# Ariens burning oil



## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

My ariens is burning oil and a lot of it. Do any of you know what oil treatments are good for it? I don’t want to have to replace the piston rings yet


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## scrappy (Dec 7, 2014)

What engine make and model?


Have you removed the spark plug and inspected for oil or carbon fluff?


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

i think it really depends on how much it is burning. generally if it is burning enough that you notice it there might be a bigger issue than just rings. most of the time you are better off to just replace the engine than you are to open up the engine and do something like a ring job. newer engines are pretty cheap to get and generally better on fuel and have more power than the older ones. 

now i don't know if it would work but you if you got some you could always try a 50/50 mix of ATF and Acetone in the cylinder. if the rings are stuck it should hopefully help but depending on how the rings are stuck it may just all run down into the crank case before it can do its job. may also require an oil change after something like this.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:iagree: Is it something that's been getting worse each season or something that started to happen fairly quickly ??


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## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

sometimes these engines can throw alot of oil out of the breather tube...if you notice a pool outside of the tube, make sure you've got a good crankcase seal (i.e. filler stick gasket/o-ring os often the culprit) or the RPMs could be running high.


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## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

There was carbon fluff but I cleaned it. I recently bought the snowblower for cheap to restore but I don’t know if I need an engine


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

So, I take it you were able to figure out the rough running/choke thing from last weekend? I seem to recall a video you linked that showed the choke lever way too far over to the left. That issue all fixed up now?

Also, do you know exactly how much oil is actually in the engine? Meaning, not just what the dipstick reads, but 100% drain it of oil at some point (tipping to ensure it all got out) and measure what you put back in? I seem to recall you mentioning last weekend the oil in it was really thick in consistency, and you were going to change the oil in it (have you changed it?).

Edited to add, H70 Tecumseh engine for all those in the thread, looks to be around 1970ish, maybe a little earlier.


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

BTW, I re-watched your video. The hard gear shifting on the lever, some white lithium grease on both the hex shaft and fork shaft will fix that right up for if the lever action is hard when it's still relatively warm out, it'll be next to impossible when it gets really cold out. I like to spray some Liquid Wrench white lithium grease into a paper towel and dip a small clean paint brush into that and lightly "paint" these shafts - then work it in by shifting up and down from 4th to N, then N to reverse a few times. Seems to help tremendously on my two 10,000 series like yours.

Also note the shift quadrant has different throw lengths...meaning when you depress the knob button to shift, different amounts of pressure on the button is needed for reverse versus neutral versus 1 thru 4. You may also need to use different clutch handle pressures when going from R to N, then N to 1-4 because of the neutral catch system these machines use.

Here's a link showing the quadrant to see what I'm saying. The image in the listing, reverse is far right, 4th is far left, etc...

https://www.ebay.com/p/Ariens-Snowb...-Selector-Shifter-Snowthrower-Snow/1101926330

It's a learning curve, what all plays into how the 10,000's shift.

Also...didn't seem to be all that "oil smokey" in your video. I did notice some oil below your breather tube though. Maybe clean that all off the engine and frame to where it's clean, then after running it some you'll be able to tell tell if you got oil coming out of there regularly/currently or not.


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

Here's his blower video from last Sunday...for $10, nice find.


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

are you sure it isn't leaking oil? that definitely doesn't seem like it is smoking in that video but it does look like it might be grimy around the base of the engine like you might find on an engine that leaks. really almost need to pressure wash it and clean things thoroughly to find out. hard to find a leak on a dirty machine.

also i am not sure if anyone has mentioned it to you or no but it looks like you need some new skids for that machine or you are going to start chewing up the bucket


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## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

I changed the oil and put 5w30 and now it smokes like crazy and no it’s not over full


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

if its not smoking at idle and running good like it is at 8.11 in the other vid and it smokes after you punch and runs like crap it still most likey the carb


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## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

I’ve ordered a carb now just waiting for it to come so I can install it and try again


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

welp...

Kid, any chance tomorrow you can post another video of how it runs now - this smoking? Me personally, I'd like to see this while warmed up and the choke lever in the proper position - not all the way left as the heater box will allow but slightly to the right of the bend in the carb cover. You'll know this is the proper "off" position of the lever when the heater box is off and the choke primer button is removed - the choke plate should be wide open when you look down the carb throat. If the lever's all the way left as far as it'll go, you'll see the plate closing off the throat again.

Studying your video, it seemed to idle fine, the choke lever was not "bouncing". I'm assuming vacuum is not forcing it to completely close at low idle...so it runs better. Whereas when you upped the throttle, this bouncing returned as vacuum increased and the engine struggled to accelerate RPM's cause it was starved for air.

My H70 did the exact same thing.

Just tryin' to help cause I've seen my H50 (with the heater box off) and H70 engines do this - the H70 especially. I still cannot figure out why that engine has that heater box on it and not the heater box my H50 has. The only difference is the choke lever slot does not round the corner on the H50, restricting the left travel. It was very frustrating to understand what was actually occurring, and how to counteract it.


