I remember that there was a useful thread about snow blower maintenance on the old forum, but that is no longer. So, I hoped we could start a new one here with best practises and suggestions.

I ended up with my father’s old machine, and it still runs rather well, but it needed a little care. It is about 35 years old, and most of its parts are original. Last year, I replaced the friction disc; not so much because the old one was worn down, but to prevent it from getting to that state and causing expensive damage. That was quite a production; getting the old bearings off needed the assistance of a Canadian Tire gear-puller and lots of penetrating lubricant.

The tires were still serviceable, but the traction wasn’t great, and they were starting to have trouble retaining pressure. A few weeks ago, I took on the task of putting new, larger, directional tires with a more aggressive tread pattern, and also replacing the valve stems. The new tires were a much tighter fit, despite being the correct size for the rims; it was a struggle to get those on there. The last step in that mess was bead sealant and inflation.

Also completed:

Replaced the spark plug, gap set appropriately.
Replaced the carburetor with a fixed-jet Chinese equivalent from Amazon (kept the ancient original, just in case).
Changed oil; used fresh full-synthetic 5W30.
Checked lubrication of drive shaft and auger gearbox (slathered last year, still good).

Last year, it needed new skid shoes; the year before that a new fuel tank. I replaced the fuel-supply hoses at the same time, just to prevent nasty surprises. Now, the replacement fuel valve has a slight leak, so I’m looking for a metal one as a superior replacement (RONA+ plumbing department to the rescue?).

Have I missed anything to keep it going as long as possible? I did a quick test with the light dusting of snow yesterday, just to make sure it runs before I really need it. So far, choke at full, two squeezes of the primer bulb and one pull on the starter cord gets it roaring to life. It did stall a few times just before I finished clearing, which had me worried, but it was just an empty fuel tank. I finished the rest with a shovel; the empty tank means that it’s a perfect time to disconnect the hoses and replace the valve, so I didn’t want to re-fill for a few minutes.