RalphS

I picked up one of these leaf shredder attachments a few years ago.  It had never been used.  I also got a package of the vented bags, never opened. 
I still haven't attached it to one of my tractor units.  One of these days I may get around to using it, but with enough land to dump all my leaves, perhaps not for a while. 

I know of one person that shut engine off before (stupidly) sticking his hand into the impeller chute to remove something.  I don't know where the energy was stored (perhaps a belt still under tension?), but once whatever it was came free, the impeller rotated just a little bit and almost took his thumb off.  He had to drag the snowblower with him back to the house because his hand was stuck and his wife couldn't hear him yelling. 
I would go one step further and just make sure the belts seemed without tension.  You can't be too safe when your digits are on the chopping block. 
Burning out the offending part might make it smell bad, but not necessarily a bad idea.  If you can get a blade in there, all the better.  Perhaps heating it up might help the cutting. 
Good Luck.
Ralph

Dan-

I searched for some of my previous posts and this is still there:

These are the instructions from the Ariens manual.  The part descriptions are kind of vague, but once you get into things, you should be able to figure it out.  The item descriptions in the instructions from Ariens don’t necessarily match the item descriptions in the exploded parts view, so that’s really what took the longest the first time I did this. 

Anyway, I’ve added a few of my comments where I remembered them.  It’s been a while since I replaced the disk on my SnoThro, so I can’t offer much more detail than what I have already added.  I used a general purpose Moly/Lithium grease for the sliding surfaces.  “Left” and “right” refer to the machine as if you were operating it. 

 

1. Disconnect spark plug. 
2. I tilted my SnoThro forward for easier access, this may or may not work for you, depending on how much gas is in the tank. 
3. Remove bottom cover (two screws on the back come all the way out; two screws on the bottom have “keyhole” slots, just loosen these two).
4. Shift to second speed.
5. Remove the cotter pin and washer from the “shift connecting link” (this is the short link indirectly attached to the shift lever).
6. On the right-hand side, remove the two screws that secure the shift lever bracket to the frame, then remove the bracket from the frame.  Just let it hang out of the way. 
7. Remove the master link from the drive chain (this can be messy and a pain, try to set the chain so that the link is easily accessible.  Remove the chain.  It wasn’t easy getting back on in my situation. 
8. Remove the cotter pin from the right and left side “connecting brackets”.  These are short rods on either side of the machine.  These brackets will just hang down. 
9. Remove the cotter pin from the “fork shaft”.  This cotter pin is located on the left side of the machine- it should be visible just above the adjustment mechanism and below the left handlebar. 
10. Slide fork shaft to the left side of the frame (be careful not to slide fork shaft beyond bracket assembly) until the whole drive wheel assembly can rotate down and towards you. 
11. Hold the hex shaft in place with a wrench, then remove the five screws from the friction wheel hub. 
12. Hold the hex shaft again, then remove the hex nut from the right side of the hex shaft. 
13. Remove the four lock nuts from the bearing flange left side (these are the four locknuts near the chain side of the machine). 
14. Pull hex shaft to the left and remove friction wheel and friction wheel hub. 
15. You could also inspect the bearings inside both the left and right side bearing flanges at this point also.  Mine were a little loose three years ago, but I didn’t have opportunity at the time to replace them.  They seem to still be fine. 

 

Reassembly is basically the opposite.  Ensure that BOTH right and left connecting brackets are in position when you rotate the drive wheel assembly back into place. 

It probably wouldn’t hurt to clean the metal driven surface with some alcohol to remove any grease while you’re in there. 

I lightly greased the sliding shaft parts while apart.  Wipe off any excess before reassembly. 

I also wiped some grease onto the chain (on the inside, where the sprockets contact the chain). 

As I mentioned, some of the descriptions are vague (along with my recollection), but this is my post from January of 2005.  If you need any more help, don't hesitate to post again.  As I mentioned before, I can send you the manual pages, but they really don't help much more. 

Good Luck.

Ralph

Dan-

What aluminum bearing housing are you referring to?  Is it one of the housings at either end of the auger shaft?  That's not too hard to change.  My 1974 has had a crack in one of the "ears" on this housing for as long as I have owned it (three years), and it doesn't appear to be going anywhere (yet). 

If it's the 90 degree right angle drive from impeller to augers, that's a different story.  You might be better off even getting a used housing from a "throwaway" at the side of the road or at dealer if possible. 

The complexity of changing the drive disk depends greatly on the age of your machine.  My 1974 takes about 45min to an hour (first time took two hours because the part names in the instructions do not exactly match the descriptions in the parts list or parts radar).  My 1988 takes about ten minutes. 

I don't have high speed access at home to see what your model number looks like, but I will check tomorrow at work (at lunchtime of course). 

I wrote up a procedure for my 1974 several months ago, if your machine is of that era, I will gladly find it and repost. 

Good luck and keep us posted,

Ralph

Like 70Chevrolet said.  Duplicolor Spray paint is a very close match.  I used it on my 1988 that I gave to my father in law.  I think it's called Chevy orange. 

I also put a coat of clear over the paint to make it shine more.

Best of luck,

Ralph