How to Maintain your Snowblower's Auger Drive Protection System

[@leoclement3801]

10 thumbs up my friend! .... Love how you explain not only how to, but "why" it is so important to maintain a snowblower on an annual basis. It could literally add YEARS to the life of our snowblower. I do all the maintenance on mine in early September while it is still warm in my garage. So much easier to work on a snowblower while wearing a t-shirt instead of a parka....lol.

[@piercedasian]

100%. I made the fateful mistake of NOT cleaning out my carb on this snowblower this past winter and of course when its as minus 25 C out that it wasn't starting all too good. Thankfully I moved to a new place that has a large heated garage so at least fixing it didn't quite such as much as it would've in my previous home. Still, to your point, fixing something in a t-shirt sure beats doing the same work in freezing temps wearing a thick parka.

[@rpan5441]

Wonderful explanation, with a very clear video demo. I liked the way you were very meticulous with parts and the cleanliness as well. Two thumbs up for the video.

[@piercedasian]

Glad you liked the video. Can you believe that some people have the audacity to complain about the level of detail I put into my videos? At least I know most of my viewers appreciate the work I put into showing how to do things properly.

[@nrgsmrt1]

Piercedasian, Sam P. & Serge Vivier, "Very well explained..." said it best. You, my friend, made a VERY impressive and necessary video. "Clearly" showing the steps of a maintenance procedure we all need to pay attention to. Well done sir!! Tim.

[@piercedasian]

glad you liked my vid. Thanks for watching!

[@unept96]

Great to know this! I just ordered a new snowblower and I want to do as much preventative maintenance as possible before it even sees any action.

[@piercedasian]

An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure... Even the cheapest of snowblowers that are well cared for will last for ages.

[@jaco7675]

I understand! With most anything mechanical, I’m lost, but these are-by-step instructions make this a breeze! (Now I’m kicking myself for paying over $100 to have a simple shear pin replaced last year, when I could’ve done it myself!)

[@piercedasian]

Well now you've been taught so not only can you replace your own shear pin but you can also do a TON of preventative maintenance on your blower to keep it running in tip top shape.

[@desiderious1]

Very informative, well filmed video. My one minor complaint is I wish you had shown how to check and fill the gearbox. It would have been easy to view with the auger housing out and there are only a few videos posted showing how to do it.

[@piercedasian]

Ah yes, the gearbox... I didn't bother b/c mine was new and I wasn't keen on replacing the gasket on something I haven't used. It is just a 10mm bolt on the front. crack open and see if it is filled to the bottom of the hole (when installed in and in normal use position).

[@vinny2976]

Great video! Never thought much about tearing into the auger until seeing your video. Thanks for the info as I will checking this out on my older snowblower.

[@piercedasian]

yeah you definitely want to check your auger shafts as the owners manual NEVER makes reference to lubing them up for corrosion protection.

[@sergevivier2023]

Very well explained demo for something simple but intimidating at the same time.

[@piercedasian]

intimidating? hardly. The auger removal is actually VERY easy if not just a bit of a nuisance. It is WORTH doing to spare yourself the heartache of having to unjam them at a later date due to rust.

[@JodBronson]

@@piercedasian - It can be intimidating to most folks! Some folks can't just take things and fix them.... Hell, I can fix the Space Shuttle too, if you want me to... But most People can't say that!

[@spresc2180]

A very well explained and demonstrated video. I really appreciated your pride in your work as well as your cleanup of excess neverseize and spray waxing the interior. I could tell that you work in a mechanical environment of some form, and then I checked your video library. Subscribed.

[@piercedasian]

thanks for subscribing. I love playing with all things mechanical. I redid some of my PEX piping in my home b/c the crimps looked crooked to me. I'm a nut bar indeed.

[@jonnytaylor5822]

A great video, although i'd most likely be applying some red tack, it's very informative from a mechanical perspective. Thanks for your time!!

[@piercedasian]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Steve-sy7nq]

Great video, I was wondering how the augers were lubricated on the Hondas, will be tearing mine apart tomorrow. Thank you.

[@piercedasian]

The problem with honda and likely many other brands is that they're NOT lubricated at all. When I tore my newish 622 apart it had ZERO grease on the shafts. Having worked on snowblowers before that I knew well enough to grease the living crap outta those shafts so that I spare myself a LOT of heartache in the future. So glad I got to my blower when it was minty new as its been a few years now and the augers have finally showed some signs of surface rust but I know inside the shaft are likely still new and rust free :)

[@baburejaz]

Excellent educational Video. Thanks for your time efforts and very well paced filming.

