Snowblower: Can't Adjust Chute

The gears rotate the chute in the direction you want to blow the snow. Remove the screws securing the lever to the control handle. Then separate the two halves and remove the cable. Next, remove the rod from the gear box by pulling the pins. Take out the bolts and pins securing the gear box to the gear box support bracket. Now you can turn the input of the gear box to see if the gears spin freely, if not, the gear box will need to be replaced. Once you have a new gear box in place, install the nuts and pins that will secure it to the bracket. Reconnect the cable to the handle and secure the two halves together. Slide over the control lever and tighten the screws. Make sure the chute control rod coupler is facing straight up with the chute facing forward, make sure the lever is in the 1 o’clock position then reinstall the control rod and pins.

The pivot bracket on your snow blower secures the cable in place, and allows the cable to pivot. If the bracket breaks you will need to replace it. This repair will vary depend on your exact model, but it should be similar to the process we have outlined here. Start by removing the deflector bracket on the top part of the chute, and use pliers to depress the tabs on the cable you want to replace. Once that has been done, you should be able to pull the pivot bracket out of the snow blower. Reinstall the cables onto the new pivot bracket then reinstall the pivot back into the deflector bracket. If you notice that there is a broken bracket inside the cable control box, remove the screws securing the lever to the control handle, and pull the handle off the lever. Take the cable control box off the handle. Loosen and remove the bolt securing the grounding wire. Remove the control housing from the console. Separate the two halves of the unit. Then remove the pinion gear, gear shaft, and washer. Once that has been done you should be able to slide the bevel gear free. Loosen and remove the nut holding the control lever in place, and lift the control lever assembly free from the unit. Remove the pivot plate, and detach the cable from the pivot bracket that you are replacing. Depress the retaining tab on both cables to free it from the housing. Install the new pivot bracket and reattach the pivot plate, then slide the control lever bolt through the pivot plate and housing. Reattach the ground wire to the bolt and fasten the nut down, in order to secure the control handle. Properly position the control lever, and reinstall the bevel gear with the teeth facing away from the control lever. Reinstall the washer and realign the lower washer back into the housing, apply some white grease if necessary. Make sure you align the mark on the pinion gear with the one on the bevel gear. Rotate the bevel gear down until the pinion gear is seated in the housing. Be careful not to rotate the pinion gear, as these two marks must stay aligned. Reattach the two halves of the control box. Reattach the control housing into the console, reattach the ground wire. Place the handle back onto the control lever.

The retainer rings are what the chute pivots on. They allow the cute to move/rotate with ease. The retainer rings will feature built-in teeth that rotate the chute if your unit does not have a gear box. These parts are made of plastic, so over time and with extended use they will wear out. When they wear out, your chute won't move. To replace retainer rings, you will have to remove the chute. You do this by removing the bolts on the chute, and then removing the bolts that secure the mounting plate to the unit. The lower retaining ring slides in and out of the plate for removal. Install the new lower ring then install the new upper ring, and bolt them together onto the chute. Bolt the chute assembly back onto the snow blower, making sure that the chute is centered when the gear is centered.

The four-way cable moves the deflector on top of the chute. If it is not working then the cables will need to be replaced. Remove the rod going to the gear box by pulling the pins out. Once the pins are out you should be able to slide the rod out and remove it from your snow blower. Now you can take the deflector bracket off the chute. Use pliers to depress the tabs on the cable you want to replace. Pull out the pivot and remove the cable. Remove the plastic retainer securing the two cables together. Tip the snow blower forward onto the auger housing. Remove the screws that secure the lever to the control handle, and pull the handle free of lever. Next, remove the cable control box on the handle. Remove the bolt securing the grounding wire, and lift the control housing out of the console. Separate the two halves of the control housing. Remove the pinion gear and gear shaft, then slide the bevel gear free. You also need to remove the control lever. To do so you will need to loosen and remove the nut holding it in place. Lift the control lever assembly free from the unit. Remove the pivot plate and detach the cable from the pivot bracket that you are replacing. Depress the retaining tab on the cable you are replacing to free it from the housing. Install the new cable by sliding it into the control housing and reattaching it to the pivot bracket. Reattach the pivot plate then slide the control lever bolt through the pivot plate and housing. The grounding wire to the bolt will need to be threaded back into place, and fasten the nut down to secure the control handle. Properly position the control lever and reinstall the bevel gear with the teeth facing away from the control lever. Reinstall the washer then realign the lower washer back into the housing – apply some white grease if necessary. Align the mark on the pinion gear with the one on the bevel gear. Then, rotate the bevel gear down till the pinion gear is seated in the housing being careful not to rotate the pinion gear. Please note, these 2 marks must stay aligned. Reattach the two halves of the control box. Reattach the control housing into the console, and secure the ground wire into place. Reattach the handle onto the control lever. Carefully put the snow blower back onto its wheels. Feed the new cable through the cable retainer and insert the cable into the pivot, and snap it down into place. Reinstall the pivot into the mounting bracket and snap the cable back into the bracket. Reinstall the bolts on the deflector. The chute control rod coupler should be facing straight up, the chute facing forward, and the lever should be in the 1 o’clock position. Once everything is lined up properly, reinstall the control rod and pins.

The chute launches the snow in the direction of your choosing. You use the controls on your snow blower to set the direction. If the chute will not move, it may need to be replaced. Remove the rod going to the gear box by pulling the pins out. After the pins are out you should be able pull the rod out of the gear box. Remove the deflector on the top of the chute. Remove the gear box nuts and pins securing it to the gear box support bracket. You can then lift the gear box off the snow blower, set it aside, and check that the chute moves freely by hand. Inspect the inside where the gear box output gear connects into the chute for wear. If output gear spins freely inside the chute, that is a sign that it is worn out and will need to be replaced. Simply replace it with a new chute, then reinstall the gear box onto the bracket, securing it with the bolts and pins. Reattach the deflector on the new chute. During assembly, you will need to make sure the chute control rod coupler is facing straight up, that the chute is facing forward, and that the lever is in the 1 o’clock position. Once you have double checked that you can then reinstall the control rod and pins.