Time for a Snow Blower Tune up

The summer is almost  over, fall is right around the corner and the bitter cold of winter is not far behind.If you live in the Reno, Tahoe and Incline Village  areas, its time to start thinking about making preparations for winter weather. Though beautiful, our winters are long and can be very cold. And they can dump a lot of snow, making driveways and streets impassable or dangerous. That’s why its important to make sure that your sow blower is in good working order before the snow arrives. Check out these snow blower tune up tips to get a head start on winter.

Consult your Snow Blower Manualsnow blower tune up

Before you start turning wrenches, consult the manual for your particular snow blower and follow its maintenance recommendations. Each snow blower is different and may require special parts or tools. And the maintenance for a single stage snowblower might be different than a multi-stage snow blower. Below we will give a list of the general recommendations for all snowblowers. If theses differ from you manual, follow the manual.

Replace Fuel Filter

Making sure you get a good, clean stream of fuel to your small engine is the job of a fuel filter. If it becomes clogged, it can significantly reduce performance or cut off the engine completely. It’s good to change a snow blower’s fuel filter about once a year. Do it before the snow gets here! And don’t forget to add fresh fuel before using your snow blower this season.

Inspect the scraper blade, slide shoes and other parts for wear.

Do a thorough job checking the scraper blade and slide shoes (a.k.a. skid shoes) for wear. These parts have the important job of protecting the housing from damage. Replace these parts if they have worn dangerously thin or are damaged beyond repair.

Replace the spark plug

The tiny but mighty spark plug should be replaced at least one per season, even if it appears to be working fine. Over time, a spark plug’s performance will degrade due to carbon build-up and a weakened electrode. This dramatically increases emissions, reduces engine performance and requires the engine to use more fuel.

Lubricate bearings

A snow blower is not just the engine. It’s important to make sure that all the moving parts of a snow blower are adequately maintained. If required for your model, lubricate wheel bearings, auger bearings and in dual-stage models, impeller bearings.

Replace the oil, if necessary

A small engine will wear out much faster if it is allowed to operate with old, worn out oil. Change the oil if required. Inspect the condition of the engine oil. It should be golden or amber. If it’s not, replace it.

Snow Blower Tune up With Greg’s Small Engine

Greg’s Small Engine Service and Repair specializes in making sure the residents of Reno, Tahoe, Incline Village and Carson City have snow blowers that can withstand the winter weather. If you don’t have the time to devote to do it yourself snow blower tune up, Greg’s Small Engine Service and Repair can help. Contact us today for our snow blower tune up service!