# Help with restoring Craftsman II 536.884810, Carburator leaking and treads not working



## tjop92 (Dec 27, 2021)

Hello, I found this forum while searching for solutions to the issues I am running into on my snowblower I was just given. I am hoping I can get some assistance or ideas on what to do here. I am a mechanical engineer so I do somewhat understand the mechanical systems but I have never taken apart a machine like this and don't want to go in blind and mess something up more than it already is.

My girlfriend's uncle just gave us a Crafstman II Sears 536.884810 snowblower. It is in pretty good shape for its age. We just moved into a house in a cul-de-sac in the Chicago area so it will soon be a necessity.

I started off by draining out the old oil and replaced it with SAE 5W~30 motor oil. Then I reconnected the fuel line and fill the tank with gasoline. I gave the primer button three pushes but that resulted in some fuel dripping out of the carburetor housing.










I set the choke to full and the throttle to fast and after a few pulls was able to get the snowblower started. I went to put the choke to OFF but once I did the engine started sputtering down until it was dead. I can keep the engine running if I don't put the choke into the OFF position fully.

The other issue that I am running into is that the treads or track won't engage when the lever is pulled for them. It seems the tension is good as it pulls up the mechanism it is attached to when the lever is depressed. 

I found a rat nest and rat inside the housing and cleaned all of that out. The treads and track are pretty dirty and caked on with material though. When I read through the manual it said to use the 5W-30 oil to lubricate the track and treads. Should I clean the track and treads with anything specific before lubricating? I do have a powerwasher that I could probably use to clean off a good portion of the grime. 




























When I turned it on its side I checked the bottom and it looks like the friction wheel might be a little worn, but I am not sure if that is causing the issue with the treads not working and needs to be replaced. Maybe once I do a thorough clean on the track and treads they will work again.




























Otherwise when I pull the auger lever the blades spin and seem to be running well. I will likely need to get some more grease to put into the port in the front though if anyone has a suggestion on that.

The only other thing her uncle said when he gave it to us was that there were three o-rings that needed to be replaced at one point. He had his mechanical buddy replace two of them but the third one was too difficult to get at to replace. He seemed to think he remembered the o-ring needed to be replaced in the auger space somewhere. Looking through the manual I couldn't find anywhere that needed an o-ring there. I only saw o-rings called out for the carburetor and the oil cap.

Here are some of the other photos of the snowblower if they help with anything. If anyone can provide documentation, walk-throughs, or videos on how to restore or fix this snowblower up that would be greatly appreciated. I have been doing a lot of Googling and trying to find answers but haven't gotten a great guide or instructions on what to do. Again, I don't want to go in blind and ruin anything more than it already is. 

Thank you for any help or guidance you might be able to provide. I hope that I posted this to the right place.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Couple things I could mention .....

Mice love living in a machine that sits outside or in a shed/garage open to vermin ... very common ... usually indicates a unit that needs carb cleaning and certainly lube.

Snowblowers get 5W30 *Full Synthetic* oil. All my gas gets 2oz of Stabil and 2oz of SeaFoam in every 5-gallon gas can when filled.

That friction disc should be replaced but might work for a while for you.

That hex friction disc shaft needs some lube to be wiped on it, just don't get any on its mating drive plate.

Good idea to lube the gears as well, as any other moving/pivoting points.

Add a drop of oil to the axle bushings at the frame sides as well. Lube any chain and moving track components ... the manual should show you.

Take the shear pins out of the augers, and spin the augers, while applying lube/oil to the shear pin hole and shaft ends. Grease them if there are any grease zerks there.

With your mechanical background, your intuition should guide you through the process of getting a unit that has been sitting into operating order.

Snowblowers are actually pretty straight forward in their operation.

Oh, and he mentioned O-rings ... I think he was probably referring to the 3 auger gear box seals ... they have a tendency to leak after a while ... check the oil level, using a gear oil ... if you need something a little more consistency, use a "00" grease, it's a bit more viscosity than a gear oil, but flows out of its quart bottle container just like a gear oil, but with a tad more viscosity.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

What he said but, but I would replace that friction wheel ASAP. That is shot.
I think he should have stated that HIS snow blowers get Full Synthetic. 
Using regular oil is OK, but the synthetic would give it better protection. 
No need to drain your new oil and switch to synthetic, wait till the next time you change it if you want.
I run regular oil in all my machines, lawn mower still good after 25 years, snow blower good after 22 years.
My 1999 pickup I just started using synthetic the last change.
I may do that for all my gas powered items.


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## cpchriste (Jan 19, 2014)

I think you'll find that your biggest problem is that the front and rear track drive wheels are rust-frozen to their center shafts. You can confirm this by pulling the unit backward with engine off. If the tracks skid instead of rotating then that's your problem. Disassemble, drive out shafts, sand, lubricate, reassemble. Verify center drive sprocket rotates too.
No doubt there are other problems as well.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

That is clearly a Tecumseh carb, and (fortunately for you) an adjustable one that looks to be in decent shape. Stalling coming off choke is a lean condition, typically due to gunk in the needles. As a first try, gently run the main needle (in your first pic on the bottom of the carb) in until just seated while counting turns, and then put it back where you found it. Do the same for the idle needle on the side of the carb. This will dislodge any crap restricting the needles, and often clears things up, and once you get good fuel flow (the fuel is fresh, right?) a lot of the gunk can be removed by new fuel when not too bad. If the fuel is fresh and this does not help, then a carb cleaning isin your future. It's a trivial process, and the carb docs are available online . . . . Unless there is hidden damage, I would ignore all sugestions to put a Chinese junk carb on - you have OEM and adjustable already - about as good as it gets!