[@piercedasian]

Glad you liked my video. Thanks for watching!

[@Random-rt5ec]

Excellent video I will put Anti-seize on my brand new snowblower auger in the spring. Mine appears to be made out of cheap Chinese steel that will rust in no time.

[@miltonvoight3374]

I never really "maintained" my MTD 22 inch 2 stage blower which has been reliable for me since 2004 (13 years) except to change the oil. The Tecumseh manual doesn't even mention an air filter. I have left the old gas in it all summer just pouring in new gas at first snowfall and it starts on the first pull. I must be lucky and really felt guilty about neglecting it after watching your fine video.

[@piercedasian]

it is never too late to start looking after things. Better late than never right??

[@dm7097]

Snowblowers dont have air filters

[@georgehower3594]

Great video! I have often wondered how to maintain the auger and the housing itself. The auger housing on my Toro needs some new paint and I never knew how to remove the auger to get to the housing behind the auger, but know i do. Thanks. I will be doing some overdue maintenance on my machine now that I have learned from your video. I appreciate the info.

[@piercedasian]

Glad you found my video useful! Maintaining a snowblower is very important as it is a considerable investment that you rely on during the worst conditions. I personally spent a LOT of money on a Honda (yes I know they're overpriced) so you can be sure that I'm going to take the time to look after the unit to keep it as new condition as possible. Wait until the spring when you see what I do with the unit... neighbours think I'm a nut bar doing what I do after each blowing season!

[@brianbaker359]

@@piercedasian I have a Toro 924 Powershift snowblower. Can the auger driveshaft and gearbox be removed in a similar manner as you did with the blower in this video?

[@rcafmaintainer3723]

Awesome video brother. I laugh at haters. If they know how to do it, why are they watching your video? Keep them coming.

[@piercedasian]

Glad you liked my vid ! Yeah haters will be haters no matter what I do. Your point is so true when you say that if they knew how to do it that they wouldn’t be watching my vid in the first place!

[@jonbedker5229]

All older units have grease zerts to fill the space between the axle shafts and the augers with grease. When WE use to make stuff.

[@piercedasian]

I can't say I have seen an old Honda snowblower with zerk grease fittings. Sounds very unlike honda to do that but I have seen them on some old American made machines. Honestly I don't know why zerk fittings are not STANDARD issue items on ANY snowblower.

[@on-site4094]

Thanks for sharing My old snowblower has grease niples on the auger

[@piercedasian]

Glad to help

[@TarrinLupo]

This was really good and useful, Thanks for making this.

[@piercedasian]

you're most welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@Boom-go5zn]

Hi I see you have the track model and so do I. I was thinking that if you could make a video about lubricating the chains and suck would be very helpful. Great video thanks.

[@piercedasian]

Hi Boom, that's a great idea! I might consider doing that for my next maintenance video. It is quite chilly here now and I don't have a heated garage so this video may come a bit later in the season when we get a day where it is warm.

[@timlake9999]

Could you remove the sheer bolds after the auger is out rather than removing them while the auger is still in

[@eagleviewhd]

Most snowblowers have a solid shaft going from the drive pulley, through the impeller and into the gearbox. I like the way this one has a way to disconnect from the gearbox to allow the auger assembly to be removed. I just bought my used Craftsman 5/22 a few weeks ago. I think I will investigate the possibility of modifying my snowblower this summer, so I can also disconnect the auger and gearbox from the impeller shaft. Perhaps I can find a piece of pipe or tubing that will fit snuggle over the existing shaft. If so, i may be able to cut the shaft and slide a section of pipe over it, then use bolts to fasten the tubing to the ends of the shaft.

[@piercedasian]

That is cool. Did you end up doing what you wanted to do to your craftsman blower?

[@eagleviewhd]

@@piercedasian not yet.

[@shirleyyahnke8141]

You covered some maintainence points I hadn’t thought of, thanks. I bought a used Simplicity last winter, so corrosion protection is all the more important. My gear box has a an Allen screw plug so that you can top off the gear oil, as does the transmission. I don’t know if you have that option, but that’s the only thing I can think of that might possibly left out.

[@piercedasian]

Yes the Honda has an easy fill plug that can be removed with a 10mm socket. Thanks for watching my video!

