# Mechanical Drive Issues or Demonic Possession?



## BuckKnuckles (Dec 28, 2017)

I think my Troy-Built 4510 two-stage snowblower is in need of an exorcism.
I've been operating it for about a year and have performed only minor maintenance such as oil change and replacing shear pins. The last few times I have used it, it has opted to not follow my instructions to go forward. Instead, when I engage the forward gears, it will go into reverse after just a few feet. If I let off the drive handle and then re-engage, it will do the same. It seems more pronounced in lower forward gears and occurs with more frequency as it warms up.
Would this be a cable, belt or friction issue?
Alternatively, should I have it baptized or drive a wooden stake through the carburetor? (I think my wife put a curse on it. I told her I could turn a dishwasher into a snow thrower by simply giving her a shovel. I get the stitches removed next week.)


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

:welcome: to SBF BuckKnuckles

Have you tried pulling off the plate on the back so you can see what the friction wheel is doing as you try to shift it ??
Does the shifter stay in a forward gear notch and still go backwards or is the lever slipping into reverse too ??


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## Yanmar Ronin (Jan 31, 2015)

Ya you gotta open it up and see what's going on.

Wear garlic, or something... ccasion14:

:welcome:


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

:welcome:

I have a Troy-Bilt 2410 so here are some pictures of the drive mechanism. (Click thumbnail for larger image)

The drive 'wheel' slides back and forth across the 'friction disk' to give to the various gears.









The spring provides movement of the 'wheel' to change gears and the cable running up to the shifter controls the position of the 'wheel'









Not sure if these pictures help, but I would imagine your machine is quite similar. See if the shifter mechanism is rotating on the control shaft all by itself, causing the 'wheel' to change position on the 'friction' disk'.

Or possibly the spring that moves the linkage has come loose, so the 'wheel' can move across the disk on its own volition.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

As mentioned above, you need to remove the bottom pan and see what is going on. Then raise the wheels off the ground and shift going through all the gears. Pay attention to where the positioning of the forward and reverse gears are on the friction plate. You will see the friction disc slide sideways on the square shaft. Then start the engine, look underneath while shifting, see what the friction disc is doing in relation to the direction the wheels are turning.


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## markgm (Jan 6, 2018)

I have to laugh, as I just posted having the same issue and then found this post. I'll have to open mine up to see what's going on too, but I wonder how much we'll be able to see when the unit is off.


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## jonnied12 (Jan 14, 2017)

Also apply a thin film of Anti-Seize on the hex shaft.


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