December 08, 2022

How to lubricate a snowblower drive hex shaft video

How to lubricate a snowblower drive hex shaft video.
How to lubricate a snowblower drive hex shaft video.

The hex drive shaft is connected to the friction wheel and the wheel axles. The hex drive shaft spins the wheels when the friction wheel contacts the spinning wheel plate to drive the snowblower forward.

To ensure smooth snowblower drive operation, you should coat the hex drive shaft with oil at least once per season or after every 25 hours of snowblower operation.

Follow the steps in this video to lubricate the drive hex shaft in a snowblower.

Before you begin

Follow these steps to prepare the snowblower for this procedure:

  1. Remove the key.

  2. Disconnect the spark plug wire and ground it against the engine.

  3. Drain fuel from the engine in a well-ventilated area.

  4. If your snowblower has drift cutters, position the drift cutters in the storage position so they’re out of the way when you tip the snowblower onto its auger housing. Our YouTube DIY video How to set up drift cutters on a snowblower shows you how.

Lubricate the hex drive shaft

Follow these steps to lubricate the hex drive shaft:

  1. Tilt the snowblower onto its auger housing.

  2. Remove the lower frame cover from the underside of the snowblower.

  3. Using a soft cloth, apply a coat of engine oil or 3-in-1 oil to the hex drive shaft. Be careful not to get oil on the aluminum drive plate or friction wheel. Oil on those components can cause ground drive problems.

  4. Wipe off any excess or spilled oil from the shaft and surrounding area.

  5. Reinstall the lower frame cover.

  6. Tilt the snowblower upright.

You may need to remove the spark plug and spin the engine using the recoil start or electric starter to remove any oil that may have entered the cylinder during this procedure while you had the snowblower tilted forward. Reinstall the spark plug after clearing the cylinder.

Reinstall the spark plug wire and fill the fuel tank with fresh gasoline.

Reposition the drift cutters if necessary.

Test snowblower operation to make sure that you’re ready to clear snow.

If you prefer to have a Sears Technician complete this maintenance for you, schedule Snowblower Tune-Up and Maintenance Service on our Sears Home Services website.

During the snowblower tune-up and maintenance service, the Sears Technician will:

  • Check the ignition system, carburetor, throttle, and choke controls.

  • Clean engine cooling fins.

  • Change the engine oil.

  • Check the recoil starter or electric starter.

  • Lubricate moving parts such as pivot points, cables, auger shaft, and drive plate zerk.

  • Lubricate, inspect, and adjust drive belts and/or chains as applicable.

  • Test overall operation of equipment and ensure that all safety features are fully operational at the time of service.

Keeping your snowblower in top shape with annual maintenance and tune-up service will help prevent unexpected breakdowns during the winter so you can keep clearing snow smoothly all season long.

Symptoms for gas snowblowers

Choose a symptom to see related snowblower repairs.

Main causes: loose drive clutch cable, damaged drive clutch cable, worn friction disc, scraper blade scraping the ground…

Main causes: dirty carburetor, clogged fuel filter, dirty spark plug, incorrect valve lash, leaky engine gaskets…

Main causes: clogged chute, damaged auger blades, broken shear pins, worn auger belt, damaged gear case, engine problems…

Things to do: replace the spark plug, change the oil, rebuild the carburetor, adjust valve lash, adjust or replace the b…

Main causes: snow build-up in chute, chute drive mechanism failure, bad chute control assembly…

Main causes: stale gas, clogged carburetor, clogged or broken fuel line, dirty spark plug, bad rewind starter, incorrect…

Main causes: dirty carburetor, stale fuel…

Main causes: clogged chute, snow build-up in auger housing, broken auger shear pins, auger drive belt needs adjustment, …

Main causes: broken shear pins, worn or loose auger drive belt, auger drive cable failure, damaged auger, bad gear case…

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