# Ariens 924125 Ser# 000711



## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

I couldn't help myself and ended up taking home an Ariens 924125 with auger issues, "It was blowing snow fine, then it slowly wasn't." Could mean a lot of things but there wasn't evidence of a catastrophic failure [i.e. brick in the auger or body damage].
In any case, other than being very dirty it seems pretty sound. 
To be honest I thought it was going to be substantially smaller than it is, but meh, I was there and the price was right.
Any insight, good or bad would be appreciated. I did some research and there were some notes about issues with the gearbox, could that be the issue with this one. All I have done so far is get it home and put it in the shed.
I am planning to get it running, do a minimal service [oil, spark, belts, etc] and use it this winter. If I like it, it can stay and I give it a real rework, if I don't it gets sold and I go find another one.
Here's some pix:


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Machine looks to be in good condition for it's age ( approx. 18 - 20 years old). 

Hard to say what the problem might be, but it does have the aluminum gear case.

Looks like the skid shoes and scraper bar need some love.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Ziggy65 said:


> Machine looks to be in good condition for it's age ( approx. 18 - 20 years old).
> 
> Hard to say what the problem might be, but it does have the aluminum gear case.
> 
> Looks like the skid shoes and scraper bar need some love.


Ziggy65, yes the skid shoes, scraper bar, and a handful of other items need some attention for sure.
What is the issue with the aluminum gear case? Is it prone to leakage, breakage, or something? I did some digging but didn't really turn up anything definitive. I did find that all the parts are available, which is a good sign.
I have another project that I have to complete before I will allow myself to get involved in this one so I am a few weeks away from cracking into it. I figure I'll pick up a new spark and belts in the meantime and once I get it open see what's next. I get the feeling the carb is going to need some attention as well.
After an initial look it seems sound, very little rust, no indicators of any accidents or "owner mods", I have worked on Tecumseh engines before and this one looks fine and if not, they're pretty easy to work on. I have only worked on 
If anyone owns one or has owned one in the past any tips would be appreciated. I don't have much experience working with Ariens machines, I worked on my buddies Ariens Deluxe 28 - 921022 [Auger washer issue and carb issues] so I am relatively unfamiliar with their design but the construction seems solid.
As stated prior, not sure if it's a keeper at this point, but it would make short work of my snow removal needs.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I had 2 of the older 924 series, nice units, ... I refurbished them and sold them ... If I were you, I would at least keep two machines, always good to have a spare in case one breaks down in a storm ... :

I am back up to 7 ... yeah, I am addicted to working on and restoring/refurbishing blowers ....


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Dave I am following your Honda project, and enjoy the detailed updates, you do great work.

I have never owned this vintage of Ariens, so others hopefully will chime in if there are any issues with this gear box. I know that the cast iron units are more robust, but I imagine the aluminum ones are fine as long as they are maintained and not abused (proper shear bolts, greased auger shafts, etc.)


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Oneacer said:


> I had 2 of the older 924 series, nice units, ... I refurbished them and sold them ... If I were you, I would at least keep two machines, always good to have a spare in case one breaks down in a storm ... :
> 
> I am back up to 7 ... yeah, I am addicted to working on and restoring/refurbishing blowers ....


It's _always_ good to have more than one. This may become my #2, my other one doesn't have lights and is substantially smaller [5/22 Honda HS50] so we'll see [oh, and this one has heated grips, never had those before]. It's in much better condition than many machines I have picked up prior [rust wise] so it will be an easy [tongue in cheek] one to bring back in to order. I've already ordered the spark plug, some shear pins, and both belts.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Ziggy65 said:


> Dave I am following your Honda project, and enjoy the detailed updates, you do great work.
> 
> I have never owned this vintage of Ariens, so others hopefully will chime in if there are any issues with this gear box. I know that the cast iron units are more robust, but I imagine the aluminum ones are fine as long as they are maintained and not abused (proper shear bolts, greased auger shafts, etc.)


Thanks Ziggy65 I appreciate that. More to come on the Honda 50, got sidetracked but back on it now.

