# How to dismantle 536918200 5HP 22"



## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

I'm hoping HCBPH sees this because he said he has two of these machines over on this thread.. also koreywill and aggriffin3

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/craftsman-snowblowers/24705-craftsman-cl-ad-opinion.html

I have just pulled this machine out of a corner where it was neglected for 9 years. The engine started on first pull! However the auger gearbox is partially open and empty of any lube/grease. Peeking through the gap in the two halves of the auger gearbox , the gear and worm look like they may be OK. So I need to reassemble or rebuild the auger gearbox.

*I am having a heck of a time figuring out how to disassemble it.*

*I have one basic question (see photos)

1) How do I get the ball-shaped caps off the end of the axle?

* The exploded diagrams aren't too great for this old machine.

Photos:
https://goo.gl/photos/ugVPZJ88G9VWCT3V9

Sears Page:
CRAFTSMAN SEARS CRAFTSMAN 22 IN SNOW THROWER Parts | Model 536918200 | Sears PartsDirect

EDIT: The transmission gearbox also shows evidence of leaking so I will probably need to replace that gasket too after I've figured out the auger gearbox.
(does not have a friction system)


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

You likely have a mushroomed shaft. Work the bushing back on the shaft and go over the end 1/8" of the shaft with a flat file. Once the mushrooming if gone, the bushing should slide off. Not sure, some of the augers had snap rings on them, but they should be very visible if on your machine.

I'd tighten the bolts on the transmission case, clean it up then sit it on some newspaper with the suspected leaking area down and see if it's actually leaking or not. Almost every one I've seen has been greasy but not leaking. If you have to crack open the case, take good pictures. Personally I've not had a need to open one up so that's new ground for both of us.

If you're talking about the auger gearcase, that's a simple one. You have to remove the auger rakes to open it up. If you do, check the 3 bushings and seals, probably want to replace the seals at a minimum. The bushing on the impeller shaft takes a lot of wear. Drive out the roll pins on the hub the impeller bolts on. With that and the pulley off, you can slide off the old and slide on the new one. The 2 halves of the case slide off and you can replace the bushings there along with the seals.

Hope that helps.

Paul

PS Here's a thread on rebuilding a comparable machine: http://restorationmen.lefora.com/topic/4216696/Auger-Housing-RepairRebuild#.Vr3tHOTnblw


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

HCBPH said:


> You likely have a mushroomed shaft. Work the bushing back on the shaft and go over the end 1/8" of the shaft with a flat file. Once the mushrooming if gone, the bushing should slide off. Not sure, some of the augers had snap rings on them, but they should be very visible if on your machine.
> 
> I'd tighten the bolts on the transmission case, clean it up then sit it on some newspaper with the suspected leaking area down and see if it's actually leaking or not. Almost every one I've seen has been greasy but not leaking. If you have to crack open the case, take good pictures. Personally I've not had a need to open one up so that's new ground for both of us.
> 
> ...



That's a great thread with lots of pictures. Thanks for that!

I think I will stick with my initial plan and concentrate on the auger gearbox for now since that's a must-fix. 

To get the augers off, it sounds like a little filing, PB Blaster and brute force is my best option for removing the axle bushings. I only have basic tools so this may be a struggle, but at least I know know what I'm up against. The mushrooming is probably what is holding them on right now. I think I will go buy some pullers too at Harbor Freight and see if I can get one to fit in the small gap between the auger rake and the end bushing. There's very little room to get any leverage but a puller might be able to bite. They'll come in handy later anyway.

As for the transmission gearbox. Maybe that's best left alone for now. I'll tighten it up if it's loose and hope that there's enough lube in there. 

That was a good recommendation on replacing the seals. I don't want to have to do this twice if I can avoid it. 

I'll report back.
Thanks again.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

Glad it helps out. 

First insure you don't have a clip on the end of the shaft. Take a look at the picture I attached, you'll see it on the end of the shaft right before the bushing. I've seen quite a few when it's been removed and not replaced.

On a gear puller, you won't get one to lock onto that bushing. You need a bearing puller like this: Bearing Separator and Puller Set
You likely can borrow or rent one from the local Autozone store if you don't want to buy one.

If you have problems getting the auger rakes off, you may be able to have a machine shop heat them up to get them off. Just plan on definitely tearing down the auger gearcase and replacing the seals at a minimum as there typically a lot of heat used. What I show in that thread is what I use and it keeps the heat and potential damage to a minimum.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

HCBPH said:


> Glad it helps out.
> 
> First insure you don't have a clip on the end of the shaft. Take a look at the picture I attached, you'll see it on the end of the shaft right before the bushing. I've seen quite a few when it's been removed and not replaced.
> 
> ...


