# MTD 8/26 Friction Drive Problem



## Aaron1 (Mar 2, 2014)

Guys,
While snowblowing yesterday my blower stopped and no longer will move forward or reverse while in gear when i pull the handle down. The gears seem fine. When i pull the drive bar the friction wheel comes up but then it will move maybe an inch forward and then stop. (the bottom one that spins all the time stops spinning when it hits the other friction wheel ) The one thing i noticed when taking it apart is a spring is broke (see left side of the photo) i cannot figure out where this spring end should hook to. Hopefully this is the only problem, it just doesn't seem like the belt is tensioning up enough. Maybe the other problem i have is that i need a new belt. any suggestions??


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I don't know about the spring but the first thing I noticed is that the belt does look to be loose.
Did you try adjusting it?

If you look at the frame it looks like all the crud there might be from the belt. 
Maybe if you clean the crud off you will see a hole for the spring?

See where I am talking about in the picture the frame by the spring?
Is the end of the spring still there or is it broke?


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

me tinks you need a new belt. and maybe a spring or cable would not be a bad idea either


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## Aaron1 (Mar 2, 2014)

Yeah i know its dirty, heck only paid 150.00 for it lol

The end of the spring is broke and i can't see where it goes to. also, what do you need to adjust to tension up that belt? i thought maybe that spring acted as some type of tensioner and that is why it is not working


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Aaron1 said:


> Yeah i know its dirty, heck only paid 150.00 for it lol
> 
> The end of the spring is broke and i can't see where it goes to. also, what do you need to adjust to tension up that belt? i thought maybe that spring acted as some type of tensioner and that is why it is not working


Well the spring does do something or else they wouldn't have put one there.
I am not familiar with your machine I would have to look at a manual/parts picture. Have you?

As far as being dirty, what I am talking about is what the composition is of the crud itself. It looks like is is crud from pieces of the belt that is being thrown off and deposited on the frame, because it was loose. I found that on my machine. Though it might be grease as I can't feel what you have growing in there from a picture.
But from the picture it looks to be from the belt?

Clean it all up you might find a hole hiding under it for the spring.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I am talking about this crud,

Edit, I took out a picture of crud. OP has not been back since 4/2014 anyway.
I need the room in my attachment folder.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

That spring is going to be hooked to the idler pulley. The fix for this problem is going to be under the belt cover and not under the bottom belly pan. You need to set the machine back down on the wheels, remove the belt cover and then you will see the mechanism that tightens the drive belt. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out where that spring was suppose to be. One end hooks to the small wheel that tightens the belt and the other end hooks to the frame somewhere.

It will look something like this from the top, however you don't need to remove the whole front end.


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## Aaron1 (Mar 2, 2014)

thank you Shryp! Problem solved and i didn't even have to clean it up! great forum here, glad i found it this morning..


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

I thought the spring was broken?
How did you hook it up?

You know that you really should clean all the crud up you know?
What is it, it is all inside the housing too? Is it grease?
Or is it belt remains?
A clean machine is a happy machine.

Clean the top of the disc plate too, try to keep all grease and oil off it.


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## Aaron1 (Mar 2, 2014)

yes it was the spring to the idler pulley. Picked up a similar spring at the store and hooked it up, problem solved! i will probably clean it up this summer when it is warmer than -2 out. i grew up on a farm and extra grease doesn't hurt anything in a lot of situations! Yes it is both grease and remnants of belts.


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## Big Ed (Feb 10, 2013)

Aaron1 said:


> yes it was the spring to the idler pulley. Picked up a similar spring at the store and hooked it up, problem solved! i will probably clean it up this summer when it is warmer than -2 out. i grew up on a farm and extra grease doesn't hurt anything in a lot of situations! Yes it is both grease and remnants of belts.


Yes wait till it is warmer then give it a good cleaning.
It won't hurt nothing to run it dirty.
But I say a clean machine is a happy machine. 

Though on something like a big old Detroit diesel motor it is better not to take all the crud off. A lot of the crud on old Detroits are sealing all the oil leaks. 

It was mentioned in another thread to try to bag your disc plate and friction wheel up real watertight.
You don't want them getting too wet.
Just clean those up separate after you get all the big stuff off the rest of the machine.


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