I've never owned an Ariens blower, only messed with one a little bit to help a buddy out but that was a smaller/newer model. I am only using it around the house [not commercially] so I am not too concerned with the aluminum gear box [still don't fully understand the issue with them]. I am also a maintenance fanatic so there's that. Fortunately all the parts are available [not NLA like the Honda] which is something I haven't experienced in a while. Once I get the Honda complete I'll get cracking on this one as it looks like an interesting machine.
Most importantly I needed to get the next project ready, it's like the carrot on a stick that keeps me motivated to now finish a project so I can go on to the next one, the Honda project has lasted far longer than intended [my own doing of course].


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

So of course I couldn't help myself and started dinking around with the Ariens. Gave it a quick wipe-down to see the extent of any body damage [none] and rust [minor, just a strange spot right in front of the belt housing that I'm thinking is due to bad storage]. The auger flights turn fine with the shear pins removed which was expected but nice to confirm.
The auger gears are definitely an issue as the interior grease/oil is seeping out of the bottom of the housing. Will have to disassemble to see the extent of the damage but I am anticipating a burned auger gear on one side or the other [or both] and possibly a cracked housing or bad seals/gasket. Should be interesting.
I took off the drift cutters [for possible reinstallation later, I don't really have a need for them].
I ordered new belts, spark plug, shear pins, and skid shoes yesterday as they will definitely need to be replaced.
Had a good chuckle at myself as I am slowly realizing just how large this blower is. When I did some searching on the model prior to looking at it I saw the different variations of it [Ariens guys will know what I mean] and the features and specs on the one I was going to look at [all good enough to justify the trip]. Before I look at anything I do a few searches beyond just the basic "what's it supposed to look like" search. It passed the parts test [found that the parts are all stock at my various supply haunts and pricing is not outrageous], the manuals [owner, parts, maintenance] for the blower were easily found online, the on site review was good so here we are.
Until I got it home. That's when it started to sink in that it was an 11.5 HP 28" blower. I recently got rid of a 9/27 Noma blower because I thought it was too big for what I needed [well, it had some other things that I didn't like but I digress] and here I am with a bigger model. But, and here comes the self justification, it is pretty cool, it is built like a tank, it has almost the same size engine as my lawn tractor, the engine is a Tecumseh which I have worked on many before, I've never had an Ariens, it has lighting [which I want to expand a little bit], and heated grips [never had those before]. So, I'll get it up to speed and see what I think this winter. I'll do the driveway with this one and the pathways and deck with the other. Or, maybe not, we'll see.


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## PhilThefarmer (Dec 21, 2020)

what is that engine, a vertical cylinder ohv engine? I never saw one like this before, I thought that snowblower ohv engine cylinder are at an angle, how come could this even work? there wouldn't be any lubrification on the valve


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

PhilThefarmer said:


> what is that engine, a vertical cylinder ohv engine? I never saw one like this before, I thought that snowblower ohv engine cylinder are at an angle, how come could this even work? there wouldn't be any lubrification on the valve


I see what you mean about the shaft/cylinder being vertical as opposed to the angled cylinders of other engines, but have no idea why or explanation thereof, maybe someone else can chime in with some wisdom.


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## PhilThefarmer (Dec 21, 2020)

Northeast Dave said:


> I see what you mean about the shaft/cylinder being vertical as opposed to the angled cylinders of other engines, but have no idea why or explanation thereof, maybe someone else can chime in with some wisdom.


but is it really an ohv, or is it just an ohv cover? maybe remove it and see if it is really an ohv or not


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

PhilThefarmer said:


> but is it really an ohv, or is it just an ohv cover? maybe remove it and see if it is really an ohv or not


According to the Tecumseh manual that's what the OH318SA is supposed to look like.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

I finished the Honda project so now I'm on the Ariens.
I already did some work on the engine, repaired a carb/governor connection issue here:








Ariens 924125 - 11.5 HP Tecumseh OH318SA Question


If anyone could send me a picture of a properly installed throttle and carb [connections to the governor, etc] it would be greatly appreciated. I picked one up and it appears to me that the internal carb return spring [connected to the governor lever] broke so instead of fixing it they put an...




