# oilchange question



## garthman (Oct 16, 2015)

i have a 921044 deluxe 28 with the ax 306 engine. it was purchased in the fall of 2015 but it hardly snowed here in western CT last year. 

i finally have enough time on the engine that it warrants an oil change before i put it away for the summer. 

in an abundance of caution, i am looking for confirmation that the engine requires 32 oz of oil for a change? it seems like an awful lot of oil, but that is what i think the manual says.

thanks for the reassurance.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Without a model number off the engine itself, it's tougher to look up specifics. 

But I found an LCT service manual here: 
http://lctusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/PGM45015_Online-Service-Man_revE_080816.pdf

It shows that the 306cc engine does have a 32oz oil capacity. 

It's always best to end up using the dipstick to guide you anyhow. Add a little less than is suggested, check it on the dipstick. Then keep adding more until you get it up between the proper marks on the dipstick. 

If you simply drain it, then blindly add whatever the manufacturer lists, that can get you in trouble, if you didn't get all the old oil out. Say, for instance, you're on an incline, and some oil stayed in the crankcase. Then if you add what they suggest, and don't actually check the dipstick, you can end up with the oil over-filled. And that can actually be almost as bad for the engine as being under-filled. 

If you haven't seen it already, this page has some info from Ariens about oil changes: 
https://www.ariens.com/en-us/more/ax-engine-faq


----------



## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

don't they suggest an oil change after just 5 hours on a new machine?


----------



## garthman (Oct 16, 2015)

thanks for the two links and the heads up. i would have added 32 oz and probably overfilled it. 

garthman


----------



## garthman (Oct 16, 2015)

5 hours is what my manual says. i used it once last year for about 30 minutes. had three storms this year and got close to 5 hours with the last one.


----------



## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Sounds good. I'd consider using conventional oil for a little longer, to give the piston rings time to seat. I've seen suggestions of waiting 10-20 hours before going to synthetic oil on small engines. Though admittedly that wasn't specifically relative to snowblowers.


----------



## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

If the oil level is full now, measure the amount that you drain out when you do the oil change. That's your starting point for replacement, adding additional based on the dipstick reading.


----------



## Tony P. (Jan 9, 2017)

I believe it's a good practice to change the oil annually as part of the storage process rather than dwelling on hours. I use synthetic in all my equipment and I suggest going synthetic at this time. Go with a full synthetic, not a blend.


----------



## linksbox (Oct 20, 2016)

First oil change after 5 hours or at the end of the season (or beginning of next one if one prefers).
I believe that oil should be changed every x hours or annually whichever is first.
I treat it like a cheap insurance or extra piece of mind.
Eyeball of how much stuff you drain to know how much to buy, but put it back on measuring it using a dip stick on a flat level surface.


----------

