# ST1032 restoration



## ELaw

So someone PMed me about ST1032s and I talked myself into creating this "build thread" so you all can laugh at me while I do this... :icon-hgtg:

The machine in question is a 1994-ish model 924084. To give you an idea how much time I've spent researching/ordering parts, I just typed that number from memory rather than looking at the machine or my notes! :smiley-confused009:

I've got a driveway that's about 275' long that ends in an area in front of the garage that's large enough to park about 10 cars. So I've got a lot of area to clear... at least compared to what I'm used to. And while northeast MA doesn't get as much snow as some locations represented here, it gets its share. Especially last year!

When we moved here I had a late 1980's ST824 I inherited from my father that's in great shape, but I wanted something that could move the snow faster. So I got an old 10,000 series 32" unit and fixed it up a bit (including an upgrade from 7 HP to 10) but its performance was disappointing.

So with my very lightweight wallet in hand, I went looking for another machine and found this monster "commercial" model for $400.

I've owned 4 or 5 Ariens machines prior to this one, and have done a few engine swaps on them but otherwise they generally didn't require much to be put back in shape. A couple of axle and auger shaft bearings here, a friction disk there, and they ran happily. And were pretty much free of rust.

This one... was another story. It was an absolute basket case! It had rust everywhere, and *many* mechanical parts had problems. Usually when a ball bearing is bad, you replace the bearing and you're good, right? Not on this machine, the shafts (axle and impeller) were actually worn down so they didn't fit tightly in the new bearings. Some parts were so rusty they were almost unrecognizable. One rake and the auger shaft were bent. The auger gearbox was full of water and the worm gear and bearings were rusted... and so on and so on.

So I'm taking the thing completely apart, replacing a large number of mechanical parts mostly with new ones but a few used, and much of the sheet metal. In my current position in life I have a little extra money but scarce time and patience, so I'm actually replacing much of the rusty sheet metal with new rather than repairing it - specifically the bucket, augers, and tractor frame.

I've probably got $1500 into parts for this machine so far which I know is nuts, but I'm confident it'll be a heck of a nice unit when it's done! I don't think it's as much of a "tank" as the older ones (although apparently it weighs over 300 lbs). But when I was in the hardware store today I looked at some of the new Ariens machines they had and I must say this one seems much more solid.

Beyond the repairs, it's going to be getting some upgrades. I've got a set of almost-new sno-hog tires to go on it, and an 11 HP Tecumseh motor.

The biggest part of the upgrades, which may or may not happen this year, is the electrics. I've already installed a higher-output alternator on the motor. I've got a rectifier and filter cap and a regulator and a box to house them. I want to install a battery and convert it to 12V electric start. I also have LED lights, motors for the chute rotation and deflector, and a joystick and relays to control them. The LED lights will almost certainly happen this year, but I'm not sure about the rest.

I'll be posting more pictures when I get time but here are a couple to begin with:


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## PolarNorth

Very nice find indeed for $400!..._albeit just slightly insane with the overall investment to date_ :smiley-confused009:, I honestly believe you you definitely have one heck of blower when the dust settles and the reclamation project is completed!


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## guilateen02

Don't feel so guilty about spending dough on it.It's a hobby.If you enjoy working and it puts a smile on your face. You can't put a price on that. Some fix these machines for profit, some do it for joy. You could be doing worst things with your loot. I know I wont laugh at your project. Happy Resto Mod. Blow on man.


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## ELaw

Yeah, the way I figure it I'll end up having about $2K into it and get a machine that's in many ways as good as, and in a few ways better than, a brand-new $3K machine.

At least that's what I keep telling myself...:facepalm_zpsdj194qh


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## ELaw

So first things first: I have to give a shout out to Ariens customer service!

When I went to order the bucket, it had been superseded to a new number. That didn't worry me at the time but later I googled the number and found a few images from internet sellers, of a bucket that looked a LOT different from mine. I started getting worried about whether the new bucket could be installed without 50 other new parts.

So I contacted Ariens customer service via their web form. They got back to me in hardly over half an hour. Not only did they reassure me the new bucket will replace the old one with no additional parts or work, but they recognized the order and even told me when they expected it to ship (which incidentally is much later than Jack's is claiming).

Nice job, Ariens! :icon-woo:


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## ELaw

And now begins the "parade o' photos"!

