Hi,
I just bought Sears Craftsman 5.5HP, 2 stage, electric start, with Tecumseh Snowking engine. I did not open the box yet.
Is this kind of adjustment do require in all new snow thrower? I did not understood the procedure for the adjustment of the belt. Would you explain what to do?
The procedure should be listed in either the assembly instructions or the "changing the auger belt" instructions.
For a two stage machine there are two belts that are controlled by clutch levers on the handle bar. One belt drives the traction system and hence controls how fast the wheels turn. The other controls the auger/impeller system which is what actually throws the snow somewhere else. Both systems use a clutch but each is different.
In the case of the traction system a rubber edged wheel is pressed against a metal disk. When they touch the wheels start spinning. The location on the metal disk that the wheel touches is controlled by the "speed" leaver, the closer to the centre of the disk the slower you go, the closer to the edge of the disk the faster you go. If you go past the centre of the disk you are now going in reverse. The whole thing is normally setup at the factory. Your manual should tell you how to adjust for wear and tear.
In the case of the auger/impeller the belt that connects the pulley on the engine to the pulley on the impeller/auger system, is loose and will slip when the clutch handle is released. When the clutch is engaged a third wheel called an idler is pressed against the belt and causes it to tighten up. This causes the belt to stop slipping and the auger system starts turning. The idler wheel is mounted in a slot that allows a fair amount of adjustment in the wheel's position. This is used to adjust the tension of the belt. The adjustment procedure should be in your manual. With new belts there is a short wear in period which does tend to loosen things a bit. Once the wear in is done you will probably have to adjust the auger/impeller system. It takes about 10 minutes of operation followed by an adjustment and then you're done.
The basic process is as follows:
- Make sure the engine is OFF, disconnect spark plug;
- Remove the cover at the front of the engine so you can work on the pulleys;
- Make sure the engine is OFF, make sure the spark plug is disconnected, AGAIN;
- Loosen the locking bolt that the idler is mounted on;
- Move the wheel so that the belt is looser/tighter depending on what is wrong;
- Manually turn over the engine with the clutch disengaged to ensure it is slipping;
- Reconnect the spark plug and start the engine;
- Engage the impeller/auger system and see if it is turning properly. You want the belt to slip when the handle is not engaged but be solid when the handle is engaged;
- Stop the machine, disconnect the spark plug;
- If everything was OK, put the cover on, reconnect the spark plug, you're done;
- If there is still a problem go back to step 3.
Notes
- There is a certain amount of adjustement that can be done by loosening/tightening the connectors coming from the clutch control handle. If you can get everything working there then do it. The procedure above gives you more leeway but less finer control.
- If your manual says something different then follow its advice. What I described works for me;
- You may or may not have to do this with a brand new machine but there is probably some setup tweaking that needs to be done;
- If you are going to be putting your fingers in places where a running engine would cause problems see steps 1and 3, if you are worried, take the spark plug out..
