# Standing an HSS928ATD on its nose?



## ThumperACC (Mar 3, 2017)

Hi All,

I recently bought a barely used HSS928ATD and in going over it from one end to the other to make sure all is well, I stood it on its bucket to look inside the frame/housing. I've been doing this when servicing Ariens blowers for 30 years.

Well, fast forward to a week ago when I got the shop manual in the mail, I read about taking the hydro transmission out. It states "NOTICE The transmission breather cannot be exposed to oil. Do not tip the snow blower forward on the auger housing during removal or installation."

Imagine my surprise... This seems silly to me, but I performed the purge procedure afterward, just in case. It performed admirably during the storm on March 14th. We had 15" of the stickiest snow I have seen in a very very long time.

Anyone know why the transmission breather cannot be exposed to oil? The breather tube is routed to the back, which would prevent leaking if tipped on its auger housing. Anyone know if this is really an issue?

Thumper


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

That precaution is likely for keeping oil from leaking out of the transmission through the breather. Considering the significant difficulty in checking and filling.

If my memory serves me correctly, I though the breather was located in the rear of the transaxle. standing the machine on its nose, would likely keep the breather high and dry. Could be wrong.

Those of us that had transmission performance issues and subsequently the external reservoir kit installed. The transaxle is filled to the very top, and the reservoir acts as an expansion tank for the fluid as it heats up.


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

I have always tipped my hs 928 on the bucket to service. Never gave it a thought. Have not had any negative effects other than loosing a few drops of oil from the reservoir. Pretty tough to woork on the back ,right transmission, etc without tipping it up. I cant picture any other way to support it for disassembly. Mine is an HS perhaps the HSS is different.


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## ThumperACC (Mar 3, 2017)

drmerdp said:


> That precaution is likely for keeping oil from leaking out of the transmission through the breather. Considering the significant difficulty in checking and filling.
> 
> If my memory serves me correctly, I though the breather was located in the rear of the transaxle. standing the machine on its nose, would likely keep the breather high and dry. Could be wrong.
> 
> Those of us that had transmission performance issues and subsequently the external reservoir kit installed. The transaxle is filled to the very top, and the reservoir acts as an expansion tank for the fluid as it heats up.


The breather opening is dead center (over the output shafts) and has a 90 elbow pointing to the rear with a short (3-4") hose and a little 'terminating peice' which looks like a small plastic street elbow with the bell portion facing downward. So, if the 'breather' is at the opening then it can get wet with oil. If it is the little plastic piece at the end of the hose then you'd have to work pretty hard to get it wet with oil.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Do the HS augers protrude out beyond the housing like the HSS does? Anyone have a cleaver way of keeping it upright and steady?

One thing I like about my MTD is the Boxed housing with recessed auger. Its steady as a rock on its nose.


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## ThumperACC (Mar 3, 2017)

Prime said:


> I have always tipped my hs 928 on the bucket to service. Never gave it a thought. Have not had any negative effects other than loosing a few drops of oil from the reservoir. Pretty tough to woork on the back ,right transmission, etc without tipping it up. I cant picture any other way to support it for disassembly. Mine is an HS perhaps the HSS is different.



The procedure to remove the transmission backs up the warning. It calls for removing the engine, tracks, the top of the frame (engine bed) and upper rear frame cross member before removing the transmission. In looking at it, I think it would be *much* simpler to remove it from the bottom of the frame with the machine on its face.

Yes, I believe the HSS has a different transmission. It's made by Hydro-Gear and there is no right transmission. It also allows trigger-activated decoupling of each track from the transmission for 'power' steering.


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## ThumperACC (Mar 3, 2017)

drmerdp said:


> Do the HS augers protrude out beyond the housing like the HSS does? Anyone have a cleaver way of keeping it upright and steady?
> 
> One thing I like about my MTD is the Boxed housing with recessed auger. Its steady as a rock on its nose.


My HSS was rock steady on its nose. Getting there, I was surprised when it started to roll away from me (on the auger) as I was rotating it up. I just held down the auger clutch while rotating it up and all was well...until I read the shop manual.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Gotcha, once the nose started to walk away from me i put it back down.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

drmerdp said:


> Gotcha, once the nose started to walk away from me i put it back down.


On HS blowers I use a 2x4 to keep the machine balanced when placed on service position. The same may be done on the HSS, or perhaps a 1-1/2x3 may be a better fit.