First, some "before" pix...
Bucket with the part that holds the scraper bar almost rusted away:









And it looks like someone took a torch to the back of the bucket for some reason I can't understand:









Shift adjustment... DENIED:









Both handles had broken near the tractor housing and had been welded... really badly:









Tractor housing after I cut the handles off - quite the mess:









Machine was obviously run with the belt cover off - a lot. Plenty of rust inside, wheel clutch mechanism completely seized:


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## ELaw

And while it isn't nearly done, I do have some "after" photos:

























I mentioned earlier about shafts being worn where they go through bearings... I found a great fix for that.

I have a machinist buddy who works at a shop where they specialize in fixing old equipment. They have a special technique for building up worn-out metal pieces... he told me what it was and I'm about 75% sure it's flame-spraying but I could be remembering wrong. Anyhow, he was able to build up the worn and damaged areas of the axle and impeller shaft, then machine them back down to exactly the right dimensions. The best thing was I got the work done for free, in exchange for some other stuff I'd helped him with.


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## nervous

Interesting. I just put my many year old ST1032 out to pasture last week. I'm now wishing that I hadn't quite honestly. I did a pretty complete restoration on mine nearly 15+ years ago and turned it from a rusty mess to a good looking and functioning snow beast. That is a simple, easy to work on (for the most part), reliable and very well built machine. Mine was running at half a pull. Every year. I had some drive issues last year and in evaluating things before the upcoming season it seemed like the right time to move up since I found a ST1336 Pro at a decent price. Time will tell if I made a wise choice.

Great job and good luck. Enjoy it and have no regrets. I think your logic is sound because the newer machines are just not as well made. That cast iron auger gear case tells the story.


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## GoBlowSnow

I have run a number of ST1032s and each one was a monster. Great machine, just little things here and there, which is to be expected. The one I use from time to time has a very noisy chute that vibrates and makes quite a bit of racket, on top of the already loud 10Hp motor.


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## E350

Subscribed! For your forensic analysis and photographs of your 924084!

_Our new to us:_
Ariens snowblower
Model Name: ST1032 Sno-Thro
Model No.: 924084
Serial No: 000892
Tires: 16/6.50x8 Pneumatic Snow Hog
Tire Size / 16 x 6.50-8 Wheel Diameter / 8 in.
Tire Chains: 16x6.50x8
TireChain.com Snow Hog 2-link, v-bar for 16x6.50x8

I am sure you are way a head of me, but I downloaded the 

924 OWNER-OPERATOR MANUAL
924 PARTS MANUAL
924 SERVICE MANUAL

all from the Ariens website in pdf form. I can attach them to a pm or email if you need them.


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## skutflut

GoBlowSnow said:


> I have run a number of ST1032s and each one was a monster. Great machine, just little things here and there, which is to be expected. The one I use from time to time has a very noisy chute that vibrates and makes quite a bit of racket, on top of the already loud 10Hp motor.


You just need an set of industrial grade ear muffs.


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## bwright1818

Wow, this is great! Thanks for posting the pictures of your tractor unit all apart. I have three machines, where I will have to go into the bearing carrier for the disc drive, as they are apparently hanging up, making drive control unreliable. Two of the three machines are ST1032s. Now, I have good service pictures!

As for being crazy to spend that money, hey, you could have spent it at a casino and had NOTHING to show for it; so, so what? Enjoy your project!


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## ELaw

bwright1818 said:


> I have three machines, where I will have to go into the bearing carrier for the disc drive, as they are apparently hanging up, making drive control unreliable. Two of the three machines are ST1032s. Now, I have good service pictures!


Yeah, given all the attention Ariens gave to putting grease zerks in various places, I'm very surprised that a) no provision was made for lubricating that thing and b) there's nothing in the manual that says to lubricate it!

It seems that on some of the 924xxxx machines the outer part of the carrier (the part that attaches to the frame) is steel and on others it's aluminum. The one on this machine was aluminum (since replaced with steel) and it was VERY hard to free up. Clearly lubrication is essential on those components!

Next I'm going to have to take apart my ST824 and lube that thing... I bet that hasn't been done since the machine was built.


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## ELaw

Hey for those who have owned & used this model, I have a question: did you find it hard to keep it going in a straight line?

I generally liked the older 32" I had, but even though it had a lockable diff that I kept locked all the time, it seemed like the scraper bar and/or skids would constantly catch on imperfections in the driveway and try to make the machine turn left or right. I found it much harder to keep it going straight than my ST824 and the other 24" machines I've owned.

I'm hoping that being larger and heavier and having a wider tire track, and better tires, this one won't be so bad.


