Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Here is a comment that I posted in another thread, and I think it can partially answer your question. Note that I broke my deflector cable, so I had to tinker a bit... If your own cable is still intact, the proceed directly past the section in italic.

I found a way to prevent the cables from freezing. While trying to free up the cable, I actually boke the chute deflector control cable... Oops! The machine sleeps outside, in an non-heated shed, so frost is always an issue.

Instead of buying a new cable from Ariens directly, I bought a $2 bicycle brake cable from a local bicycle repair shop. That cable is of MUCH better quality than the one used by Ariens. I greased the cable with water repellent grease for wheel bearings from the bicycle repair shop. I then sprayed the inside of the sleeve with a silicone based lubricant, and then I used a syringe to fill both ends of the cable with more waterproof grease. Lastly, I inserted the replacement cable in the sleeve.

That kind of cable normally has 2 types of "hook", one at each end, so you need to cut the one you don't need. For the chute deflector control, there is one of the ends of the cable that matches exactly what you need for the end of the cable that goes on the chute deflector itself. The other end on the original Ariens cable is actually a ring, so I just tied a knot in the steel cable, and locked it in place by "sandwiching" the cable between 2 washers held together by a nut and bolt. Not pretty, but functional!

Of course, I DO NOT recommend that you start cutting away your original Ariens cable to replace it! It's just that if you accidentally break yours, you can make a repair that will cost you less than $5, and will actually work better than the original part! The thing is that the replacement cable I used is made with better quality steel, and the threads that make up the cable are more tightly woven together, which makes the cable slide better inside the sleeve. Also, the grease prevents water from getting into the sleeve, and the silicone lubricant will keep everything slick in case ice crystals do form inside the cable sleeve.

Oh, and that little rubber thingy that covers the cable on the end of the cable that is connected to the deflector? I filled it with grease also!

Now, in your case, I understand that you did not break the cable -yet- so here is what I did for the other cable on the snowblower. You know, the one for chute rotation mechanism... It works fine for the chute locking cable, so it should also work for the deflector cable:

1- Remove the cable from the snowblower. In your case, the chute deflector needs to be at the highest possible setting, so you can push down on the deflector, which will give you some slack to be able to remove the cable from where it ties to the deflector. Next, you need to use a pair of long-nose pliers to carefully remove the sleeve from the metal socket holding it in place without damaging the plastic pins on the sleeve. The idea is to gently squeeze the plastic pins with the pliers while pushing down on the sleeve with your fingers. If you do this correctly, the sleeve should pop out of the socket with little or no effort.

2- Where the deflector control lever is, all you need to do is to remove a hairpin and a washer holding the cable in place. Then, unscrew one of the nuts holding the cable sleeve to the handlebar frame by a few turns, just enought to loosen it.

3- You will see that just at the bottom of the engine, the cable goes through a kind of clip. Just push the cable towards the engine to force it through the clip, and now your cable wll be completely free.

4- Bring the cable inside, and hang it by the end that goes on the deflector. Basically, the end with the ring should point downwards. Remove the small rubber cap that protects the opening. As the cable thaws, you will see water dripping from the cable.

5- Let the cable dry thoroughly overnight in a warm and dry place, or even longer if you don't need the snowblower right away.

6- Once the cable has dried fully, you need to lubricate it. The best way I found to do this is to hold the cable by the end that has the ring, as the opening of the cable sleeve at that end is larger. Then, I used a syringe to slowly pour the lubricant in the sleeve, until it started dripping at the other end. I used a silicone based lubricant. Actually, you just need to pour directly on the scteel cable. The liquid will gently run down the cable, and gravity will do the rest. I poured almost an ounce before I noticed the first drop of fluid at the other end!

7- I used waterproof bearing grease on the ends of the cable that sticks out of the sleeve. I also filled the rubber thing that covers the cable on the deflector end, and same thing with the rubber cap on the lever end. This will prevent more water from entering the cable sleeve.

8- When you re-assemble the cable, don't forget to snap the cable back into that clip at the bottom of the engine, or else the cable will rub against the engine and the sleeve could be damaged.

So, that's what I did, it it has worked for me so far. Last saturday, it was -15C here (5 F) and the control cables did not freeze, even though the snowblower sleeps outside in an unheated shed all the time.

A friend of mine suggested something quite interesting, but I find this is kinda far fetched a bit, but here goes: He suggested to purchase 12V heating wires that are normally used to prevent drain pipes from freezing in commercial freezers. These can (in theory) be connected to the 12V electrical system of the snowblower, and wrapped around the control cables, effectively heating them while the engine is running. Like I said, it's far fetched, but in theory, that could work... My fear is that these heating wires might be too hot and could damage the control cables. ANyone has any idea on this?

I'm really wondering why Ariens produces cables that keep freezing like that. Okay, my mod solved the problem for me, but really, the cables should be able to function properly in any weather, right out of the box.

My neighbor has an older Craftsman 11/31 (I don't know the exact model number) and it also sleeps outside in a shed, and the control cable for the deflector never froze.

If someone hears that Ariens is issuing "frost-proof" replacement cables, let me know!