Auger power

[magnum mike]

I have a Jiffy Legend (yellow shroud) that I bought when it first came out. It was nothing more than a fancy Model 30 with the 3 hp Tecumseh. It has to be 15 years old. I bought this to replace my previous Model 30 that was worn out. Back in the day I fished quite a bit and we cut a lot of holes! This Legend has been a great auger and has cut plenty of holes. We were fishing this weekend and a buddy had a much newer Model 30 Jiffy. His turns much faster and sprays the chips as they come off the auger. Mine makes a neat pile around the hole and has had trouble at the bottom of the hole. You need to lift on the drill and baby it through the last ½ “of ice.

It starts like a champ and runs like a dream. It just seems that it has lost some power. I have run Amsoil Sabre through it for years. Does anyone have any idea what could be the problem?

[fishfearme]

Just a tired motor I suppose, you could rebuild it I guess. Personally I would not want my auger to spray ice chip every where.

[My_Key]

You say you owned it from brand new, did it throw ice chips new? If it didn't then, I wouldn't worry about it.

Like fishfearme said, I wouldn't want my auger throwing ice chips everywhere.

[Northlander]

Toss in a carb kit, new plug and run premium gas only in it.

[FishLocker]

Toss in a carb kit, new plug and run premium gas only in it.

I agree, but personally I use a cap full of SeaFoam in each tank till it runs well again. That way I dont have to keep a separate gas can for premium.

I also agree with another post here, the new high speed augers make a real mess in the house. I appreciate the slower drill speed when drilling inside.

First tank of the summer my lawn mower gets a cap full too, in order to keep things clean.

I also had a 30 year old snow blower that was getting weak and ran the SeaFoam in every single tank for 3 more years before giving it away. Brought the power back up.

Just my

[gixxer01]

Check compression. That would at least rule out any top end work that may be needed. Rings don't last forever! I do a carb rebuild every 2 years regardless of performance. Easy and cheap maintenance.

How's the clutch? Does it seem to slip when you get to the bottom, or does the engine just bog down?

[magnum mike]

I don't buy anything but non-oxy premium in anything other than my truck. I mix 80:1 Amsoil synthetic and it burns clean with NO smoke. I do believe in Sea Foam and Marvel Mystery Oil but for me that cures other problems. I did replace the CS 42 AC Delco spark plug earlier this year and need to get a new spare for my tackle bag.

The clutch is tight and has no slippage. I don't remember if it turned any faster or sprayed chips when it was new. I think I might remember that because I think it would have bugged me too.

I don't know about rings or compression since it starts and runs like a dream. I'll be the first one to admit I'm not a wiz with small engines but I do have a feel for the basics since I have a spark plug coefficient over 60.

My thoughts were either the engine is just tired or something needs adjustment. Since the thing runs as well as it does I am hoping for the later. Please continue to comment & diagnose this auger and thanks to all for the input.

[wayne123]

Make sure the blades are sharp. Could need a carb kit. Augers do not cut as well on honeycombed ice as clear solid ice.

[magnum mike]

The blades are in pristine shape and I just had the carb re-built a month ago. I have had the same problem with punching through the last bit of ice for some time.

[NELS-BELLS]

If your buddy's is running at higher RPMs and you have the same powerhead, it is probably just a simple adjustment on the carburator. Or maybe you need to adjust the throttle linkage. I have a 15 year old, heavily used, white powerhead Jiffy and mine still throws ice shavings. If they run at about the same RPMs but yours turns slower, then you may have a different gear box then his.

Nels

[magnum mike]

Thanks for the tip Nels. I will investigate this.