[@bikerman6907]

Great vid!👍 maintenace is the most important, part in order to get the most out of a any machine, and soo often overlooked!

[@piercedasian]

absolutely! Maintenance (and preventative maintenance) is how you keep things running forever!

[@JodBronson]

+Bikerman 690 - 100%

[@alecrubin1292]

Excellent video and explanation of the auger drive system maintenance. Thank you so much for the step by step. Is that the Honda HS622 Snow blower that you are doing the work on? How old is that machine, it looks like it's in mint condition. Thank you again and keep up the great videos coming. Regards

[@piercedasian]

Yes the unit I'm showing is a HS622. In the video the unit was probably about 5 years old but the previous owner was an older fellow that bought it new and never used it and when he sold it to me that it was like buying a new machine. Came with the manual book still packaged in the factory plastic bag. They actually got the selling dealer he bought it from to sell to me and the dealer said it hasn't even come in for a single service and was brought it b/c it wouldn't start due to a plugged carb from not being run. Beauty was that it was fully service when I purchased and I've owned it ever since and have put it through its paces. Its still quite minty but not quite showroom anymore.

[@dougm1985]

awful lot of work , glad mine has grease fitting to grease the shaft. ( took me 18 yrs to loose my first share pin) i hit a sunday newpaper in snow. couldn't figure out why it was snowing little pieces of paper all around me. lucky i knew where the extra pins that came with the unit where. did have a little trouble getting the old pin out. i do put anti sease on the pins now. first time i greased the wheel shafts was when the unit was about 15 yrs old. still going strong now. (its working on its 20th yr)

[@piercedasian]

Yeah the Honda's (and many others) sadly didn't think about putting grease fittings on the auger assembly. Honestly for a premium priced unit I would've expected Honda to have them but NOPE. Super annoying but fortunately I don't have to repeat this process again for at least 5-8 years because I just don't use the blower very much. I've been lucky enough to never hit anything solid with by blower yet and I hope to never have that happen to my unit. I think MOST snowblowers won't seize their augers unless they're used a lot, exposed to a lot of salt, or are just badly neglected. My father had an old MTD that just wouldn't die no matter the abuse we gave it. The handlebars actually snapped off of the MTD b/c it was so rusted out yet it ran like a champ and the augers on it never seized.

[@brianallen0826]

I grease all the zerk fittings on my Ariens every fall, and a couple times throughout the winter season, especially if used heavily

[@piercedasian]

honda blowers are lame that way where there is no zerk fittings. You'd think for a $3000 snowblower that they'd put a zerk fitting on them... Shame on you Honda.

[@jimdomi6206]

Same here I have an ariens with the zerks.

[@crpth1]

@@piercedasian - Shame why? Have you noticed any design fault that would be overcome with the presence of a zerk on these Honda's... I don't think so and mine is a old version, bought on 3th or 4th hand. They're designed for low maintenance/intervention and do it perfectly. ;-)

[@Sagitturn]

Awesome video. Very well explained and easy to follow. Heading out to service mine now!

[@piercedasian]

glad you like the vid. How did your service go?

[@eagleviewhd]

I added some zerk grease fittings to my augers, so I could apply grease inside the auger tubes to keep them from seizing to the auger shaft. When I drilled holes to install the grease fittings, i drilled into the auger shaft. It was not hardened steel! In fact it was pretty soft metal, at least on my snowblower.

[@piercedasian]

that's a good idea although I did take my blower apart recently just to see how my auger shafts were doing after publishing this video years ago. Good as new so far so I put everything back together and didn't even add more antiseize compound to the shafts.

[@chrissikora3359]

I dont know why my ariens 1027le didnt come with zerk fittings ...crazy

[@walterseeba7639]

Great video! Only suggestion is to always use gloves to protect your skin from oil & other liquids when working on machinery. Could also do the throw-further impeller mod while that shaft assembly is out.

[@piercedasian]

Yes 100% agree. Over the past few years I've really taken wearing gloves and safety glasses a lot more seriously. It seems like the older I get the more cautious I become. Last thing I need is skin cancer or chemical burns on my skin. Good tip. The older I get the wiser I become :)

[@waynebeck7801]

@@piercedasian usually a good idea not to wear flip flops when doing mechanical work...thanks for the video.

[@glennvanderheyden987]

Very nice explanation. Thank you.

[@piercedasian]

You are welcome!

