Snowblower: Auger or Blower Won't Engage

The bearings allow the auger shaft to rotate freely within your snow blower. If a bearing starts to bind, it will not allow the shaft to rotate, and it will need to be replaced before you can operate the machine. To replace a bearing, you’re going to need to remove the auger from the auger housing. Start this process by removing the belt cover and then the belt from the auger drive pulley. You can do this by slowly rolling the belt off. Release the tension off the drive wheel pulley and slide the belt off. You will need to loosen and remove the bolts that hold down the front roller bracket. Once the bolts and the bracket are removed, set them aside. Then, you’ll need to remove the auger drive spring from the idler pulley bracket. Now you will need to separate the auger housing from the snow blower. You do this by removing the bolts that hold them together. Once the two halves are separated, you can rest the back part on the handles. Use a piece of wood to secure the impeller, which will prevent any movement as you loosen the bolts securing the auger drive pulley. Remove the washer with the pulley and the hub. Remove the bolts securing the gear box to the support bracket. Remove the bolts the secure the bearing holders on the auger shaft. You should now be able to safely lift pull the auger assembly out of the auger housing. To replace the rear auger house bearing you need to remove the locking nuts on the bearing retainer, then remove the retainer and pull off the old bearing. Next, install the new auger housing bearing and reinstall the retainer and locking nuts. You will then need to remove the bearing holder with the bearings on the ends of the shaft, and install new bearings. Now you can slide the auger assembly back into the auger housing, making sure that you align the rear shaft with the rear bearing. Reinstall the bolts and bearing holders. Reinstall the pulley hub and the drive pulley and tighten down the bolt with the washer. While you’re doing that, you should secure the impeller with a piece of wood. This will prevent it from moving while you are tightening the bolts. You should now reattach the two halves of snow bower, and fasten the bolts. Hook the auger drive cable spring into the idler pulley bracket. Next attach the front roller bracket back onto the frame. Feed both belts back onto the engine drive pulleys, re-engaging the tensioner on the drive wheel belt. To finish this repair job, simply re-install the belt cover.

The auger belt drives the auger. As the auger turns, it pushes the snow into the impeller for discharge out the chute. If this belt breaks, then the blower and auger will not rotate. If it is stretched or worn out it will start to slip and will not rotate the auger and the blower, especially under a heavier snow load. If the belt on your snow blower is stretched, worn out, or broken, it will need to be replaced. Having a belt that is in working order ensures optimal performance. To replace the auger belt you’ll need to remove the belt cover. Then, carefully roll the auger belt off the front engine pulley. To access the transmission, you’ll need to tilt the snow blower up, or lean it on its side, and remove the plate covering the transmission. Next, loosen and remove the shoulder screw, which helps hold the belt on the auger pulley. Disengage the auger brake bracket spring from the frame and position a clamp on the drive lever to hold it down to the handle bar. Now you should be able to remove the old auger belt. Once it is out of the way it is time to install the new auger belt around the auger pulley and up into the slot for the drive pulley. Then you’ll need to put the shoulder screw back into place and reattach the auger spring to the brake bracket. Now you can remove the clamp from the handle. The transmission cover will need to be replaced before you move the snow blower back into an upright position. To finish this repair, roll the auger belt onto the drive pulley and under the tensioner, and reinstall the belt cover.

Snow blower gears run off the drive shaft and transmit power to both augers in your machine. If you can hear a grinding noise coming from the gear box, this is a good indicator it is malfunctioning. If you can feel it jumping teeth, that is a clear indication you have a problem. The most common symptom is that the auger and blower will remain stationary. If you notice that happening, it is time to replace the gear box. The process for doing that is similar for all snow blowers, there will be slight differences depending on your exact model. First, you’ll want to remove the belt cover. Once that is out of the way you need to remove the auger belt from the drive pulley. You do this by rolling the belt off the pulley. You should then release the tension on the drive wheel pulley and remove the belt. Remove and set aside the front roller bracket and the blots used to secure it. Remove the auger drive spring from the idler pulley bracket. Next, remove all the bolts that attach the auger housing to the snow blower. Separate the two halves of the snow blower, and carefully rest the back part on the handles. It is important to secure the impeller with a piece of wood, as it will help prevent any movement as you loosen and remove the bolts securing the auger drive pulley. Next, remove the washer and pulley with the hub. Loosen and remove the bolts securing the gear box to the support bracket. Remove the bolts that secure the bearing holders on the auger drive shaft. Now you should be able to safely lift the auger assembly out of the unit. Remove the bearing, bearing holder, washer, and spacer. You will also need to remove the shear pins holding the augers on, this will allow you to pull off the blades. Remove the pin that holds the impeller in place and remove the impeller. Transfer the impeller and auger blades onto the new gear box assembly. Secure the blades by inserting the shear pins. Reinstall the bearing holders, bearings, washers, and spacers. Carefully place the auger assembly back into the auger housing, aligning the rear shaft with the bearing. Thread the bolts into place, securing the bearing holders. Reinstall the pulley hub and the drive pulley with the washer and bolt. Again, you’ll want to secure the impeller with a piece of wood while you tighten the bolt. It is now time to reattach the two halves of snow bower, and fasten the bolts tight and make sure all the connections are secure. Reattach the chute onto the chute adapter and then the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Next reattach the front roller bracket to the frame. Finally, feed the belts back onto the engine drive pulleys, reapply tension to the drive wheel belt, and reinstall the belt cover.

