For the chute deflector if the nut right under the plastic T handle is tight, even though you can turn the handle it will stay tight on the cable.

 

Many thanks, Father Deerest. I couldn't get it to budge until I loosened that nut. Then it popped up and the sticky rust spot was revealed. It cleaned up pretty good too.

Any thoughts on the best lubricant for this? WD40? Graphite? Grease?

Managed to get most of the bend out of the auger as well. I dare say, we'll be in good shape for next year.

Peace,
Phil

 

Great to hear it worked, I haven't sprayed anything in the cable sheath (5yrs) just make sure the boots on both ends stay in good condition. If I were to spray anything it would be WD-40 (Water Displacement formula 40) to keep the snow melting away from the cable. Grab a can of silicone spray and shoot the inside of the housing for rust prevention and use before working for best performance.

 

Almost a week later I noticed I've lost my manners...

Thanks Father Dearest.

 

if it was me id put a few drops of ATF in the cable

john

 

Transmission fluid?

 

yes ive never seen anything rusted with the old type a suffix a cars with autos had floor boards std did not
i noticed this at 10 my brother would bring them home for there motors
wd40 is not what it use to be and it dried up in 3 days now it has no oil in it at all

john

 

Thanks

 

I finally got this thing fit today.

Missing a pin in the rockshaft (coolest name for part I've ever heard, by the way. Would be a great band name too) but I can install it later. I really don't see what purpose it serves, to be honest. The piece it holds in place is keyed to the bar anyway, and held in place laterally by the bracket. It's pin I in step 5 if anyone has some insight.

In any case... This thing is crazy loud. I don't hear anything on my craftman blower (I can't even tell if it's running unless I look at the switch) so it has me pretty worried. Video below... This just a grease issue or should I be freaking out? For the life of me I can't pin down where it's coming from specifically. Any help is appreciated.

 

Take the belt off and spin the idler pulleys by hand, if you can hear them and they spin freely for more than a few like 2 seconds after you give them a good whirl change them. As for the gear case it wouldn't hurt to take off the auger assembly smear some anti-seize on the impeller shaft and change the grease in the case while inspecting the gears.

 

Thanks, I think....

That sounds an awful lot like "take the whole thing apart" :tango_face_sad:

 

Yes, it is a take it apart but it's not that bad once you get to looking at what needs to be done plus there will be no surprises when needed.

I would have to agree. My first thought when I saw that bent auger was: "What does the gear box look like?"

You hit the nail on the head: Pull it apart and do a full inspection. The good news is, you have several months of warm weather to get this done. Much better than discovering the problem during a snowstorm...

Mike

Definitely a good time to do inspection if something is wrong or iffy he can take all summer to save up $$. One bolt a week should bring you into August if that makes it sound better. :tango_face_grin:

 

I would have to agree. My first thought when I saw that bent auger was: "What does the gear box look like?"

You hit the nail on the head: Pull it apart and do a full inspection. The good news is, you have several months of warm weather to get this done. Much better than discovering the problem during a snowstorm...

Mike

 

Thanks all.

I took it off today. The 2 idlers aren't great, but I wouldn't call them loud. I plan to replace them regardless.

So here's the weird part - With the belt off if I turn it by hand there's hardly any sound at all. It's as quiet as my craftsman.. ???

I was going to inspect the gear box but after I removed the 4 bolts the cover was still very stuck. Since I suspect there is oil in the there I was hesitant to pry it off in a way that may damage the seal. Is there a right way to do this?

Thanks in advance.

 

No worries with the seal, it's just permatex sealant. Drain all the oil out of the gear box, re-seal and fill from the side pipe plug. The auger will come out with 4-10mm nuts and carriage bolts on the side of the housing, one allen shear bolt connecting the impeller shaft and auger gear box, and finally 2 bolts holding the front gear box to the housing. Advise to remove the shear bolts (they may be partially sheared) in the augers and smear anti-seize all over the auger shafts and on the impeller shaft. Open up front gear box and repack with fresh grease. Great job getting to it right away, you'll be happy you did it now when the winter weather starts falling.

 

So I should have a tube of sealant around before I dig into this... Got it.

Many thanks.

The drain hole check on mine doesn't match the manual (either of the 2 versions I can find) as it is on the side, not the front as in the illustrations. Also, the bolt that is in the hole seems slightly crooked, as if it wasn't threaded properly, but there isn't a mess of oil around it. *shrug* I guess I'll know more when I get in there.

I'll grab some sealant and SAE 80W-90 and try again as soon as I get the time.

Thanks again.

 

I have that JD cable on my Honda 4518 with 42" blower. I bought a cable oiler....not expensive....bicycle repair shops would have them. Awesome little tool for oiling cables. I oil mine every year. I also strip my blower every second year and replace all bearings etc.....gives me peace of mind.....as it gets used almost daily.

And..... this is time to check it out......warm...no hurry with a driveway full of snow.

 

I jumped in to the primary gearbox today and drained as much oil as I could with a turkey baster.

Looks okay to me, but here are 2 videos (one of each end of the vertical shaft) for review in case someone with better trained eyes than mine would like to have a look and sees something I didn't. The surface tension of the oil and some small bubbles distorts the edges of the gears but I didn't see any actual wear on the cogs.

2 new idler pulleys are on order and should be here later this week. I'll throw those on, put the primary gearbox back together and try it again before I jump into the auger gear box.

Peace,
Phil

 

I haven't yet concluded that the auger gearbox is a problem yet (won't know till this weekend probably) but I was pricing things out just in case.

This is the best price I could find: John Deere Worm Gear Drive, Part Number AM142008 Pack of 1 - AllGreenParts.Com

Why the bleep is this thing so expensive? It's not even green and yellow! :tango_face_surprise

Even by JD part prices this is crazy...

 

So just how clean do I need to get the cover before applying a new layer of permatex sealant? This is the best I could get it with a razor blade. There's still some residue.

 

Have you tried brake cleaner and a toothbrush?

Mike

 

Nope. Guess I'll pick up some brake cleaner tomorrow.

Thanks.

 

I think we're good. I replaced both idlers and it's almost silent now. I think I'll be building a cover to keep the snow from melting and pooling on them in the future.

When I first fired it up I couldn't hear it so I wasn't actually sure if the PTO had engaged. I turned it off and asked my wife to come sit on it and turn it on for me so I could see. When she came out it wouldn't start up again... Pretty sure the solenoid is shot (click, but no turn over). I jumped it to test and will take care of that another day. Weird time for that to go.

In sealing up the gearbox I failed to follow the directions and only laid a bead around the opening, and not around the bolt holes as well. There don't seem to be any leaks... Do I really need to go back and re-seal this thing?

Thanks all for your help thus far.

 

If it were mine, I'd do it now. You don't want to wait for a storm to start having problems.

BTW, we need an after-repair video!

Mike

 

I guess I'm worried that if it's not leaking, and I open it up again, I'm unnecessarily risking dropping little pieces of the current seal in to the gearbox as I peal it off.

And the after-repair video would be just like the before-repair video, but quieter. Just watch that one again and turn down your volume.

 

I went ahead and resealed the gear box (thanks for guilting me in to that), new belt, replaced the solenoid, and remounted. Good to go!

Now to install the husqvarna drift cutters I got, upgrade the lighting, and find a cab before winter............