[@pedroclemente7467]

I have a question what’s the difference between doing this and the one with the nipples grease gun????

[@piercedasian]

There technically is no difference IF your augers have grease nipples BUT in Honda's brilliant ways, that they never bothered engineering in grease nipples for their snowblowers. So the only way to prevent the augers from seizing is to remove them and then grease the living crap out of the auger and drive shaft so that it will be removable one day when they need servicing.

[@grassroot011]

All good things to do , but how 'bout that gearbox, can it be re packed with oil or grease? Probably not an issue with that new one, but older ones? Might could do.

[@piercedasian]

Yes the gearbox oil can be changed out easily. Since my unit was essentially new there wasn't a need to change it but if I had to all I would need to finish the job is a 10mm wrench to crack open the drain/fill plug and dump out the oil and refill will gear oil.

[@OdinsCloud]

I am surprised the Honda does not have Zerk fittings as on the Arien's Auger shafts. With two fittings on each side you simply remove the shear bolts, pump in grease and spin the each side of the shaft until the grease is easily distributed. Then replace the shear bolts.

[@piercedasian]

Yes, I'm not sure why Honda didn't put those fittings on either... It is kind of a pain in the ass to take things apart and I'd much prefer zerk fittings any day of the week.

[@l337pwnage]

@@piercedasian Well, if you're motivated, you could drill holes and just install some zerks. It's not exactly rocket science. ;)

[@maeu59]

Can you clarify why the nickel anti-seize

[@piercedasian]

Nickle has a low reactivity with dissimilar metals. I work on a lot of cars that have aluminum heads (almost every car nowadays has aluminum heads) so I use a tiny bit of this compound to ensure plugs don't seize in the head. Since I mainly use nickel based compound that naturally, it can be used on steel to steel surfaces like the auger. You could actually use just plain grease or even copper antiseize but to keep my shop simple I use nickel for practically everything.

[@carlcap14911]

You did a very good job of disassembly and assembly of the auger system but you forgot one thing and that is checking the level of grease in the worm gear of the auger gear box.

[@piercedasian]

Ah yes, I figured someone would one day ask. There is gear box oil in the Honda's and this snowblower being practically brand new has a full box of oil so no worries for me! That being said I should have probably pointed out to others to check their gear boxes...

[@dougm1985]

@@piercedasian my brute unit has a sealed gear box. never needs oil. so the manual says.

[@1ronhall]

That expensive snow blower doesn’t have zerk fittings to apply grease to that auger shaft thru a grease gun?

[@piercedasian]

I know right?? I was blown away that a pricey blower like this wouldn't include that as standard issue. Tsk tsk honda....

[@brianbaker359]

@@piercedasian DoesToro have zerks on all blowers. My son has the 924 Powershift with the log like augers. I will check it tomorrow.

[@frankie7508]

What is the make & model of the snowblower? It does not look like an mtd.

[@piercedasian]

Honda HS622

[@Peppermint1]

On the top of the snow deflector you will usually have 2 spare shear bolts. The nuts on these will be seized after a few years. Put a droplet of oil on them for the day you will actually need them

[@piercedasian]

That's a great tip although I don't think my Honda has the spare shear bolts. I have my spares in a drawer in my garage. Hopefully I never have to use them!

[@Peppermint1]

@@piercedasian In 5 years I never needed either to replace them and I did blow more compacted snow left by the city plowing trucks. I think it takes a big chunk of hard ice to cause these bolts to shear, or maybe a piece of frozen wood hidden in a snow bank. When there are big chunks of ice, I usually bring my sleigh shovel

[@brandondrinkall4034]

I have a 78 Bolens 524, it has grease zerks on the shaft.

[@piercedasian]

yeah I don't get why Honda whom charges a fortune for their snowblowers wouldn't include something so fundamentally important,

[@JohnS-um3lm]

I wish you lived by me so I could just pay you to do my 9hp snowblower. Great video.

[@piercedasian]

you can always "ship" me your blower to service and it will probably run and look better than new :)

[@Grenplen]

@@piercedasian YA RIGHT!!!

[@honeybimmer]

Very good and useful video!

[@piercedasian]

thanks!

