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

I have a 1995 Ariens 932027 (ST724) snow blower that is frequently having the drive belt fall off. I tried replacing the belt, but that has not helped. The idler pulley seems to keep adequate tension on the belt. I have noticed some play in the drive plate that I am guessing is the problem. It seems that the drive plate may wobble with the pressure of the friction wheel, causing the belt to fall off. It was extremely frustrating to have to reattach the belt about 10 times while clearing the more than one foot of snow from last Wednesday's nor'easter. Any ideas on what might be causing this problem and how to resolve it?

I don't think I have ever seen a drive belt with fingers.  Those usually hold the auger belt on when the handle is released.  I would check for something loose or bent.  Is the spring still attached to the idler arm?  I suppose the bearings in the drive plate assembly could be worn pretty bad or maybe something just worked itself loose.  If you can't figure it out maybe try running it with the cover off and see if you or someone else can see anything.  Does it come off just driving it around or only when throwing snow?  You could try driving circles around the drive while someone else watches the belts.

I have been taking things apart this morning to get at the shaft for the friction drive. There is definitely movement between the shaft and the bushing. I think I will go take the shaft and bushing to the local Ariens dealer to see if they agree and have the replacement parts. I have the parts manual for accurate parts numbers. Thanks, Bill