# New HS724K1WA Eating Shear Bolts & Other Issues



## R.J. (Jan 24, 2016)

I purchased this machine last year and had probably 2 hours of operation before storing it. It seemed to work well for the limited time I had on it. This is my first snowblower, so I'm still learning.

Yesterday, I was doing a long driveway and the throwing performance was awful. The right side Auger was spinning freely and noticed the shear bolt was missing. Luckily, Honda gave me spares in the toolkit and replaced. A half hour later, the left side Auger shear bolt broke. Replaced and continued for another hour until the right side once again sheared.

The driveway isn't perfect, but am certain there was nothing in the driveway that would have caused a sudden jam. Also, the snow was fairly loose, not packed or full of ice chunks.

I noticed the auger blades had visible scraping damage as if they came in contact with concrete. Also, the side skids and rear skids were set all the way up and the scraper bar was set at almost full down. I'm assuming these adjustments are what is causing the auger to strike the ground at times and shear the bolts.

I did a bunch of searches on here and it seems like you're supposed to use either the side skids or the rear skids but not both? If you're supposed to use one or the other, I don't know why the Honda dealer installed both.

Here's what I've done based upon the owners manual:

I removed the rear skids, set the side skids and scraper bar all of the way up. With the snowblower on level ground, I rotated the Auger to it's lowest point. I then used a 15mm shim underneath the lowest point of the blade and then locked the side skids into position. I took a short piece of wood, about 4mm thick, and placed that under the scraper bar. I then tightened the scraper bar. Is this the correct procedure? Should I go lower with the Auger adjustment?

I haven't had a chance to really try it yet as most of the snow I had to clear is complete, but it seemed like the setup from the dealer was way off. 


Another issue is the chute rotation handle. The engine vibrations keep moving the chute to the front when I have it set to the right. It gets annoying after awhile as I have to keep one hand on the handle to direct the snow where I need it. I checked the bolts and they all seem tight. Is there another adjustment I can make to tighten the handle and assembly?

When I start it up, it billows smoke for about 10 seconds and then clears up. Is it possible the engine just needs to break in a little more? I also pulled the air cleaner housing to inspect the air filter, however, there is no filter. Is it missing or designed without one due to ice and water potentially clogging it?

Thanks


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

I think you are on the right track. The teeth on the augers contacting the ground will shear the shear bolts.
Adding side shoes is the correct path.
Extend the scraper bar down. Then use your sticks under this scraper bar to set your side shoes. Remember your goal is to keep the augers from having contact with anything but snow.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

On some of your other questions. I'm not sure how your chute crank attaches to the handlebars. but sometimes turning the eyelet that the shaft goes through can create enough friction to stop it from rotating on its own.

You smoke on startup should be a concern for something with this amount of time on it. It may still be breaking in. Make sure it's not over serviced (oil above add mark).

No air filter is the norm for snowblowers.


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## R.J. (Jan 24, 2016)

Hey thanks.

So the adjustment should go something like this?:

- Lower the scraper bar all of the way down until it contacts the ground and tighten.

- Place shim under scraper bar (1/8") and tighten side skid shoes.

I'm guessing if the area to be cleared is uneven, raise the shoes a bit?

The owners manual is kind of confusing as it has a chart that gives you the recommended Auger clearance for certain situations, but doesn't state where to take the measurements from. I'm probably overthinking this, haha.

I'll take a look again at the chute system to see if I can find a way to tighten it up.

I had the machine tilted many times when I was repairing it and cleaning it. I suppose some oil might have migrated into the combustion chamber causing the smokey startups. I'll try starting it while it's level and see what happens.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

R.J. said:


> - Lower the scraper bar all of the way down until it contacts the ground and tighten.


