# Tips for seized blower lock bolt?



## Jonathan Andrew (Oct 18, 2019)

I have an hs624 that I just picked up. Would like to change the belts but can’t get the auger housing off because the blower lock bolt is seized in the hole. I have tried heating with torch; unsuccessfully getting a c clamp in there and letting pb blaster sit for a few days and still nothing. It’s in such a tight spot there are no good options that I can see. 

Anyone been down this road and won the battle? Tips?

It’s #5 in the below link
https://www.hondapartsnation.com/oemparts/a/hpe/505ce7c4f870022d24bdfd69/auger


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

That looks like the impeller bolt, should be able to pop it out ......

If not, you may have to pull the auger assembly in order to get at it and drive it out, or drill it out ..... You might also want to pull the shear bolts and make sure the augers spin freely.


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## Jonathan Andrew (Oct 18, 2019)

oneacer said:


> That looks like the impeller bolt, should be able to pop it out ......
> 
> If not, you may have to pull the auger assembly in order to get at it and drive it out, or drill it out ..... You might also want to pull the shear bolts and make sure the augers spin freely.


Yeah I have the auger out and still the best way I can get to it is a punch through the shoot.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Did you get the nut off? This happens from time to time to me. I spray it with penetrating oil like you and then use a stubby phillips head screwdriver to punch it out.You could also use a brass hammer to hit the head of the impeller bolt about 100 times. maybe the vibration will loosen it up.

Keep at it. haven't lost this battle yet.


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

Jonathan Andrew said:


> Yeah I have the auger out and still the best way I can get to it is a punch through the shoot.


Why do you need to punch it through the chute, if the auger assembly was already out? Don't you need to remove the pulley from the back side of the bucket first, before you can pull the auger assembly out of it?


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## dman2 (Sep 22, 2019)

That is a hex head bolt, so use a wrench to tighten, or loosen the bolt first. That will help breaking up the rust, if pen oil didn't get in there. If you have an impact wrench, that would even be better.


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## ST1100A (Feb 7, 2015)

That is the bolt that connects the blower to the auger drive pulley shaft, which would have to be removed if you want to change the bearing, that's the only reason it would have to come off.
You can remove the auger assembly or the whole housing without having to remove the blower from the blower drive shaft. You don't have to remove it to replace the belt either.
It is tricky to get to that bolt because it is in the "Blower Housing" part of the auger, so it is difficult to get an impact wrench on it or to get a punch on it and drive it with a hammer.
It probably seized in the drive shaft, rusted fast. That is one part usually no-one ever removes unless they want to change the bearing for the shaft.
It would be difficult to get a drill in there to drill parts of the shank and head off the bolt to drive the shaft out of it because there isn't much room. You would end up using a 90 degree drill to get in there after you ground off the bolt head and the remaining threaded part on the other end before you could start drilling about an eighth of an inch on each end to clear the blower so you can drive the shaft out after you remove the auger housing from the Tractor Frame.
Another thing that can cause that is if it is warped, twisted like a shear bolt can do before it snaps, then it will get caught up and be a pain to get out if the holes are not lined up perfectly.
Put a wrench on it first and try to twist it to see if it will move at all before you pound on it and mushroom it, then it wont come out if its mushroomed.


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## Jonathan Andrew (Oct 18, 2019)

ST1100A said:


> That is the bolt that connects the blower to the auger drive pulley shaft, which would have to be removed if you want to change the bearing, that's the only reason it would have to come off.
> You can remove the auger assembly or the whole housing without having to remove the blower from the blower drive shaft. You don't have to remove it to replace the belt either.
> It is tricky to get to that bolt because it is in the "Blower Housing" part of the auger, so it is difficult to get an impact wrench on it or to get a punch on it and drive it with a hammer.
> It probably seized in the drive shaft, rusted fast. That is one part usually no-one ever removes unless they want to change the bearing for the shaft.
> ...



Thank you! Sounds like I need to get a repair manual as I thought this would have to come off to change the belts.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

I have never seen a machine where you have to remove the impeller to change a belt?


But hey, you never know, as I have not seen every snowblower.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

oneacer said:


> I have never seen a machine where you have to remove the impeller to change a belt?
> 
> 
> But hey, you never know, as I have not seen every snowblower.


you don't on a Honda but I think the owner wants to perhaps service the augers by cleaning all the shafts and replacing the auger bearing. I have seen bearing seized on the pulley shaft and i had to cut it off.

