Old 8HP Wards

[Srgnt Billko]

The old 8HP Wards snowblower is up and running. Tank was empty, so always the optimist, I just made sure it had oil, poured gas in, choked it and and pulled the recoil a few times. No attempt to fire so I was starting to take the cover off the carbuerator intake for starter fluid when I realized this old bugger has an on/off toggle switch. Flipped the switch but figured I had fouled the plug by this time so I dug down in my stash and came up with a brand new J19LM. Put that sucker in and a few pulls later - a puff of smoke and put-put-put - all systems are go. Well not really "all". Very stiff shifting so I will pull the cover off the lower end and clean off / lube the shaft so the drive wheel slides easy. The chute was stiff also but I doused that with oil and that freed up quickly.

So it looks like I can count on #3 for another year.

[Steveo]

Ever give any of these relics an oil change, or you don't wanna spoil them? :D

[Srgnt Billko]

Oh no - I do - usually after I get them running once - probably before I run it again. I buy oil by the case - usually have a case of 30W, a case of

10-30, a case of 10-40 - a little 5-30, some 20-50 & God knows what else. I have a lot of brush, downed limbs, & old boards to burn so I use some of the old oil to help start fires. Don't ask me what weight I use in each machine because different "experts" have told me to use different weights and my mind changes on a regular basis. As you know, the price of oil has gone up but I find reasonably good oil for $1.50 per quart yet. The last bunch I bought was actually from Rite-Aid

[Steveo]

Sounds like a plan. I'm just trying to picture you dragging these machines out of the weeds, dumping some fuel in them, and firing them up. I'm sure they're not as un-protected and stuck in the muck as you let on, right?

I get a kick out of your recovery tales anyway. Ever get started on that garage?

[Srgnt Billko]

This one really was in high weeds and briars - our Dalmation couldn't even follow me in. It had a small half-rotton tarp partially covering it. I had to drag it about 10' through weeds and then up on a landscape trailer. Bertha (the big 300) was up in the woods totally unprotected. The property is basically clay and slopes about 900' up away from the road so a lot of water comes down off the hill. The garden area was so muddy a few springs ago that my lady stepped in it and sunk up to her knees - scared the hell out of her. I keep digging draining ditches.

Finally just got a reasonable offer for insurance so I can proceed now. But I might start with a 15 by 20 carport to shelter some of this equipment better.