Not exactly. It depends on what is touching the ground at that point. You don't want it to be the augers for sure. Lets leave the rear shoes out of this for now. Say the scraper bar is adjusted out far enough to keep the augers off the ground. Then say the side shoes are adjusted to keep the scraper bar off the ground. 
The augers need to always hover and just move snow towards the impeller. The scraper bar is the shave the snow so that only a thin layer is left behind. It typically will not touch the ground. If the scraper bar is low enough that the augers never touch the ground, and the side shoes are low enough that the scrapper never touches the ground, then you are set.
So like
Auger teeth
1/8 inch or more
scraper bar
1/8 inch
side shoes (skids)

Set all this on the levelest floor you can find, and make sure your tires have the same air pressure so it is not twisted or leaning toward one side or another.




R.J. said:


> I had the machine tilted many times when I was repairing it and cleaning it. I suppose some oil might have migrated into the combustion chamber causing the smokey startups. I'll try starting it while it's level and see what happens.


Ah, yes, that could do it.


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## R.J. (Jan 24, 2016)

Hey thanks for clarifying. I'm going to go ahead and double check everything this week.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

R.J. said:


> Hey thanks for clarifying. I'm going to go ahead and double check everything this week.


When you first start the engine with full choke, smoke is not unusual. It should go away when the choke is turned to the off position, My guess is the smoke is kind of dark gray or blackish, rather than blueish.


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## yarcraftman (Jan 30, 2014)

I have 2015 HS 724 WA (the last of the old school model)

My dealer came to my house and looked my driveway and set my skids for me. Fortunately, I do not have any major cracks or bumps in concrete. 

He used a price of cardboard from say an aplliance and folded it over do it was double in thickness. He placed this underneath the bucket the scraper area and adjusted the skids. 

He suggested going higher and leaving more snow behind as opposed to risking the auger or scraper getting damaged on a $2k machine. Which I am thankful for. 

My machine has one quick burst of black smoke on start with choke but goes away in less than 3 seconds. 

As for the chute that is a good question I have not had that problem hopefully others can help out or perhaps Robert at Honda. 

Best wishes in addressing those issues.


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## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

Okay, on the older, HS-series models...

USA market machines have a manual crank-style control to rotate the chute, and it is possible some of the hold-down hardware or other supporting bracket, etc. have loosened enough that the entire chute is free to spin. This should be resolved. Ensure the chute crank gear is properly mating with the ring gear on the chute base. Any looseness in this area could allow the chute to turn on its own due to engine/auger vibration. Operating the crank should instantly engage the ring gear and turn the chute smoothly. Check for correct application of waterproof grease. Triple-check and make sure all the correct fasteners are used, 8 x 12mm flange bolt (3), chute retainer (3), 8mm thin flat washers (3). Here are a few images for reference:



















A puff or two of dark/blue smoke is normal when starting a cold engine and using the CHOKE control. After the engine has warmed up, and can run smoothly without the CHOKE on, the smoke should stop. If not, inspect the choke/throttle linkage. Too much choke can make the engine run "rich" by restricting air flow, and the dark smoke is excessive fuel being used/burned. 

As I recall, most HS724 models had a single, choke/throttle control, with a detent for FAST. It is pretty easy to confirm the choke plate is fully closed when you move the lever all the way forward to CHOKE, then monitor for the detent when moving from CHOKE to FAST.


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## R.J. (Jan 24, 2016)

Hey thanks for the responses.

I believe I have the auger adjustment figured out. No more broken bolts!

Hey Robert, I checked all of the bolts and hardware. Everything appeared to be tight and in position. I saw the gear had alot of play in it and had a slot for adjustment. I moved the gear a bit closer and it appears to have corrected the unwanted movement. 

Yes, there is a detent if you push the choke lever further. I didn't notice anymore smoke upon startup. I performed the first oil change anyway although the factory stuff appeared to be clean. I'll keep an eye on it.


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## [email protected] (Nov 21, 2011)

R.J. said:


> I saw the gear had alot of play in it and had a slot for adjustment. I moved the gear a bit closer and it appears to have corrected the unwanted movement.


Huh. Never knew about the slot. But, living in Atlanta the past 30 years, I don't get much wrench time on snow blowers :icon_whistling:


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Maybe a video on "How To" with the skid adjustments might be helpful.

https://www.google.com/search?q=donyboy73+sdjusting+skids&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8


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