# Gilson 476A Springs and Parts



## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

Having a really difficult time finding springs for this old snowblower we just picked up. The spring that we're really in need of is the one that 'ties' the idler pulleys together it looks like.



As you can see, there's a bungie cord holding tension.



And this is the spring that I'll be looking for. It broke on one end and is getting very close to breaking on the other side. The spring has a decent amount of tension to it.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Get in touch with Spectrum (Pete) on here. He's forgotten more about Gilson's than all the rest of us combined, know about them. He also can hook you up with just about *any* part you need or he can tell you where to get it. He also has a web site dedicated to Gilson blowers. Slectrum is who you want.
Google Gilson snowblower page and you will more than likely find him there as well. 
Keep us posted! Those Gilsons are wonderful machines.
You sure those idler pulleys are "tied together"? It doesn't seem right somehow.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Yea, that seams odd to have both of them on 1 spring. Never looked at a Gilson though. Have you tried local hardware stores? Most of them stock a variety of springs. That doesn't look like it would be too critical of a size.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Just going by memory I can tell you that you need two different springs. I just don't see how it could possibly have only one spring. You need to talk to Pete at the Gilson page.


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

It looks like the rear (wheel drive) idler pivots from the left and the front idler pivots from the right. So one spring can pull on both idlers, one on each end of the spring. 

You can definitely use a generic spring but you'll have to work out tension, length and extension.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

That may be the case but I don't remember my old Gilson having only one spring. Of course not all Gilsons are the same either.


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

I'll give him a message. The guy it got bought from said it was missing a spring, along with one spring that was found on the driveway of purchase. Most likely an original. Then again, I haven't found any substantial pictures or diagrams of the Gilson.

I'm sure that the spring which is picture in the foreground on the second picture is from the blower though, but haven't delved too much into where it came from other than seeing two holes where the spring could fit rather well in between the pulleys running side to side.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Maybe this will help.


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

micah68kj said:


> Maybe this will help.


Somewhat. For now the spring is my least concern. Apparently when the machine was bought, the previous owner and current owner neglected to turn the fuel cut off. Needless to say the carb is gummed up. I doubt I'll need to replace absolutely everything in the carb, but it couldn't hurt do it all once I've got it apart.

I work at an auto parts store here in Duluth, MN, and we've got ourselves quite a few small engine parts books, Primeline for one, where it lists a few different options for carb rebuild kits available for the B&S engines, along with many many others. Problem is I can't seem to find out exactly the model of the B&S engine I've got. It's the 8HP so it should be somewhere, according to the Primeline book, 190000-195000 models.

Haven't delved too much into finding out exactly what engine model, why B&S would label the engine models as such, and so on. In any case, I'd like to find out what carb kit I would need to bring it back to factory fresh.


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

Found the part number through cross referencing; Primeline 7-02010 or the Briggs and Stratton OE part number as 394693.

Apparently the model of the engine is 190402 and model of the carburetor 0653-01. Naturally, this engine, as put by Pete on Gilson Snowblowers YahooGroup, is as common as dirt. I expected it to be as such anyway.


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

The spring is # 14952, found here: The Gilson Snowblower Shop Parts Department

0653 is your engine TYPE. It picks up after the model to tag your special parts like the items that make it a sno-guard engine.

Pete


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

Spectrum said:


> The spring is # 14952, found here: The Gilson Snowblower Shop Parts Department
> 
> 0653 is your engine TYPE. It picks up after the model to tag your special parts like the items that make it a sno-guard engine.
> 
> Pete


703624 is definitely the part number for the spring that holds the idlers together. For the time being I'm holding them together by the old spring. Having my friend rebuild the carburetor as he needs to learn some mechanics.


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

Didn't get a chance to buy that spring, so I found one that would work. Comes in a multi-pack. Dorman makes it. Part number is 59001.

