# Craftsman Eager-1 - Axle Shear Bolts



## steveh_131 (Jan 8, 2014)

Hello, everyone! I have a question for you expert snowblower repairmen.

I recently picked up a Craftsman Eager-1 with a 7HP Tecumseh and 24" cut. I paid $50 for it. I'm guessing that it is from the late 70's but I have no way to know for sure. 

I can't find a manual anywhere, but I took a lot of it apart and did some maintenance. Packed new grease in the auger bearings (glad I did, they were dry and ready to fail). Auger gearbox was also dry, so I put some 90 weight in there. Oiled the various spots, fabricated some metal pieces to fix rust holes. Cleaned out the carb. Took some links out of the tire chains to tighten them up nicely.

It was running great. Fires right up. Doesn't throw the snow very far, wondering if the impeller blades could use one of those kits. But it gets the job done for now.

Here is my problem: I was pushing through some heavy snow drifts, probably being a little too hard on it. The wheels stopped turning. I took off the bottom plate and noticed three bolts in some sort of sprocket on one side of the axle. Only one of the bolts seemed to actually enter the axle, and it was sheared off. Put in some new bolts. Sheared off again pretty quick.

Am I doing something wrong? Being too rough on it? Last night I picked up a grade 8 bolt and thought I'd try that.

Are these designed to be two wheel drive? Or just one? I noticed that I could remove the pin on one side to make it just drive one wheel. Am I maybe shearing them off when I try to turn it too sharply while both wheels are pushing?

Thanks for any advice! And does anyone know where I can find a manual for this or a similar model?


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)




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## steveh_131 (Jan 8, 2014)

Thank you for the video!

My axle doesn't look quite like that one. The sprocket actually has three holes in it, I guessed that two of them were just meant to store spare bolts since there only seems to be one hole in the axle.

And my axle doesn't have a hole all the way through...It seems to only go maybe halfway through.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Perhaps a piece of your bolt is broken off inside the axle?

Also, you could be being too rough on it. Try to avoid things like plowing snow, charging full speed a head into a snow bank, abruptly changing directions, getting caught on sidewalk lips and running into things.


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## steveh_131 (Jan 8, 2014)

Shryp said:


> Perhaps a piece of your bolt is broken off inside the axle?


I was wondering that, but not sure what to do about it. I'm not even sure if there are two holes that are 180 degrees apart. I need to check.



Shryp said:


> Also, you could be being too rough on it. Try to avoid things like plowing snow, charging full speed a head into a snow bank, abruptly changing directions, getting caught on sidewalk lips and running into things.


Ok. I was definitely doing a few of those no-no's. This is my first time owning or using a snowblower and we had some really big drifts to contend with.

Thank you.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Let the machine throw the snow. Over-working it will be hard on the engine, the auger parts, the gear box and the drive train. Slow and steady wins the endurance race.


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## steveh_131 (Jan 8, 2014)

I believe I have resolved this issue, and I wanted to post it for future reference of anyone else that might have the same problem.

I picked up a Grade 8 bolt (5/16") and made sure it went into the indentation in the axle.

I also started using the machine correctly. No more sharp turns or trying to push through huge drifts. If there's a huge frozen drift I move into it then take it out of gear and let it blow the snow out. Then inch it forward a little more.

I've used it twice now with no axle issues.

This thing does a great job. This summer I think I'll paint up the rusty spots and make sure it's well maintained. I suspect this machine could last me a very long time if I take good care of it.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Good to hear. Be sure to come back in the summer with pictures of the paint.


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