Trash Picked 70s Snow Blower. Can It Be Saved? 

I’m 14 years old, and I can take apart and fix lawn mowers and small engines all because of your RU-vid channel. Great vid!

You should put it back in the driveway with a sign that says "Fixed". That would really screw with the previous owner's mind.

I like how he talks to his viewers like they're right there in his garage.

Someone liked how Mustie talks to people like they are there with him !!!.....That's nothing I am on my couch answering him back like he is here !

The fact you needed to explain what Montgomery Ward, and Sears "were" hit me in the "you are old" department....lol. Great find indeed!!!!

I like how the acorns are still in the parts tray when the carb is being reassembled, as if they’re going back in...

The amount of free stuff this guy finds is amazing.

I sold the Gilson line of lawn equipment in my shop in the ‘70’s! Never thought I’d see one again. They were a good quality product, never had any problems with them. That 8-26 was a beast in the snow and the B&S engine was indestructible with proper care!

Mustie, i speak for everyone when i say that no video is "too long" i could sit here for 3 hours watching you tinker on stuff, it's like a drug watching something come back to life. but, y'know. a healthy drug.

Good morning from southwest Florida. The day my snowblower didn't start was the day I moved to Florida lol

My father in law has a 1976 monkey wards 8/26. It crapped out last winter. Pulled motor and I rebuilt it for him. Won't upgrade to newer stuff, I'm in trouble by mother in law for fixing it. Says it's to reliable not to keep. Took like 3 days to fix very easy to work on. Getting parts wasn't to bad either I was surprised. Good luck with that old Gilson...

Some old guy owned that machine it’s entire life and took care of it. When he passed nobody new how to run it, it sat until the gas went bad and the squirrels moved in.

You would never see anything like this for free where I live, not even a cement block :)

When you said "Nut" I was thinking nut and bolt type. WHen you popped out those nuts, I had to laugh.

I have only recently discovered Mustie's Channel, but I find it so relaxing to watch him diagnose and ultimately fix stuff on a level that most people without fully fledged workshop could feasibly achieve, also the way he asks us for our input, as though we are there with him in the workshop. What a thoroughly enjoyable channel.

I"ve been shoveling my neighbors driveway for the last 15 years. Her husband died and she has no kids and isn't in the best health, so it is the least I could do. 3 years ago, she was having a garage sale and asked if I could help move a couple items in her garage. I did, and found not 1 but 2 snow blowers buried in there. I told her that I was taking them and would get at least 1 working. The 1981 Toro 421 that I saved runs like a charm. It is a true workhorse. Heavy as can be. Looks about the same as the one in your video. One man's junk is another man's snow blower.

The only thing better than "FREE" is "Will help load"!

Yes! I’ve been waiting for this to drop. It’s the best part of my Sunday morning here in England.

boy that engine sounds great for a 70's snowblower,great job 👍

When I first saw the orange paint, I thought it was an Ariens! Lol! Thanks for posting and thanks to everyone that threw in their little tidbits, to help all of us maintain and adjust equipment a little easier! Peace out.

In some random neighborhood in Mustie's town: "Hmmm...it's been a week since Mustie has put up a video. I'm going to push that old Gilson snow machine out to the road."

It's a bridge rectifier in the start button thing. Probably a generic 35A one. The starter motor will run on both ac and dc, but it will be more powerful on dc, due to the inductance of the windings.

When setting my cutting edge, I like to use paint stir sticks to set the gap. Helps create a nice and consistent 1/8" gap, and definitely makes it a much easier one man job.

Feels like I've discovered a never ending GOLD MINE on RU-vid. Got something to watch every night! Thanks, from a new fan

This guy is on a whole new level draining that oil

Had a similar machine with a seized piston, snapped the crank bolt and busted the cooling fins because of Mustie1. It was the best day of my life because I tried something and didn't just give up. Engine never did get running, bought another 1 with a good engine bad gear box, made of Frankenstein machine with the two. Thanks for the videos.

I went to a garage sale and found a BRAND NEW snow thrower this size for 100 dollars, I asked "Do you mean 1000 dollars?" No they seized the motor first use without oil!!!(shipped without oil) I bought it, rebuilt it And traded it for a huge MTD rototiller. $600 dollar tiller for about 250 in cost to buy and repair snow blower, I'm still proud of that deal. (I needed a tiller not Another snow blower)

I've been tinkering with small engines and boat motors since I was about 8 years old. I'm now 67 and still love fixing them. You are living proof that a person is never to old to learn as you have taught me a few things that I didn't know! Thank you

Previous owner: that junk finally disappeared and it did not cost me a nickel. RU-vid: New Video, yay !

I suspect the arcing and sparking is as much due to your extension cord as the starter!

I was able to fix my parent's snow blower thanks to these videos, ended up needing to replace the valve seal in the carb, as well as adjust the tension pully for the auger belt. I even gave it a tune up so you can run it on idle which is something it hasn't done for years! I am studying electrical engineering, but it never hurts to be knowledgeable about other things as well.

