# 2006 Craftsman - how do I get the friction disk assembly out?



## Bath SBF (Mar 18, 2017)

craftsman snow blower 247.88790 

2006 easy steer, 9 hp 

It is a horse of a different color because, on the friction disk hex shaft there are bearing assemblies on each end that appear to be pressed and just inside them are larger bearing assemblies that are part of the easy steer function, then gears and then the friction disk between them all. So bearing(pressed?), bearing (easy steer), gear, FDisk, gear, bearing (EZ), and bearing.

My problem are the two easy steer bearings. They seem to be "sticking" but only after time. I was able to get one to rotate freely by many applications of white lube spray, but the other side sticks occasionally.even after the spray. The result is stopping and no forward drive since the machine acts like easy steer has been engaged so power is removed from the wheels. 

It seems that I need to remove the outer bearings in order to remove the inner bearing and then the gear to get the shaft assembly out. 

How is this done? Or is there another way to get the shaft out and remove the bearings and gear? And how is it put back together (that outer bearing)?

I see that there is a complete assembly available for about $270+ but that puts me in range of a new blower since this has 11 years on it and has other lesser issues that may be heading for larger problems. I would like to get through a few more seasons with this one as it does a great job of throwing snow.

I would have posted pictures but the FAQ says to use the " 'Manage Attachments" button but there wasn't one so sorry for the verbal picture.

Any help is appreciated.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

I'm not familiar with the machine, so I'm afraid I can't help. 

I believe you can't post pics directly here until you have 10 posts. But if you have flickr, imgur, etc, you can upload pics there, and post links to those pictures. 

Letting people actually see the issue may help.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Is this the configuration?


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Try using the "Go Advanced" blue button down below the "Quick Reply" window where you type a reply. It will have a place for manage attachments.


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## Bath SBF (Mar 18, 2017)

I did view that video but the blower has chains not engaged gears. Also mine has one less shaft so the shaft you see in front on mine is the hex shaft and has the friction disk. So there is a direct drive between the gears on the FD shaft and the gears on the wheel shaft. 

This is a rather unique set-up. 

It appears that I will need to make 10 posts before I can post pics. No buttons no mater what I do.

Thanks so far.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

Bath SBF said:


> I did view that video but the blower has chains not engaged gears. Also mine has one less shaft so the shaft you see in front on mine is the hex shaft and has the friction disk. So there is a direct drive between the gears on the FD shaft and the gears on the wheel shaft.
> 
> This is a rather unique set-up.
> 
> ...


Looking at the parts drawing at https://www.manualslib.com/manual/469643/Craftsman-247-88790.html?page=25#manual 

Is this parts print different than the machine you have???


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

*does it look like this?*

if it looks like this see if this helps you. these pictures are from an MTD training manual, your snowblower may have been made by MTD. if this is what yours looks like, after you remove the axle and gears, the friction wheel hex shaft may have "e" clips holding the gears on the shaft, removing them allows you to slide the gears back and forth like the guy did in the above video. Whatever clips they use to hold the gears, watch for the woodruff keys as you slide the gears around.

Or I may be barking up the wrong tree here!


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

for some reason the site is only posting half of my reply. if you can see the pictures, once you get the axle out the gears on the hex shaft holding the friction wheel will have clips of some kind holding them in position, removing them allows you to slide the hex shaft left and right.

Or I could be barking up the wrong tree here!


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## Bath SBF (Mar 18, 2017)

skutflut said:


> Looking at the parts drawing at https://www.manualslib.com/manual/469643/Craftsman-247-88790.html?page=25#manual
> 
> Is this parts print different than the machine you have???


That is exactly it. My problem is the part 26, the bearings on the ends- do they come off and how?

I did see the clips for the gears and figured that was how to get them to slide for removal, but after that, how do I get the friction disk off- which is where the end bearings come in.

You all are great.


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## Bath SBF (Mar 18, 2017)

524SWE said:


> if it looks like this see if this helps you. these pictures are from an MTD training manual, your snowblower may have been made by MTD. if this is what yours looks like, after you remove the axle and gears, the friction wheel hex shaft may have "e" clips holding the gears on the shaft, removing them allows you to slide the gears back and forth like the guy did in the above video. Whatever clips they use to hold the gears, watch for the woodruff keys as you slide the gears around.
> 
> Or I may be barking up the wrong tree here!


It looks like my assembly except I cannot see the second set of bearings that are part of the easy steer. They have a gold color and are notched so they can be stopped or released by the easy steer controls. 

But they are not my problem- the outer bearings seem to be pressed on, but I am not that familiar with pressed bearings to know that they are- just my guess. My problem is how to remove them so I can get to the Friction Disk with minimal problems.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

Bath SBF said:


> That is exactly it. My problem is the part 26, the bearings on the ends- do they come off and how?
> 
> I did see the clips for the gears and figured that was how to get them to slide for removal, but after that, how do I get the friction disk off- which is where the end bearings come in.
> 
> You all are great.


It appears that there are retainers, #31 and #68 that need to be removed. Looks like they are contained in the side covers. Have your removed the side covers yet to see what lurks under them? Remember to take pictures as you disassemble things so you know how they go back together.


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

It is not necessary to remove the bearings from the hex shaft. Remove #31 and #68, the covers in the drawing, the bearings and the shaft are held in place by the covers, sometimes you can't get the wheels off the axle to get at these covers so remove the axle as the previous pictures show. The bearings are actually held on the hex shaft with circlips. It may take a certain amount of twisting and wiggling and holding your tongue just right but these things do come apart! A lot of times if the planetary gearset and dogg assembly (#17 in the drawing) just need lube you can do it without taking the hex shaft out of the machine but everything should come out easy enough that it's easier to do it on the bench.