[@spiraljourney9644]

great video! just purchased a powersmart 2 stage . i have it ready, lubed, and rust protected. my last bit is the auger. there are no auger auger retaining bolts on my powersmart, just the other 3 end cap bolts. are you familar with the powerstage snow blower? there are 2 impeller drive shaft bolts, not 1, and neither are shear pins. also, they’re threaded with a nylon lock nut on end. the bottom one comes out no problem. the top one will not back out. the locknut comes off no problem. it just turns, and doesn’t back out. i put my channel lock on the bottom of bolt, and leveraged it against the auger drive shaft housing. started to squeeze, and it started marking/scratching the housing. any tips? when i replace those bolts, think i should replace them with shear pins? appreciate the thoughts!

[@piercedasian]

Glad you liked my video. Not overly familiar with how the power mates are built but I have seen them. With respect to the seized bolt, have you tried tapping it out with a hammer? I'd soak the bolt in some liquid wrench and then taking a blowtorch to heat the bolt up nice and hot and then use a hammer to tap it out (don't pound the crap out of it). The bolts while they may not appear to be shear pins that chances are they are lower strength bolts that will snap when the occasion arises. If you do replace the bolts (and you should have some spares on hand) that make sure you buy the purpose made bolts from a reputable power equipment supplier. I've seen guys use plain bolt in their blowers and the damage it does to the machine when they hit things is nuts. Things don't break right away but the abuse and the inability of the bolts to "break" when needed become obvious when the holes in which they pass through are enlarged and all "loose" fitting b/c the holes are now stretched and out of round.

[@spiraljourney9644]

piercedasian appreciate your reply much. i contacted amerisun today. rep told me those are supposed to be shear. when i told him they were threaded, he was stunned. i had to repeat it to him twice. he asked me to take photos for management, so it seems whoever assembled this before delivery may have made an error. i’m awaiting their reply to see what is next step. again, appreciate your time in reply, thanks again.

[@ablebaker1275]

What about the actual gearbox? That’s where the most wear would occur on those gears…does the gear box use oil? Grease?

[@piercedasian]

hmm, I haven't had the need to replace the gearbox oil yet. It is certainly doable but not required at the moment on my unit. My snowblower was after all, pretty much brand new so changing the gear box oil at the time when I did this video didn't make sense. Something I will consider documenting and publishing on my channel when that time comes. One thing that is interesting about the gearbox on this unit is that it moves SOOOO slow that I'd suspect the oil in the gearbox would last a long long time. Might be different if it moved fast and under heavy load but it literally crawls compared to their hydrostatic equivalent models. But you are right that gear boxes are subjected to some pretty serious pressures so I would treat the maintenance on it no differently than replacing the rear differential oil in my pickup truck.

[@thedyslexic9936]

good explanations but did i miss the part about how tight to make the auger shear bolts...

[@piercedasian]

just tighten them like a normal nut and bolt. Just snug them up and don't over tighten.

[@rongriffin4905]

Great video,you make it look so easy..............

[@piercedasian]

it really is easy :) Snowblowers are relatively simple machines when it comes to auger maintenance. Belt replacement on the other hand is not so pleasant.

[@joem4664]

Very informative. Thanks

[@piercedasian]

You're most welcome. Thanks for watching.

[@Greg29]

Excellent video, more work for me to do lol. I recently upgraded from a Honda single stage to 2 stage snowblower, had no idea how much more maintenance would be involved. Do you ever remove the wheels and apply anti seize to the axles? I want to do this also but not sure how to get the wheels off my Honda 928A.

[@piercedasian]

Yeah upgrading to a 2 stage has SOME advantages over a 1 stage. I like the one stage for certain applications like quick and super easy removal of freshly fallen snow that is less than 12 inches. They work wonderfully on flat surfaces and take up hardly any space and has tons of power to throw it far. The 2 stage is clumsier, a LOT slower (b/c I lack a hydrostatic tranny on my little 622) and they require more TLC. I haven't worked on a Honda 2 staged wheeled blower before. Probably wouldn't hurt to coat the axles in anti seize as you wouldn't want those seizing on you should you need to replace a shear pin or whatever you need to do 10 years down the road.

[@Greg29]

@@piercedasian You're right the 2 stage is definitely clumsier but has so much more power than the single stage. Before if it snowed heavy I'd have to go out multiple times to make sure I would be able to clear it, that's no longer an issue. And the single stage chute clogged quickly if the snow was the least bit wet, which is the main reason I replaced it, was driving me crazy.

[@unept96]

Question, will anti-seize on the bolts make them more susceptible to loosening?

