nerys

I found a little more information. (maybe you guys can help me ID the unit and where to get parts???)

There is a little sticker/plate thing on the back with a serial number. its white with black letters and black border and says exactly this

SER NO. 10ML35-
MFG. BY
ARIENS CO. BRILLION, WISC. U.S.A.

below and right of that is an orange sticker that says

MFG. AND LICENSED UNDER
U.S. PATENT NOS. 2,696,125
2,731,886 & 2,954,704

OTHER PATENTS PENDING (A)

the (A) is a A in a CIRCLE.

I also have some pictures I took (not the greatest cell phone shots when I left for work this morning)

http://www.mylittlemouse.com/Ariens_Snow_Blower

so the shot I took of the NUT on the outside of the housing. are you saying if the shear pins go THAT NUT will be spinning and the auger won't be? (I never actually looked to see if that nut ever spins)

I am having the same problem. I AM NOT fully clear on what your talking about checking.

it SEEMS (CORRECT me if I am wrong here) that you are saying that ok some direction.

lets call front to back Y axis along the auger (left to right) X axis and vertically Z axis.

SO inside my unit is a high speed spinning paddle thing (blower?) that ejects the snow. this has a Y axis shaft coming out of to the some "gizmo" at the auger (differential??)

the "auger halves" exit this differential.

are you saying that the auger is NOT spinning. that a SHAFT INSIDE the auger is spinning and there are shear pins connected between this internal shaft and the auger "tube" on the X axis?

if that is how I undersatand this those STUBS I see at the end of the auger X axis shat are NOT the auger but the auger shaft INSIDE the auger tube?

SO let the unit JAM and see of those stubs are still spinning?

YES equals sheer pins (fingers crossed PRAYS thats it)
NO equals Differential hosed.

GOD I hope its sheer pins I LOVE this machine so much :-)

How do I determine WHICH machine I have?

I am 99% certain its THIS machine

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/grd/2177223494.html

but the engine looks different. (mine has a metal tank and less "stuff" on it. but otherwise looks identical to mine.

where do I get parts? how hard is it to change the differential?

yesterday I ate a newspaper. jammed in the blower. took 1.5 hours to get it out :-) seemed fine.

today I snagged a branch (15 inches of snow it was invisible)

BENT the auger blade "tip" so it "hit" the auger housing stopped it cold. I bent it back it started up fine I used it for 5+ hours no issues at the VERY END my last stretch of sidewalk (I do the whole neighborhood criminal to make them shovel if I have a machine) it kept getting stuck and I finally peered over and notice the auger not spinning but everything else was. turned if off tried to spin the auger I was able to make it go in "reverse" and it did move the blower as I did this. started it up its fine. stopped again. bounched the machine a little auger was spinning again. let it run for a while seemed fine as soon as the auger encounters real resistance it stops again.

REALLY hoping its sheer pins :-)