Bolens Diablo Rouge and Hus Ski Discussion Forums

Sereral inquiries have been made concerning the replacement of the gas and/or brake handle on HUS-SKIs. The main cogs, the jackshaft housing, the gas and brake handles and the HUS-SKI hood latch all were sand cast aluminum and can be repaired by a reputable machine shop. Quite typically, the gas handle breaks where the pivot pin passes through it but that section can be built up, shaped and redrilled. The same goes for sections of the drive cogs which have chipped out from the combination of severe low temperatures and contact with something hard like a rock. Drive cogs without pieces missing are not common, handles are impossible to find, hood latches scarce as hen's teeth and jackshaft housings are unique only to the HUS-SKI so it is up to you as HUS-SKI owners to keep these parts going as long as possible before giving up on them.

Barrie makes a really good point. Parts for these Hus Skis and Diablos are getting more scarce all the time. As people decide to scrap them out or worse yet, tossing them to the bone yard not knowing their value, eventually even the common part today becomes hard to find. Randy from Richfield, Ohio told me just the other day that he saves all his old drive and idler sprockets even if all the rubber is off for hopes that someday someone will figure a way to reproduce the vulcanizing technique to refurbish them.

For me, you all know I have a garage full of Diablos along with parts and carcasses. Even those carcasses that were parts machines (from others) I try to keep whole in hopes that someday they can be put back together to bring another Diablo back from the dead. Once they are gone, they are gone forever.