I am having a bit of trouble with the engagement lever near the bottom of the engine. Everything is hooked up, spring, belts in their grooves, driveline in neutral and front belt just idling. When I move the lever, whether quickly or slowly, the lever kicks back and falls off of the forward-most pulleys. I'm thinking that either the belt is the wrong length, or there's something else going on.

Augers spin slowly when the belt is not engaged.

Nabbed as many pictures as I could of the belt system. I did not lift or tip the snowblower to check underneath.

Top


Left


Right


Left Front


Does belt routing look okay? I haven't messed with the belts just yet. The snowblower was set up this way when I started working on it. Pictures in the manual are, well, not that great.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

The belt keeper should not be touching the belt at all when it is engaged. Your pictures look like it is pushing the belt in on the "pull" side about a third of the way down from the engine crank. Also, I think it should be right up by the pulley. My guess is it should probably be spun around and be on top of the engine pulley.


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

Shryp said:


> The belt keeper should not be touching the belt at all when it is engaged. Your pictures look like it is pushing the belt in on the "pull" side about a third of the way down from the engine crank. Also, I think it should be right up by the pulley. My guess is it should probably be spun around and be on top of the engine pulley.


Kind of thinking so. Going to measure the belts, or just get new ones, to make sure that the lengths are where they should be and in the right place. The guy that owned this before my fiancee's brother is our current neighbor. Good old guy, mends a lot of small engines, but sometimes I wonder about the job that he does on some of them. Mainly, why wasn't the carburetor rebuilt given all the junk in there and the whole thing spray painted black?


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## Spectrum (Jan 6, 2013)

CaffeineTripp said:


> and the whole thing spray painted black?


There's something about a snowblower that gives rise to aesthetic madness. Many come to me slathered is screwball covers. Maybe it's because they get sort of rusty and grungy and since they just sit around all summer it seems like a fun thing to do. It's never well done.

Pete


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

I would rather have terrible paint than a rust bucket.


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

Works a little better now after adjusting the idler pulley to be more flat against the belt. Adjusted the guide as well so it's on the outside of both of the belt. On the bottom side the PO put another guide, basically a chunk of metal bent in a Z shape that keeps the belts from falling off.

All of this works somewhat. The belt doesn't get kicked off immediately as it did before, although it does eventually fall off. Bought a new belt which I'll be trying to see if that will cure the problem if it's a length issue.


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

Bought a new belt which I'll be trying to see if that will cure the problem if it's a length issue.[/QUOTE said:


> That belt definitely looks an inch or so to big.


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## CaffeineTripp (Nov 13, 2013)

The old, worn belt was much longer than it should have been, about an inch or two as Grunt stated.

I took a look at the parts catalog and user manual for the 476A and it appears that there is a belt guide missing near the idler pulleys, the belt cover, and the B&S crankshaft/drive pulley bolt.

Ended up having to do some rigging to the idler pulley and the other belt guide near the drive pulley; added two springs to keep tension on the idler pulley and adjusted the belt guide to put more pressure on the belts. The downside, of course, is an increase in belt wear, but the belts are cheap enough where I'd rather buy more belts than spend $37 on one spring and trying to find another belt guide on eBay or any other forum.

But she works! And she works well!


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## GustoGuy (Nov 19, 2012)

CaffeineTripp said:


> The old, worn belt was much longer than it should have been, about an inch or two as Grunt stated.
> 
> I took a look at the parts catalog and user manual for the 476A and it appears that there is a belt guide missing near the idler pulleys, the belt cover, and the B&S crankshaft/drive pulley bolt.
> 
> ...


 Good to hear, I restored a Montgomery Ward 8/26 by Gilson. Too bad my engine was beyond hope it runs but not all that well. I do not want to dump money into a worn out tired Briggs and Stratton 8hp that will need new valve guides and new valves and may be piston rings or an over bore plus piston rings plus it leaked oil too. So I am repowering it. The body of the snow blower is built like a proverbial brick out house however


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