Didn't know what you were doing but I enjoyed watching. Snowblower owner for over 50 years and I thank GOD everytime I use it. Thanks 4 sharing bro.👍. Just subbed.👉

Loved this episode, you said too long? Not at all. Too short!! Thank you!!!

In Colorado the sign would say financing available.

Mustie, I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned from your videos. Great channel!

I am 52, I can listen to you do this all day. I am not much of a small engine geek and have two 2001 Craftsman 26" dual stage 9hp blowers and have been watching vids to get comfortable with my spring mission. Love how you pause to explain, you are NOT dry and you make it light while teaching.. great job

We had a Gilson rear engine ride on mower my dad gave it to his brother when we got a Gilson tractor. My uncle still has the rear engine ride on. Been in a shed for 40 years

That square block where the AC plugs in is a heavy current handling full wave bridge rectifier. It should have 4 terminals, 2 for the AC input and two for the + and - output. The starter motor is probably a DC motor. I use one in a heavy current DC application. There is usually a hole in the middle is so it can be mounted onto metal for heat sinking. Really enjoyed Sunday lunch with Mustie. Looks like a really solid machine that wasn’t too abused and stored under cover. Nice score.

Love your channel! Great advice! I really enjoy the way you talk to us as if we were there. And it’s cool how you ask us questions! Great job.

Great rebuild. You have probably helped a lot of people like me out. Thankyou

We would just have to remember to bring our own coffee mug when visiting Mustie!

Our first snowblower, NE NY, was a Gilson we bought from "Monkey Wards" in the mid seventies. Driveway was 300 feet by ten feet, gravel, in the woods, and that machine was fabulous.

Mustie,me encanta tu forma de trabajar y me gusta como le vuelves a dar vida a este tipo de máquinas.veo que también valoras la maquinaria antigua y ves su potencial para repararlas y que sigan cumpliendo su función. Si fuera tu vecino estaría ayudándote solo por el hecho de aprender y pasar el rato .eso si ,yo llevaría las cervezas.te saluda cordialmente un argentino desde España

Great job! Thank you for helping to save our planet, and maybe make a few tax-free $. As a lady operator, I really appreciate the opportunity to learn about the repair and maintenance of my snowblower. Thank you for taking the time to help all of us learn about our machines. BTW you got that one running real nice!

Nice to see that the previous owner took pride in this machine.

Was anyone else expecting another type of nut in the carb intake? Squirrel nuts it is! Good morning all!

Thanks for going over this... I bought an old 80s one like this for $150 that had new tires and had paperwork for recent service. Put 3 winters on it but last winter I didn't like the way the engine ran so its time to pull the carb about. They taught us how to build and service Briggs in high-school but I wanted to see everything I should look over and this video is perfect! I'll go over the shoes and blade make sure it has sheer pins. I know the drive disc and belts are new. Mine doesn't have a light I was thinking about going crazy with some bright LED light. Anyways I really appreciate you showing us all the work. That was awesome.

good job Mr Mustie1, thank you for your tutorials.

Watching in Pt St Lucie, Fl Go ahead, fix the starter. We want to see it.

Apart from a £5 bike the odd time I've never seen any free stuff. It's amazing how much free stuff you happen to find in what looks a rural area.

Glad you explained about the snow bank cutter. I live in Phoenix, Arizona...we don't "do" snow. 78 here today.

I've had mine for about 18 years and repainted twice and what you found still looks nicer than mine! Tanks for sure. Engine has scouring on the cylinder wall but it just keeps running. Friction drive wheel is a pain to change on these though, did mine again last year. Good find!

The way you brought that back to life was just nuts 😉

I had one, a 12 horsepower one. It was incredibly good and took wet snow that was twice as high as the cover without even slowing down the revs.

Mustie1 I just really love watching your videos but mostly the small engine repairs. Your way of documenting and the follow along approach is awesome.

I'm a quaifide technician of" a lot of years,, and you my friend,, know your stuff. Top man.

That's a premium extension cord you've got there! Looks like mine.

I always look for a bolt to use my ratchet wrenches on. For what they cost, I kinda wish I could use them more. That first cover bolt was ideal. Thanks for the Sunday vid Mustie.

First class repair job. Your videos aren't too long. You must be a thrifty New England yankee. I really identify with how you use the same parts if they are still usable, and how you use good used components. Better than just tossing a used part out without really checking it, and spending alot for a new part. You learn thrift if you are raised by children of the Depression. Regards from the snowy West.

just got my first "real" snowblower, an older craftsman after several years with a little nonpropelled honda, i got tired of pushing it! its nice to see how the drive system works, thanks for that

It's a full wave bridge rectifier; or a start caoacitor, "ice, current leads in a capacitive circuit.

Don't have to explain Monkey Ward's to me, I used to go there with the family. :)

Musrie1 you would make a great shop class teacher you are really good at explaining and the way you speak if I had some one like you I might of stayed in school instead of learning things the hard way great job thanks .

Thanks for taking the time to make your videos.

Now we need a short video on extension cord maintenance ! 😀 Great job !

Sun. 6 AM + mug coffee +1hr Mustie = the world is my oyster. Bonus----flip a 1/2" extension around and you have a plug wrench...slick!

