Steps To Maintain Your Snowblower – Things to Know

Never Overlook This When Maintaining Your Snowblower

John Baker|Nov 06, 2018 10:01 AM

Thanksgiving day, 2016. While my family was gathered in my dining room, imbibing spirits and making merry, I was in the shed disassembling the carburetor on my snowblower, reeking of petroleum as rivers of gasoline flowed under my jacket cuffs and saturated me to the elbows.

Here’s what happened, and here’s how to avoid it.

Snowblower maintenance can be distilled to this Golden Rule: Maintain your fuel system.

I’ll say it again: Maintain your fuel system.

A snowblower that won’t start is almost always due to a fuel problem. And nothing raises your blood pressure like a dead snowblower following the season’s first snowstorm. You know it! We always wait to the last minute on that first snow.

Preventing fuel-system problems starts in the spring prior to storage.

Leave the carburetor full of gas

This is where everything unraveled for me. One theory says that shutting off the fuel line and running the engine until the carburetor empties helps prevent varnish that plugs the jets and prevents starting.

Wrong, at least in my case. As I discovered, leaving the carburetor empty and exposed to air hastens oxidation and varnish. Fluctuating temperatures and humidity throughout the summer invite varnish, and it doesn’t take much to plug the tiny orifices in a carburetor. Then, it’s just a matter of time before you’re stinking of gasoline on Thanksgiving day while blasting carb cleaner on everything within reach.

Instead, add fuel stabilizer at the end of the season, run the engine for a few minutes to distribute the treated gas throughout the system, then shut down the engine. Now you can shut off the fuel line for the summer. The treated fuel in the carburetor bowl provides protection and helps keep components clean.

Some people claim you should run the carburetor empty since the gas will evaporate anyway. That may be true, but evaporation takes time, and the carburetor will at least be protected in the interim.

Stabilize the gas

As mentioned, treat gas with stabilizer prior to storage. Stabilized fuel protects against oxidation and varnish throughout the summer.

Use ethanol-free gas

When water infiltrates your gas tank in the form of melted snow, it can cause phase separation, a phenomenon that occurs when the bond between ethanol (present in most gasoline sold today) and gasoline breaks. When this ethanol/water mixture enters the combustion chamber, it creates a lean-burn situation that can damage your engine.

For best performance, use 91-octane, non-oxygenated (ethanol-free) gas. Many gas stations offer non-oxygenated gas and advertise it for powersports and off-road use. It’s a little more expensive, but spending a few extra dollars a winter to help your $1,000 dollar machine run strong isn’t a factor, in my opinion. At the very least, use ethanol-free gas during storage to help ward off phase separation.

Perhaps test your gas to see if it is really and truly ethanol free. I know many who say “I never use ethanol” and after testing the source gasoline it turned out to be laced with ethanol! Put your gas in a glass jar and see if you see it separate over time. Sometime you need to shake it up.

(Find out how to fight ethanol problems in small engines.)

If you use ethanol-blended gas, consider continuous use of a fuel additive, such as AMSOIL Quickshot, formulated to address ethanol-related performance issues.

Change The Oil in the Spring

Used oil contains acids that can slowly corrode metal components. Prior to storage, change the oil to remove acidic byproducts and ensure maximum protection throughout the summer. After changing oil, I like to run the engine for a couple minutes to distribute oil throughout the lower end of the engine.

Fog the engine

Use fogging oil to protect the upper end (cylinder, piston, valves) from corrosion during storage. Remove the spark plug, which provides the perfect time to inspect its condition, and spray a little oil into the cylinder. Slowly pull the starter cord a few times to distribute the oil, then replace the plug.

Check the gear housing – It can fail!

Clean any debris from around the filler port on the auger gear housing, remove the plug and ensure the gear lube level is up to the top. If not, add the correct lubricant (check your owner’s manual for viscosity).

Inspect belt condition and linkages

Stressing a worn belt after it’s sat idle for months is a recipe for a breakdown. When a belt does break, it’s often while clearing the first big snowfall of the year. Spring is the prime time to check the condition of drive belts and linkages. It’s much easier and far more comfortable to crawl around your snowblower on a mild, spring day than in the winter.

One final word of advice: Keep an eye on the weather at the start of winter. When the forecast calls for the first snowstorm of the season, start your snowblower a few days early to ensure it’s ready to go.

That gives you plenty of time if your snowblower won’t start – like about two hours on Thanksgiving day – to fix any problems.

AMSOIL K-9 Foundation Supports Law Enforcement

AMSOIL K-9 Foundation – Al Amatuzio’s Legacy

Carli Amatuzio|Jun 20, 2019 1:54 PM

AMSOIL is involved in races and events all over the country, but one event we especially love is “Operation K-9,” which supports the AMSOIL Northland Law-Enforcement K-9 Foundation.

AMSOIL founder and lifelong dog lover Al Amatuzio started the foundation when he saw a need for consistent funding to support K-9 programs at law-enforcement agencies in and around Superior, Wis., and Duluth, Minn. Although Amatuzio had for years purchased dogs and supported K-9 programs on his own, he wanted a permanent solution. The foundation currently supports five local agencies with 12 dogs. Two more dogs will be added this year.

The foundation holds “Operation K-9” each year to help with community outreach and fund-raising. Handlers and their dogs put on a show to demonstrate the dogs’ capabilities, while providing a chance for residents to interact with the dogs up-close.

This year’s event took place the second week of June. Take a look at the images.

Helps police agencies pay for K-9s

K-9 officers are no ordinary animals. They’re bred specifically for their intensity and ability to perform difficult tasks while being easy to train.

As you can imagine, K-9s aren’t cheap; one dog can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $20,000 – not including training or daily care – and can originate from Hungary, the Czech Republic or Canada. Most law-enforcement agencies can’t support K-9 programs by themselves.

The AMSOIL Northland Law-Enforcement K-9 Foundation contributes up to $10,000 toward the purchase of a dog. The foundation’s goal is to one day cover the full purchase cost. Without support, the costs of K-9 programs would come right out of a police force’s ever-tightening budget. Without help, most agencies couldn’t afford to put K-9s on the street.

Critical to law enforcement

A K-9 can identify a person, explosive device, narcotic or other target 4-6 times faster than its handler due to a sense of smell 10,000 times stronger than a human’s.

Most K-9s specialize in detecting narcotics or explosives. A narcotics K-9 is often used in traffic stops. If an officer sees paraphernalia or suspicious activity in the vehicle, he or she will sweep the vehicle with the dog. Officers could never conduct as thorough an investigation on their own.

K-9s are also used to keep the community safe in ways some people might not even know. For example, K-9s can sweep the premises for explosives prior to a college graduation or similar event.

Paired with handlers from day one

Typically, when an agency wishes to purchase a dog, a handler is first chosen. Upon delivery, the K-9 is placed immediately with its handler to begin training. Dogs are taught all the skills needed for duty, such as tracking, obedience and agility. When dogs are working in the field and get the command to go, it’s like a game – they think it’s time to play and they focus on the tasks at hand. But, when they return home with their handler, they integrate into the family like a pet.

AMSOIL is proud to partner with others in our community to support and fund the AMSOIL Northland Law-Enforcement K-9 Foundation. Our support also includes the Annual 5K Run for the Dogs each fall in Duluth, Minn.

If you would like to support K-9 programs throughout the country, visit https://www.uspcak9.com or look for local events and programs in your area.

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