# 4 way chute control cable routing



## evergreen0077 (Dec 11, 2016)

i have an older 9 HP, 28 inch craftsman snowblower and the chute stopped turning left and right. took it apart and the cable must have been loose and came undone. can anybody help with how the cable is supposed to be wrapped around???


----------



## Opfoto (Jan 3, 2013)

This may help....give it a quick read


blowerforum.com/forum/craftsman-snowblowers/72626-craftsman-247-88790-4-way-chute-control-assembly-issue.html


----------



## DennisP (Jan 10, 2016)

Well, considering I just rebuilt an entire assembly off a Cub Cadet with the same kind of control head, I think I can give a hand.

First off you need to go under the control panel and loosen the adjusting nuts and get it so the cables have some slack. You need to do it with BOTH cables. That is because once you get the cables on the pulley you need to get the pulley back onto the control head. And they need to have MORE slack than what you already have.

Once that is done look at the orientation you took the pulley off from. You have to use the same orientation so that the chute moves left and right properly, otherwise it will be reversed. Now take it and take the cable from one side on the pulley and follow one of the grooves on the pulley and get it all the way around till it is back where it started and continue until you are pointing back down to the cable on the control head. Now take the other cable on the pulley and wrap it the other way. Once that is done you have the cable literally wrapped around the pulley so the pulley is tight in the middle. Now install that back into the control head with the bolt your removed and install the whole assembly back on the chute and tighten the bolt down.

The reason it looks weird when it comes apart is because it is meant to be double wrapped to hold onto the pulley without any slack.

Now go back to the joystick and start tightening up the cables alternately on both sides until there is no play and a bit of tension on the chute control. Then tighten down the lock nuts and you are done. If the chute is not pointing straight when you have the joystick straight you need to go and readjust the cables underneath to even them out more. Just be sure to tighten the locknuts when you are done.

These cables come off that pulley when the cables stretch and there is too much slack. That also makes the chute flop around. The easiest thing to do is make sure those cables have some tension on them underneath when doing regular maintenance on your snowblower.

MTD changed the design and they use a solid rod and a pivot gear in the control head now. Honestly, I think the cables work just fine if you make sure they are tight. The new design allows for less "slop" as well, but it isn't worth the $130 for a new set of controls as far as I am concerned. Now once I put a tall chute on my setup I might be changing my mind, since they did only offer the old cable controlled one for a single year and then switch to the control rod setup.


----------



## evergreen0077 (Dec 11, 2016)

still trying to figure this out... does it wrap around the section i have an arrow to in the attached picture? or just around the back?


----------



## DennisP (Jan 10, 2016)

Yes, it wraps in those cable guide grooves (that is what they are for), one going one way, the other the other way, doesn't matter which one is on top or bottom.


----------



## evergreen0077 (Dec 11, 2016)

well i got the wires wrapped up and put together but now i think there is something also wrong inside the unit where the handle is to adjust the 4 way chute. anything i can check for inside that unit?


----------

