# Sunday paper stuck in impeller



## Frustrated (Feb 18, 2018)

I accidentally ran over the Sunday paper under the snow and it is wedged in the impeller. on my TORO snowthrower I cut away as much of the paper as possible but cannot get it free. Do I need to disassemble the impeller and how do I do that


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to SBF Frustrated

What model # ??
If it's still frozen might be time for a hair dryer to soften it up so you can pull it all out. Check for damage before firing it up and before using it if you get that paper free.

.


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

soak it with warm water..turn it to mush, should be able to pull it out that way.
get some big pliers, and just pull out little bits at a time until the whole thing is loose enough to come out..

you could also try a small saw, like this:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Stanley-6-in-FatMax-Jab-Saw-20-556/203730285

that should rip it up nicely..
I doubt you will need to disasemble the auger..just hack away at the paper, it will come out..

Scot


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

See, many of us don't have that problem because we either don't get the paper or get it online! Or we have a much better paper carrier!

You have to keep trying to remove as much as possible, use a utility knife, a hacksaw blade, a saw, keep sawing away.

There's been many suggestions before, over a dozen do a search for newspaper.

One of the things suggested is using a 2x4 to pry the impeller blade or auger rake, but there were many other good suggestions. It all depends upon the situation. Maybe you can even burn it away with a propane torch but then you are also burning the paint away. On some machines it's very easy to remove the sides giving you better access to the impeller.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

*If it is that jammed up in there, you just might have to. otherwise post some pics of this mess. so the masses here can have a looksee at it all. ALOHA from the Paradise City.:smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027:*


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## Frustrated (Feb 18, 2018)

Already soaked. Guess I just need to keep hacking away

Thanks


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## CarlB (Jan 2, 2011)

soak with hot water and some dish detergent.


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## barney (Nov 21, 2017)

Be sure to come back and tell us how you managed and *especially if the Toro sustained any damage* from sucking up a frozen Sunday paper.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

If you're not already beyond the thawing stage, a Hair Dryer can be useful in accelerating that process; maybe with a blanket put over the scoop to retain some of the heat.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Been there, done that on my Toro 521. Try to get the impeller to go backwards . . . usually that will free things up.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Frustrated said:


> Already soaked. Guess I just need to keep hacking away
> 
> Thanks


if you could get it into the garage and throw some heat on it , maybe a hair dryer or portable heater and unthaw. then use some big channel locks or something similar.

very common problem around here. newspapers, tarps, pine cones, firewood, slippers, etc. it all comes out without disassembly with patience. however real fine stuff like tarp remnants, wire, string , etc. may need disassembly.

after you clear it, make sure your shear pins are still okay. or nothing was bent.


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## CO Snow (Dec 8, 2011)

Get yourself a newspaper tube and tell your newspaper carrier they will get an end of year tip if the newspaper is always placed in the tube. Our local newspaper will give the subscriber a free newspaper tube on request (and deliver it to your house).


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## jim5554 (Mar 18, 2017)

It took me forever to get the wife untangled from the auger. The next time I'm going to use a wood chipper. 

It's a joke son, a joke I said.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

barney said:


> Be sure to come back and tell us how you managed and *especially if the Toro sustained any damage* from sucking up a frozen Sunday paper.


Finally get it out :question:


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## vinnycom (Nov 6, 2017)

jim5554 said:


> It took me forever to get the wife untangled from the auger. The next time I'm going to use a wood chipper.
> 
> It's a joke son, a joke I said.


not funny....... you have no feelings for what the snowblower went through, and then to add insult to injury you compare it to a wood chipper........not cool man


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

i'd like to know if he ever got the sunday paper out?

i want him to send it to me so i don't have to buy one.


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## rosco61 (Dec 8, 2014)

He could also take his shear pins out and start backing it out that way as well. Thats how i got a door mat out of someones snowblower......................


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## tadawson (Jan 3, 2018)

Yup, something to be said for 'pull the shear pins, and back it out with a large wrench on the augur shaft' . . . Not subtle, but effective . .


