Snowblower: One or Both Augers Don't Rotate

Bearings allow a shaft to easily rotate inside your snow blower. Over time and with extended use bearings will wear out. This may impact the operation of a shaft, causing it to start binding, vibrating, or wobbling. In some cases, faulty bearings will prevent the shaft from rotating at all. Check for overheating, as heat will damage bearings. High-pitched squealing from a bearing indicates a bearing has failed. If your snow blower has any of these symptoms, it is likely time to replace that bearing. To start this repair, begin by removing the belt cover, and the auger belt from the auger drive pulley. Remove the bolts fastening down the front roller bracket, and remove the bracket. Disconnect the auger drive spring from the idler pulley bracket. Next, remove the bolts that attach the auger housing to the snow blower. This will let you separate the two halves. Once you have the snow blower separated, you can rest the back-half on the handles. Secure the impeller using a piece of wood, which will stop the impeller from moving while you are loosening bolts and removing the auger drive pulley. Remove the washer with the pulley and the hub. Loosen and remove the bolts that hold the gear box in place on the support bracket. Remove the bolts that secure the bearing holders on the auger drive shaft. Carefully pull the auger assembly out of the auger housing. To replace the rear auger bearing you will need to remove the locking nuts on the bearing retainer, then remove the retainer, and pull off the old bearing. Install the new auger housing bearing, reinstall the retainer, and the locking nuts. To replace the bearings on the auger, remove the bearing holder with the bearing, washer, and spacer. Install new bearings. Once you have replaced the faulty bearing, you can slide the auger assembly back into the auger housing. Make sure that the rear shaft is aligned with the bearing. Once the auger is back into the proper position you can reinstall the bolts and bearing holders. Reinstall the pulley hub and the drive pulley, and while you are doing this, secure the impeller with a piece of wood again. Reconnect the two halves of the snow bower and fasten the bolts. Hook the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Reattach the front roller bracket to the frame, and feed the belt back onto the engine drive pulley. Once that is complete you can reinstall the belt cover.

The auger belt is what drives the auger in your snow blower. As the auger rotates, it lifts snow off the ground and forces it into the impeller for discharge. If the auger is not rotating, your machine will fail to remove snow off the pavement. If the auger belt breaks or stretches it will slip, and it will not rotate the auger. To replace the auger belt in your snow blower you will need to remove the belt cover. Slowly roll the auger belt off the front engine pulley. You will need access to the transmission, so tip your snow blower forward, letting it rest on the auger housing. Remove the plate covering the transmission. Next, loosen and remove the shoulder screw, which is a belt keeper on the auger pulley. Disconnect the auger spring from the brake bracket. Put a clamp on the drive lever to hold it down, this will make it easier to remove the old auger belt. Once you have the old auger belt out, you can install a new one around the auger pulley and housing. Once it is in place, reinstall the shoulder screw. Hook the auger spring back into the brake bracket, and reinstall the transmission cover. Carefully tip the snow blower back into the upright position. Roll the auger belt onto the drive pulley, and reinstall the belt cover.

The gears run off the drive shaft in your snow blower. They transmit power to both augers. If your belts are operating fine, and the shear pins are intact, that indicates you may have damage inside the gear box. Another sign is if there you notice a grinding noise coming from the gear box, or if you can feel it jumping teeth. If you notice either of those symptoms, your gear box will require replacement. To replace the gear box, you will need to remove the belt cover. Take the auger belt from the drive pulley. Remove the bolts securing the front roller bracket, and remove it. Take the auger drive spring off the idler pulley bracket. Remove all the bolts that attach the auger housing to the snow blower, and separate the two halves, you can rest the back part on the handles. The impeller will need to be secured while you loosen the bolts that hold the auger drive pulley in place. We recommend using a piece of wood. Make sure you remove the washer and pulley with the hub. Loosen and remove the bolts securing the gear box to the support bracket, and the bolts that secure the bearing holders on the auger drive shaft. Pull the auger assembly out of the auger housing. Remove the bearing holder with the bearing, washer and spacer. You will also need to remove the shear pin so you can take the blades off. Remove the pin holding the impeller in place, and remove the impeller. Install the impeller and auger blades onto the new gear box assembly. Put the shear pins back in place to secure the blades. Reinstall the bearing holders with the bearings, washers, and spacers. Slide the assembly back into the auger housing, aligning the rear shaft with the bearing. Reinstall the bolts and bearing holders. Reinstall the pulley hub and the drive pulley. Again, secure the impeller with a piece of wood while you tighten the bolt. Connect the two halves of the snow blower and fasten the bolts, making sure the connection is secure. Reattach the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Put the front roller bracket back on the frame. Feed the belt back onto the engine drive pulley, and reinstall the belt cover.

The shear pins in your snow blower snap off when you hit something solid like a rock or a chunk of ice. If your shear pin has broken off, the blade will just free-spin on the drive shaft. They do this to prevent major damage to the auger and drive system. To install a new pin, spin the auger around until the hole on the auger lines up with the hole on the drive shaft, then insert a new shear pin with the cotter pin. Make sure you use the exact size recommended by the manufacturer.

The cable on your snow blower runs from the control on the handle to the auger idler pulley. When you push the lever on the handle down, it moves the idler pulley, which applies tension to the auger belt, causing it to rotate. If the cable in your snow blower has stretched, it will impact the amount of tension on the belt, causing it to slip. If your cable has stretched, you will need to replace it. Replacing this cable is easy. Start by removing the cover on the belts. Loosen the bolts on the rear roller adjustment bracket, removing the top bolt only, and then remove the bracket. Remove the roller bolt and roller. Take the front roller bracket off, remove the bolt securing the roller, and then remove the roller. To remove the old cable, unhook the spring end of the drive cable from the auger idler pulley bracket, and remove the Z end from the handle. Now you can install you new cable by inserting the Z end into the handle. Slide the rear cable roller and roller bolt back into the bracket. Make sure that the cable is properly aligned on the roller. Reattach the alignment bracket to the frame and tighten the bolts. Connect the spring end of the cable to the auger idler pulley bracket. Slide the front roller back onto the bolt, and thread it back into the bracket. Reattach the front bracket to the frame and tighten the bolts. The tension on this belt can be adjusted by repositioning the rear adjustment bracket. Once that is done, you can reinstall the belt cover to complete the job.