# Oil drain location



## skybar (Dec 19, 2013)

I have a 2013 Platinum 24 ST24DLE. This is a dumb question but it looks like the drain pipe is on the right side just above the wheel. Is that really where it is located? The wheel is in the way and I cannot easily put a drain pan there unless I remove the wheel. Am I missing something? I thought it would be in the rear so I am not going to do anything until I understand how others handle this location. First of all is that really it and is there some attachment I can use to avoid removing the wheel? It just does not feel right that Ariens would have the drain there.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

I think I remember an earlier discussion about this.

here it is
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/19458-modified-oil-drain-ariens-platinum-lct-ax-engine.html


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

That is the location. No doubt about it. Dumb as it is, some engineer needs to pull their head outta there a22 on this one. 

OK, Rant done.

What I do is block up the underside of the blower, to the rear of course. Then I pop the wheels off (very easy to do with a screw driver, pop that retainer off), then drain out the warm oil. While that is draining I take some corn head grease and lube up the spindles on both sides (careful there is a key on each side of the spindle, don't loose them). Then put the cap on the drain, slap on the wheels on with the little retainer tab thing and your good to go. Not that big of deal.

Some guys use those valves and cut up old oil bottles and use as a funnel. I figure being I drop the oil once a year in the spring, it is a good time to lube it all up before the off season


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Take an empty plastic oil bottle and use a box cutter to cut out only one of the narrow side panels. Leave the cap on the bottle and slide the bottle into the narrow opening. You can drain the oil with the cap on the bottle if your blower holds a quart or you can remove the cap from your homemade funnel and let it drain into another container.


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## skybar (Dec 19, 2013)

I want to thank all of you for your time to respond. I appreciate it. I think this has to be a very dumb location to put the drain plug. You should not have to remove anything. Did Ariens even think about this location? Considering the problems I had with the chute mechanism last winter and this dumb layout I have to admit I am not a big Ariens fan right now.

If I do not take the wheel off how do you tilt the blower to get the last of the oil out? If you even can?


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

First time I drained my oil in my Deluxe it was in the dead of winter and wanted to get the break in oil out. 

I put a 2x4 under the left side tire. Yea it is a 3 legged stool but it worked. I then wedged in a old plastic ice cream pail between the right side wheel and the frame thinking that would catch all the oil. That process gave me a mini exxon valdez on my garage floor as the initial burst of oil over shot the pail. That is when I decided to just take the **** wheels off.

just as a side note, my deluxe requires a 12 mm wrench to hold the drain extension coming outta the block and then a 16 mm wrench for the cap itself.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

DRAIN ZIT has an app for that too..


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

which engineer to blame liftoff, snowblower motors are pretty universal


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## superedge88 (Nov 26, 2013)

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> DRAIN ZIT has an app for that too..


Exactly!


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

detdrbuzzard said:


> which engineer to blame liftoff, snowblower motors are pretty universal



The person that is head of design/engineering that is located at:

Liquid Combustion Technology
1609 Ocean Towers
550 Yan An Road East
Shanghai, 200001, China.

Could go by the name Joon Yang?


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

liftoff1967 said:


> The person that is head of design/engineering that is located at:
> 
> Liquid Combustion Technology
> 1609 Ocean Towers
> ...


why not blame ariens? they bought the motor from ltc knowing the oil drain tube was too short and didn't change their order to get engines with a longer oil drain tube


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

detdrbuzzard said:


> why not blame ariens? they bought the motor from ltc knowing the oil drain tube was too short and didn't change their order to get engines with a longer oil drain tube


 
Hear hear!


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

There is something to be said about someone that purchases a high end unit, like this, and what they should expect. I agree, Arien's spec'd these power plants, and with their volume of purchase, they should have been more particular about the details. It is the details that keep folks loyal.


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## Normex (Feb 21, 2014)

Has Ariens made any recall in the past?
The least I would try is to call them and make a fuss about it then maybe Ariens could try please a customer by even shipping the part at least.(I know far fetched)

Just a thought.

Norm


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

detdrbuzzard said:


> why not blame ariens? they bought the motor from ltc knowing the oil drain tube was too short and didn't change their order to get engines with a longer oil drain tube


Fair enough. I now blame the head heads of both design and purchasing at Ariens. He11, I would even go so far as to blame Dan Ariens himself. 

Rumor is he stops once in a while at my local Ariens dealer here in the MPLS area, Next time I'm in there, I will see if I can get a message to him that way.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

why don't they all get into bed with the DRAINZIT company?????? then every one could at least be somewhat happy.995


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

POWERSHIFT93 said:


> why don't they all get into bed with the DRAINZIT company?????? then every one could at least be somewhat happy.995


seeing that the motor is pretty universal there are some applications where the short drain tube would not be a problem. when ariens, toro, mtd, and other manufactures order the engines the problem of the drain tube becomes their problem. ltc, briggs, and others only ship what is ordered


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