# Chute length



## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

I probably missed it in the forums, but what is the story on chute length? 
My 50 yr old machine has a fairly short chute. Is it worthwhile to add a foot or so to it. The machine works great, I would like to throw the snow a little further,especially on the short side.
Sid


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

IMO the longer chute length helps control the stream out of the blower. The longer, the better control you have on where the snow is directed. The irony is it may 'slow' the stream down a little but allows you to direct it a little better.

That's my thoughts.


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## bcjm (May 29, 2015)

Longer chute should throws the snow further since the air from the fan has more time to push the snow.


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## Jackmels (Feb 18, 2013)

Tall Chute Helps. Impeller Seal Helps. I'd do an impeller seal, and then upgrade the chute if you want more. You also need a Good Tight Auger Bearing to do this Right.


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

My sears/murray has about 1/8" clearance between the impeller, and the housing. It would always pump slush, no problem there. Are you talking about the impeller shaft seal, or the standard impeller seal? Auger bearing is an iron flanged greasable ball bearing.


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## AL- (Oct 27, 2014)

My 79 ariens has short chute and not long ago I read on this forum where someone had upgraded with newer model longer chute and his machine worked better. ( simple upgrade - just a bolt on.)


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Longer chute should increase the throwing distance by 10-40%

One of our members (_*db130*_) did the 3 most common upgrades:
* speed up impeller
* impeller kit (rubber wipers)
* taller chute
He claimed that the upgrade that made the most difference was the tall chute.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

If I was going to tinker with a chute I'd make sure the cross section is smaller to maintain snow stream pressure.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

when I got my first toro 521 it had a short chute on it, I swapped it for the longer chute from a later model 521 because the short chute wasn't throwing snow as far as my toro 2450. now with the tall chute it throws snow a little farther that the 2450, about 4 inches farther and there was no impeller kit on at the time


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Spectrum said:


> If I was going to tinker with a chute I'd make sure the cross section is smaller to maintain snow stream pressure.


What's the concept behind this? I'm just trying to get my head around why a smaller cross section will help. I wouldn't want it starting large then getting small, personally. That feels like it would create a bottleneck. 

I've had an Ariens with a medium chute, and now one with the tall chute. I guess I never got to do a good distance comparison. Longer seemed to me like it might help because the curve is more gradual, a larger radius. So you don't force the snow against the chute as hard, which hopefully reduces the drag against the chute. 

I have seen people attach slippery plastic to the inside of the chute, like the material from a kid's roll-up snow sled. Now you give your metal chute a slippery liner which won't get worn off like cooking spray. This seems interesting, but I haven't tried it.


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

Thank you for all the replies. Yeah I will probably do it this summer. My next thread will be about impeller shape.
Sid


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## bcjm (May 29, 2015)

The new Yamaha snowblower has the liner installed from the factory. Also their chute is much narrower than others. The snow comes out of Yamaha chute like a stream than spray. I think this style of chute has small throughput but can shoot further.


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## bcjm (May 29, 2015)

My Yamaha this winter.


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

I think a tighter cross section makes for a faster, more streamlined stream of snow. More energy, less drag, like racecars drafting.


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## E350 (Apr 21, 2015)

Possibly the Venturi Effect to increase _velocity_ of the air and thus increase the velocity of the thrown snow and thus the resulting throwing distance?

_"The Venturi effect is the phenomenon that occurs when a fluid that is flowing through a pipe is forced through a narrow section, resulting in a pressure decrease and a velocity increase."_

The Venturi Effect


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

Not to mention on our older Ariens , the stubby chute also has quite an angle, causing the snow to slam into it.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

Spectrum said:


> If I was going to tinker with a chute I'd make sure the cross section is smaller to maintain snow stream pressure.





RedOctobyr said:


> What's the concept behind this? I'm just trying to get my head around why a smaller cross section will help. I wouldn't want it starting large then getting small, personally. That feels like it would create a bottleneck.
> 
> I've had an Ariens with a medium chute, and now one with the tall chute. I guess I never got to do a good distance comparison. Longer seemed to me like it might help because the curve is more gradual, a larger radius. So you don't force the snow against the chute as hard, which hopefully reduces the drag against the chute.
> 
> I have seen people attach slippery plastic to the inside of the chute, like the material from a kid's roll-up snow sled. Now you give your metal chute a slippery liner which won't get worn off like cooking spray. This seems interesting, but I haven't tried it.


Look at the discharge opening of your impeller. It's probably something like 6 inches in diameter. That is the pipe the pump has pressurized with snow.If you circumscribe that circle with a square chute, especially along the wall where centrifugal force will drive the snow you begin to have the wide river effect where the water slows as it leave the barrow rapids and goes down the lazy river.

If you look at my Gilson collection you will see that they started out with a round chute that was a pretty faithful extension of the 6" impeller discharge and it worked very well. For some reason (to look like Toro?) they phased in the square chute in 1976. That change, without a doubt diminished distance on otherwise identical machines. In the 80's they actually went back to the round design.

Another way of looking at it is to consider a free flowing garden hose. The water may stream 3-4 feet as-is. Now put your thumb over the end a little to hold it back a little and you can get some real distance.

In the case of the snowblower chute you don't want to restrict it but you don't want the stream to spread out either. While contemporary chutes are longer they are also small squares.

I believe one reason the chutes have been elongated in addition to improving control and maybe distance is to enable the driven from the top rotator designs that are replacing the chute base drive.

Pete


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

Excellent post Spectrum. I believe that the round of the chute concentrates the snow in the center of the round chute. What if I put a vane or two near the outlet of the volute, to more direct the fan driven air towards the rising snow?
Sid


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

Sid said:


> Excellent post Spectrum. I believe that the round of the chute concentrates the snow in the center of the round chute. What if I put a vane or two near the outlet of the volute, to more direct the fan driven air towards the rising snow?
> Sid


I don't know if I'd worry too much about trying to work with the air. If you dry run the machine is will shoot a fair breeze. In that setting everything is free and clear and impeller blades are clean right angles, eager to push air. Once you cover that all up with snow I think the snow becomes the dominant medium. To do what you suggest I think you'd need to move closer to compressed air driven snow making guns.

In the day our selling point for the Gilson round chute vs. the competition was that snow would collect in corners and promote clogging.


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