There's no clip one the end of the shaft. Just the golf-ball shaped bearing. I already have the sides of the auger bucket off. I'll look into a bearing puller and see if I can get something that fits in the available space and will grip.

The good news is the auger rakes are already loose. So that's promising. I will add a couple of grease zerks too and add marine grease. Rust on the augers would defeat the point of the shear bolts.. I don't want to rebuild the gearbox a second time if I can help it.

Thanks again.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

If you don't have clips on the ends of the shaft, add them when you reassemble. It stabilizes and centers the auger shaft.

I thought about adding weld-in bungs like this: Weld-In Bungs and Fittings - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing

To be honest, seemed like more work than I wanted to do at the time. Once I got the auger rakes off, I cleaned off the shaft - derusting and painting them then coated the shaft well with anti-seize. The other thing I thought up was make a 'clamp-on' grease zerk adapter. I do have all the parts but haven't done anything with it yet. Idea is to drill it for a zerk, pull a shear pin and clamp it over the hole and pump away with a grease gun. Funny thing is I've pulled a couple of my blowers apart that I did the anti-seize to several years back and they're still good. Did a little freshening up and that's it. When I put it on I smeared a lot on the shaft and once assembled spun the rakes several times before putting the shear pins in.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

HCBPH said:


> If you don't have clips on the ends of the shaft, add them when you reassemble. It stabilizes and centers the auger shaft.
> 
> I thought about adding weld-in bungs like this: Weld-In Bungs and Fittings - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing
> 
> To be honest, seemed like more work than I wanted to do at the time. Once I got the auger rakes off, I cleaned off the shaft - derusting and painting them then coated the shaft well with anti-seize. The other thing I thought up was make a 'clamp-on' grease zerk adapter. I do have all the parts but haven't done anything with it yet. Idea is to drill it for a zerk, pull a shear pin and clamp it over the hole and pump away with a grease gun. Funny thing is I've pulled a couple of my blowers apart that I did the anti-seize to several years back and they're still good. Did a little freshening up and that's it. When I put it on I smeared a lot on the shaft and once assembled spun the rakes several times before putting the shear pins in.


Yes I will do the anti-seize and grease zerks. They really should be provided as standard I think. Very cheap to add at the factory. Not much point having shear bolts if the augers are seized by rust... but it's a great way to sell $70 after-market bronze gears. I wonder how many hours people have spent fighting rust, sawing off shafts and breaking fragile parts belting them with a sledge-hammer? My thumb already aches just thinking about it.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

Well things are starting to make sense.

One of the augers is seized (which explains the problem) and the brass gear is mangled.

I filed the "shoulder" off the end of the axle which allowed one bearing and auger rake to slide off easily. The other half is going to take some finesse to get the auger rake off. It's moved on the axle but isn't off yet. I'm wondering if the auger shaft might have a slight bend in it. One is black and one is white... so I imagine that someone has had these augers off in the past and maybe forced a crooked auger into the shaft.

Also, I can't help wondering if filing off the shoulder is the wrong thing to do. Those ends look as if they are intentionally a wider diameter as if to hold the bearing onto the axle. I wonder if they are actually screwed-in caps? That might explain why you often see them without a clip. Maybe the gap is not really intended for a clip... maybe it's the space between the axle and a screwed-in cap? 

Anyway.. I've filed them down now.. so a clip may eventually be needed on re-assembly as you suggested.

More photos:
https://goo.gl/photos/LM66Y2Y3uBc1D6xh7


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

stuart80112 said:


> ... Those ends look as if they are intentionally a wider diameter as if to hold the bearing onto the axle. I wonder if they are actually screwed-in caps?


I can confirm they are NOT caps.. but they are indeed wider than the shaft itself. That's why it's always tough to get things off the end without filing. That seems like a strange design to me.... everything has to be forced over a wide end piece to get it onto the (slightly narrower) axle.

I ended up taking the auger and axle to a local car shop to use power tools to get the auger off the axle. I was getting nowhere and didn't want to keep pounding away and risk damaging the gearbox (which was wedged up against the auger on the axle). It's amazing what a few airtools, a good vise and a grinding wheel can achieve. Is that cheating?


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

Hmmm... fell at the first hurdle!

*Does anyone have a spare auger gear they could sell me?
I need Craftsman Worm Gear part #**50223
*
It's part #38 on this exploded diagram..
AUGER HOUSING ASSEMBLY Diagram & Parts List for Model 536918200 Craftsman-Parts All-Products-Parts | SearsPartsDirect


It turns out that the brass auger gear is discontinued and I'm not finding any cross replacements anywhere. However I *am *finding lots of people who have been looking for the same part going back several years.. but no-one reported any success finding a replacement.

I guess I should have done a preliminary parts search before bothering to do the full dismantle. We live and learn.

