# Single Stage - How to Remove Auger Pulley



## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

If you came here from a search, you may be struggling to get the auger pulley off the threaded shaft.
In my case I was looking at a Craftsman but I'm guessing this is true for many manufacturers and many models.

Bottom Line: It is REVERSE threaded (at least in my case it was)

That's probably all you needed to know!

So before you go too crazy with your breaker bar and a piece of 2x4 make sure you are turning it CLOCKWISE to UNSCREW it!

Couple of photos:
https://goo.gl/photos/vhaTSyp4eKFZFG7K7

Here are a few ways I used to deduce whether it was reverse threaded or not.

1) Before you dismantle anything too far... notice the direction that the engine spins that pulley.
You want the engine to constantly try to tighten the pulley onto its shaft.
Otherwise the engine will tend to unscrew the pulley every time you use it and it will fly off the shaft

2) Look at the auger and ask your self which direction it has to turn to pick up snow and toss it into the chute.
That, in turn, tells you which way the engine must be spinning that pulley in normal use.
Once again, You want the engine to constantly try to tighten the pulley onto its shaft.

3) Take the lid off a tub of butter (or similar) and cut a little hole in it. It doesn't need to be a perfect shape.
(See the photos above) Use that as if it was a threaded nut and see which direction you need to
to twirl it to make it tighten onto the threaded shaft. You'll notice it's reverse threaded.

4) Stare at the threads poking out beyond the pulley and see if you can spot whether it's
reverse threaded or not. My brain can't do that too well... I end up doubting my eyes.
The first 3 approaches are much more reliable (for me at least)

I hope this helps someone some day.

Here are a few part numbers and model numbers to give your search a chance of finding this post.

Craftsman Single Stage Model 536885211 536.885211 (actually many models from many manufacturers probably have the same reverse threading)
Auger Assembly: 327072 327072MA 
Auger Pulley: 333446 333446MA

EDIT: Added a photo to remind you where that spacer washer goes. It goes between the bearing and the pulley.
Picture was taken from a donor machine where I'm grabbing the auger assembly... it's the same though.

Donor Model(s): 536.884251 & 536.884320 They are all the same auger assembly.


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

Boy I hope it goes easier for you than it did for me!

Something that looked like it should take an hour or so has eaten up most of the day!
The mouth of the auger area spreads open as you take out the auger so I ended up needing
one hand to hold stuff together, second hand to insert the bolts & a third hand to attach the nuts.
I don't have three hands so it all started to look a bit like a Cirque du Soleil acrobatic act covered in oily 2-stroke exhaust sludge.

Finally.. a mysterious engine mounting bolt dropped out of the machine so now I get
to take all the covers off and look at exploded diagrams to figure out where that should go. 

A picture of that bolt is in the attached photo album for anyone with a perverse sense of humor.
In the words of Cheech & Chong... that was "the topper of all the toppers"!

Anyone want some cheese with this whine? ;-)

Edit: For the record, That bolt seems to be part 277 on the engine diagram to hold on the exhaust muffler.
No wonder I'm covered in 2-stroke exhaust sludge!!


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