# Single stage barely blowing snow



## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Hi everyone, new member here.

Yesterday, I purchased a used Simplicity 5022 single stage snowblower. Today, we got about 3" of snow, so I decided to put it to the test. It fired up on the first pull, but when I began walking with it, the snow sort of just fell out of the chute. It even developed a small pile on top of the machine.

I have no idea what's going on. The engine seems to run fine, the paddles are spinning when engaged, and the snow is dry. The guy I bought it from said he just replaced the paddle, belt, spark plug, and cleaned the carburetor. He also told me that it shot the snow 20 - 30 feet. I asked him if there was anything wrong with it and he said no. I called him tonight to see if he had any ideas on the problem, but he said he had none, hence I have come to you kind souls in search of some help.

Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance.


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

If the engine isn't slowing down, I'd say there's a belt problem not turning the paddles. I'd have someone watch out front and see if the paddles slow down when you dive it into snow. If so, could be a bad/loose belt, or the engagement isn't working right.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

WiscoJoe said:


> Hi everyone, new member here.
> 
> Yesterday, I purchased a used Simplicity 5022 single stage snowblower. Today, we got about 3" of snow, so I decided to put it to the test. It fired up on the first pull, but when I began walking with it, the snow sort of just fell out of the chute. It even developed a small pile on top of the machine.
> 
> ...


Something isn't right. That's for sure. I'd be taking a good look at those paddles. Did he show you the old paddles?
Welcome to the SBF. Sorry your first post is a tale of woe. Second one this evening.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Thanks for your responses, nt40lanman and micah68kj. I'm not sure how I could tell if the paddles are slowing down when they hit the snow because my view of them would be blocked by the snow, wouldn't it? I did see that they are moving quite quickly when they are engaged by the squeeze lever on the handle. He did not show me the old paddles, but I am new to single stage blowers so I don't even know what to look for beyond obvious wear.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Can you feel it trying to "pull" a little? If all is correct it will actually self propel.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I don't know what the specification is for the paddles RPM's but it sure sounds like your belt is slipping. You should look up how to adjust yours and make sure the belt is being properly tensioned when you engage it. It can look like it is spinning like crazy and still be slow compared to what it should be at if the belt is slipping some.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Yea, my guess would be slipping belt, improperly adjusted belt or worn out / wrong paddles.


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## nt40lanman (Dec 31, 2012)

Yes, have someone out front watch the paddles as you dive into some snow.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

I'm having trouble finding any information on this blower. It says "Simplicity" and "5022" on the casing, but I'm not finding anything online about that model.

micah68kj - No, I don't feel it pulling at all.

I'll see if I can have someone look at the paddles when it dives into snow. If the guy I bought it from replaced the belt, like he said he did, it's certainly possible that he didn't adjust the new one correctly.


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## Grunt (Nov 11, 2013)

Here is a link to a Sears blower (536.881501) that should be similar to yours and gives you an idea on how to adjust the auger belt. Hope this helps.

Craftsman 536.881501 22-Inch Snow Blower Owners Manual


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Thanks, Grunt. I'm going to have a look at that tonight.


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## AugsOfSteel (Sep 17, 2013)

I got a similar single stage for my mother with an electric start. When i used it a few times the snow would start flying out the front more like a power brush. The Chute just gets compacted sometimes and the snow has nowhere to go but back out the front.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Well, it looks like I got taken on this machine. The guy who sold it to me said he just put in a brand new belt, brand new paddles, new spark plug, and cleaned the carburetor. I dropped it off at the repair shop today and they said that the paddles, while they do have some wear left as they have not worn down to the holes, are definitely not new. They said that they have probably a season or two on them.

Can't wait for the bill.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

But why isn't it blowing snow? Did they find that out?
Something else. Next time you use it spray inside the chute with some wd-40 (expensive!) Or something like Pam cooking spray. Take every advantage you can.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

The shop doesn't know for sure yet because they have a three-week waiting time (they don't take appointments). They said it could be something as simple as the belt, but there might be a problem with the paddles, too. In addition, the scraper bar is not sitting flush to the ground at all, which I didn't notice before. Only the very center of it hits the ground.

Other apparent problems with it are the ignition switch wherein it won't shut off unless you hold it in the off position (instead of simply turning it to the off position and leaving it there), and that it will only run if the choke is open.

I'm not very familiar with these machines, so at least some of these things are things that more experienced people probably would have noticed before purchasing.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

If you're not the most mechanically inclined person never hurts to ask a friend who might be to go with. Two sets of eyes are always better.

It's still a case of you can't check everything and some times you just have to take your best guess at what's going on. Sorry to hear you likely were lied to.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

I consider myself to be reasonably mechanically inclined, but I've had no experience with single stage snowblowers prior to this one. I know well enough not to blindly trust what a mechanic says, but I've got to balance my knowledge and intuition with some trust. And unfortunately, I've only lived in this area for a couple of years and I don't yet have any mechanically inclined friends. I did tell the shop to call me after they've diagnosed it and before they do any work, so they know that they don't have a blank check.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Well, I got the news from the shop. They say it the carb needs to be cleaned (the seller told me that he had just cleaned it), it needs new paddles (the seller told me that he had just installed new ones), it needs a new scraper bar and side guards, and needs a new ignition switch (you have to hold it in the "off" position for it to turn off and the seller told me that they all do that). Needless to say, I am more than just a little upset about being bold-faced lied to by the seller.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

single stage ot two stage, if it has to be choked to run there's a carb problem but it seems like the po just told you what you wanted to hear and unfortunantly you jumped on it. my buddy bob usually charges about $100 for installing paddles but i don't know what he charges for a carb cleaning and scraper bar replacement. make sure they clean the gas tank also


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

+1, any choke while running once it's warm indicates carb problem or vac leak. If the gaskets are good and the bolts are tight than it's carb.

