# Help needed with Wards Snowblower Identification



## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

I need help! First, thanks for all of the amazing info. This is an amazing community! I have found much info I have used for other.
I have a Montgomery Ward snow blower that was made around 1975. I have been researching it for quite a while. Just replaced the carburetor (and she runs fantastically now) and then, 1 week later transmission goes out (the day before 1 1/2 feet of snow). I had to SHOVEL SNOW! LOL. I have no idea where to start researching parts. 
It has a Tecumseh 8hp HMSK80 motor and is 26" wide, 23" high. A silver sticker on the cowl seems to point to a manufacture time around 1975. She is in amazing shape for her age. 
Most of the info I have seen say MW blowers came with Briggs motors. But this is definitely a Tecumseh motor. Almost all of the info I can get say that MW snowblowers were manufactured by Gilson. I have never seen a Gilson pic that matches this snow blower. Ariens seems to be the closest I have seen. I need to buy belts and possible the transmission. I love this machine and don't want to replace it with something new. Does anyone know what model this is? And thank you for just taking the time to read this!


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

IT kinda looks like an mtd snowflite or sno-bird. If i were you I would want to her too, that is one beefy looking / clean blower


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

Just googled mtd snowflight and that is what you have. I all way's thought they were made by gilson too but hands down it's mtd.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

If you trash talk here about MTD's, it's not for that era. 
Very clean machine aside from scraper bar area. 
I haven't seen that muffler before. Did the snowflite have that muffler?


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

That's a really good looking machine for its age. I had an old Ward's made by Gilson but as Del says, that's an MTD back when MTD made some good, solid machines. That scraper bar area looks a bit rough but it's still a great loking machine.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

Is that Predator powered tiller beside it a Gilson?


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## 69ariens (Jan 29, 2011)

dbert said:


> If you trash talk here about MTD's, it's not for that era.
> Very clean machine aside from scraper bar area.
> I haven't seen that muffler before. Did the snowflite have that muffler?


Hey I only trash talk 90's and up mtd's haha . That era I feel all brands were great.
From what I see there is a friction wheel in there and if that is bad. It's should be an easy find. You can just take it out and bring it to your local shop and match it up.


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

69ariens said:


> Hey I only trash talk 90's and up mtd's haha . That era I feel all brands were great.


Proof.
From a MTD snowflite thread in early 2013
link


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## dbert (Aug 25, 2013)

Technomancer07 said:


> ... 1 week later transmission goes out (the day before 1 1/2 feet of snow). I had to SHOVEL SNOW! LOL. I have no idea where to start researching parts.


While we are zeroing in on a model number, do you know if it is a friction disk type, or actually has a gearbox?


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

69ariens said:


> Hey I only trash talk 90's and up mtd's haha . That era I feel all brands were great.
> From what I see there is a friction wheel in there and if that is bad. It's should be an easy find. You can just take it out and bring it to your local shop and match it up.


I had a 1993 MTD snowblower for about 18 years and I put that blower through the wringer. It NEVER failed me. Not once. It was nothing fancy a'tall but it got the job done.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

There's no label on the backside of the tractor unit?


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

That is not a stock Muffler. It was replaced by a small engine Shop about 2 years ago when I had some work done.


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

dbert said:


> Is that Predator powered tiller beside it a Gilson?


You are correct. I replaced a Briggs motor that is seized with a $80 predator (5HP I think). Pain in the butt to re-engineer the linkage for the drive to the tines. The engine is good. Starts up no problems, decent power. Used it about 10 hours so far. The only thing I can't stand about that engine (maybe my fault) is that if it tilts more than about 20 degrees, the engine dies. Might be a kill switch somewhere. Haven't had the time to work it out.


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

Oops, I mis-read the last post. I have no idea who made the tiller. The tiller was given to me. That person no idea either. I will look at it this weekend and see if I can find any markings. Until then, I am SHOVELING snow every day. LOL.


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

db9938 said:


> There's no label on the backside of the tractor unit?


No markings on the backside. I am taking the rear panel off the back this weekend and see what needs to be replaced. That will guarantee now more snow for the year. LOL.


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

69ariens said:


> Just googled mtd snowflight and that is what you have. I all way's thought they were made by gilson too but hands down it's mtd.


I just googles it myself. That definitely looks like an identical model. I will be doing some research this week on it. Might even call MTD if I can find the time. Thank you for the post, it may be just what I need to get started!