[@piercedasian]

in theory yes but in real world applications that in my past 25 years of experience fixing all things mechanical that I have YET to see something come apart as a result of antiseize. I would argue that a rusted bolt over the years would be more likely to fail than a bolt and nut treated with anti seize and torqued to spec - in the case for a snowblower - hand tight is all you really need for MOST bolts.

[@jimalcott760]

Im surprised that Honda doesn’t have zert fittings...

[@piercedasian]

Me too. Shame in them for charging a huge premium on their blowers and not have grease zerks!

[@l337pwnage]

@@piercedasian Never sieze is probably a permanent fix, but one could drill the tube and add zirks. They just thread in. Still, even with never sieze, it probably won't hurt to, every once in a while, pull the pins, spin the augers on the shaft to spread it around, and reinstall the pins.

[@JuanLopez-wy2oz]

SG-1 very good video.

[@piercedasian]

Glad you liked it!

[@human1513]

Waterproof greases used in marine applications or the ever popular Belray waterproof grease used on motorcycles will stay in place when wet but the anti-seize will wash out. A bolt with a 6mm thread is called a 6mm bolt not a 10 mm bolt. The head size is not how bolts are named nor sold. You are a backyard mechanic doing the best you know but have a lot to learn.

[@piercedasian]

While I COULD use that grease as you've suggested that I'm not going out of my way to purchase grease for something that will likely never experience wash out as you've described. Its a horizontal shaft that mostly deals with snow and when it melts that the tiny bit that might wash out isn't going to be so bad that I'd be shocked in 10 years that the augers don't just pop off. With all due respect, a layman isn't going to care that a 10mm head bolt is a M6.0x1.0. I never made claims I was ever a pro mechanic but hey, if you want to be picky about things like it being an M6 then by all means have fun explaining to someone why an M6 bolt uses a 10mm socket to remove them.

[@davelindahl8273]

Thanks, I’m ready to work on mine now!

[@piercedasian]

Have fun!

[@Ryan-vb6jb]

I love my 1986 MTD yard machines single stage, thing just keeps going year after year.

[@piercedasian]

yeah the OLD MTD stuff were built like tanks. My father foolishly sold his 1978 MTD blower that ran like a champ until he sold in 2014. His new blower doesn't hold a flame against his new MTD.

[@Arquimedes947]

Easy to work when everything looks new....try the same in a 15 years old machine..

[@piercedasian]

Yep fully agree, I had a HS928 that was 22 years old with SEIZED augers that ultimate needed replacing and it was a pain to take apart. My machine is obviously very new and I'm doing preventative measures to ensure that when the machine is 10+ years old that I don't have issues like a machine that wasn't treated with antiseize. I've taken apart many blowers that are quite old with good success but it just takes more time or creative ways to pull things off without breaking other parts. It is CRAZY what Honda augers cost. $400 CAD EACH for the HS928. That's plain robbery right there....

[@GNX157]

This is more of a worst case scenario guide if it's already rusted and seized. If you stay on top of it from day one you can just remove the shear bolts and grease it thru the fittings and rotate the augers a bit then re grease again then put the shear bolts back in making sure not to tighten them too much. Just enough so the bolt can't be turned by hand (the nut is special and won't loosen on its own). Everything this guy went thru is definitely not needed on an otherwise cared for machine.

[@piercedasian]

I wouldn't say that that doing what I did in this video is not necessary. In fact I've worked on PLENTY of Honda units where there was no grease or anti seize and the augers rusted onto the shafts. Being that my new blower came in fresh with ZERO rust that I'd rather be proactive in protecting it from corrosion than to try to get the rusted augers off years later. I had to pay the local Honda dealership over $300 to remove the seized augers on my HS928 and I had to replace one of the two augers b/c one got badly damaged in the removal process. In the end my HS928 cost me nearly $700 to repair/regrease the augers. I subsequently sold that machine in favor of the new HS622. This job takes at most 45 minutes to complete and will save HOURS of aggravation trying to get the augers off. Honda SHOULD have included grease zerks like how Ariens did it on their units....

[@GNX157]

Yes I have an Ariens so it's a 5 minute job. If Honda didn't put fittings there for you that's a major mistake on their part.

[@1jantheman1]

My Honda HS55 WA has no zerks on the auger to grease it with. Self sealing bearings as well. Thank you for a very helpful lesson.