I pulled the carb from my Troy when I got it this fall due to surging. I didn't use anything to physically push through the jets but I pulled the bowl and shot carb cleaner at it from the bottom and through the throat. Reassembled and it still surges. Maybe the PO did clean it just didn't clean it enough to fix it like mine ??

The Troy is a pain to pull the carb so I'd living with part choke operation and will tear into it this spring.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

detdrbuzzard said:


> it seems like the po just told you what you wanted to hear and unfortunantly you jumped on it.


I'm not sure I understand what you mean by this. I'm also not sure what PO stands for.

In any event, I certainly did not want to hear that all of this stuff is wrong with my blower. It doesn't make me happy and in fact makes me quite angry that I was lied to and now I have to deal with it. Maybe the seller did clean the carb (albeit poorly), but he most certainly lied about new paddles and the ignition switch.


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## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

PO = previous mowner.
He told you what you wanted to hear... He knew that you'd be happy that all this work had been done to put the machine in top condition.(supposedly).


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

To be blunt, it sounds like you got screwed and the seller knew he was doing it. 

In the world of buying anything used from a private party you really need to know what you're looking for or at BEFORE you let go of the money.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Gotcha. I thought you were referring to the shop mechanic. Yes, I've certainly learned a lesson with this. The upside is that I'm learning a lot about these machines so I'll have a lot better idea of what to look for next time. Although I'm leaning toward buying a brand new one whenever I'm done with this one.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Even with a new one, keeping it in the pink by doing maintenance is the way to go. I was pretty bad at buying something, putting in gas, changing oil infrequently and fixing it when it broke. I spent all my time pampering my cars. I'm now paying more attention to all my stuff and it's nice to know I can pull something out and it's going to not only run, but run well .


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Just got my blower back from the shop. They replaced the ignition switch, and I'm happy to report that that is functioning properly now. However, after the carb clean, it still isn't running well (just sputtering) after I turn the choke off. Granted, it was only 2° F, but it ran for probably ten minutes. As for not throwing the snow, I still have that problem but that's because I haven't replaced the paddles yet (at least I'm hoping that's why). I opted to buy the parts from them but install them myself to save on labor costs; they just haven't come in yet.

Anyone have a recommendation for purchasing parts online? Good prices + good quality, of course.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Oh, and I finally learned what the model number is (someone tore the sticker off): Simplicity 1695468


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Did the shop tell you it was still running poorly before or at the time you picked it up ?? Did they give you the option of replacing the carb ??
You might need to run with some choke on even after warmed up. Did you try giving it some to see if it would smooth out ??

Parts suppliers: Amazon, Ebay and using "Prime line" then taking the prime line number and punching it in on Oreilly auto parts web site to see price and availability. 
Prime®Line Power Equipment | Parts that works as hard as you do
Home Page | O'Reilly Auto Parts
Orielly surprised me on some parts being least expensive and having a warranty but on some stuff they are high. I have older riders and blowers and some times it's not a matter of price it's just finding the "part" at all


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Did the shop tell you it was still running poorly before or at the time you picked it up ?? Did they give you the option of replacing the carb ??
> You might need to run with some choke on even after warmed up. Did you try giving it some to see if it would smooth out ??
> 
> Parts suppliers: Amazon, Ebay and using "Prime line" then taking the prime line number and punching it in on Oreilly auto parts web site to see price and availability.
> ...


Thanks a bunch for your parts suggestions!

The shop said that it was running "fine" and "a lot better" after they cleaned the carb. They did not offer the option of replacing the carb, though another shop I visited today said that that's usually what they do. The upside is that they didn't charge me anything (or very little) for the cleaning, because the ignition part was $79.99 and my total bill was something like $85. It does run mostly fine when I leave the choke on.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

One additional source is just google Snowblower parts and use the companies that come up.

Your engine should be a 09A4130202E1 and if so the carb kit is #498260 about $12 and the carb itself is a #699103 $55 at Sears (SearsPartsDirect.com). $48 shipped on Ebay 



BUT that's just me doing some research and if you need a carb and want to order one I'd search for a better price and make sure your engine is the one I found.

Reason I asked is if they said it was running good and charged you good money for the cleaning I'd recommend taking it back. As is, sounds like they did you a favor and at least improved it some. Usually cleaning will bring it back but not always. Depends on the persons skill, how much dis-assembly and at times the cleaner used itself.


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## WiscoJoe (Dec 9, 2013)

Thanks again for your advice, and I'm sorry for such a late reply. I just got my new paddles in the mail today and I've already installed them. It's definitely blowing snow much better than it did before, though not as much as it should. Hopefully the new scraper bar will provide the rest of the improvement it needs (I should get that in the mail on Monday, I believe).

As for the carb, I think you're right about it needing to be replaced. I can't really place any blame on the shop for that since they didn't charge me anything for cleaning it and it does run better than it did. Still can't run it without the choke on, though.

Ugh. I still can't believe that I paid $220 for this machine and I've since had to dump nearly $180 additional into it, not including a new carb that it likely needs. No more used machines for me. Just can't trust people.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

i usually try partstree.com and repairclinic.com ( they are about a half hours drive from my house ) but carbs seem to be cheaper on ebay


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