grapeape

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to say thanks so much for all the ideas.
So here is an update.  (we are under a ton of ice now, so Mr. Toro he don't uh work so well)

With the help of a friend we used the following tools
buckets of boiling water
drywall saw
Drill
kitchen knives
hammer
pliers

Tried the water, and just couldn't get it to come free, but it did end up hardening the whole thing up which was good as it became so hard that all the above tools worked.

Used the knife and hit the hammer so the knife went into the blockage and kept moving that around to make mini tunnels.  Drilled holes as best I could to make more tunnels.
The pliers were used by my friend to pull off the loose items, and the drywall saw was used on each side to move in closer.  Periodically we started it up and engaged the blower for like 1/100 of a second to see if any movement.
No movement, this isn't working, then the problem is spotted the hardest piece of all, felt like concrete lower left part of the auger more sawing and knifing into it and wow, a huge chunk breaks free.    We both say its time to try to start and engage it again.   Start it up and engage and BLAUGH..................................  newspaper everywhere.   It's free.

Then the ice storm  lol.

Thank you so much for all of your advice, I didn't have a wrench for the spark plug so it stayed in, but I used all the other ideas.

Thank you Shryp,   hope we get more snow,  the idea about the tank is a great one.

I forgot to add something which I think is funny to this story.

The first time I did this guys house (actually his parents house he's late 30's back living at home again or maybe early 40's.

Anyway he shook my hand and was happy I was doing it, and asked me if I wanted a beer, I told him that I had a machine to fix my back and alcohol interfered with the machine and the chemicals in the machine so I'd pass and he said how about a coke.   Now I'm losing weight, but at that time and place, a coke sounds incredible and I was like ya, that would hit the spot totally.    He comes back and says all we have is diet, here you go.

Man to get in your head you are going to have something and get your mouth watering for it, and then be brought something different, really bites  lol.

Going to go tomorrow and work on it, got down to 3 degrees tonight and even in a heated garage, it was still cold (a breeze coming from under the door  (something rubber needs to be replaced, but I can't figure it out and how to put it on)
Thank you again for all the replies, it does make me happy to think that I can help someone at something. 

Sometimes I feel like I'm the big dog as I go by with my big snowblower and people have this little teeny thing which looks like it would do 6" at a time and you have to go very slow lol.  I tell them to hold on and I'll have it done in a few minutes and they can go in and be with their families,  but maybe they like doing it also.    I just haven't found people who enjoy snow blowing,  maybe if it was a forced job everyday, I might feel different, but as it is now, if it snowed 10 days in a row, 10 days I'd be out doing this,   gotta figure out a way to bring gas with me though.  When I get close to out, I have to walk 1/2 mile back to my house to get gas and then use up 1/2 mile of gas going to the last place I was at and the same amount heading back.     Maybe start off at the furthest house and end up with houses closer to me. 


I wonder all of you who have answered.  If you were out doing people's driveways and such and never even got a thank you when the family was at home, would you keep doing it as you do it to help others and you are still helping by doing it, or is it inappropriate and or selfish to want to have someone out of the lot say thanks, nice job, or anything.     We are on assistance and even the money for gas on the blower is tough for us, but the enjoyment is like my chance to go to the movie or out to dinner (we can't really afford either)    Sometime it would be nice even if they didn't offer any money to say hey can I fill that tank up for you (I think it holds like 1/3 gallon or maybe 1/4 but it's small,  appears to do 5 driveways before needing to be refilled.

Just wondered our opinions.

Take care.

Hello,

Thanks for all the replies, its so nice to know that people care.

I don't know what to say about the guy who didn't come down, I don't like to judge.   Not sure if this makes a difference or not, but no one in the neighborhood asks me to do this, I just go from house to house until my back gives out, or I run out of gas, and then stop (in the gas case I walk back to the house with the machine and gas it up (so it's the same length walk back with the machine running,  It seems counterproductive, but I dont have a vehicle to push or pull it in)   anyway since no one is asking me to do this, I feel kinda left out in the cold  (oh  bad pun  LOL) about if they should do anything,  they are probably mad as all the paper which I couldn't pick up (I got most of it, and put it on his doorstep as he didn't even bring out a trashcan or offer to help pick it up)

Machine has been in a heated garage all night and hoping that all these ideas will help now that everything has dried up. 

To the poster about the spark plug  thank you so much,  I don't however have any tools like that,  I just have a few screwdrivers and a few wrenches (very small ones).

I'm a computer nerd and can fix that stuff just fine, machines, not so much. 



I will take pictures if it gets fixed as I think that all of you who invested your time answering my problem would be interested to know how it all came out. 
Oh, BTW one guy yesterday offered me some cash,  it actually looked to be a good bit with a five on the outside (could have been all ones under it, but I bet it was like $15)  I turned it down, but it was cool to offer.  One guy in the neighborhood told me to stop he didn't want me doing his driveway and I said I don't charge nor do I accept any tips, he still said leave.   That was last year, and I see him with one of those little tiny snow blowers this year and it takes him 40 minutes or more to do a small driveway, I still offer to do his as this workhorse can do it in hardly any time  (well it could do it  lol)

Anyway,  thanks so much again.     Going out there with the boiling water and a fashioned coat hanger to see what's up.

Thank you for all the messages,  I brought it inside the garage and will douse it in boiling water.

To the poster about the sparkplug, I wouldn't have a clue how to take the plug out.


The last poster.   I have all kinds of back problems, and I do everyone's driveway in the neighborhood because I want to help and it doesn't really hurt (until I'm done, then it hurts badly)   the guy who's driveway I got stuck in knew about my back problem and saw me with the machine turned upside down in his driveway and he said "howdy neighbor, hows it going"  I said crappy, and he said well that's good  and moved on about his business.

The nice part of me which does all these driveways for no pay (not even if offered) says keep doing his driveway as you are doing it to be nice, the other part of me says, don't do it anymore as he didn't even offer to help you fix it. 

I thought by removing the chute I could have access to that auger and be able to help unwind stuff that way.   Thank you for all the replies, I will get to work on it tonight.



Take care.