[@JodBronson]

+ GNX157 - Most People who owned this shit doesn't READ the Manual... Even the Manuals are there, either Online or Enclosed. Also, there aren't enough time of the day to " STAY ON TOP " of things.... Hell, I don't even have time to wash my arse! LOL

[@macdawg6403]

I agree its a great prep step when new. But the Anti-Seize will last years. I used it on vehicles that I pulled the tires 3+ years later and it was still actively preventing corrosion lock between parts. Small point but liked the Vid @@piercedasian

[@philipmorkel8384]

A commendable plan for avoiding later difficulties, especially where salt is used heavily on streets. I bought a two-year old Ariens 27" two-stage snow-blower from a friend who was moving to an apartment. It looked okay and sounded good, although it had what looked like red dust on the wheel hubs. I took it apart completely and saw to results of not applying this video's advice. Firstly the shear bolt on one side had snapped, but the augur turned when not loaded. I did something like this video's advice, though not as comprehensively and fitted new shear bolts, as the other one was replaced with a standard bolt.. Second problem was that the wheel shafts had rusted and had been turning enough in the hub to wear down the shaft and create fine rust dust on the hub. Maybe the maintenance plan with Neverseize should be extended to the wheels too.

[@piercedasian]

yeah it amazes me that power equipment dealers and the manufacturers doesn't warn of these potential problems and recommend routine preventative maintenance. To me this should be common sense but alas most folks probably don't think of things like this until something breaks. Definitely the same procedure would apply to the wheel hubs IF your unit employs them as how Phillip Morkel has suggested. On my Honda tracked unit there is no need to use never seize on the drive system.

[@countryfamilyalways7280]

If no grease fitting COULDNT YOU DRILL AUGER AND ADD ONE ?

[@piercedasian]

I probably could have but it isn’t hard to remove the auger anyways so I didn’t bother and I also don’t want to inadvertently botch the drilling (the Auger’s are actually very hard steel that isn’t easy to drill out). Figured that since my unit was basically brand new that I would be best to just cost the shafts every few years and call it a day.

[@countryfamilyalways7280]

@@piercedasian already had holes didn't it ?

[@JodBronson]

Good Video!

[@piercedasian]

Glad you liked it.

[@Peter-976]

Honda makes very good outdoor equipment. I would just add that whenever working on your snowblower or mower to disconnect the spark plug wire.

[@piercedasian]

Valid point. While the likelihood of the engine starting on its own would be quite rare in this case, that your suggestion is a good extra precautionary measure for safety.

[@stevekwall925]

Great Video

[@piercedasian]

glad you liked it!

[@mustafaalbouali]

Only if honda would of added grease nibs to that shaft it would make it easier on owners to do this type of maintenance. My simplicity has those so I don't have to go through all that work.

[@stilldo4052]

Where's the impeller mod -?

[@piercedasian]

I didn't do the impeller mod on my unit since it does a fine job of throwing snow as it is now and Honda's have tighter tolerances from the factory. If you search KZbin there is a fellow that installed rubber paddles into his old snowblower and the results were pretty dramatic.

[@TheDunceMafia]

I do not recommend using antisieze, in cold conditions it turns to a slightly hardened paste!! As a automotive mechanic ive seen brake jobs that previous person installed slide pins with instead of grease they used anti seize and lets just say in cold conditions i call it always seize Edit, use a oil/grease type of lubricant for snow blowers especially youll want grease rated for cold conditions

[@piercedasian]

The purpose of the antiseize isn't necessarily to lubricate the shafts but to merely prevent corrosion. While using grease as you have suggested works a-ok that I find cleaning off old antiseize off of metal a lot easier when you have to service the augers or the gearbox. Even in cold conditions (at least from my experience) that I have not had a single issue with this ever and I've taken apart blowers that I've coated like how I've shown in my videos that were done 10 years ago and it was just as easy to pull the augers off as the day they were installed.

[@MrRamman04]

I try to grease my shaft at least once a week but it takes me way less time

[@piercedasian]

yeah the Honda one isn't bad to do but it isn't a 5 minute job either. Fortunately this only has to get done every 5 years or so.

[@JonsDiary]

Galvanic corrosion....man i want to do my own maintenance on everything, but its things like this that make me procrastinate...like what i'm supposed to learn how every kind of metal react to one another just to service my snowblower? Ughh

[@piercedasian]

yeah, I know what you mean.... you just learn these things over time. Nickel based anti seize is always a safe bet for almost all metals. I have a huge jar of copper antiseize but I almost never use it on parts that have aluminum in them. Steel + copper = ok. Copper + aluminum = no no.