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

here's the planetary gearset


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## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

524SWE said:


> It is not necessary to remove the bearings from the hex shaft. Remove #31 and #68, the covers in the drawing, the bearings and the shaft are held in place by the covers, sometimes you can't get the wheels off the axle to get at these covers so remove the axle as the previous pictures show. The bearings are actually held on the hex shaft with circlips. It may take a certain amount of twisting and wiggling and holding your tongue just right but these things do come apart! A lot of times if the planetary gearset and dogg assembly (#17 in the drawing) just need lube you can do it without taking the hex shaft out of the machine but everything should come out easy enough that it's easier to do it on the bench.


He's got this for you, very simple system just needs to be lubed every couple of years


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## GW Heretic (Mar 18, 2017)

After reading through this post, I'm sure that this is exactly my problem (and the same snowblower) too. 

I thought that my problem was the axle being rusted so I took it apart, sanded off the rust from the axles and inside the tube that holds them together. Then greased it all up. It all turned nice and smooth but when it was all back together, my wheels were still locked up.

Now I'm going to follow these great directions and take it all apart and clean up or replace those planetary gears and bearings on the hex shaft.

Thanks to all of you!


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## Bath SBF (Mar 18, 2017)

524SWE said:


> The bearings are actually held on the hex shaft with circlips. It may take a certain amount of twisting and wiggling and holding your tongue just right but these things do come apart! .


Just to be sure- the circlip is around the outer bearing. The circlip was more a wire that fit almost around the outside of the bearing,I removed one to see if that would release the bearing but it did not seem to do anything so stopped there in case I dinged it and would be in worse shape.

So do I just give the bearing a little encouragement (after some penetrating oil) and will it come off just like the ones that are held in by a bolt? If so, life is good as I can fix it easily.


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## stromr (Jul 20, 2016)

Bath SBF said:


> Just to be sure- the circlip is around the outer bearing. The circlip was more a wire that fit almost around the outside of the bearing,I removed one to see if that would release the bearing but it did not seem to do anything so stopped there in case I dinged it and would be in worse shape.
> 
> So do I just give the bearing a little encouragement (after some penetrating oil) and will it come off just like the ones that are held in by a bolt? If so, life is good as I can fix it easily.


that's it!


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## Bath SBF (Mar 18, 2017)

Thanks to all! It is back in operation. You all were exceptional in helping me.

Took it our after the repairs and into about a foot of ice capped, dense, settled snow (started out at about 18"last week) which usually would have stopped it cold. Got through fine so all is well.

So, a recap is in order. The reason the bearing did not come off and seemed to be held back by a clip or something else, was because of rust and gunk build-up at the end of the shaft. It took about an hour a side to free everything up including the planetary gear. It was a breeze to take the FD shaft and all its stuff out so did all the work on the shaft on my garage bench (good advice). . Used up a can of brake cleaner and a lot of penetrating oil. It was a mess inside the planetary gears so that took time to clean. They and the bearings were difficult to get off but they succumbed eventually. Lots of rust and hardened gunk. I sanded the shaft to get rid of the rust with a strip of fine sand paper and also sanded the gear surface of the planetary gears. Greased them up with lithium grease (for now). and will take them apart again next summer and uses some cold weather grease and replace the FD rubber. 

All my fault. I do all my maintenance on yard equipment and used to fix my car until a couple of years ago. For the blower, I did clean up the friction disk assembly, replaced the starter, fixed the carb, and replaced the belts, but never thought to take apart and grease up the shafts. After my tour on you tube, I learned that I was not alone and many discarded blowers were only suffering from rusty. corroded, and sticking transmissions, especially the easy steer types with split shafts. The planetary gears were an added eventual problem.

I will be 79 in April and have been repairing stuff since I watched a garage crew replace the head gasket in my 1964 Rambler American Station Wagon in 1967. Saw that it was easy so when it blew again, bought he tools and did it myself. Still have the tools! So I am a little embarrassed in letting the blower get so bad-but thanks to all of you, "peace has returned to Happy Valley" (From an old Disney short- Mickey and the Bean Stalk). The blower works great.

Again, thanks.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

Glad you found the problems and got it fixed! I fear however that some of the tools you got to fix the Rambler head gaskets might not be too much use with the snowblower, but then again.....


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## GW Heretic (Mar 18, 2017)

This is a great thread that needs to be a "Sticky". I've been following along with exactly the same problem as Bath SBF. I had trouble removing the end bearing (part 26 in the parts drawing) and had to cut and chisel it off - luckily I had purchased new bearings on ebay before starting. I found needle bearing debris all through my planetary gears which was the cause of my wheels being locked up.

I've installed the new bearings and greased everything up so now it's time to reassemble and see what happens.

Thanks to all for the help.

Here's a couple of links to the bearings I got on Ebay - they were a perfect fit:

Genuine MTD 741-04076 Bearing-Ball | eBay

Bearings for 918-04322A Craftsman Cub Cadet EZ steer Transmission Fix | eBay


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## GW Heretic (Mar 18, 2017)

Hmm, I posted 2 links but only one showed up so here's the other one (this is part 26 in the parts drawing):

Genuine MTD 741-04076 Bearing-Ball | eBay


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## fabrice (Jan 7, 2018)

What is the best lubricant for the needle bearings? 

I'm thinking of the MO2 heavy black liquid used in auto CV joints. They're subject to both hot and cold, and it doesn't dry out. Alternative are red or green tractor lube grease, but thinking that might be a little too viscous.

Anyone know?

Fabrice 
Northbridge MA
CC SWE-528


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