www.snowblowerforum.com




But I figured I would pick up where I left off in this thread as it's already here.
Yesterday I took the auger apart as it was the main mechanical issue. During this process I found the belt "pressure wheels" or whatever they're called seem to be bent slightly toward the middle [auger on right and drive on left both lean in to the middle], not sure if this is common wear but looks like I will need to do some _reshaping_ on those, maybe refresh the bolts and washers.
But the bigger problem is the auger fan, looks like it caught a brick [yep, I walked right into that one, should have seen it coming] and it is misshapen enough at one fan blade that it interferes [rubs] against the back of the housing [metal scrape marks on the inside] so I need to remove that and see if I can repair it.
The auger gear housing seems in good shape. I split it open and drained it, gears look good all round. Once I get it cleaned up a little bit I'll take it off the axle, then review and reassemble. Unsure about the grease stops at this point but they will have to be verified. The gasket [again, whatever you call it as it was a liquid gasket system] on the auger gear case was done and leaking. Going to do a new gasket when I reinstall [and new bolts of course].
I probably should have cut my losses before even getting involved in this one but I am going to push forward with it. The cost [though I complain] in the end run me about $300-$350 all told for the machine and [anticipated worst case parts] excluding my labor of course. I figure for a unit this size and in this decent of condition, I did pretty good.
I have to say that I am a fan of the solid construction and easy to separate auger, but the engineer that connected the auger fan to the axle using two spring bolts in lieu of a shear bolt is a new entry on my "snowblower design **** list."


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

I am new to Ariens blowers so any insight on this model, or Ariens I general is appreciated.
Here’s a couple pix of my current situation.










going to clean up both pulley wheels before reinstalling. Haven’t taken out the auger housing side oil gaskets and brushings(?) I’ll check the parts diagram again before doing so.
Here’s a pic of the auger housing showing the fan scraping damage. More cosmetic than anything.










I think I’m going to bite the bullet and get a new fan, I don’t think I can repair the one it came with (still trying to remove it actually)










but we’ll see.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

That impeller actually looks good ... needs a repaint, but what is wrong with it, besides being rust welded on its shaft.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Oneacer said:


> That impeller actually looks good ... needs a repaint, but what is wrong with it, besides being rust welded on its shaft.


Here’s a different angle that explains it a little better, maybe.
And yes, rust welded to the shaft.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Northeast Dave said:


> Here’s a different angle that explains it a little better, maybe.
> And yes, rust welded to the shaft.
> 
> View attachment 180394


It must have eaten a brick of some sort. The auger flights and bucket show no major trauma, but the auger fan, different story. I realized that this is one of the things I look for when I check out a machine, and then, I buy one with exactly the problem…


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

That would be no problem for me. A little heat, proper hammer and an anvil, maybe a large pipe wrench for some bend-back leverage as well, will bring that back in shape for prep and paint.

(Hint ... double hammer method works well in these situations also when an anvil is not practical, just need some proper hammers, and a seasoned technique. )

That shaft needs some serious cleaning and oil wiped.

As far as the impeller, I would remove all set screws, roll pins, bolts, or whatever holds it to the shaft ..... then I would clean the shaft, weasel **** the heck out of it, apply some heat to the impeller along the shaft section, then using a block of stock, or other means to protect the impeller at the shaft location area, and tap and shock it off the shaft. That should work without performing other methods which would require something like drilling or welding.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Oneacer said:


> That would be no problem for me. A little heat, proper hammer and an anvil, maybe a large pipe wrench for some bend-back leverage as well, will bring that back in shape for prep and paint.
> 
> (Hint ... double hammer method works well in these situations also when an anvil is not practical, just need some proper hammers, and a seasoned technique. )
> 
> ...


I wish you lived next door...
I ordered new parts for replacement as the existing "system" is going to take some convincing. I haven't given up on it yet, currently still working on the roll pins that connect the impeller fan to the shaft. These will serve as backup parts if/when I get them apart.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I am in Newington ....


