# MTD w/ Single Lever Deflector Control



## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Hello All. I am just starting on a project that some might think a waste, but as I tell my long suffering wife, "It's therapy." 

I have a 1995 8/26 and it runs well & gets the job done. All auger and impeller bearings have been replaced as well as the usual maintenance items. I also broke down and bought a completely new carburetor for the HMSK80 which has really improved its performance. It's kept in a garage and cleaned, so there is very little rust. The only upgrade I did was added an OEM type square headlight to the front fascia. 

I recently spotted a Tracked MTD (White Outdoor "Snow Boss") in a snowthrower bone yard and this one had a separate lever for controlling the chute deflector. After taking some measurements, I determined that it would be feasible to change out the entire handle arrangement of my 8/26 for this one and have this desirable feature. $20 later, the various bits and pieces are in my garage. However, given that this is finally the start of winter here in Maine, I'll not be starting work on it until April at least. In the interim, I'll be cleaning up the pieces and doing a little research. 

The one thing I don't know is the model or even description of the unit these parts came from. It was for the most part a pile of rust and the access panel where you'd normally find a data tag was replaced by a piece of sheet aluminum. I think all of the cables and actuator pieces on the chute are all the sameacross various models and product lines, but am not sure. I found a Yard-Man in their shop and took a few pictures as reference. So, if any of you has a rig with this type of deflector control, I'd like to hear from you. I have a few questions. Attached find pictures showing what I am talking about. Thanks.


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## db9938 (Nov 17, 2013)

I don't know about others, but that "bone yard" would be a dangerous place for me. That first pic, gave me ideas on several projects......


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Agreed, lots of good "previously enjoyed" stuff there. But we live in a small house and I have only room enough for one snowblower.


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Well, I took advantage of the unusually warm weather to finally break down and assess the pieces I bought for this project. As mentioned on another post, the "dashboard" overlay was in worse shape than I expected and I started looking around for another one. Have not had much luck, and given the fact that the new cables for the deflector control are over $60, I'll use what I have for now. I did remove the Snow Boss label and will fill the hole with 2 part epoxy and cover it with marine grade reflective tape. To quote my Dad "That'll take the curse off it."

So, I removed and discarded the track release trigger assemblies from the handles and that was much easier than expected. Hit the handles with a wire brush and some rust converter and they are ready for some satin black rattle can paint. 

Removed the lever and cables from the new dashboard and everything looks good, albeit rusty. This machine must've been stored outdoors. I will probably add a Mylar washer to the lever assembly to eliminate the wear between the moving pieces. MTD would never spend the 5 cents on that! :wacko:

The lower chute is exactly the same as on my machine and even has the mounting hole for the cable assembly. Mine is in much better condition so it will stay. The deflector is different from mine in only one respect - it has two slots to hold the cable attachment bracket so it will be used. I will also experiment with Mylar washers between the chute and the deflector as there is a lot of adhesive wear on both mine and the one one I bought. 

If this spate of good weather holds, I may finish it is a week or two. Will post pics then.


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## Clutch Cargo (Dec 27, 2015)

Well, it's finally finished - just in time for summer!! As you know, work can get in the way of fun, so I was not able to get to it until now. Once the painting was done, it was pretty straightforward; and per my SOP, all fasteners are now stainless with nylock nuts. As mentioned before, I used the original chute because it was in much better shape than the one from the boneyard. The slots for the deflector tilt mechanism were a piece of cake to do with the Dremel tool after taking a few measurements. 

The White Outdoor overlay is surprisingly flimsy compared to the one that came with the machine, so I added some additional fasteners to keep it attached to the structural piece below. With no label on it, my snowblower is now affectionately known as "Brand X." I also decided not to change the handles because the "wrap-around" ones (for the want of a better term) did not have grips and I also liked steering using the end of the handles. 

Everything works as designed and I am going to invest in some motorcycle cable lube to keep the cables free of moisture. The threaded ends under the "dashboard" appear to be zinc plated and the old ones were pretty rusty, so I'll also given them a going over with LanOcoat to keep the moisture away. It'll need some adjustment after being used (friction to hold the deflector in place when in use) but that will have to be done next winter.


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