If it had an auger housing extension or drift cutters like a Canadian Yamaha it would stand aon the auger housing very steady like an older Yamaha.


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

I also use a cardboard or a carpet to keep the paint on the auger housing edges/augers from getting damaged.


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

YSHSfan said:


> On HS blowers I use a 2x4 to keep the machine balanced when placed on service position. The same may be done on the HSS, or perhaps a 1-1/2x3 may be a better fit.
> 
> If it had an auger housing extension or drift cutters like a Canadian Yamaha it would stand aon the auger housing very steady like an older Yamaha.


I have the bucket extension and drift cutter on mine and they are solid as a rock on their nose.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

On my HSS1332, the augers DO NOT protrude beyond the housing on the front, and only a tiny bit on the curve at the bottom of the bucket.

Alarmingly, when I just tipped up the snowblower to check it, an M8x28mm bolt fell out of the undercarriage. This blower only has 2.4 hours on it, so I would be surprised if it had come loose so quickly.

I looked everywhere, but could not find an obviously missing bolt anywhere, so hopefully it was just an extra that got dropped in there during assembly. I've added it to my toolkit spares baggy.


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## RIT333 (Feb 6, 2014)

Kind of like the the old days, went p.o.'ed workers would leave wrenches in car doors just to "get back at the man".


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Ooooh, and now I'm even more concerned... I just backed the blower back into the garage and saw ANOTHER M8x28mm bolt lying on the ground (total of 2  in one day)! I'm REALLY hoping someone just went on break at the assembly plant and forgot they were sitting in the machine when they returned.


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## kirky2126 (Feb 27, 2016)

On my new 724 ACTD the belt drive bracket fell off with less then 20 hrs on it .. I would take off the plastic top cover and expect everything


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

I removed the Motor Cover / Headlight assembly and inspected everywhere... No sign of where those two M8x28mm bolts came from under there (95701-08028-00 BOLT, FLANGE 8x28). 

Therefore, I looked through all the parts diagrams again and the only places I could find them used are:

1 (#14 Silver) to hold the 22410-V45-A40 PULLEY, DRIVE in place. It's OK.

2 (#12 1 Silver, 1 Black) to hold the 17500-Z5T-810ZE TANK ASSY., FUEL in place. Both OK.

And, drum roll, please...

2 (#19) to mount the HYDROSTATIC TRANSMISSION to the 51136-V45-A00 PLATE, TRANSMISSION MOUNT. These 2 also have a different part number: 95801-08028-07 BOLT, FLANGE 8x28, and they are BOTH MISSING (well, not really missing, since I have them, but NOT installed). And, of course, both of their nuts (#13) 94050-08070 NUT, FLANGE (8MM) are missing, too. I'll just have to get those from Honda... :banghead:

I just put the bolts under a microscope, and it is clear that the Loctite on the end of the threads had never been threaded into a nut, so that procedure was clearly unfinished during assembly. Hopefully doesn't affect other HSS snowblowers out there!


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## ThumperACC (Mar 3, 2017)

tabora said:


> I removed the Motor Cover / Headlight assembly and inspected everywhere... No sign of where those two M8x28mm bolts came from under there (95701-08028-00 BOLT, FLANGE 8x28).
> 
> Therefore, I looked through all the parts diagrams again and the only places I could find them used are:
> 
> ...


Bummer, I'd be quite upset if this was my machine. The only thing resisting the torque of the transmission was the outputshafts and the track sprocket shafts, both of which attach to the transmission and the frame sides.

It is a good thing you noticed those, it might have caused excessive bearing wear over time.

Thumper


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## CalgaryPT (Dec 7, 2016)

tabora said:


> I just put the bolts under a microscope, and it is clear that the Loctite on the end of the threads had never been threaded into a nut, so that procedure was clearly unfinished during assembly. Hopefully doesn't affect other HSS snowblowers out there!


Thats a good bit of detective work! I've had the "loose bolt fell off on new machine" panic moment as well. No on my Honda, but another brand. I think if something major was wrong you would have found out by now. I bet you'll be OK.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

Sent an email to my dealer, Chappell Tractor Sales in Brentwood, NH. They have already ordered the nuts and will overnight them. They have been great to deal with and I highly recommend them for anyone up in this neck of the woods.


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