# When standing blower on end should you drain oil first?



## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

When standing blower on end should you drain oil first?

I was watching some blower repair videos and in one it was said to drain the oil first, all of the time, before the machine is put up on the auger housing.
He claims that the oil could seep into areas of the motor that you don't want it in while it is up on end.

I never thought about this before.
What do you all think?

I try to make sure that the gas tank is near empty and hang a small pail from it, but I never gave a thought about draining the oil every time I stand it on end.
Overkill?


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

My Tecumseh 8hp flathead and 10hp OHV engines have spent time in the service position. Bucket/nose down, wheels in the air. 

Never gave me issues with either one. 

However, I close the fuel shutoffs and run the carbs dry on my machines when I shut them down. So the carb doesn't drain onto the ground in this position. I also put a plastic bag over the fuel tank fill opening, then screw the cap on, to keep the gas from dripping out the vent. If there is not much in the tank, this may not be an issue. 

With the 10hp OHV in this position for multiple days, I started to get a few drips of oil on the ground, from the governor shaft, I believe. So I put a plastic bag under that area. Make sure the dipstick is screwed in tight! 

But it never gave me any trouble. If you put it back on the wheels and *immediately* started it, maybe that would do something weird, I don't know. I don't need to start them again that quickly, if I've just had them on the their noses.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

I have B&S L heads on their nose regularly with no crank case issues. If you leave it there long enough you might discover a failing output crank shaft seal.

As for gas, you need to understand the fill level in relation to where the fill opening is when up. Sometimes you can use a thin plastic bag under the fuel cap to defeat the vent for short term work. Even the carburetors reset when they are back on the floor.

Pete


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## Pythons37 (Nov 9, 2012)

These are handy tips. I was going to drain everything, including the radiator, before I tipped it up.


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## junkyard_sal (Feb 20, 2014)

Standing the blower on end could hydrolock the motor, or so I suspect happened to my new to me blower. I will report back after investigating. 



Big Ed said:


> When standing blower on end should you drain oil first?
> 
> I was watching some blower repair videos and in one it was said to drain the oil first, all of the time, before the machine is put up on the auger housing.
> He claims that the oil could seep into areas of the motor that you don't want it in while it is up on end.
> ...


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Most snow blower fuel tanks seem to have the nipple for the fuel line at the back of the tank so when you have less than 3/4s of a tank the fuel nipple is up in the air and only the fuel in the line and bowl can possibly drain into the engine. Might be enough to cause a hydrolock. Best to make sure you're below 3/4s tank if you're going to tip it, better yet to have a fuel shut off and to run the carb out of fuel before you tip it up.

As for oil, if you tip it up and have it that way for a length of time then hopefully you will bring it back down to it's normal position for a day or two and the oil has a chance to drain back into the crankcase.

I haven't run into a problem with tipping them on mine. My only problem is my Estate's dipstick doesn't seal so I have to make sure to put a drain pan under it if I tip it up or I'll have a mess.


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## enigma-2 (Feb 11, 2014)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> ... I haven't run into a problem with tipping them on mine. My only problem is my Estate's dipstick doesn't seal so I have to make sure to put a drain pan under it if I tip it up or I'll have a mess.


Old style dipsitch I'm guessing. If it were me, I'd try pulling out the dipstick and put a cork in it. (Like a wine stopper, they're rubber and expandable to close the top of the wine bottle to prevent oxidation.)

example:


















If the opening's around an 1-1/2-inch, you could use a thermos bottle cork (just guessing here, don't fault me for trying...


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## AverageJoe (Feb 19, 2014)

Question.....would making sure your piston is at TDC prevent a hydro lock?


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## pfn (Dec 24, 2010)

Ariens advised me not to store my machine in the service position. They said it put pressure on the seal. I can't imagine a quart and a half of oil could put much pressure on anything but there you go.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

pfn said:


> Ariens advised me not to store my machine in the service position. They said it put pressure on the seal. I can't imagine a quart and a half of oil could put much pressure on anything but there you go.


You should have asked what they thought just for short term up on end to work on it. I was not talking about storing it up on end.

The guy in the video I watched says he drains the oil EVERY TIME he stands it up on the auger housing.
That is why I asked I wanted to see what the more experienced guys thought of this. 
I have been doing it since I had mine, I see no ill effects.
But it is not standing up for long, maybe a half an hour at the most.

I never thought about storing it up on end all summer, I don't need the room.
Mine sits in the normal position all the time.


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## 94EG8 (Feb 13, 2014)

There's no need to drain the oil, but it's good idea to clamp off the fuel line to keep gas from going into the cylinder and hydrolocking the engine and/or leaking out the carb.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

pfn said:


> Ariens advised me not to store my machine in the service position. They said it put pressure on the seal. I can't imagine a quart and a half of oil could put much pressure on anything but there you go.


I agree that a good seal should be fine.

Since the seal only sees incidental oil in normal use deterioration is usually undetected. I can see a marginal or failed seal leaking if stored seal down. Did this once, it was a mess.

Pete


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The cork is a novel idea, I think on mine it's just a case of the PO trying to screw it in when it just half turns to lock in position and now the plastic is shot and it doesn't pull in tight enough to put pressure on the O-ring.


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## pfn (Dec 24, 2010)

Big ED said... "You should have asked what they thought just for short term up on end to work on it. I was not talking about storing it up on end.

The guy in the video I watched says he drains the oil EVERY TIME he stands it up on the auger housing.
That is why I asked I wanted to see what the more experienced guys thought of this. 
I have been doing it since I had mine, I see no ill effects.
But it is not standing up for long, maybe a half an hour at the most."

I think draining the oil the oil to work on a machine in the service position is a symptom of mental illness. Really. Storing a snowblower in the service position may well show a weak seal as Spectrum said. He makes a good point.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

pfn said:


> I think draining the oil the oil to work on a machine in the service position is a symptom of mental illness. Really. Storing a snowblower in the service position may well show a weak seal as Spectrum said. He makes a good point.


When I watched it again he was taking stuff off to do repairs and didn't have to take the pieces off at all.
I kind of think he didn't really know what he was doing.

The power of You tube, everyone is an "expert". 

But, I figured it would be good to hear what everyone else thinks about it.
Don't ask you won't learn.


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