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

Hello.  I need a more experience pair of eyes.

I sucked up a door mat during the recent heavy snows, and afterwards the front rake wouldn't turn when it got under a load.   First I thought I sheered the pins, but they were in tact.   So I looked and it looked like the impeller was turning fine, but the front rake shaft wasn't turning.  So, I suspected the front gear box.    So 8 hours of labor later, I'm ready to crack apart that front gear box to view the carnage inside it, and  .. well here it is...  Is it my imagination or does this thing look OK?

I've never seen a new one so I don't know what is wear and what's original.

If this looks OK.. then my only conclusion could be that what I thought was a busted gear box may well have just been belt slippage...  Although I swear the impeller was turning when the rake was stopped.

Anyone else got any better suggestions... I'm all ears.  

Thanks.
JD.

If the gear has a flat left on top, does not run to a peak, the gear is ok. Yours has the flat so should be ok. You can put it half together and turn it slowly to observe the mating depth.

If the woodruff key under the gear is ok and you have the flats then the gear should turn with the worm.

It might be possible you've made an observational error. I did. I setup a large mirror infront of the auger housing to watch the augers. The impeller was spinning very fast and the auger blades not turning. The shear pins were ok.

If the gears were good the culprit should have been the driftwood. The gearcase was opened and the gear and driftwood key was fine. I goofed on the observation. It all went back together and worked fine. I know of two other people this same thing has happened to. Since there's no spirits or black magic it must have been been an error on my part.

It could be that your belt was partly slipping, your impeller turning, but at a much less speed than it should and your blades barely moving but moving as they should - very slowly.

I was afraid someone would say that.  I'd hate to think that I tore this whole thing down for a belt, but then it makes sense given that those shear pins should have gone before any gear damage.   I took special care early in the season to make sure I had the right shear pins for that exact reason.

On the bright side, I know exactly how this bugger comes apart now.

The woodruff key (assuming your talking about the key near the impeller end of the worm shaft) is in good shape.  The only other possibility I can think of is that the pin that's holding the gear to the shaft is sheered allowing the gear to turn on the shaft.  I tested it with my hands, and the gear isn't spinning "freely" by any means.    Since I'm here -- I'm going to pound it out and take a look see.    If that's fine  -- I guess I'll put it all back together again.

I know the belt wasn't broken -- so assuming that issue is a belt slipping... Can anyone help me on how to make sure that doesn't happen.   Is it just a belt replacement -- or are there adjustments to be made.

All help GREATLY appreciated.
JD.

I think your problem is the shaft that goes in the impeller, there's a round pin that goes across that shaft, the impeller turns but not the shaft?

I would guess the groove pin on the shoulder of the gear is sheared. Otherwise looks fine on the inside.

PK

Above I was refering to the "thing" that holds on the gear.  Ariens uses a groove pin instead of a woodruff key which is what Snowmann properly called it.  The picture Dennis posted must have been too large to show the complete breakdown.  Above 5, which is cutoff, is a woodruff key for the impeller which you have now checked. 

There's a service manual at:
http://apache.ariens.com/manuals/000123A.pdf

trouts2 wrote:

Hey guys, Thanks.

Sorry for the radio silence.  I chucked it all on the garage floor and headed for sunny FLA for a week. 

The shaft key (#34) is rock solid.  In fact, It's rusted in place such that I can get it out.    As long as we're talking about the same one.   This would be the key that holds the hub that holds the belt pulley.. so that all of that assembly doesn't spin freely on the primary worm rod, true?  

What you've described is a little confusing i.e. "the key that holds the hub that holds the belt pulley".

In general helical gears are pinned or keyed in place so they can be driven by the worm and turn the auger shaft arms which have the blades bolted or fastened to them in various ways (shear pin, hinch clip, bolt).
Worms are part of the driving shaft or keyed to that shaft.
Impellers can be keyed and usually double pinned.

The main driven shaft extends back through the intake housing where it's connected to something that drives the whole assembly. That's usually a coupling to a shaft and driven pulley or directly to a driven pulley. Those are also usually keyed and or have set screws.

All the components are mated to the auger drive shaft or blade drive shaft, no components turn freely on their shafts.

The pulleys need to turn with their shafts also without slipping so get the same keys, pins or set scres to lock them in place. There's no clutch mechanisms to slip the pulleys. They are engaged usually by a tensioner pulley controlled from the handle bars.
The tensioner tightens the belt and the belt then drives the pulley on the auger drive shaft.

If all the keys, pins and set screws are in place the auger drive assembly will turn as a unit without slipping anywhere. The impeller turns usually at 1200 rpm, the blades reduced to 120 rpm.

It looks like you've checked all the keys and pins in the auger assembly and probably the key for the large drive pulley in back of the housing so all fine. If the driving pulley from the motor is ok then possibly your down to the belt slipping.

If the belt was slipping but turning the impeller at 12 rpm the auger blades would turn at 1.2 which barely moving and might not be noticed. It's easy to imagine that someone could look at the impeller and on a quick look not see the blades turning as usually with the belt slipping quite a bit.
trouts

Thanks a ton all.  

I think I was too hasty in thinking it was more serious than a belt.  All of the pieces seem to be solid, and I don't see any excessive wear.  Since I got it all apart, I'm going to clean it up, and replace the belts and such -- so that I am ready for next winter. 

I greatly appreciate all the help and advice.

JD.