Intro & History of my 828

[rockridgeqa]

Hi everyone. Great forum that you have been running here. It's a place I was desperately searching for a couple years back when I was having transmission problems with my 828. Now with the help of those on this forum, I see there is little I can't do myself.

I live in southern Mass, and have owned my Blue YS-828T since new, when I purchased it in 1991. I remember my wife giving me much heart ache about the money I wanted to spend on a snow blower, as opposed to just getting the driveway plowed. In the first couple of years, she withdrew all of her concerns once she saw how our unit could dig it's way through 25" snow storms, and throw the snow 30 feet into the woods.

My machine had been running fine for the first 7-8 years, and then I needed to replace the skids, and scraper, and started to have a little sticking in the transmission. I went to the local Yamaha dealer, bought the replacement parts for the auger, and continued to use it for another 7 years with out any real issues.

In 2005, I went through my usual fall startup & cleanup, and the 828 started fine, and worked well for its 15 minutes of winter prep. Several weeks later, we had a heck of a storm with a cold blast as well. I went out to start the snow blower, and she would not turn over. I played with about everything I could think of that might be the problem, but after 3 hours of attempts, she still would not start. I was in my early forties at the time, and had not done carb work since auto shop in high school. But the snow was getting deeper, and it needed to get cleaned up. I took the carb off, and took it to my work bench and started taking it apart. Everything looked fine (from what I could tell). I reassembled it put it back on the snow blower, and she still would not start. I took it off the second time, and this time took a pin and used it to stick up and down the needle valve, and reassembled. Once back on the snow blower, she started right up, and ran great the rest of the season. This happened again back in December of this year, but at least I know what to do to fix it, and can back out on the driveway in about 90 minutes.

In addition this year, my auger belt snapped, and I had purchased a spare some years back, I thought I was all set. Little did I know that I needed to pull off the auger assembly to replace the factory belt. I had placed an old gates belt years back without having to do so. That's where this forum helped me out.

Thanks gents!

[Underdog]

Thanks for the intro and history. Its really encouraging (uplifting?) to hear how well the 828 has performed. Shows you how long a well engineered machine can last with thoughtful care and maintenance.

I'm curious to know if you have had any of the typical issues crop up over the years. And if not maybe there's a secret the rest of us can get in on.
a) Does the governor lever rattle and shake on the carburetor?  
b) Did the plastic gas tank ever spring a leak?
c) Does the engine shake and shiver at idle?
d) Have you ever replaced the bearing on the impeller shaft?  
e) Did the scraper shoes ever bend the sheet metal where they attach to the snow bucket housing?
f) Did the carb ever leak gas?
g) Any rust in the bucket?
h) Rotted rubber on the tires?  
i) Cracks on your tracks?  
j) Carbon buildup on the cylinder head?
k) Have any parts gone missing (keys) or fallen off never to be seen again?  
l) Does the electric start freeze up on you after damp weather?
m) Has the spark plug been replaced?
n) No broken transmission gears?
o) Do you pull start or electric start?  
p) Do you use a fuel stabilizer or some other miracle additive?
q) Do you spray the unit down with a rust preventative at the end of the season?
 
I don't want to be the one to jinx you. But 18 years is a long time for a moving piece of equipment with a combustion engine that goes out into the harshest of environments and digs through hundreds of tons of frozen wet slushy blowing snow.  Not to mention the salt and sand. What is your secret?
Keep up the good work! And post a photo to inspire us.
r) Are you the one and only yamaha owner that received the official Yamaha storage cover?

[rockridgeqa]

From Underdog--

Thanks for the intro and history. Its really encouraging (uplifting?) to hear how well the 828 has performed. Shows you how long a well engineered machine can last with thoughtful care and maintenance.

I'm curious to know if you have had any of the typical issues crop up over the years. And if not maybe there's a secret the rest of us can get in on.
a) Does the governor lever rattle and shake on the carburetor?  
-- >Yes. I found that the lever would often back off from full throttle. So I ended up wrapping up a bungie cord around the level and the auger tube. THis keeps the level at full throttle and has worked well for the last 5 years.
b) Did the plastic gas tank ever spring a leak?
-- >No, tight as can be.
c) Does the engine shake and shiver at idle?
-- >No, it does not move at all.
d) Have you ever replaced the bearing on the impeller shaft?  
-- >No
e) Did the scraper shoes ever bend the sheet metal where they attach to the snow bucket housing?
-- >No
f) Did the carb ever leak gas?
-- >No
g) Any rust in the bucket?
-- >No
h) Rotted rubber on the tires?  
-- >I have the tank tracks.
i) Cracks on your tracks?  
-- >Tracks almost look like new. I always wondered what I would do if they snapped. But they look great.
j) Carbon buildup on the cylinder head?
-- >I have never looked.
k) Have any parts gone missing (keys) or fallen off never to be seen again?  
-- >No. I don't think I have taken they key out for 10+ years.
l) Does the electric start freeze up on you after damp weather?
-- >Aways worked perfectly.
m) Has the spark plug been replaced?
-- >Last time was three years ago.
n) No broken transmission gears?
-- >No but It was difficult to shift between gears until I greased the rod in the transmission.
o) Do you pull start or electric start?  
-- >I have used both. Both work fine.
p) Do you use a fuel stabilizer or some other miracle additive?
-- >I use "stable" in the tank every summer.
q) Do you spray the unit down with a rust preventative at the end of the season?
-- >Yes, I give it a hose down every spring before storing it in my shed.
 
I don't want to be the one to jinx you. But 18 years is a long time for a moving piece of equipment with a combustion engine that goes out into the harshest of environments and digs through hundreds of tons of frozen wet slushy blowing snow.  Not to mention the salt and sand. What is your secret?
-- >Not sure. I change the oil often, keep the moving parts greased. and give it a good washing at the end of each season. It gets a good workout here in the northeast, but continues to work great.

Keep up the good work! And post a photo to inspire us.
-- >I will take one this weekend, and add it to the post.

r) Are you the one and only yamaha owner that received the official Yamaha storage cover?
-- >Nope. No cover. But it's never spent a night outside.

[Underdog ()]

Thanks for your enlightening response. I feel guilty now for not taking better care of my yamaha.
 Now if only we could find someone with that infamous Yamaha cover.