# Newish snowblower but not sure what the cause of this is



## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

First and foremost I would like to say hi to All as I am pretty new here. So My MTD snow blower is about 16 years old and still kicking fine. Bought it brand new and never did a service or even adjusted anything. I came across this used snow blower for a really good price so I jumped on it. Please dont look down on me lol as its a Snow joe but it was in mint condition and from what I understand its just a re-branded MTD. With at that being said. First thing I did was take of the belly pan after I brought her home. To see that the friction disc rubber had a couple flat spots. So I bought the new rubber. Removed the disc and took it apart. Put it back together and its gripping great. Does that mean that the cable was too loose or too tight?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

If spots were rubbed flat on a rubber portion of a friction disc, that would have, in my opinion, been a cable to loose, thus allowing slippage and the ability to premature wear the rubber away.

But, It certainly may have been adjusted properly, and the previous owner just did not know how to operate the machine properly as well.

You are probably not privy to how it was operated or maintained, so can only assume what might have happened.

A friction disc should be brought into a drive plate (or visa versa) with a firm even amount of pressure, and that pressure maintained until it is released by the operator, for shifting gears, or at the end of the run or job.

Bring up the manual if you are not aware of how it should be, and that will tell you in detail on the proper adjustment for that unit.


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## badbmwbrad (Jul 30, 2019)

It may simply have been driven against an immovable object (like a frozen snowbank) until forward motion stalled but without releasing the tractor drive hand lever. The friction wheel (connected to the tractor drive wheels) would stop turning but the disc (connected to engine PTO) would continue rotating and wear away a flat spot on the rubber.

If water gets on the disc then the friction wheel slips


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Do yourself a solid favor and service that MTD....show her some love.....


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## penna stogey (Nov 25, 2019)

Welcome from the Burg!!


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

cranman said:


> Do yourself a solid favor and service that MTD....show her some love.....


LOL Ya I handed it over to my cousin. Its rusted pretty good. But now I am wondering if I made a mistake. This Snow Joe started first crank since I bought it two weeks ago. I go to try and start it just now and it made a loud bang like a gun almost and spark shot out the side. Followed by a small stream of smoke. I hope I am not in over my head here with this. SO now it wont start. I took the spark plug out to inspect and it looks horrible.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@dubzino,

I never came across a friction disc with a separate rubber which you can change out, all I have seen are bonded to the steel disc itself, but that material sure looks pretty flimsy for a friction disc rubber material.


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

Actually alot of them are like that from what I have seen. Can anyone chime in about the spark plug looking fouled up?


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

Maybe the float got stuck and let gasoline into the crankcase? Does the engine oil smell like gas?


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Regarding that plug …. if that is oil as it looks like it is, that large pop might have been a terminal noise......


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

Yes it looks as if its oil to me.


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

oneacer said:


> Regarding that plug …. if that is oil as it looks like it is, that large pop might have been a terminal noise......


What is a terminal noise anyway?


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## groomerz (Feb 7, 2015)

Did you smell the plug. Looks like a old plug with carbon that got soaked in fuel from leaking float . Raw fuel got in exhaust and that ignited and popped of






Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Davejb (Jan 28, 2018)

dubzino said:


> What is a terminal noise anyway?


A noise caused by something bad that wouldn't be worth repairing.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

… Thanks Dave …...


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## db130 (Feb 16, 2013)

Pull the dipstick and check the oil level. If it looks unusually high and/or the oil smells like gas, then I think you have a sticking float and/or needle.

If that's the case, you're looking at changing the oil and cleaning the carburetor. How handy are you?


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

dubzino said:


> its a Snow joe but it was in mint condition and from what I understand its just a re-branded MTD.


Just for the record, it's not a re-branded MTD. 
MTD is generally considered to be ok, but also the lowest quality and lowest reliability of the "regular" US-made brands. Older ones are better than newer ones. If you have one that has worked fine for 16 years, keep it!  just service it and maintain it, and it should keep going for many more years..

Snow-Joe is one of the 100% Chinese brands, no relation to MTD, and generally considered not worth buying. Many steps below MTD in terms of quality.

If you can get a Snow-Joe for free or _really_ cheap, then meh, might be worth messing with...maybe. Don't buy one new though. 

Scot


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@dubzino,

While I never worked on a replaceable friction disc rubber, I would imagine they look like this:

https://www.amazon.com/MTD-935-0243B-Rubber-Friction-Disk/dp/B005UAXNLI


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## Town (Jan 31, 2015)

oneacer said:


> @dubzino,
> 
> While I never worked on a replaceable friction disc rubber, I would imagine they look like this:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/MTD-935-0243B-Rubber-Friction-Disk/dp/B005UAXNLI


I replaced one on an old Mastercraft (dealer said an MTD model) a few weeks ago. It looks quite substantial as the link shows. The steel wheel splits in two parts and the new tire is held by the shoulder with substantial force from several bolts. The old one was disintegrating and parts of it were in the bellypan.

A good and cheap to repair feature, better than the alternatives.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@Town,

Yeah, all my friction disc repairs entailed the regular bonded friction disc. Its just that the clear one posted looked to be pretty flimsy material in my opinion.