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## 132619 (Nov 20, 2018)

(Hi! I’m 13 years old and I recently bought a 1967 Ariens sno thro snowblower to restore)

know your young and trying to learn, there are many things that cause smoke and burning oil . IMM starting off a 1967 machine will have way many hours on it. for me i'm saying worn rings and valve guides. 

sound like your more inline for a repower than a rebuild


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## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

I’ll make another video today before and after I put some stp oil treatment


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

Thekidmechanic05 said:


> I’ll make another video today before and after I put some stp oil treatment


You do what you want...but my advise is to NOT put any STP in it at this time. All it's going to do is thicken up your oil and at the moment you don't really know what the true issue actually is.


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## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

Here’s the new video https://youtu.be/zxOSn9lQh8Q


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

you did not even run it long enough to take it off choke
it was idling very nice before no choke

stop running it
wait till you put the new carb on it
no way fresh oil should look like that
prob gas in in the oil
new carb change oil then run it


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## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

Ok I’ll let you know


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

Well, yes - it does not smoke as much post oil change. But to rubber stamp that the STP did the fix, we simply do not know for absolute certain. My educated guess is that considering you changed the oil once prior, yet it was dirty right after the change, that tells me it's entirely possible that for one you did not get all the old oil drained out because there's no way you ran it long enough to dirty the oil up that fast - and for two the combination of the new oil and remaining oil caused the reservoir to be over-filled.

I've done it before on both lawn mower and snowblower engines. I make sure I tip them and get absolutely everything out as a result.

So, it's entirely possible the second oil change, you have the correct amount of oil/STP combined in now. Remember, 19 ounces for the H70...in this case 19 ounces of STP and new oil combined. As little as 1 extra ounce can cause excess smoking.

Secondly, I know you ordered a new carb, so it's too late to change that. But simply put, don't mess with the governor linkage at all if possible when you make the change. Remember which hole in the throttle linkage on the carb the governor arm locates in, etc. I'm assuming you've also found the website that will teach you exactly how to adjust that style of carb properly so make sure you read that carefully and follow it's instructions fully to properly adjust the new carb. DonyBoy's Youtube videos are awesome as a guide also. Make sure you got a new carb to flange gasket too so there's no air bleeding in.

In the mean time before the new carb arrives, check your idle screw and high speed screw adjustments. If the engine runs at idle on partial to full choke (and smokes heavily) but dies off choke, to me it's starved for fuel at idle. Try turning the idle screw out a quarter turn, then start it and let it run a couple minutes until it's warm...THEN try turning off the choke.

Remember, a good starting point is 1.5 turns out for the high speed, 1 turn out for the idle. Make sure both are adjusted within reason to these points before adjusting. It might be something as simple as both screws are way way too far in (lean).


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## Thekidmechanic05 (Dec 4, 2018)

Thank you guys for the great tips. I see what I can do tomorrow


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## tlshawks (Feb 9, 2018)

Thekidmechanic05 said:


> Thank you guys for the great tips. I see what I can do tomorrow


You're getting there, Kid. I believe the engine is salvageable. It'd just be nice on the next video to see the engine die when you turn the choke completely off because it's difficult to judge the carb without actually seeing it die.

My H70, if I had the cover off and with the choke all the way left (which I reiterate...chokes it all over again) - would behave exactly the same as as yours is. And I know my carb is operating correct. So...getting the choke lever in the right spot when warm is absolutely critical to being able to adjust it correct once the engine's warm.

I saw at one point you had gloves on, then off - so I'm assuming the temps were somewhere around 32 degrees. That engine and carb should only need choke for about 10 seconds tops before it warms up enough to start leaning the choke off. It should be warm enough to have zero choke in a minute tops and maybe less. Again, with the carb and the primer button assembly off the carb, you'll be able to look into the throat of the carb and see the choke plate movement. All the way right AND left is choke on. "Choke off", you can barely see the choke plate when you look down the throat - and also you may actually have to hold the lever there for there are no more notches on the throttle shaft/lever assembly top plate to hold it at choke off position as you move the lever farther left. It'll "drift" to the left on it's own, choking it all over again.

This is why I bent my lever to where it won't go that far left as your is with the heater box on. I don't ever want it to go that far left. That's also why I'm dumbfounded why our H70's have that heater box with that pronounced a slot for the choke lever. The H50 doesn't, it stops the lever exactly at choke off on the carb/lever. Some day, I'm going to add a small clip to fit over the lever slot to where I don't have to bend the lever at all.


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## Dusty (Dec 13, 2018)

Thekidmechanic05 said:


> My ariens is burning oil and a lot of it. Do any of you know what oil treatments are good for it? I don’t want to have to replace the piston rings yet


No oil treatment is going to stop that. Its a Tecumseh H70 isn't it. Mine was real bad st the end. Threw a Predator 212 on them and never looked back. See my other thread for my Ariens torture test. Best machines around now.


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## GoBlowSnow (Sep 4, 2015)

How about smelling the oil but not seeing any being burned?


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## Rooskie (Feb 12, 2015)

OK,OK,I guess I see the value of prohibiting responses to old threads.
I've seen the light, Alleluia!


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