Anyone have some snow blower knowledge for me?

[AA7483]

I have clearing my driveway yesterday with my 2 stage snow blower. I was working fine until it just stalled abruptly. When I started it back up the auger doesn't turn anymore. I uncovered the belt. Seems a little loose but when I engage it it doesn't spin the auger, it almost seems as if it is seized. Doesn't appear to be anything stuck anywhere. Where should I look first?

 

[maxpat82]

broken shear pin. you must have something that got stuck in a moment and broke the shear pin.

 

[k-os]

broken shear pin. you must have something that got stuck in a moment and broke the shear pin.

+1. Most likely a shear pin on the auger.

 

[AA7483]

No the pins are fine. When i engage the auger control the belt grabs the pulley that spins the auger but it doesnt turn. So it just smokes the belt.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I won't be able to help, but those that can probably would like to know the make and model.

 

[maxpat82]

nothing stuck in the impeller either?

if not open up the gear in the auger differentiel.

or a seized bearing/bushing, or bent shaft somewhere.

 

[AA7483]

Doesnt appear to be. This is an MTD blower. No model at the moment. Should the impellar spin freely when off?

 

[DFB]

Sounds like something jammed in the impeller

 

[mikepelchy]

Doesnt appear to be. This is an MTD blower. No model at the moment. Should the impellar spin freely when off?

As long at its not engaged it should spin freely, probably wont be able to spin the augers by hand though due to the design.

 

[kelpaso1]

Yes sounds like a rock is jammed in the impeller. Bring it into a heated garage to melt all the snow and then lean the blower back onto the handles and look closely at the impeller for a rock stuck in there. Sometimes a rock can get stuck in behind the impeller which will be really hard to see. Yes the impeller should move if you stick your arm down through the chute and grab the impeller (engine off of course). Once you get the impeller free you might need a new belt if you smoked it.

 

[Motown]

Most likely the auger gearbox. Their is a bronze gear inside, that will chew up.

 

[k-os]

I just recently cleared a jam in my impeller (small piece of plywood that was on the grass near the driveway). In my case the engine would run fine and wheels move but as soon as I tried to engage the auger/impeller it would die because it was jammed.

 

[kelpaso1]

Most likely the auger gearbox. Their is a bronze gear inside, that will chew up.

Not likely. If that gear stripped then the impeller would spin but the augers won't.

 

[CJ7VFR]

If you remove the shear pins from the augers, do the augers spin freely?

Jim

 

[ynned]

I'm no help at all, other than to say the daily newspaper will cause these symptoms when it can't be found because of the snow.
Edit: That's pretty easy to see in there, though.

 

[Boilerhouse]

I'm no help at all, other than to say the daily newspaper will cause these symptoms when it can't be found because of the snow.
Edit: That's pretty easy to see in there, though.

LOL - I have a tractor driven blower and often find the newspaper when it comes out as confetti.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

At a renovation jobsite a customer found my carpenters square and gave it back to me after the snow storm. I could now use it for putting a 90 degree angle on 12" pipe....

 

[DGersic]

No the pins are fine. When i engage the auger control the belt grabs the pulley that spins the auger but it doesnt turn. So it just smokes the belt.

Belt stretched. Mine does that if I pick up a frozen newspaper or similar obstruction. The shear pins might break, but if they don’t, the belt slips on the pulley, heats up, and stretches.

Get a new belt and compare the sizes.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Clirry]

No idea but it happened to my older beast, I thought I broke it... turned out that snow got inside of impeller wall which froze the auger.. so I cleared them out and auger works perfectly. But, again all snowblowers are different. so good luck.

 

[AA7483]

Found the culprit

 

[kelpaso1]

Belt stretched. Mine does that if I pick up a frozen newspaper or similar obstruction. The shear pins might break, but if they don’t, the belt slips on the pulley, heats up, and stretches.

Get a new belt and compare the sizes.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

Belts typically don't stretch. I have changed hundreds and never seen one stretched longer than it was. What usually happens is the sides of the belt wear down and the belt sits further down in the pulley's and is loose. thereby perceiving that it has stretched.

 

[rburke65]

So what are we looking at there AA7483?

 

[shaeff]

Looks like a stone wedged between an impeller blade and the housing.

