting in hearing about the outcome regarding the shock issue with the YT624. I'm looking to upgrade to a new snow blower and am very interested in this model. I was pretty much decided on the Yamaha before coming across this post and now I'm a little hesitant. Is this a common issue with the newer models or could it be a bout of bad luck? Encountering this issue two years in a row would have me believe it's possibly more than bad luck. I wouldn't want to invest a significant amount of money and end up having to deal with mechanical issues so early on. Thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated. Cheers!
> 
> BTW... I live in the metro St. John's area and more than likely would be purchasing it locally.


welcome to the SBF 

seems yamaha has some issues with that shock as we have a few newer threads about them failing


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## leonz

I guess my first question would be as follows;

Is the piston rod mounted down or up????

Mounted down with the boot and rod on the bottom it would keep
the water from pooling on the shock absorber wiper seal and it would drain away

With the rod mounted upright the water would pool on the shoulder of of the
shock absorber between the rod and inside the boot and the edge of the shock
absorbers barrel housing. 

Perhaps a simple change of shock absorber brands to a higher quality shock absorber from a motor cycle brand would solve this issue since it is a "sealed gas" operated shock absorber????

If the machine is out of warranty I would not hesitate to take the old shock absorber to an automotive parts supplier to find an identical replacement for it as a shock like this is not a one all one only for a beautiful blue snow blower

All they need to do is match the barrel diameter, extended length, the rod diameter and thread size and the bushing eye diameter.

It could be as simple as finding an equivalent go cart or golf cart shock absorber for these beautiful blue snow blowers to replace the faulty ones for under $80.00.


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## sbx

ShedLife said:


> First off, I'm sorry about where you live. Just kidding. My family lives there, and I lived there many moons ago when the snow wasn't so bad.
> 
> I have a 724 and the damn thing blows like crazy. My shock was working perfectly until recently. I think what happens is that water gets in behind the rubber shield, then inside the shock, rusts and causes issues. I'm going to try to lube up that shock shaft and try to get it up inside the the shock (sounds dirty lol) and see what happens.
> 
> I have no experience with Honda's (the only alternative to Yamaha if you ask me), but the things I love about the Yamaha are the easy auger height adjustment, electronic chute control, quiet motor, and compact size.
> 
> I don't like the scraper bar sitting on top of the auger housing as the bottom lip of the housing can hook on stuff.
> 
> Also keep an eye out for crooked Auger housings. Most I've seen have been a bit higher on the drivers right side. They also have units made in Japan, and China. I would go for a Japanese one but this is based on nothing in particular. Mine is a Chinese built.
> 
> Lastly, the USA doesn't get the newer Yamaha's so you won't have the same parts availability and "hacks" that you would see for the Honda's.
> 
> Good luck and let us know what you go with. My mom sent me some pics yesterday. There's an awful lot of snow down.
> 
> Sent from my VOG-L04 using Tapatalk


Lol. Yes, winter here are not for the faint of heart that's for sure! Winter came late this year, but when it did come it made up for lost time. I'm still leaning towards the 624. The local retailer here have been sold out since the fall. No more coming in until late spring, but I can put a deposit down on one now. My current machine is a Husqvarna ST224. It's a smaller one but it can move snow. My biggest gripe is the lack of traction. I find that I'm constantly fighting with it as the wheels keep slipping, especially when dealing with heavy snow. I want something that can reliably handle our snowfalls and is not too bulky/heavy - my wife enjoys using the snowblower on occasion. The YT624 seems to check everything on my list.


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## ShedLife

sbx said:


> Lol. Yes, winter here are not for the faint of heart that's for sure! Winter came late this year, but when it did come it made up for lost time. I'm still leaning towards the 624. The local retailer here have been sold out since the fall. No more coming in until late spring, but I can put a deposit down on one now. My current machine is a Husqvarna ST224. It's a smaller one but it can move snow. My biggest gripe is the lack of traction. I find that I'm constantly fighting with it as the wheels keep slipping, especially when dealing with heavy snow. I want something that can reliably handle our snowfalls and is not too bulky/heavy - my wife enjoys using the snowblower on occasion. The YT624 seems to check everything on my list.