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## Tony-chicago (Feb 10, 2021)

We all wished he lived next door.

Course then my work would look inadequate.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Oneacer said:


> I am in Newington ....


Not quite next door but close, I'm in Bethel.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I was in Redding a few months ago .....


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

Oneacer said:


> I was in Redding a few months ago .....


Nice town.
I'm waiting on parts to arrive then I can continue on the Ariens.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

In checking this thread I realize I never updated it after assembly.
In any case, had the opportunity to use it today. By the time I started the snow was powder on the top 3-4” and mashed potatoes underneath (1-3”) with a gusting wind. Fired right up and after a couple passes had to adjust the vertical chute control (bolt/spring under the housing just needed tightening to stop chute creep). Other than that it worked very well, once I got used to using it, throws snow very far. A lot easier to maneuver than I thought it would be, could actually get it in to some tight areas around the cars. It blew right through the EOD without any hesitation or slow down, it wasn’t the packed ice block type but it was heavy enough that other blowers I have had would have needed to move slower and cut less.
Had the heated grips on, not sure how much they really helped as I also had a nice thick pair of insulated gloves.
My primary blower needs the carb adjusted so this one will be the go to for now and to be honest after using it today I’m not in that big of a hurry to work on the other one.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

I got to use the Ariens a second time yesterday. After the first use I needed to back down the speed, 1st gear was just too fast, I have not adjusted it prior and have only greased this area, there was no repair needed. Simple adjustment to the linkage rod and now first gear is nice and slow, I really never go faster than 2nd or 3rd, so it's geared up right for me now. I really like this unit, again, never owned an Ariens before, but I have no beef with this one [yet]. Have to say that the heated grips, for me, are not an asset. I have a smaller driveway and am constantly turning and moving the chute so I guess I don't use it in a way that would make them benefit me. I think if you had a long driveway where you were making consistent long runs the heated grips may be helpful, but after two uses, heavy gloves seem to work best for me.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Yeah, I have waterproof, insulated mittens .. even though my handwarmers on one of my Cubs work great, as I put my bare hands on them and there hot, my mittens don't require any additional heat.


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

How were you able to separate the impeller from the impeller shaft? Did you observe any broken parts inside the auger gearbox?


Northeast Dave said:


> I ordered new parts for replacement as the existing "system" is going to take some convincing. I haven't given up on it yet, currently still working on the roll pins that connect the impeller fan to the shaft. These will serve as backup parts if/when I get them apart.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

badbmwbrad said:


> How were you able to separate the impeller from the impeller shaft? Did you observe any broken parts inside the auger gearbox?


I didn’t get it separated. I ended up getting a new shaft and impeller fan.
If I was patient and had a torch I probably could have gotten it off but I have neither.


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

That's probably the most difficult part of a snowblower to disassemble. Given that the fan is already destroyed, it's more appropriate so simply cut it off the shaft with a cutoff wheel but more than likely you'll never need a spare impeller shaft anyway. It would make a nice trophy in the garage 



Northeast Dave said:


> I didn’t get it separated. I ended up getting a new shaft and impeller fan.
> If I was patient and had a torch I probably could have gotten it off but I have neither.


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## Northeast Dave (Apr 29, 2020)

badbmwbrad said:


> That's probably the most difficult part of a snowblower to disassemble. Given that the fan is already destroyed, it's more appropriate so simply cut it off the shaft with a cutoff wheel but more than likely you'll never need a spare impeller shaft anyway. It would make a nice trophy in the garage


Actually that's what I ended up doing. Cut the shaft and removed the necessary gaskets/spacers, etc. The new shaft came with an auger case gear as well as the shaft so I have an extra one of those. I also purchased a new impeller fan. Both were not cheap but considering the cost for the blower and the overall value [it was in nice shape] it worked for me in the end. I had intended to use this as a backup or maybe for EOD stuff but my primary blower [which really has no business being a primary blower] is having carb issues. I really like this machine after using it twice. I have never had an Ariens so maybe they're all nice like this but overall very satisfied with it and intend to keep it for now.


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