# New Here



## Garyd (Nov 17, 2019)

Hello all, I am new here and thanks for allowing me to join. I have the ST 224, my daughters boyfriend picked it up from a friend last winter and the person said he only used it once but it looks like it was never used there is not a scratch on it. I didn’t get it until after our only big snowfall last year so I haven’t used it at all. Today I decided to put som e fresh fuel in and start it and get it ready for this winter. My problem is the shifting, it will only go forward in 6th and reverse works great. If I use gears 1 thru 5 they all go in reverse and 5 is slow reverse and 1 is fast reverse. I have no clue what to check and this is my first ever snow blower.
Thanks again


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I would pull out the manual, paper or online, and check your friction disc drive adjustment.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* ALOHA From The Paradise City. :smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027::smiley-rpg027:*


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## Garyd (Nov 17, 2019)

Thanks for info I’ll check it out today


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## dr bob (Dec 12, 2015)

There's a cable from the speed/direction lever that connects to a sliding "tire" in the drive box. In that box is a friction disk that the rear (of the two) belts drives. The sliding "tire" contacts the friction disk when you squeeze the drive handle (left one), with the place of contact selected by the speed/direction lever.

The drive box cover on the rear has four hex-head screws securing it in place. Once the four screws are removed, the cover swings down and to the rear to get it clear of the drive box. Looking in from the rear of the drive box with cover removed, you'll see the friction disk facing you. Moving the speed/direction lever causes the tire on a carriage to slide left and right on a shaft that then drives the wheels via 'bull' gears. Focusing on the sliding carriage and the tire mounted to it, make sure that the carriage slides left and right correctly/freely. The rubber "tire" on the wheel needs to be straight and round. The carriage moves to the far left with the speed lever at 6 (fastest forward), tire set to contact the friction disk near the outer edge of the drive face on the friction disk. As the speed lever moves the carriage to the right and speed 1 (slowest forward), the tire contact will be just to the left of center on the friction disk. Move the lever a little further to the reverse position, and the carriage will move a little further right, causing the tire contact to move just right of center on the friction disk.

If the carriage position (and tire contact) is different from what I described, look hard at the control cable and housing, and the routing. The cable housing connects at the right side of the console on the handle, so the cable inside can connect to the bottom end of the speed/direction lever. You can see the cable attached to the end of the lever just looking up under the handle and console on the right side. The cable and housing continue through a plastic adjuster and on towards the right side of the engine deck, where there's a plastic retainer. Cable and housing continue forward and up, looping towards the left side through a clip on the plastic belt cover. After that clip, the cable and housing loop down and then right again to pass through the left side of the drive box near the upper forward corner of the box. The cable housing stops at the plastic fitting in the wall of the drive box. The cable itself continues to connect to an arm that pivots at the top, other end of that arm loops down and right, then back left to connect to a "trunnion" bearing that's part of the drive tire carriage. If the cable housing was pulled out of the drive box during transit and/or the plastic fitting is broken where the cable housing goes into the drive box, or the cable is otherwise stretched/damaged, it would cause the symptom you describe.

Look at the parts manual for your machine, available online from Husqvarna if it didn't come with your hand-me-down machine. It shows a blow-up or "expanded" look at the drive box and also the cable parts. It doesn't show the actual routing for the cable and housing, but does give you an idea of the relative positions. Maybe better, now that you have an idea what you are looking for, visit a local dealer and look at how the new one is set up. Take pictures of the cable routing on the one yo have, and similar pics of the one at the dealer. Damage or changed routing will be pretty obvious.


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