# Craftsman 10/32 Help



## johnyIROC (Dec 15, 2016)

I purchased a used craftsman 10HP 32 wide 2 stage snow blower a few years back (seemed like a good deal at the time), and haven't had an opportunity to use it until the recent snow fall.

I did a basic check, put fuel in and it started first try with electric start. I thought great, looks like I might have gotten a good deal....

Then I head towards the snow and go to throttle up... no power. I quickly identified that there was an issue with the carb linkage. The throttle arm was installed upside down which prevented it from coming off of idle. Fixed that and reset the governor.... now the engine runs strong at full throttle.

Head for the snow again.... and pull the auger lever... it engages... but as soon as it hits the snow, machine bogs down and snow is backing in the shoot and barely falling out the top.

I have gone through a series of troubleshooting:

1. Checked and changed the auger belt. I thought it was loose because I didn't appreciate that the belt "tensioner" was actually the auger engage mechanism, so I replaced it probably unnecessarily.... this had no improvement. The engine runs well and the auger turns when engaged, but the shoot still backs up with snow and machine dies shortly after digging into snow. I initially had over-tensioned the belt when I didn't realize the tensioner pulley was actually the auger engage mechanism... but it didn't even work when i tried it over-tensioned.

2. Checked the shear pins... and ensured auger blades do not rotate independently of impeller shaft. All good.

3. It felt like there was some slop in the gear case, so I suspected the gear set might have been worn and was skipping teeth once it hit snow. I tore it all down, gears look perfect, no metal shavings. Inspected all woodruff keys on auger gear shaft, impeller shaft (both worm gear and auger pulley keys) and driveshaft. Everything looks perfect.

What am I missing here guys? The system doesn't seem that complicated..... the gearset is good, all woodruff keys are good, belt is good, engine runs strong, it should work.... but it doesn't.

I think my next step is to put it all back together and observe the auger rotation once it digs into snow to see if it is still spinning with the engine revving or if it stops. Everything is a solid mechanical coupling except the belt, so the only logical conclusion is that the belt is still slipping somehow.

Any ideas?


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## guyl (Jun 12, 2016)

This doesn't auger well (pun intended).

Do you hear belt slipping noises when it bogs down? Can you see the large pulley still spinning (try this with the cover off) when engaging the auger and bogging it down? I had a similar problem after trying my machine following my transmission mod (which involved rearranging the controls) and I could hear the belt making squealing noises and the auger would slow down. I ended up needing to adjust the control cable to make it shorter, so that when the handle is fully depressed, the large spring in line with the cable is visibly getting stretched a bit.


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

It sounds like you have eliminated all the possible loss of connection points. If the engine is indeed still bogging only under load, it could be bad news..........
Could be just a head gasket. Any black soot around the seam of the head/cylinder? What engine?


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Did you check the roll pins on the auger shaft? They are hidden just in front of the impeller..I had to replace a pair on a Craftsman 10 32 ...Easy job once you pull out the impeller and auger LOL....


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## johnyIROC (Dec 15, 2016)

jtclays said:


> It sounds like you have eliminated all the possible loss of connection points. If the engine is indeed still bogging only under load, it could be bad news..........
> Could be just a head gasket. Any black soot around the seam of the head/cylinder? What engine?


It is a Tecumseh 10HP.

I am fairly confident it must be belt slippage... I had it throttled up at least 3K and still nothing was coming out. Seems to have decent power... the drive wheels pull hard.

I am going to get a tach for it, and will also check for soot around the head/cylinder.


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## johnyIROC (Dec 15, 2016)

cranman said:


> Did you check the roll pins on the auger shaft? They are hidden just in front of the impeller..I had to replace a pair on a Craftsman 10 32 ...Easy job once you pull out the impeller and auger LOL....


What are thees roll pins you speak of? I thought I checked everything... I would love if it was something as simple as that!


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

johnyIROC said:


> It is a Tecumseh 10HP.
> 
> I am fairly confident it must be belt slippage... I had it throttled up at least 3K and still nothing was coming out. Seems to have decent power... the drive wheels pull hard.
> 
> I am going to get a tach for it, and will also check for soot around the head/cylinder.


So the engine is not bogging?, then depending on how your impeller is mounted, it may have roll pins like Ariens do. Are the engine sheaves (on the engine crankshaft) 2 separate ones or one assembly (could be two separate ones on one shaft or one on the crank for auger and a separate drive pulley on the cam for traction)? You may have lost a key in the auger drive sheave on the crankshaft. It may have enough friction fit from corrosion to turn with no load, but as soon as you put load the crank can spin in the sheave, impeller pulley won't turn full speed. Pics with belt cover off and a model number of the blower would speed up the process:icon_smile_wink:


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## cranman (Jan 23, 2016)

Just in front of the impeller are two roll pins that act like the shear pins on the auger. You have to split the tractor, pull off the auger drive pulley, slide the auger shaft and auger out of the bucket, punch the roll pins out and drive new one in...total cost 90 cents. I did a Craftsman last year with the same problem you are having and that was the fix.


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## johnyIROC (Dec 15, 2016)

Thanks everyone, I am back in business now... just in time for the snow tonight.

I inspected the impeller/shaft and my unit doesn't have roll pins. There are two bolts/nuts attaching it to the shaft. I guess it is possible a previous owner replaced the pins with bolts instead, but they seem to have the same paint/rust patina.

I re-assembled, greased and oiled everything, installed new auger and drive belts and rebuilt the carb for good measure.

She now tosses snow 10-15 feet and runs like a champ. I think the main issue in the end was belt slip combined with engine bog under load.

I ordered a digital tach from amazon so I can check the RPM @ WOT to ensure I am not over revving after the carb rebuild. Also considering the mud flap mod to get some additional throwing distance.

Good luck with your machines, they will be needed tomorrow!


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## Motor City (Jan 6, 2014)

Set the high speed @3,600rpm, when you get the tach.


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## What411ever1 (Dec 24, 2016)

Do you by any chance have the manual on the Snow Blower?


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

What411ever1 said:


> Do you by any chance have the manual on the Snow Blower?



You looking for one? I've got a couple for the ones with the Tecumseh transmissions in them. Useful as I've rebuilt a number of them. Good solid machines if that's the ones you two have. Big thing to watch is the intermediate shaft that the transmission bolts to, insure the shoulder bolts stay tight or you may risk transmission damage.


If looking for a manual, pm me with the model number and your email address and I'll send the closest manual I have assuming I have something close.


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