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

Hi,

My first post here. I have an Ariens ST824E. The snow blower started out stuttering meaning the it jerked ahead and stopped and jerked ahead and stopped. The only gear that I could get it to go in is the fastest forward gear and it would only jump ahead and stop and jump ahead and stop. It won't go anywhere in any of the other gears. In the fastest gear I have to give it a push even to get the drive wheels to even start to try to move. I've adjusted the transmission tensioner at the bottom left of the snow thrower to the point where I've even taken it all the way in where it is so tight that that you can't even push it when the transmission clutch handle is disengaged ( i.e. not holding it in). I've taken tha bottom pan off and everything looks ok. The friction wheel moves freely across the friction pad. It almost seems like that when the friction pad meets the friction wheel under load that it slips. The friction wheel appears to have plenty of rubber on it.  Does the friction disc have any vertical up and down movement associated with it when someone holds the transmission handle in on the left handlebar. I would think that it should move up and down on a shaft to meet the friction wheel. When I adjust the transmission cable on the bottom left you can see that the friction pad moves ever so slightly.

So I'm thinking that there is some sort of slippage going on because of the no drive or jumpiness of the drive in the fast gear.

Is it possible for the friction disk to slip because of a loose belt? Does the belt get adjusted such that there is no chance of the friction disc slipping when it touches the friction wheel. The friction disc has a little rubber on it but overall it isn't greasy or dirty.

I figured that I would try to fix it before giving up and taking it somewhere.

Thanks in advanced for any help.

wayne

Snowmann wrote:
The Model number is a 924108. Its also has the ST824LE up near the handlebars.

I've had it about 11 years. It was in for service two years ago for this same sort of thing if I remember correctly.

I was trying to figure it out last night also. I put some WD40 on the Friction Disc and tried to work it up and down to get it to move a little better. That seemed to help.
I adjusted the Tension on it per the instructions. It still would go forward somewhat and stutter and if I tried to go forward into some snow the tires just stopped dead and wouldn't go any further.
I cranked down on the tensioner a little more and that didn't do anything for it. I actually tipped it up and engaged the handle to watch the friction disc engage the friction wheel and the tires would spin freely when up in the air but I could grab the
tires and make them stop even though the friction disc would continue to spin. The friction wheel would just sit there and spin sometimes and then I could stop it. I'm not sure if it is the friction wheel or if something has broken on the chain shaft such that when the friction wheel turns the drive chain and shaft something is broke in there or slipping. I've cleaned both the friction disc and wheel with water and a little scrubbing. I'm thinking about replacing the friction wheel and see what that does but I don't think that is it because of the slippage going on. I don't think there is any slippage on the belt or friction disc because those keep spinning when I grab the tires by hand and stop them.

Really strange.

Thanks for any help or suggestions.

wayne

After you wd 40 and used water on the disc and wheel,did you spray it off with a brake cleaner?I know that moisture and oils will make them slip.I was having problems with a friction wheel also,i changed it and all is now fine.I would spray with brake cleaner first.Hope this is usefull.

donjag wrote:

Thanks for your reply. I took a real close look at the friction wheel. Even though it had rubber left on the wheel with no visible misssing pieces or chunks. I rotated it slowly and it appeard to be somewhat out of round.

The chain was also a little loose. I adjusted the idler cam and tightened the chain. I also bought a new friction wheel. After that everything is working great. It was nice to be able to hear what other people have to say and their ideas.

I really like this forum. Thanks again.

wayne