I'm in Halifax and there's two on the floor at the local dealer. Maybe your dealership could have one sent over. We don't get the snow you folks do, but when we get snow it's heavy wet stink. I also have a weird set up where I have to blow the snow out my driveway and then over on the lawn. So basically I have to blow the same snow twice. Then I have to clear a spot on the lawn for our stupid Chihuahua that hates snow. The little Yamaha gobbles snow like a kid eats candy. It's also easy to store.

I don't think I would let the shock issue dissuade me from buying the Yamaha. In comparison to anything I've seen at Canadian Tire it's like comparing a Geo Metro to a Rolls Royce. The quality shows. I don't know about Honda but I don't think their base model has electronic chute control which is a requirement with my driveway set up.

You may still have traction issues depending how much bite you want from the auger. It's a light machine so even tho it has tracks it can spin a little. I've not had any issues at all with traction however.

Knowing what I know about St. John's, would you consider the 1028? It may handle the hell you guys live in a little better.



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## sbx

ShedLife said:


> I'm in Halifax and there's two on the floor at the local dealer. Maybe your dealership could have one sent over. We don't get the snow you folks do, but when we get snow it's heavy wet stink. I also have a weird set up where I have to blow the snow out my driveway and then over on the lawn. So basically I have to blow the same snow twice. Then I have to clear a spot on the lawn for our stupid Chihuahua that hates snow. The little Yamaha gobbles snow like a kid eats candy. It's also easy to store.
> 
> I don't think I would let the shock issue dissuade me from buying the Yamaha. In comparison to anything I've seen at Canadian Tire it's like comparing a Geo Metro to a Rolls Royce. The quality shows. I don't know about Honda but I don't think their base model has electronic chute control which is a requirement with my driveway set up.
> 
> You may still have traction issues depending how much bite you want from the auger. It's a light machine so even tho it has tracks it can spin a little. I've not had any issues at all with traction however.
> 
> Knowing what I know about St. John's, would you consider the 1028? It may handle the hell you guys live in a little better.
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my VOG-L04 using Tapatalk


The 1028 would be fantastic; however, the 624 is the absolute top of my budget, so I think I'll have to rule out the 1028. I don't have a very large driveway (25'x35') and I don't mind taking my time cutting through the heavy stuff. After watching a few videos on the 624 I think it will fit my needs. I'm in no rush to get it right now, I can use my Husky for the remainder of March and early April storms (fingers crossed no April storms this year). I just put down a deposit on the 624 so I'm pretty confident it'll be chewing through the snow come next winter. Thanks for your input and my apologies for hijacking this thread with my questions.


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## billy

leonz said:


> I guess my first question would be as follows;
> 
> Is the piston rod mounted down or up????
> 
> Mounted down with the boot and rod on the bottom it would keep
> the water from pooling on the shock absorber wiper seal and it would drain away
> 
> With the rod mounted upright the water would pool on the shoulder of of the
> shock absorber between the rod and inside the boot and the edge of the shock
> absorbers barrel housing.
> 
> Perhaps a simple change of shock absorber brands to a higher quality shock absorber from a motor cycle brand would solve this issue since it is a "sealed gas" operated shock absorber????
> 
> If the machine is out of warranty I would not hesitate to take the old shock absorber to an automotive parts supplier to find an identical replacement for it as a shock like this is not a one all one only for a beautiful blue snow blower
> 
> All they need to do is match the barrel diameter, extended length, the rod diameter and thread size and the bushing eye diameter.
> 
> It could be as simple as finding an equivalent go cart or golf cart shock absorber for these beautiful blue snow blowers to replace the faulty ones for under $80.00.


The piston rod is mounted down. It seems to be easy to find aftermarket shocks with the same specs, the problem is finding aftermarket shocks with the "lock" feature. You can adjust the shock however you want by depressing the handlebar mounted lever. After you adjust it to your desired setting, you release the lever, and it locks to this position.
Many people have experienced both shock and lock failure. Others have experienced shock failure only, while others have experienced lock failure only.

The main issue is this is a $300 +/- dealer only item to replace. In all honesty, this item shouldn't be priced at more than $40.

Item 3 in the diagram below is the shock.


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## billy

sbx said:


> The 1028 would be fantastic; however, the 624 is the absolute top of my budget, so I think I'll have to rule out the 1028. I don't have a very large driveway (25'x35') and I don't mind taking my time cutting through the heavy stuff. After watching a few videos on the 624 I think it will fit my needs. I'm in no rush to get it right now, I can use my Husky for the remainder of March and early April storms (fingers crossed no April storms this year). I just put down a deposit on the 624 so I'm pretty confident it'll be chewing through the snow come next winter. Thanks for your input and my apologies for hijacking this thread with my questions.


