Snow Blower Engine Bolt & Torque Specs

OEM-referenced torque specs and fastener sizes for snow blower engines: Tecumseh Snow King (LH195SP/TVS600), LCT (the OEM-branded engine behind Ariens AX, AX EFI, Gen II, and Sno-Tek by Ariens snow blowers — see the full 79-420cc LCT torque tables), and Toro/MTD Power Max 724. Covers auger shear bolts and the Tecumseh spark plug/head bolt torque figures below; Toro/MTD torque specs were not part of this sourcing pass.

Auger shear bolts are not torqued to a spec

The auger shear pin or shear bolt is intentionally the weakest link in the drivetrain. It is designed to break before a rock, ice chunk, or curb damages the gearbox, so it gets tightened snug rather than torqued to a ft-lb value. Always replace it with the exact OEM shear bolt, usually a specific grade-2 or brass bolt. Substituting a stronger grade-5 or grade-8 bolt defeats the safety design and can wreck the auger gearbox.

Spark plug and head bolt torque

Spark plug torque on Tecumseh Snow King engines is 250 in-lb (about 21 ft-lb) into an aluminum head, per Tecumseh's own L-head (form 692509, p.91) and OHV (form 695244A, p.86) Technician's Handbooks. Do not exceed spec or the plug threads will strip. Head bolt torque depends on which Snow King family you have: the L-head HSSK40-55/HMSK80-110 (LH195SA/SP, LH318SA/LH358SA) family torques to 200 in-lb in 50 in-lb steps, while the overhead-valve OHSK50-75 (OH195SA/SP) family torques to 230 in-lb in 60 in-lb steps — both in the manual's own numbered sequence. LCT publishes its own full torque table by displacement (79-420cc) — see the dedicated LCT Engine Torque Specs page linked below rather than a single spark-plug/head-bolt figure here.

Skid shoe and chute bolts

Skid shoe bolts are adjustable and only snugged, not torqued to a fixed value. Set skid height for the surface (gravel vs pavement) before final tightening. Chute deflector and rotation bolts see heavy vibration in cold weather; check them each season, since cold-brittle plastic chute components can crack if the mounting bolts are over-tightened.

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