Great video bringing that free item back to life and provide more service hours!

I found and completely refurbished a vintage Magnesium 1970 lawnmower, which works perfectly after a year of using it. All because your videos.

A cup of coffee, a piece of cake - and a new Mustie1-video. What better way to spend a cold, misty sunday afternoon with ? :-)

Two nuts have often been the cause of trouble down through the ages.

Sure is fun watching you. Your knowledge of these products is very impresive!

Nice Gilson. Just picked up a Simplicity 870 tonight for $50. Inspired to fix up a few from your snowblower videos. Bought one last weekend for $150 and paid for it in one evening! Thanks for all the help!

Up early on a Sunday morning... Best thing is that I was waiting for Mustie's upload of another video. Thanks Darrin. Chris from Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

Man that thing is healthy duty. Can't seem to buy quality like that these days. Great find!

I always enjoy watching your videos, they have inspired me to fix anything I pick up that's FREE. I have been repairing electronics now for around 50 years but more recently Electro-Mechanical items like, Leaf Blowers, Hedge Trimmers, Weed whackers etc etc. You no doubt know by now, that the square item with 4 terminals is a Bridge Rectifier !! Normally AC in DC out. It can also be used to allow for a reversal of DC input and route the DC correctly if applied backwards. Bridge Rectifiers are basically 4 rectifying diodes inside of that module in a diamond configuration, all pointing the same direction. AC is normally applied to the two ~ connections and it outputs Positive and Negative pulses out of the + and - connections. Lots of AC to DC power supplies use at least one bridge rectifier followed by a smoothing capacitor to smooth out the ripple into what closer resembles DC. They are quite easy to test too, treat them like 4 single diodes and the terminals allow you to test each diode separately. Rectifiers are often jokingly referred to as, "Rectum Fryers" as AC mains is often connected across them, so watch out !!!

I must change the oil in my snowblower and keep putting it off because of the mess till I saw mustie1 use his home made oil defector. I will be using this idea tomorrow. Thanks Mr. D.

The starter may need new brushes. Also the square component is a full wave bridge rectifier. There are two pins that take AC and two to output DC. YOU CAN CHECK IT JUST LIKE 4 DIODES BETWEEN THE PINS. IF YA NEED A SCHEMATIC LOOK IT UP ON LINE THEY ARE EASY TO FIND.

Stay tune for part 2, when Mustie1 repairs a snowblower starter.

Once again your bad influence on me continues!!! Ironically a neighbor this past Sunday and asked me if I wanted his 2003 29 inch 9hp craftsman snowblower because it wouldn't start and he was going to purchase a new one. So yeah i took it home. it had sat for 3-4 years. gas tank looked like it was half full of orange juice and smelled awful. After flushing the fuel system and a $13 dollar replacement carb ( I don't own a parts cleaner!) she runs like a champ! I live in NJ and we are expecting our first major snow today. perfect timing!!! Your videos have taught me so much. Thanks and please keep up the great videos!

Love the video. Thanks for taking the time to make it and share

I can't believe how clean and non-rusty this thing is for 45ish years old.

My granddad used to sell Gilson equipment when I was a kid, I don't remember seeing many come back for repairs compared to other brands he sold. Good find once again!

I live on the west coast and I'm always amazed at the stuff people put out on the east coast. Pots of gold out there.

A very educational, enjoyable and nutty video. Thank you Syrr.

Dang Mustie you had me worried, got my coffee now so I'm all set

The square thing you ask about looks like a full wave rectifier.

Your teaching so much skill. Just watched a video of a man ceramic coated the inside of his new snowblower, where the snow touches. Did a job. No ice accumulation.

Thanks for another great video. Thanks to your videos I have stopped being "that guy" who just replaces yard equipment because it stops working. Now I at least look at some of the more obvious problems that you have shown can be easily repaired.

Greetings: That is a standard bridge rectifier rated between 25 and 50 amps. Puts out pulsating dc at 125vdc.

When you said nut I expected hex nut, not tree nut. That was a surprise.

Im always amazed at the amount of stuff you find left out by the road!

Wish I had trash finds like you have in your neck of the woods. Great job.

Coordinating colors with the E-Cono Van

Mustie is like a mythical figure in his town, kids put their teeth under their pillow for the tooth fairy and adults put their broken and unwanted machines out front with a FREE sign :)

Thank you for what you do, man. You're the Neil deGrasse Tyson of engine repair. This should be in the National Archives.

#1 most informative and entertaining channel on RU-vid. Look forward to every video. Thank you Mustie 1.

Is it weird as soon as I click on one of your videos I give a thumbs up before I even watch it

*@**35:00* We used to use old bicycle tire, cut lengthwise as the actual "edge" and the metal strip as a "washer" to spread the clamping load. You'd be surprised how long that rubber lasts.

Nice job making it look easy. I'm a long time viewer and first time commenter (from MA). I always learn something new in your videos and today was that I should always check for nuts in the carb. :) Thanks again...

Those squirrels amaze me every time, they are busy little creatures. Thanks for another mechanical life saving operation, Dr. Mustie1.