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

Looking for instructions on how to change the drive disc on a toro snow thrower.  It looks like I need to take EVERYTHING apart to replace this part. 

No offense, but if you live in the north, your timing couldn't be worse. You will have to do quite a bit of disassembly to get to the part(s) that need replacing. If you have a heated garage/shed, good for you. If you're like me and have to work in an unheated garage, you have my sympathy. Try to pick a nice clear, calm day and work in the sun. Sounds like you don't have a shop manual. If you can't get one, maybe you could speak to a Toro dealer and ask to get a copy of a page from their shop manual. If not, get yourself an exploded parts diagram of the machine or similar, and pay close attention to how the parts come apart. There are a couple of real good (and experienced) people on this forum. Friiy and Trouts are two members who might have access to a Toro manual. Good luck.

it is my buddy's Toro and I have been bugging him since August to work on this thing before the weather turns.  My Ariens is ready to go for the season.  Fortunately we have a well lighted, heated, clean workshop to in which to work.  I only have a operators manual with an exploded parts diagram.  Cannot find a toro shop manual.  If anyone knows what direction in which to point me or has a manual and is willing to scan the pages. . .

I will look for a manual...

  If you start taking it apart... take a few digital pictures along the way at each step... IT could save you a whole day putting it back together..

Friiy

  In the past I could not find an online service manual at the Toro site for the 38050.  A close match is a 38080 which also has 3 forward and 2 reverse and uses seperate friction disk drive plates.  Go to the site below and it will give you several years of 38080 models.  There is a service manual which will be close/close enough to your machine. 

https://homeownersolutions.toro.com/portal/server.pt?space=CommunityPage&cached=true&parentname=CommunityPage&parentid=1&in_hi_userid=19462&control=SetCommunity&CommunityID=214&PageID=238#productDetailsPage

   The 38050 is one of the slickest machines ever made, great handling and sticks to the pavement in piles.  It's only disadvantage over a new machine is not having a lock down auger lever in sync with the drive clutch. 

Thanks, we took it apart and replaced the drive disc.  Put it all back together and. . .reverse only.  Followed the directions for adjustment with no luck.  It seems as if there is considerable play in the drive assembly.  This transmission has the drive disc rolling on the face of a pulley driven by the belt off the motor and connected to a drive wheel for reverse gears by a drive shaft.  The play is front to back.  There is a part called the srive shaft spacer (part number 26-6370 ) that seems considerably worn and allows the front to back play.  If I could replace that part, I believe everything would make contact as it should.  The part is discontinued.

Do any of you know what I am talking about?  Does it make sense?  Know of an aftermarket/universal spacer?  Could I replace said spacer with a series of washers?

What you have said makes sense given the worn spacer. Usually drive problems that can not be adjusted out happen from slop somewhere in the assembly that moves the friction disk up like the supports for the pivot shaft, bearings for the hex shaft or the friction disk support. You could search around for a similar spacer but washers should work, could probably find thrust washers at a hardware store. A long shot to check is that the reverse drive plate is pinned to the right spot, that it has not shifted and now rust frozen on. You have probably checked the other thrust washers by the bearing. Since you have everything disassembled it would be a good time to change out the axle bearing (31). They are a common wear part and given the age of the machine it is probably ready.

a local Toro guy had a spacer on the shelf (imagine that) for $7.  After replacing the spacer, there was still a bit if wiggle in the drive shaft.  It appears that having had some amount of wiggle in the shaft caused the bolt that goes through the rear plate and drive shaft (to position the rear plate) to 'keyhole' the bolt hole.  Added 1 washer to the whole thing, there is now little to no back and forth play and the transmission is back in action.  The repair manual to which you sent me a link was helpful.  Glad to have a copy of that!  If and when this fix fails, we'll replace that drive assembly (pulley-drive shaft-reverse plate).  Thanks all for the help.

Dan 

Good going kdez! At $82.00/hr., Just think of how much money you saved.

more than that, I just love doing this type of work.  I am trying to convince my buddy to go with the clarence impeller kit. . .it really made a difference with my Ariens.  We had snow last night, but no accumulation on the driveway.  Damn!