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

sscotsman said:


> Just for the record, it's not a re-branded MTD.
> MTD is generally considered to be ok, but also the lowest quality and lowest reliability of the "regular" US-made brands. Older ones are better than newer ones. If you have one that has worked fine for 16 years, keep it!  just service it and maintain it, and it should keep going for many more years..
> 
> Snow-Joe is one of the 100% Chinese brands, no relation to MTD, and generally considered not worth buying. Many steps below MTD in terms of quality.
> ...


LOL well what I meant by re branded MTD was like the same POWERmore engine , identical drive train,tranny,etc.


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

Great news. I changed the spark plug and it cranks right up first pull. All seems to be well. Thanks so much for the responses and help guys. Really appreciate it!


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## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

dubzino said:


> LOL well what I meant by re branded MTD was like the same POWERmore engine , identical drive train,tranny,etc.



But its *not* that..the engine is irrelevant..
And it does not have an identical drive train, tranny, etc..
It's not the same as a MTD. no relation.



Scot


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

sscotsman said:


> Snow-Joe is one of the 100% Chinese brands, no relation to MTD, and generally considered not worth buying.


Well, I did buy a Snow-Joe shovel (on sale!) that has a "2nd handle" in the middle of the shaft for the regular handle. It actually does seem easier to use than a regular shovel because I don't have to bend as far when using it and my back doesn't hurt as much afterward. Fortunately there are only a couple of places where even the little Toro "electric snow shovel" won't fit and and a regular shovel is the only way.

However, there are no moving parts, let alone machinery, so I figure that'd be pretty hard to screw up. But it's only a couple of years old so we'll see....:smile2:


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

oneacer said:


> @dubzino,
> 
> I never came across a friction disc with a separate rubber which you can change out, all I have seen are bonded to the steel disc itself, but that material sure looks pretty flimsy for a friction disc rubber material.


A lot of your MTD's and Cub Cadets have the separate rubber tire that is replaceable from the wheel it mounts to. The wheel splits in half like a split rim. Cub Cadet is an MTD.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@ST1100A,

I am aware of some machines that have a separate rubber ring that can be replaced. I was just stating that I personally never came across one in all my repairs.

It is just that all the replacement rubber ring inserts for the friction discs that I have seen are of the same material that a normal bonded friction disc would be, that black almost tire like rubber material. I have never seen any in that clear material, which to me looks pretty flimsy. If it was me, I would be replacing that with one of the black material ones, as they appear to be a hardier material. 

JMHO


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

oneacer said:


> @ST1100A,
> 
> I am aware of some machines that have a separate rubber ring that can be replaced. I was just stating that I personally never came across one in all my repairs.
> 
> ...



Believe it or not the clear wheel was actually just as hard and the black one. Maybe even harder


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

oneacer said:


> It is just that all the replacement rubber ring inserts for the friction discs that I have seen are of the same material that a normal bonded friction disc would be, that black almost tire like rubber material. I have never seen any in that clear material, which to me looks pretty flimsy. If it was me, I would be replacing that with one of the black material ones, as they appear to be a hardier material.





dubzino said:


> Believe it or not the clear wheel was actually just as hard and the black one. Maybe even harder


It's probably the same as it is for boat trailer rollers; some have black coloring added to them to make them look like the old-fashioned rubber rollers, but increasingly they are left as clear or tinted urethane so as to be non-marking. They appear to last just as well as the black ones.


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## TooTall999 (Nov 19, 2015)

sscotsman said:


> Just for the record, it's not a re-branded MTD.
> MTD is generally considered to be ok, but also the lowest quality and lowest reliability of the "regular" US-made brands. Older ones are better than newer ones. If you have one that has worked fine for 16 years, keep it!  just service it and maintain it, and it should keep going for many more years..
> 
> Snow-Joe is one of the 100% Chinese brands, no relation to MTD, and generally considered not worth buying. Many steps below MTD in terms of quality.
> ...


My Dr is made in China and I'll compare it feature for feature to any similarly priced American built machines.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

@TooTall999,

I like the looks and quality of the DR Brand, and that brand has been around a long time. Just about every manufacturer uses China in todays economy.

sscotsman does not like China products, as he has stated many times, which is his personal right to air those feelings. I , as well as others, have other feelings on the matter, so I would not read to much into a persons feelings, as we all have our own feelings on many things.

Some people will only by product A, and others only product B … etc., etc … I myself am open to any product, regardless of where it comes from, which in todays world, could come from anywhere.

Although we can all agree on many things, we can all agree to dis-agree on many things as well.

What works for one may not necessarily work for all …..


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## dubzino (Dec 19, 2019)

oneacer said:


> @TooTall999,
> 
> I like the looks and quality of the DR Brand, and that brand has been around a long time. Just about every manufacturer uses China in todays economy.
> 
> ...


Very well put! I couldnt of said it any better myself.


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## Nate0228 (Dec 15, 2019)

Must have been a torch brand plug. I have seen them do that before. Just install a new NGK and be done with it. 

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