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

Technomancer07 said:


> You are correct. I replaced a Briggs motor that is seized with a $80 predator (5HP I think). Pain in the butt to re-engineer the linkage for the drive to the tines. The engine is good. Starts up no problems, decent power. Used it about 10 hours so far. The only thing I can't stand about that engine (maybe my fault) is that if it tilts more than about 20 degrees, the engine dies. Might be a kill switch somewhere. Haven't had the time to work it out.


Just bypass the low oil sensor(the little metal can near the kill switch). What happens is the low oil sensor is on the flywheel side of the engine and when your tilling at an angle all the oil flows to the sump cover side and the low oil sensor isn't coated in oil until it's level again


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## 94EG8 (Feb 13, 2014)

dbert said:


> While we are zeroing in on a model number, do you know if it is a friction disk type, or actually has a gearbox?


It has a friction disc. I worked on quite a few of them and owned a couple of MTD based Yard-Man machines of the the same vintage which are almost identical machines.

They're good, heavy, well built machines, but the friction drive is a weak point. Only one end of the jackshaft is supported and I think that's a lot of why they had such a tendency to slip. The upside is they're on of the easiest machines to change a friction wheel on. The one you have is also in excellent condition and worth spending a little money on.

Also, the tires are on backwards.


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## BillyM (Jun 17, 2015)

I have this exact machine. Bought it at an estate sale for $100 bucks last summer.
The guys here helped me get the manual for it.
It has the 8 horse B&S engine. Still runs good but really rich. Came with tire chains.
I replaced the friction disk, the scraper blade and shoes, the throttle control.
Got new belts but haven't put them on.
We got a foot of wet snow Monday and it worked like a champ. 
I need to find a new gas cap for it.


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

94EG8 said:


> It has a friction disc. I worked on quite a few of them and owned a couple of MTD based Yard-Man machines of the the same vintage which are almost identical machines.
> 
> They're good, heavy, well built machines, but the friction drive is a weak point. Only one end of the jackshaft is supported and I think that's a lot of why they had such a tendency to slip. The upside is they're on of the easiest machines to change a friction wheel on. The one you have is also in excellent condition and worth spending a little money on.
> 
> Also, the tires are on backwards.


Ok, now I feel like an idiot. At least it is easy to switch the tires. LOL. :icon_whistling:


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

*Montgomery Ward Powered Tiller Info*



dbert said:


> Is that Predator powered tiller beside it a Gilson?


The tiller beside the snow blower is another Montgomery Ward with a Serial number starting with "GIL". I am going to assume it was made by Gilson. I still have the motor, but didn't want to spend $200 on a rebuilt yet. I may try to do that myself, but......


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

*MTD Snowblower Reply*



dbert said:


> While we are zeroing in on a model number, do you know if it is a friction disk type, or actually has a gearbox?


I spent the weekend working on the snowblower. It turned out that one of the drive chains had jumped off the cogs. Wasn't hard to fix, but the cleaning of the chains while they were still on and cleaning the friction disk was an entire day (OK, a trip to Harbor Freight took a few hours, LOL). 

This is my first snowblower. I don't really know much about the repair/maintenance. It has 5 forward speeds and 2 reverse. Can I assume it has a gear box? I know it has a friction disk in the rear, but for that many speeds, wouldn't it have to have a gear box? Where would the gear box be located?

Thanks for the education.


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

db9938 said:


> There's no label on the backside of the tractor unit?


No model numbers I can find on the snowblower. I took the plate under the unit off and nothing there either. Thanks for helping!


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## Technomancer07 (Jan 28, 2016)

94EG8 said:


> It has a friction disc. I worked on quite a few of them and owned a couple of MTD based Yard-Man machines of the the same vintage which are almost identical machines.
> 
> They're good, heavy, well built machines, but the friction drive is a weak point. Only one end of the jackshaft is supported and I think that's a lot of why they had such a tendency to slip. The upside is they're on of the easiest machines to change a friction wheel on. The one you have is also in excellent condition and worth spending a little money on.
> 
> Also, the tires are on backwards.


How does the friction disk allow for multiple forward and backward speeds? This MTD has 5 forward and 2 reverse (gears?).


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## toroused (Mar 1, 2015)

When you shift, the friction disc hits the platter at different points on the platter, thus determining the speed of the machine. Close to the platter center creates one speed, way out on the end rim of the platter another. All other speeds are in between those two inner and outer points, etc..


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