I use a brass hammer as to not mushroom the pins when hitting them. Usually when a machine has not been serviced like this for a very long time everything is seized. Lots of penetrating oil, heat and ...............PATIENCE .


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## Jonathan Andrew (Oct 18, 2019)

Nope, just want to change the belts but looks like my approach was wrong - thank goodness! I just ordered a service manual to learn the correct way. Thank you all!


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## Aviator (Nov 17, 2018)

I had the same stuck bolt issue you have on my old HS 50, but that did not stop me from changing belts. 

Maybe I'm missing something, but why do you need to disassemble the auger internally to change the belts? On both of my Honda machines you can change the belt by removing the fully assembled auger and auger housing as an intact unit. You only remove bolts behind the auger housing and separate the machine into two intact halves. Then you replace the belts and reassemble. Or if you don't mind working in tight places you can replace the belts without removing the auger.

I have always been able to replace belts without removing the auger assembly, but adjusting them is easier with the auger removed. Take your pick as to which path to follow. 

If you choose to remove the auger to replace belts, you slide the auger drive belt off the pulley, remove the auger case bolts, and then split the machine in half to replace the belts.

Here are HS55 and HSS928 videos to show how it is done. 











Good luck.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Whenever i have to change the auger belt on a Honda you have to remove the bucket or auger housing. I always remove the augers and impeller anyway because 1. it's a great opportunity to service the augers , that is cleaning the auger gearbox shafts and applying new grease , checking the side bearings , replacing the impeller bearing ., and installing an impeller kit easier .

2. it makes the bucket much lighter to remove and easier to replace. it really does not take too much extra time.

hope you get that impeller bolt out eventually. It's probably bent and will break anyway soon enough.

you do NOT have to remove bucket/auger housing to replace drive belt. just the auger belt.


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## Honda1132 (Sep 2, 2016)

I had the same issue this summer on an 1132. I had to replace the impeller bearing and wanted to take the augers out and out put antiseize on the auger shafts. 

I used penetrating oil (liquid wrench) and a short screwdriver to get it out. It is a tight spot to use a hammer. When I put it back together I used anti seize on the bolt where it goes through the shaft.


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

Honda1132 said:


> I had the same issue this summer on an 1132. I had to replace the impeller bearing and wanted to take the augers out and out put antiseize on the auger shafts.
> 
> I used penetrating oil (liquid wrench) and a short screwdriver to get it out. It is a tight spot to use a hammer. When I put it back together I used anti seize on the bolt where it goes through the shaft.


off topic but since you mentioned Liquid Wrench. Project Farm on you-tube did a comparison on pentetrating oils. expensive ones and also the 50-50 atf/acetone I believe.

Liquid Wrench , I think , came on top or close. reasonable price also. I really found that out on my own. PB Blaster is over-rated and you use half a can and then there is no more compressed air. I have a half dzen cans of the stuff that is a !/3 to one half filled that is worthless. The company even sent me 6 free cans after I complained and they all did the same thing.


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## Honda1132 (Sep 2, 2016)

orangputeh said:


> off topic but since you mentioned Liquid Wrench. Project Farm on you-tube did a comparison on pentetrating oils. expensive ones and also the 50-50 atf/acetone I believe.
> 
> Liquid Wrench , I think , came on top or close. reasonable price also. I really found that out on my own. PB Blaster is over-rated and you use half a can and then there is no more compressed air. I have a half dzen cans of the stuff that is a !/3 to one half filled that is worthless. The company even sent me 6 free cans after I complained and they all did the same thing.


I didn't do any research. I just got a left over can from a neighbour that was cleaning out his garage before he moved. Any time I have used it it has worked well.

I use a lot of Rust Check as lubricant as well it tends to be my goto versus wd40. My pet peeve is losing the little red straws that come with the aerosol cans of lubricant.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

orangputeh said:


> ...PB Blaster is over-rated and you use half a can and then there is no more compressed air. I have a half dzen cans of the stuff that is a !/3 to one half filled that is worthless...


I purchased a pump-spray bottle of PB blaster and a one gallon refill can for $22.65. Works out much better than the aerosol cans.


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