 

[Farmall450]

Not likely. If that gear stripped then the impeller would spin but the augers won't.

^^^ I'm surprised it didn't just smoke a shear bolt, though. Where's your newspaper?lol

 

[DGersic]

Belts typically don't stretch. I have changed hundreds and never seen one stretched longer than it was. What usually happens is the sides of the belt wear down and the belt sits further down in the pulley's and is loose. thereby perceiving that it has stretched.

I’ll save one for you next time. Lay the old on top of the new, and the old one is a bigger diameter.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[AA7483]

Yup. Its a stone. Didnt see it at first glance. Gotta figure out how to free it now. Also my chute control stopped working yesterday so need to deal with that as well

 

[p_mori7]

Yup. Its a stone. Didnt see it at first glance. Gotta figure out how to free it now. Also my chute control stopped working yesterday so need to deal with that as well

Do you keep it in a heated garage ?

If 'yes'...then there is probably some moisture in your chute control cable...and it freezes when you go outside with the machine. Buy a new cable.

~Phil.

 

[AA7483]

It seems like the control is really loose. Like its not engaging anything

 

[DGersic]

What does the control look like? If it’s a cable, it could be broken internally.


Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[AA7483]

Yea thats what im thinking. Havent had time to take it apart. Control looks like a joystick

 

[greg13]

Yup. Its a stone. Didnt see it at first glance. Gotta figure out how to free it now. Also my chute control stopped working yesterday so need to deal with that as well

Block of wood and a hammer.

Shear pins protect the AUGERS not the impeller.

 

[Boilerhouse]

Block of wood and a hammer.

Shear pins protect the AUGERS not the impeller.

My Kubota has shear pins on the auger and impeller. Proportionally, they all seem to break about the same number of times.

 

[DGersic]

Belts typically don't stretch. I have changed hundreds and never seen one stretched longer than it was. What usually happens is the sides of the belt wear down and the belt sits further down in the pulley's and is loose. thereby perceiving that it has stretched.

Looking at mine last night, it looks like it’s stretched. It’s almost the end of the season here, and I’m fighting a strange engine problem, so not real interested in taking it apart to change the belts right now. But when I do, I’ll get you some pictures of the old and new belts.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Belts typically don't stretch. I have changed hundreds and never seen one stretched longer than it was. What usually happens is the sides of the belt wear down and the belt sits further down in the pulley's and is loose. thereby perceiving that it has stretched.

I have changed probably 1000s of automotive, small engine and HVAC belts in the last 40 years and I can tell you they absolutely do stretch.

Tommy

 

[kelpaso1]

How are you measuring your belts?

 

[kelpaso1]

A little belt education.

https://www.beltsforanything.com/faq

 

[DGersic]

How are you measuring your belts?

I’m not. If I hold belt A next to belt B and one has a bigger diameter than the other (outer), and if I know that they started out the same size, then I think it’s reasonable to conclude that the bigger one stretched.

If you have a better explanation for the change in outer diameter, let’s hear it.



Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[SALIV8]

Belts do stretch.

Every manufacturer ive ever seen will state to adjust the sheeve distance/belt tension after a 24hr run time, and then a 30 day run time. (This is in hvac)

 

[kelpaso1]

I have changed probably 1000s of automotive, small engine and HVAC belts in the last 40 years and I can tell you they absolutely do stretch.

Tommy

Belts do stretch.

Every manufacturer ive ever seen will state to adjust the sheeve distance/belt tension after a 24hr run time, and then a 30 day run time. (This is in hvac)

No they don't lengthwise. They wear on the "V" profile, thus causing the belt to run further down in the pulleys causing them to be loose. I ask again how are to you measuring an old belt compared to a new one? There is a right way and a wrong way. And I know the wrong way that many are doing.

 

[DGersic]

No they don't lengthwise. They wear on the "V" profile, thus causing the belt to run further down in the pulleys causing them to be loose. I ask again how are to you measuring an old belt compared to a new one? There is a right way and a wrong way. And I know the wrong way that many are doing.

So you’ve said. Repeating it doesn’t make it more convincing. Or true. Since you seem to be sure that I’m measuring it wrong, please describe the right way to measure it. Keep in mind that I can put the new belt inside the old one, laying flat on the floor.




Sent from my iPad using The Garage Journal mobile app