I think I will start a new generic thread trying to figure out if it's feasible to switch to a totally different gearbox and matching impeller shaft. After all... if the shaft length and diameters match and if the number of teeth are close (plus or minus 10%) then I would have thought that any 90 degree gearbox should work. The number of teeth determines the speed of rotation... what else matters?

Crosslink to the thread asking about switching gearboxes..
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...one-auger-box-totally-different-gear-box.html


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

In case anyone stumbles onto this in the future looking for the same gear...

This gear has the same "specs" but I'm not 100% sure if it will work.
I guess the slope of the teeth may be different... maybe?

2 inch outer diameter
3/4 inch inner diameter
22 teeth

Worm Gear 51405 51405mA Snowthrower 2 Stage Snowblower Fits Craftsman Murray | eBay


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## koreywill (Feb 4, 2014)

*51405 Gear*

Hey Stuart! That's the exact gear that I used when I had to rebuild the gearbox on my 536918100 which is similar in construction to the 200 and 300. The diagrams at Sears are terrible for the exact area you're talking about (end of the augur shafts) but mine had a "C" clip at either end which had to be removed. I then unbolted the bucket ends, removed the augers - had some filing to do to get them over the ends and where the shear pins were located - and then disassembled the gear box. 
I used a 51405MA but the Woodruff keys on the shaft and the gear are different sizes. The one on the gear is 3/16's. I think the opening on the shaft is 1/8". Check yours to be sure. I went to the hardware store, bought a couple of 3/16's keys and very carefully marked, measured, and then filed my way to a key that fit very nicely. I then started putting everything back together after first cutting a new thin cork gasket for the gear case, filling it up with "00" grease, and greasing the shaft so the augurs wouldn't freeze. Blew a lot of snow last winter after the repair and it all worked great. Good luck.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

koreywill said:


> Hey Stuart! That's the exact gear that I used when I had to rebuild the gearbox on my 536918100 which is similar in construction to the 200 and 300. The diagrams at Sears are terrible for the exact area you're talking about (end of the augur shafts) but mine had a "C" clip at either end which had to be removed. I then unbolted the bucket ends, removed the augers - had some filing to do to get them over the ends and where the shear pins were located - and then disassembled the gear box.
> I used a 51405MA but the Woodruff keys on the shaft and the gear are different sizes. The one on the gear is 3/16's. I think the opening on the shaft is 1/8". Check yours to be sure. I went to the hardware store, bought a couple of 3/16's keys and very carefully marked, measured, and then filed my way to a key that fit very nicely. I then started putting everything back together after first cutting a new thin cork gasket for the gear case, filling it up with "00" grease, and greasing the shaft so the augurs wouldn't freeze. Blew a lot of snow last winter after the repair and it all worked great. Good luck.


That's great to hear! So it's not an "exact" replacement but it's only the key that is a mismatch. There are a LOT of posts on the internet on various forums and message boards from people trying to nail down this part. Hopefully some of them will find this thread.

As I dug deeper into my gearbox I need quite a lot of parts and it will cost a small fortune to replace them all with new replacements... 3 seals.. a couple of flange bearings... roll pins...thrust collar... worm gear... it goes on... OUCH!

I sure wish I could get my hands on that $25 parts machine that HCBPH found over on my other thread... it's the same model as mine.. 536918200
The whole machine for $25! Engine works.. gearbox works.

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...one-auger-box-totally-different-gear-box.html

Not sure why I bifurcated the threads.. seemed like a good idea at the time.

Anyway.. thanks for confirming that this part really CAN work with a little finesse on the key.


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## koreywill (Feb 4, 2014)

If you look at this thread: 
http://restorationmen.lefora.com/top...d#.Vr3tHOTnblw
you'll notice he didn't say anything about the key way on the shaft and the gear being different. Maybe the key way is the same on the 200. You'll have to check that. As far as pricing of parts goes: It's lot cheaper than buying a new blower at this point. And, the satisfaction of rebuilding a blower and having it work great is priceless. Keep us posted as to the progress.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

koreywill said:


> If you look at this thread:
> http://restorationmen.lefora.com/top...d#.Vr3tHOTnblw
> you'll notice he didn't say anything about the key way on the shaft and the gear being different. Maybe the key way is the same on the 200. You'll have to check that. As far as pricing of parts goes: It's lot cheaper than buying a new blower at this point. And, the satisfaction of rebuilding a blower and having it work great is priceless. Keep us posted as to the progress.


Small world... yes that's HCBP's thread... great thread with lots of detail and pictures! He said he may be able to let me have some parts in a week or two when the weather warms up a little. He also found that $25 parts machine that he was (accidentally) taunting me with.  

I agree.. the satisfaction of bringing an old machine back to life somehow brings a result that is worth more than the sum of the parts... at least it can feel that way.


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