# Snowblower Oil Change



## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

How the heck am I supposed to change the oil in this thing without dumping it all over the floor?

5+ year old Simplicity 24" 2 stage. 8hp Briggs Sno-Tek motor, oil filler on the left and right sides of the motor, but I don't see a graceful way to drain the sucker without removing a wheel and hoping my am is good when I tip it over.

Freebie, needed a good cleaning and a new starter rope...oil is as old as the blower and its grey and stinky. Last thing before I scrape and touchup the paint and set it aside for December.

Drain plugs are the yellow bits at the base of the motor.

My old Ariens ST824 has a wonderful oil drain tube that sticks out of the back of the motor a good 9" or so, easy as pie. This is a bit more challenging.


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## streetsurfin' (Jan 22, 2004)

The yellow are not drain plugs. They are fill plugs for motors that don't have the added fill tube that extends up top. Your drain plugs are the square plugs in the base just off the engine deck. They too look difficult to drain from. Cut out a piece of cardboard or flexible plastic from a water bottle and fashion a funnel of sorts out of it. or just let it drain off the edge off the deck and clean up the mess after. You cold install some plumbing while you have the plug out for future oil changes. If you remove one of the yellow plugs you will see the oil level resting somewhere just below the top of the hole.


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## bob00 (Sep 8, 2009)

make a big mess this time then instal an extention tube or suck it from the fill cap with a sucction pump looks like a big syringe


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

Took a good close look last night. The right hand wheel is held on by a single large steel pin, so its very easy to get it off. I'll drain it and take the square nut to the hardware store to get a short pipe and new endcap for the pipe so I can use the rear drain plug next time.

Thanks for the help guys.

Since the oil in there is so old I was planning on draining it all out, refill with cheap 10-30 or whatever I have lying around and running it for awhile to get it good and hot with a table spoon or so of seafoam in the crankcase, then drain it again while its still warm and refill with good synthetic oil. Overkill or no?


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

I save plastic coffee "cans" for just this type of problem. A great container to drain stuff into. Most equipment has a drain plug on the bottom. You just have to clean the stuff off to find it.


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## MickiRig1 (Dec 5, 2003)

It would be great if outdoor equipment had manuals available online. This seems to be the one thing that has not caught up with the 90's! I think they want you to buy new equipment. I refuse to do it. If I can fix it I will and keep useing it! Why junk it when it just needs a few parts or repairs?


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## truckboy (Jul 8, 2010)

Depends on the snowblower.

Is it a 2 cycle (Stroke) 4 cycle (stroke) engine?

Some have a drain plug that looks like a long silver pipe with a threaded cap on it. Usually coming straight towards the operators area. It should extend over the edge a little bit. If you have one of these, get a peice of plastic pipe from a home store that fits over it, so you can guide the oil into a jar.

Here is an example engine, if you look at the bottom left of the picture, you'll see what I mean.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tecumseh-HMSK80...ewItem?hash=item200070624989#ebayphotohosting

If it's a 2cycle engine, the oil is contained in the gas, and is not changed.


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## scottyknows50 (Feb 19, 2010)

i have a simplicity snowblower from the 70's and found the owner's manual online. did you try? what model is it?


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## adksnowo (Dec 14, 2005)

When you change the oil put on an extension tube/hose. I think Briggs uses a 1/4" pipe thread drain. If you can find a short 1/4" hydraulic hose it should fit right up. Use a 1/4" coupler with a plug at the drain end. Wire tie it out of the way. This is what I have on several engines. Or you could try this:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200311689_200311689


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## snow7899 (Jan 22, 2005)

I don't think there is any overkill when it comes to maintenance.


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## mayhem (Aug 25, 2006)

I followed through and hit the LHS. They sell blowers there and actually retrofit each one with this issue with a steel pipe and an endcap to address this very issue. 

I pulled the side plug out and tried to mate up a plastic bottle to try and get the oil into my drain pan...really it would have been easier if I just opened the plug and let it drain onto the floor...that what would up happenieng anyways. With the new drain tube on there though, all I have to do now is open the end on it and tip the thing back on its wheels. Much better now and permanently fixed.

Thanks.


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## mcwlandscaping (Sep 8, 2005)

I know you fixed this issue but for anyone else reading this with the same issue....when i have run into this issue with equipment in the past what ive used is a piece of vynal house gutter. I tip the machine slightly towards the drain side, hold the gutter piece underneith and take off the drain plug. If you hold it tight enough to the machine it actually keeps the amount of mess down considerably!


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