[@sammyj184]

Great video, thanks for sharing.

[@johnalexander3169]

good vid but stupid design of the snowblower auger should have grease fittings drill an over sized hole in one side ,not a through hole,of each auger then weld the right sized nut that takes a zerk fitting

[@piercedasian]

Yeah the Honda blowers are very well made but that was a MAJOR miss on their part to not have a grease fitting on it. Oh well, at least the disassembly part wasn't really that bad anyways. Good suggestion although I'm certain I won't weld my new augers as they're still shiny and new. I hardly use my blower b/c there just isn't much snow in my neck of the woods.

[@crpth1]

There's really no need for all that. Simply use any spray with an application straw on the auger holes. Done! ;-)

[@rickmerrill8647]

This is an important video reminder. Yet it might be easier on some models to simply remove the sheer pins and see if the auger will spin easily.

[@piercedasian]

I do this to be neurotically proactive against rust b/c I had a BAD and very expensive lesson on my HS928 where I paid Honda $700+ of my hard earned $$$ to get them to remove my stuck auger(s). One ended up getting mangled in the removal and thus needed to buy a new one. Deathly expensive.

[@dm7097]

Amazing, no grease fittings for the shaft and they don't even bother to put any type of grease on the bare metal! Doomed to fail due to the fact that most people don't maintain them thus having to buy another machine before it's time.

[@piercedasian]

yeah it is STUPID that honda being the super premium brand that they are don't have grease fittings. This is why I did an obsessively detailed vid on how to grease/lube things up so that I never get a problem with seizing. Honda if you're listening put some grease fittings on the shafts!

[@Phil-D83]

Have to do this. Never have in 15 years. Lol. Machine is a tank.

[@piercedasian]

depends on where you live I guess. Last HS928 I had had fully rusted/seized auger which resulted in an $800 repair to replace one auger including labor for Honda to remove the seized one. An ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.

[@JsRazza]

Bro. You need to invest in some ratchet extensions.

[@piercedasian]

I actually have tons of extensions. Looking back at my video I don’t know why I didn’t bother using them lol.

[@jamesrichardson771]

Oh no! 💥Not another mechanic working in flip flops 🙄

[@piercedasian]

lol, I know... I've mostly stopped wearing those in my garage b/c of the inherent safety hazards of losing my toes or hurting myself. Future videos you won't see me wearing them unless its something that I know won't hurt my feet.

[@MrTarkus007]

holy crap you have 1 nasty snow blower there you don't fool around when it comes to purchasing snow blowers lol

[@piercedasian]

funny that i actually SOLD this very blower you see in the vid only to beg the buyer to sell it back to me because I couldn't bring myself to selling a practically new unit (it actually was only ever used a tiny handful of times before being put away for years). I likely will never have much of a need for a small two stage like this BUT it sure does make a good conversation piece with people when they see it. She's a thing of beauty.

[@OctaApe]

Moral here is.. Always apply plenty of lube to your shaft

[@piercedasian]

yes lots of lube always prevents damage ;)

[@t-rocket6381]

And remember….ALWAYS wear sandals when working in the garage

[@piercedasian]

lol, yes yes I know it is an awful thing to do. I actually stopped doing this b/c it is poor practice (and plain stupid) plus the hazards that exist that I don't need to trip or injure myself fixing things.

[@RobS282]

you realize finger tight means using your fingers NOT a wrench or a ratchet

[@piercedasian]

Fair statement. I will remind myself to not use that saying when I am using a ratchet. Finger tight is just that. Just make contact with the fastener and just a smidge more.

[@bluestar9463]

Nice video - but get something to drink.

[@piercedasian]

Glad you liked the vid. It's weird... I'm a relatively fit individual that often runs miles and miles on end yet when I do videos that I commonly get the comment that I'm outta breath. So strange.

[@iceroad416]

?????lol

[@dsciarrino3663]

Junk.

[@gerardjones7881]

Hahaha, you don't have a clue.

[@piercedasian]

I don't have a clue?? You're right... I don't have a clue as to what you're referring to...

[@Mastertech6969]

All looks good to me So what is wrong I would use grease on shaft anti seize on bolts about the only difference but for what we pay for these we need them to last

[@JodBronson]

+Gerard Jones - Try this " Clue " - Nigga is, nigga does!