I would seriously go with the Honda 724. The Honda 724's also offer trigger steering.
While I love my Yamaha, replacement parts are only available at Yamaha Snow dealers (not all Yamaha dealers sell snowblowers) and parts are $$$$$$$$$$. Honda parts are only $$$$ 😁.

One of the pluses with the Yamaha are battery start (lower end Honda does not have this) and articulated chute (lower end Honda does not have this)


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## ShedLife

sbx said:


> The 1028 would be fantastic; however, the 624 is the absolute top of my budget, so I think I'll have to rule out the 1028. I don't have a very large driveway (25'x35') and I don't mind taking my time cutting through the heavy stuff. After watching a few videos on the 624 I think it will fit my needs. I'm in no rush to get it right now, I can use my Husky for the remainder of March and early April storms (fingers crossed no April storms this year). I just put down a deposit on the 624 so I'm pretty confident it'll be chewing through the snow come next winter. Thanks for your input and my apologies for hijacking this thread with my questions.


You can also add the euro front scoop or the Yamaha drift cutter to increase the snow intake of the 624.

Is there a reason you are not looking at the Honda's as well? For me, the electronic shoot control is a necessity for my situation (which the lower end Honda's don't have), but them being sold in the states as well makes parts much easier to come by.

Also note that the 624 doesn't come with extra shear pins. As the dealer to include an auger kit as well as impeller (they are different).

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## sbx

billy said:


> I would seriously go with the Honda 724. The Honda 724's also offer trigger steering.
> While I love my Yamaha, replacement parts are only available at Yamaha Snow dealers (not all Yamaha dealers sell snowblowers) and parts are $$$$$$$$$$. Honda parts are only $$$$ .
> 
> One of the pluses with the Yamaha are battery start (lower end Honda does not have this) and articulated chute (lower end Honda does not have this)


Thanks for the suggestion! I'm not entirely committed to the Yamaha yet. I put a deposit down to reserve one but it's 100% refundable if I choose not to buy it. I did briefly look at Honda but for some reason didn't give it a full consideration. Maybe I will go back and think about it a bit more. Both snow blowers are about the same price but I didn't realize parts for Yamaha would be more expensive - definitely something to consider. Both models are currently out of stock at local dealers so I have some time to think it over. To be honest, I do like the fact the Honda has an extra 1 HP. I wonder how much difference it would make? I have heard (anecdotally) that newer Hondas are not a reliable as their older models. I don't know how much truth there is about that.


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## ShedLife

leonz said:


> I guess my first question would be as follows;
> 
> Is the piston rod mounted down or up????
> 
> Mounted down with the boot and rod on the bottom it would keep
> the water from pooling on the shock absorber wiper seal and it would drain away
> 
> With the rod mounted upright the water would pool on the shoulder of of the
> shock absorber between the rod and inside the boot and the edge of the shock
> absorbers barrel housing.
> 
> Perhaps a simple change of shock absorber brands to a higher quality shock absorber from a motor cycle brand would solve this issue since it is a "sealed gas" operated shock absorber????
> 
> If the machine is out of warranty I would not hesitate to take the old shock absorber to an automotive parts supplier to find an identical replacement for it as a shock like this is not a one all one only for a beautiful blue snow blower
> 
> All they need to do is match the barrel diameter, extended length, the rod diameter and thread size and the bushing eye diameter.
> 
> It could be as simple as finding an equivalent go cart or golf cart shock absorber for these beautiful blue snow blowers to replace the faulty ones for under $80.00.


It's not that simple. The shock is not a traditional one in that it's not pressurized. It's just a rod in a tube with a locking mechanism. I can't see how there would be anything aftermarket that would allow the use of the cable trigger lock. 

Here is the shock mounted:









Here you can see the rubber boot lifted. On mine when I lifted this boot for the first time, a bunch of water came out so it was holding water and each time I raise or lower the unit, I bet water was getting sucked in:
















Here's the shock removed from the machine and closeup of the locking mechanism:

















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## leonz

That is a gas shock, 

It might be worth doing a hack and using a crank trailer jack to replace it someday as you have plenty of steel there to mount it.