Oh, and a bit of dripping with very zealous primer use is not atpical. The primer puts pressure intomthe float bowl which drives liquid fuel upmthe main circuit into the carb throat, and it can run out the carb throat if there is enough . . .


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I use only synthetic engine oil because my snowblowers are kept outside covered and the synthetic is for ease of starting. But use only synthetic for luring.

If you have a warm place, change the rubber friction disk now but if none, you'll probably get by this winter. 

Your carburetor is gummed up. Buy Berrymans Chem-Dip Carburetor and Parts Cleaner and let it sit overnight. It's probably in really bad shape. 

Do a Search for my "Snowblower Checklist.


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## tjop92 (Dec 27, 2021)

Thank you everyone for all of the awesome advice and help. It is amazing that there is such a great and helpful community like this!


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## tjop92 (Dec 27, 2021)

cpchriste said:


> I think you'll find that your biggest problem is that the front and rear track drive wheels are rust-frozen to their center shafts. You can confirm this by pulling the unit backward with engine off. If the tracks skid instead of rotating then that's your problem. Disassemble, drive out shafts, sand, lubricate, reassemble. Verify center drive sprocket rotates too.
> No doubt there are other problems as well.


When I try to pull it backwards the treads skid and don't rotate at all. I have started taking apart the tread system and sanding and lubricating everything I can as I go. I also think once I get the new friction wheel installed that should help a lot. Thank you for the advice and knowledge. It is greatly appreciated!


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## tjop92 (Dec 27, 2021)

Oneacer said:


> Couple things I could mention .....
> 
> Mice love living in a machine that sits outside or in a shed/garage open to vermin ... very common ... usually indicates a unit that needs carb cleaning and certainly lube.
> 
> ...


This is some absolutely amazing and fantastic information. Thank you!

I picked up some carb cleaner and will get that taken apart and cleaned up. I also purchased the following grease and lube:

RED "N" TACKY GREASE
WHITE LITHIUM GREASE NLGI #2
Permatex Anti-Seize Lubricant

I was planning on using the RED "N" TACKY on hex shaft. The white lithium grease on the gears and to put in the zerk fittings on the auger. Then the Anti-Seize Lubricant on the ends of the auger shaft. The only lube I still need to get is the chain lube, but I haven't found one yet.

I ordered a new friction wheel assembly and will replace it once it arrives.

When you say "Add a drop of oil to the axle bushings at the frame sides as well." do you mean the same engine oil I used for the engine?

Thank you again so much for your help! It is greatly appreciated.


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## tjop92 (Dec 27, 2021)

tadawson said:


> That is clearly a Tecumseh carb, and (fortunately for you) an adjustable one that looks to be in decent shape. Stalling coming off choke is a lean condition, typically due to gunk in the needles. As a first try, gently run the main needle (in your first pic on the bottom of the carb) in until just seated while counting turns, and then put it back where you found it. Do the same for the idle needle on the side of the carb. This will dislodge any crap restricting the needles, and often clears things up, and once you get good fuel flow (the fuel is fresh, right?) a lot of the gunk can be removed by new fuel when not too bad. If the fuel is fresh and this does not help, then a carb cleaning isin your future. It's a trivial process, and the carb docs are available online . . . . Unless there is hidden damage, I would ignore all sugestions to put a Chinese junk carb on - you have OEM and adjustable already - about as good as it gets!
> 
> Oh, and a bit of dripping with very zealous primer use is not atpical. The primer puts pressure intomthe float bowl which drives liquid fuel upmthe main circuit into the carb throat, and it can run out the carb throat if there is enough . . .


Thank you for the advice, it is much appreciated. I appreciate the effort in helping me. I bought some carb cleaner and am hoping to get it taken apart and cleaned today. Before I do that I will check the needles as you suggested and see how it improves. Fuel and oil is all fresh. Cleaned out before adding anything new in. 

I am glad to hear the dripping is not a problem for over priming.


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

If you do end up cleaning it, make sure to get the tiny passages on the main needle seat (essentially the part that holds the float bowl on). They are very important, and not too easy to see.


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## cpchriste (Jan 19, 2014)

tjop92 said:


> I was planning on using the RED "N" TACKY on hex shaft. The white lithium grease on the gears and to put in the zerk fittings on the auger. Then the Anti-Seize Lubricant on the ends of the auger shaft. The only lube I still need to get is the chain lube, but I haven't found one yet.
> 
> When you say "Add a drop of oil to the axle bushings at the frame sides as well." do you mean the same engine oil I used for the engine?


When it gets cold you'll be best served by using something light on the hex shaft rather than a viscous grease. EG: fluid film, graphite, silicon lube, light oil. 
I'd suggest marine grease on the auger end bushings and other exposed locations. Anti seize is popular inside the auger tubes to prevent rust, but is not a great lubricant.
Engine oil is OK on the chains as the manual states, but a chain lube might be better.
Here's a manual source Maintenance; Lubrication; General Recommendations; After First Use - Craftsman 536.884811 Owner's Manual [Page 15] | ManualsLib . It tells you where to lubricate and many other things including part numbers to order.


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