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## FullThrottle (Apr 7, 2017)

I had this happen on my old MTD,it bent my auger.But with patience ,I got it out one bit at a time ,the paper was not readable lol.



orangputeh said:


> if you could get it into the garage and throw some heat on it , maybe a hair dryer or portable heater and unthaw. then use some big channel locks or something similar.
> 
> very common problem around here. newspapers, tarps, pine cones, firewood, slippers, etc. it all comes out without disassembly with patience. however real fine stuff like tarp remnants, wire, string , etc. may need disassembly.
> 
> after you clear it, make sure your shear pins are still okay. or nothing was bent.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

jim5554 said:


> It took me forever to get the wife untangled from the auger. The next time I'm going to use a wood chipper.
> 
> It's a joke son, a joke I said.


Terrible. This is "Snowblowerforum.com". Thou shalt not take the name snowblower in vain. And you mix it with an unholy wife.


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## rosco61 (Dec 8, 2014)

*shear pins.*

I still


tadawson said:


> Yup, something to be said for 'pull the shear pins, and back it out with a large wrench on the augur shaft' . . . Not subtle, but effective . .


I still had to remove some material but the slop allowed more access to my utility knife to cut away some of the mat. Overall removing the shear pins just makes it easier. no big pliers on the shaft.


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## Dannoman (Jan 16, 2018)

A goat will eat up that paper. They don't even care if it's fake news.


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## FearlessFront (Aug 18, 2016)

Dannoman said:


> A goat will eat up that paper. They don't even care if it's fake news.


Hah, yea you gotta watch out for that fake news. It will do damage and cause problems. Seen it first hand.


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## FearlessFront (Aug 18, 2016)

Frustrated said:


> I accidentally ran over the Sunday paper under the snow and it is wedged in the impeller. on my TORO snowthrower I cut away as much of the paper as possible but cannot get it free. Do I need to disassemble the impeller and how do I do that


Remove the bolts holding the auger to the shaft. That will make things easier, so that you can get to the impeller with more ease because you can rotate the augers. Pull out as much as you can with hands, pliers, the tip of a tire Iron (big flat head). You can take the L bend tire Iron that has the flat head on the one end and a mallet and start knocking on the impeller blade or the wedged newspaper and turn it free that way using the chute hole as a access point. Finally take a small propane torch and burn the rest out of their. (That's the best way to do it, just take a torch and burn the rest out, no hammering or pulling and yanking, just burn it out). I do snow removal commercially and it has happened so many times that I now have that issue down to a science. 
Keep in mind that sucking in newspapers accidentally causes damage to these machines over time, long term. The impeller will begin to get bent up and makes a bigger gap in their, so snow will not throw as well, also the other big issues is the warpage (bowing of the back of the collector housing -bucket-), on both sides down low. The news paper literally wedges between the augers and the bucket widening the gap and bowing the back of the bucket, the entire collector housing bends while a newspaper is being sucked in, in ways the bucket should not be bending. (I noticed on new Ariens machines, they designed a feature into the back of the bucket exactly where it warps). They bumped those two spots out going the opposite direction to make the housing stronger so it will not warp or not as bad and so if a newspaper does get sucked in, theirs a little space so its not wedging so bad and bending everything, especially since machines steel now is thinner then ever compared to decades past. Clearly it was a known on going problem with all snowblowers. Rocks and newspapers are the worst thing for a snowblower, the damage it does to the the bucket, auger, impeller and impeller belly is really bad, the worst, it is what will wear a machine down to where its no good anymore and useless.
I have a 100% American made heavy duty Snapper and even as strong as it is, that stuff takes its toll. My 1971 Ariens 10000 series are fairing better, because of simply how thick the steel in on those machine's, but even the impellers on those bend up too....
Best thing to do is make sure you get your newspapers, and rocks and any other stuff off the pavement before it starts snowing. If you do it commercially you never know what surprises are waiting under that snow....
Oh yea you can also blow your engine by sucking in a newspaper. If you suck one in fast enough and it jams everything up real fast and that engine is working hard, bam that connecting rod will snap in less than a second.


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## aldfam4 (Dec 25, 2016)

jim5554 said:


> It took me forever to get the wife untangled from the auger. The next time I'm going to use a wood chipper.
> 
> It's a joke son, a joke I said.


... make sure those life insurance premiums are up to date!:devil:


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