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## TWS_NL

I bought my Yamaha in December of 2017 and I've already replaced the one tilt assembly and in need of another. I got 2 years our of the shocks. It's a $300 price tag for parts only. I love the machine other than this repeat issue.



Newf1986 said:


> This one is holding fine the issue is it doesnt assist. Pulling the trigger and lifting up on the handles the track should go down to the ground instead im having to shove it down with my foot. This is exactly how my last shock started to fail before it no longer held locked.
> 
> I plan to see the local dealer tomorrow and see about getting an appointment to get it replaced. Im just concerned this will continue to be a repeat issue. Once the machine is out of warranty I will have to pay out of pocket.


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## RC20

If you are looking at a Honda, I can testify the new HS724 are good. That is from a very happy YS624T owner. I can't compare current Yamaha but that old one was and still is a beast. Its still the better engine over the Honda 7 hp (it lugs down but does not stall) 

Our nearest Yamaha blower dealer is 600 miles away in Canada so that was not an option. 

I got the Honda for the electric start and the trigger control. I had a disk repair some years back and the recoil pull on a cold start (out in a shed) is hard on the back (braced as best I can) and the body English to turn had gotten harder,.

That said, the old YS has a better gripping track. 

That said the Honda throws snow further (not a big need but its impressive and sometimes useful.

I like the speed control. If the engine bogs (really deep wet or packed snow) you just adjust the speed down and you can pick a speed as fast as it can without bogging the engine. 

I liked the control layout of the YS624, I removed the one interlock and I just used the shifter to neutral to stop it. Honda is right chute control and that is hard for me to adjust to. The electric chute works fine but its slower than they hand crank of the YS. It better than the old Honda with the low down chute control. 

Frame wise I think the Honda is as solid as the Yamaha. 

Price vs price and capability I don't think you can go wrong with the Honda.


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## billy

TWS_NL said:


> I bought my Yamaha in December of 2017 and I've already replaced the one tilt assembly and in need of another. I got 2 years our of the shocks. It's a $300 price tag for parts only. I love the machine other than this repeat issue.



Do you still have the 1st old assembly? Maybe you could cut it apart to see what caused it to fail. It would be interesting to see how they work inside since others have also experienced this failure.


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## leonz

TWS_NL said:


> I bought my Yamaha in December of 2017 and I've already replaced the one tilt assembly and in need of another. I got 2 years our of the shocks. It's a $300 price tag for parts only. I love the machine other than this repeat issue.


============================================================================================

With the two weldments exposed like that in the cross members you have enough room for an inexpensive trailer tongue jack and some weldments to attach it to those mounting yokes. 

The least expensive screw jack I have seen is $30.00USD and it has a base tube that can accept either a landing pad or a wheel set and you could have a welder fabricate the weldment to attach the landing pad to the base yoke and the triangle weldment on the outer tube for the upper yoke and then the screw jack would raise and lower the snow blower using the hand crank. The hand crank has a large knob that rotates as the crank is rotating to spin the screw so it is glove/mitten friendly. 

I have had the same screw jack on my dump trailer for 10 years and all I use is a little Fluid Film on it to lubricate the worm by spraying it in the barrel using the red tube nozzle extension.


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## Newf1986

I still havent gotten around to getting the shock on mine fixed. Im figuring i will get it fixed in the next week or so. It still has warranty. Hopefully this one holds up better. I may be tempted to trade it in on a 1028 if I have any more shock issues.


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## billy

billy said:


> Spoke to Yamaha via email and they said my machine was out of warranty.
> 
> *"We can only recommend you go to a dealer for repair.
> The warranty has expired nearly two and a half years ago on this unit; Yamaha is not in position to offer assistance for this repair, I’m sorry"*
> 
> 
> This summer I am going to retrofit a Honda HSS724 shock instead of buying the OEM Yamaha piece. I don't think it would take more than a couple of hours to do so, and I would save over $200. With this issue alone, I would NOT recommend Yamaha.



I've ordered all the Honda parts to do the swap (https://www.boats.net/catalog/honda...-atd-vin-sada-1000001/height-adjust-free-lock).

When they arrive, I'll retrofit them to the Yamaha snowblower. Doesn't look like it will be too complicated, as I believe even the Yamaha cable should work.