The shear pins are designed to break off if you hit something solid like a rock or a chunk of ice. They do this to prevent major damage to your auger and drive system. These pins can easily be replaced with ones recommended by the manufacturer of your machine. Line up the hole on the auger with the hole on the drive shaft. To do this, simply spin the auger around until they line up. Once you have them in place, insert a new shear pin with the cotter pin.

Pulleys and belts work together to transfer power. One pulley is mounted to a drive shaft and connected to other pulleys with a belt. If a pulley becomes worn on the inside or starts to bind, the blower might not engage. You can spin the pulley to check for roughness. If your pulley is not spinning properly, or you notice damage to the inside of your belt, then that suggests it is time to replace the pulley. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get a good look at the pulleys until you take the snow blower apart. To access and replace the auger pulley, start by removing the belt cover. Then remove the belt from the auger drive pulley by rolling it off. Release the tension on the tensioner for the drive wheel belt and pull the belt aside. Remove the front roller bracket and the bolts holding it in place, set the bracket aside. The auger drive spring will need to be unhooked from the idler pulley bracket. Loosen and remove the bolts that attach the auger housing to the snow blower. Separate the two halves of your machine, lay the back half of the snow blower down, allowing it to rest on the handles. Now that you have access to the pulley, inspect it and determine if it needs replacement. Secure the impeller with a piece of wood; this will help lock the impeller in place and limit movement as you loosen the bolts that secure the auger drive pulley. You can now remove the pulley, making sure you remove the washer at the same time. Now you can install the new pulley with the washer. Again, make sure you secure the impeller with a piece of wood as you tighten the bolt. Reattach the two halves of the snow bower and tighten the bolts that hold it together. Reattach the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Next, reattach the front roller bracket to the frame. Feed the belts back onto the engine drive pulleys, remembering to reapply tension to the drive wheel belt. It is now time to reinstall the belt cover. Remember to grease any grease fittings before using your snow blower. If you need to replace the auger and drive wheel pulley, remove the belt cover and roll the auger belt off the auger pulley. Release the tension on the drive wheel pulley and remove the belts. Inspect the pulleys for damage, and look to see if they are concaved on the inside. If you determine they need replacement, you should use a socket wrench and a pipe wrench to remove the washers and drive pulleys. First dismantle the auger pulley and remove it, and then dismantle the drive pulley and remove that. Replace with new pulleys and reassemble your snow blower following the same instructions outlined above.

The extension spring is what keeps tension on the idler pulley during operation. If there is no tension, or very little tension on the idler pulley, it can cause the belt to jump around on the pulleys, which causes vibration. Over time your extension spring may lose elasticity; if your spring is worn out we recommend replacing it. To access and inspect your extension spring tilt the snow blower upwards and remove the transmission cover. Locate the extension spring. It will be the one hooked onto the frame and attached to the idler pulley. Check it for tension to see how much tension it is putting on the belt. On an older machine, if it is rusty and corroded, it may have lost some of its strength and should be replaced as part of routine maintenance. These can be a bit tricky to remove on some models, due to the lack of space. The easiest way to remove it is by using pliers, or you can tie a string around the end of the spring and pull the spring off. You’ll reattach new spring in the same way. Once the new spring is in place you’ll need to reinstall the transmission cover and put the snow blower back onto its wheels.

If your cable is stretched, it may not be applying enough force to the idler pulley. This will cause the belt to slip, especially under a load, and the blower/augers will not move, or they will move very slowly. If you are noticing this symptom, you should inspect the cable on your snow blower. To do that, you will need to remove the belt cover. Once that is out of the way, move the cable and check the tension on the belt. If the tension is weak, you may need a new cable. This process may vary depending on the exact model you have, but the repair should be similar to what is outlined here. You need to start by removing the belt cover. Loosen the bolts on the rear roller adjustment bracket, remove only the top bolt, and remove the bracket. Next, you’ll need to remove the roller bolt and roller from the cable. The front roller bracket and the bolt securing the roller will also need to be removed and set aside. At this stage, you should be able to remove the roller and cable. The spring end of the drive cable should be taken off the auger idler pulley bracket. Remove the Z end from the handle, and now you should be able to easily remove the old cable. Thread the Z end of the new cable into the handle. Slide the rear cable roller and roller bolt back into the bracket. Make sure the cable is aligned properly onto the roller. Reattach the alignment bracket to the frame and tighten the bolts. The spring end of the cable will need to be attached to the auger idler pulley bracket. Slide the front roller back onto the bolt, and tighten the bolt into place on the bracket. Reattach the front bracket to the frame and secure it into place. The tension on the belt can be adjusted by repositioning the rear adjustment bracket. Finally, you will need to reinstall the belt cover.