Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

ive got a rusty blower housing on a 1998 MTD 2 stage  snow blower.  i want to sand the inside and then repaint.  the only problem is i can't figure out how to remove the inpeller and auger assembly so i can get at all of the blower housing.  i have the sides of the auger free but im not sure exactly how to go about removing the impeller.

-how do i remove those spring pins just before the impeller?

-or do i have to dissassemble the gear assembly to get the auger and impeller out?

any help would be appreciated...thanks for helping out an old man,

jon

has anyone done this with an MTD that could help me accomplish this reletively easily?

thanks for the help!

this is quite a job if you have not done it before, the suggestion of renting a sandblaster is a good one.

try a local dealer or your library and they will have standard manuals that you can use to proceed with the job.

However, unless you have a cabinet that fully encloses your workpiece, when you blast, the grit gets EVERYWHERE.  In your hair, on your clothes, and all over everything within several feet of where you're working.  Then anyone that walks into  your area then tracks it into the house. 

It will also get into whatever bearings or bushings you may have in your housing. 

Depending on machine age, your luck, and/or condition, taking the thing apart can be easy or very difficult and might require special tools.  I don't know much about your machine, but if you can get to the back of the housing, there is probably a pulley there.  If you can get that off easily (and any other things that might be on that shaft), then that's probably the hardest part.  There's also probably a bearing or bushing retainer that holds the shaft in place.  The impeller and auger assembly is now basically supported in three places- the rear bearing mount and the two sides of the auger.  If you can disassemble these three points, then you should be able to jockey the arrangement out. 

If you get the impeller/ auger assembly out (and any bearings or bushings), then you COULD sandblast.  It will still take quite a while.  I used paint remover on the housing on my '88 Ariens.  It also took a while, but it was much cleaner and I could do it at my convenience.  After getting most of the paint off, I used a spray Rustoleum rust converter product (from Walmart or similar) as a primer.  I'll leave the finish color up to you. 

Other pieces of advice:  1.  Take lots of digital pictures along the way- you won't remember how some things go back together.   Especially important if you do step three below.  You won't remember which auger rake went where. 

2.  Keep all parts together in a box or bag, else you will lose something.

3.  This would be an excellent time to make sure the auger rakes spin free- remove the shear pins and grease the shafts before reassembling. 

4.  I didn't see where you live, but this might be a little late in the season for snowblower disassembly and painting. 

Hope I didn't forget anything.  Good luck

Ralph

  i ended up taking the easy way out and just wire brushed and sanded down all the rough spots.  then shot it with some primer and top coat.  it actually came out looking pretty good and its now lubed up and ready for the white stuff.  thanks for all your help

jon l