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## Newf1986

Mine has been replaced by the dealer. I have to go pick it up tomorrow. Hopefully this one holds up


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## billy

I replaced the Yamaha shock with the Honda shock. Worked well. The only thing that didn't fit was the cable for the actuation, because it was too short. I'm going to retrofit a bike cable or the Honda cable in the coming days.


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## billy

Went to a local shop today and picked up a cable that was 4 inches longer. Cost was $12. I've got roughly $120 into this Honda shock retrofit and about 2hrs of my time.

I would highly recommend this to any other Yamaha owner who has shock failure ($300 + to fix with Yamaha parts). If the Honda shock fails in the future it can be replaced for roughly $35 US.

It looks like it came this way from the factory and was not a hack job to make it work. Plus the new shock not only locks, but has pressurized assist too.










Applied heat shrink around new cable and cable ends to keep water out.


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## billy

So I cut apart the old Yamaha shock. All that is inside are 2 springs. 
The springs wrap around the "piston" or rod. They are smaller in diameter than the piston, once they contract, they grab the piston to hold it in place. The lever expands the springs by pushing on one end, rotating that end. The other end of each spring is held stationary.
I can't believe this is a $300 part ! 🙁

I think the best idea for those with failed shocks, is to roughen up the piston with some 80 grit sand paper. This will allow the springs to grab on to the piston better.

Disregard the marks on the springs, this was caused by my grinder when I split the outer housing.


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## ShedLife

billy said:


> Went to a local shop today and picked up a cable that was 4 inches longer. Cost was $12. I've got roughly $120 into this Honda shock retrofit and about 2hrs of my time.
> 
> I would highly recommend this to any other Yamaha owner who has shock failure ($300 + to fix with Yamaha parts). If the Honda shock fails in the future it can be replaced for roughly $35 US.
> 
> It looks like it came this way from the factory and is not a hack job to make it work. Plus the new shock not only locks, but has pressurized assist too.
> 
> View attachment 186089
> 
> 
> 
> Applied heat shrink around new cable and cable ends to keep water out.
> View attachment 186092


Wow, that’s fantastic. Have you had a chance to test it out? Also, do you have specific part number for the shock, and was the cable just a bicycle cable?


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## billy

ShedLife said:


> Wow, that’s fantastic. Have you had a chance to test it out? Also, do you have specific part number for the shock, and was the cable just a bicycle cable?


These are the parts that I used;

2 - BUSH, PIN
42621-V45-A00

1 - SPRING, HEIGHT ADJUSTING
42768-V45-A00

1 - BRACKET, FREE LOCK
42784-V45-A00

1 - ARM, PUSH ROD
42786-V45-A00

1 - LOCK, HEIGHT ADJUSTING FREE
42919-V45-A01

1 - PIN (10X37)
90762-V45-A00

The Honda shock (42919-V45-A01) is made by Stabilus and it is a Bloc-O-Lift model (printed on side of shock).

I used some stainless nuts, bolts and washers I had on hand to fasten the above parts. The cable was just a generic cable/bicycle cable and sheathing that was 4 inches longer than the original Yamaha part.

The rubber accordions and adjusters from the original cable were moved over to the new cable.










I used it today as we had over 40cm of snow last night. It worked 100% better than the original Yamaha shock did, even when new, because the Honda shock is pressurized.
This would be a great mod even for individuals who have a functioning Yamaha shock !


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## groomerz

If your machine has 12vdc battery I wonder if you could retrofit a linear screw actuator and have power adj with a toggle switch


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## billy

groomerz said:


> If your machine has 12vdc battery I wonder if you could retrofit a linear screw actuator and have power adj with a toggle switch
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I did think of this too ! My local Princess Auto had them on sale, but I elected to go with the Honda manual shock.










The linear actuator would be cool.


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## chrishill

snoopy152 said:


> I have a YS928J that's 10 -11 yrs old. Never had an issue with shock though... If you have to get a new one, I'd try aftermarket rather than go through Atlantic Rec.


My shock just went on my 9-28 Yamaha. Mine is a 2012


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## billy

chrishill said:


> My shock just went on my 9-28 Yamaha. Mine is a 2012


Replace it with the Honda shock. 
I did this and used it for the last season. *MUCH* better than the original Yamaha piece and much cheaper.


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## DOOM

billy said:


> I did think of this too ! My local Princess Auto had them on sale, but I elected to go with the Honda manual shock.
> 
> View attachment 186361
> 
> 
> The linear actuator would be cool.


You know what size i need? I have a 2019 ys624 and i have this problem


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## billy

DOOM said:


> You know what size i need? I have a 2019 ys624 and i have this problem



What size actuator?
I have no idea, I replaced mine with the Honda "shock".


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## Steve12345

Newf1986 said:


> Had this thing at the dealer last year for a height control issue the shock wasnt holding and I would have to shove the track down with my foot to change the auger height. Seems as if I am starting to have the same issue minus the shock not locking part.
> 
> How many of you have had to have this part replaced more than once? They are not very cheap at the dealer, now I worry about when the warranty is up. I have debated trading it in on a Honda.


I own the Yamaha 6/24 my shock gave out about 3 years ago when the machine was 3 years old. A friend of mine who bought his machine when I did, he is on his 3rd shock.

At $340 a pop at our local dealer I refused to pay that much I actually made an aluminum rod to hold it all in place.

If you check all the Yamaha snowblowers even the 13/32 they all have the same shock.

I generally like the 6/24 however there is NO doubt in my mind that these rear shocks are defective and have been for many years.

For the price of these snowblowers?

Shame on Yamaha!


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## tabora

Steve12345 said:


> my shock gave out...
> At $340 a pop at our local dealer


Others have mentioned that the Honda shock will fit... 
42919-V45-A01 LOCK, HEIGHT ADJUSTING FREE $31.28USD


https://www.partspak.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=705535&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsoycBhC6ARIsAPPbeLuni9WrYY9WT9tzuoOh1NswH5RBf8U4HVRs6halasiC58z2H9WKWlwaAgL9EALw_wcB


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## Steve12345

I wonder has anyone posted how they managed to get it to work?
The price is certainly right.

Thanks


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## tabora

Steve12345 said:


> I wonder has anyone posted how they managed to get it to work?


If you read this thread from the beginning, you will see @billy's posts...








Time for another shock replacement. YT624


I guess my first question would be as follows; Is the piston rod mounted down or up???? Mounted down with the boot and rod on the bottom it would keep the water from pooling on the shock absorber wiper seal and it would drain away With the rod mounted upright the water would pool on the...




www.snowblowerforum.com


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## Steve12345

Thank you sir!
Definitely be trying to figure something out?

It would be different if you could buy a new Yamaha shock that the defect was corrected?

As we can see there are people having multiple failures.

With the price of parts it's ridiculous!

Also Yamaha has had this issue for many years and models, they don't appear to be in any hurry to rectify it?

Not good enough when a manufacturer knowingly sells you a product that has a substantial costly defect?

I definitely would not buy another Yamaha!


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## François Leclair

Great YouTube channel here for the YT624EJ: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWV7ltIFuqx9n0IozT_JYUyt_G12-SmSM
And for the auger housing height control system:


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## Steve12345

François Leclair said:


> Great YouTube channel here for the YT624EJ: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWV7ltIFuqx9n0IozT_JYUyt_G12-SmSM
> And for the auger housing height control system:


Great post!
Thanks


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## Steve12345

Steve12345 said:


> Great post!
> Thanks


I don't know how this forum works?
Other ones I've been on an Administrator could pin a post like yours?
Great reference tool for anyone with one of these blowers.


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## enzo1

Newf1986 said:


> Had this thing at the dealer last year for a height control issue the shock wasnt holding and I would have to shove the track down with my foot to change the auger height. Seems as if I am starting to have the same issue minus the shock not locking part.
> 
> How many of you have had to have this part replaced more than once? They are not very cheap at the dealer, now I worry about when the warranty is up. I have debated trading it in on a Honda.


go to princess auto and buy a 12 volt actuator and wire it up.----69 dollars on sale.---and you got height control with the flick of a switch.


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## scottybrown117

I just replaced the shock (tilt assembly) on my 2015 YS928. The dealership wanted $480 plus tax for the part - I never asked how much more it would be to install it. Searched for the parts online and found the manufacturer in Japan. They charged $80 for the part, $30 for duties and tax, and $25 to ship it to my door. Entire process took about 10 days. I installed it myself in about an hour with no special tools (10mm, 12mm, 14mm wrenches/sockets, and a pair of pliers). I totally agree that this is a part that is designed to fail and does not meet my high expectations from Yamaha. My previous Yamaha was a 1984 YS624, used it for 30 years with a few very minor repairs along the way. Pretty sure the YS928 will not last 30 years!


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