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## lee h

Great project. A true labor of love. Who cares about the
cost as long as your happy. Nice pic's and thanks for sharing.


Lee


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## nervous

ELaw said:


> Hey for those who have owned & used this model, I have a question: did you find it hard to keep it going in a straight line?
> 
> I generally liked the older 32" I had, but even though it had a lockable diff that I kept locked all the time, it seemed like the scraper bar and/or skids would constantly catch on imperfections in the driveway and try to make the machine turn left or right. I found it much harder to keep it going straight than my ST824 and the other 24" machines I've owned.
> 
> I'm hoping that being larger and heavier and having a wider tire track, and better tires, this one won't be so bad.


Yeah, as I think about, just a little. It would want to walk from side to side but given the conditions I was usually working in I didn't give it much thought

BTW, I have an OEM print copy of the 924 series Service Manual, Parts Manual and Owners Manual as well as the associated 'factory original' Tecumseh 3 to 10 HP mechanics manual if you'd like them. I no longer have any use for them and a print copy is sometimes useful in the garage or elsewhere. If nothing else they are a nce thing to have on hand to complete the package. Just PM me your address and I'll mail them out on Monday.


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## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> And while it isn't nearly done, I do have some "after" photos:
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> I mentioned earlier about shafts being worn where they go through bearings... I found a great fix for that.
> 
> I have a machinist buddy who works at a shop where they specialize in fixing old equipment. They have a special technique for building up worn-out metal pieces... he told me what it was and I'm about 75% sure it's flame-spraying but I could be remembering wrong. Anyhow, he was able to build up the worn and damaged areas of the axle and impeller shaft, then machine them back down to exactly the right dimensions. The best thing was he owed me a favor so I got that done for free! I really lucked out on that deal.


Great job there.......!, It really is a labor of love...!
One observation though, after all the work and effort you are putting into the restoration process *I would use new hardware where ever possible, it will make a big difference in the end*.


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## ELaw

nervous said:


> BTW, I have an OEM print copy of the 924 series Service Manual, Parts Manual and Owners Manual as well as the associated 'factory original' Tecumseh 3 to 10 HP mechanics manual if you'd like them. I no longer have any use for them and a print copy is sometimes useful in the garage or elsewhere. If nothing else they are a nce thing to have on hand to complete the package. Just PM me your address and I'll mail them out on Monday.


Thank you so much! 

PM on its way...


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## ELaw

hsblowersfan said:


> One observation though, after all the work and effort you are putting into the restoration process *I would use new hardware where ever possible, it will make a big difference in the end*.


Yeah, in some cases I've done that. The trip to the hardware store I referred to earlier was actually to get all stainless hardware for the front end. Scraper bar hardware, skid hardware, bolts + washers for the ends of the auger shaft, even stainless nyloc nuts for the shear pins.

But a lot of the fasteners (bolts particularly) on the tractor are unusual - like all those bolts with the serrations that are pressed into the housing. And honestly a lot of the new Ariens hardware I've gotten has a microscopically thin zinc plated... I actually think the old fasteners had a thicker plating and will last longer. There's also a certain element of cost containment given how much $ I've put into this thing... if the hardware becomes a problem I can replace it later when the kitty is replenished.


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## St1032

I am so glad my pm inspired this restoration thread. (At least I'm taking credit for it LOL). Keep up the good work.


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## mobiledynamics

Off topic, but I would be okay mating a SS bolt with a SS Nut.

I considered swapping out to SS on my brand new unit on certain items.
Chickened out.

SS bolts on Steel Threads

I've seen too many bad examples of SS galling that if I'm not mating SS against another SS variant, I'd be too concerned about it galling.


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## AriensProMike

Great job!!! I can tell you that it's going to be a true beast when it's done.


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## GoBlowSnow

The only problem I really had with the 1032 was those blasted small yet fat tires.. Very annoying and difficult to maneuver


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## E350

*GoBlowSnow*: What would you recommend if we come to the same conclusioin regarding the 1032's tires? Would it help to retrofit them with a different aspect ratio or tire size?


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## ELaw

mobiledynamics said:


> I've seen too many bad examples of SS galling that if I'm not mating SS against another SS variant, I'd be too concerned about it galling.


Yeah, I've seen a lot about the pitfalls of using stainless, but I've been doing it for years on cars and never had an issue. Of course, I always use anti-seize.

The difference it can make is nothing short of miraculous. I put a custom exhaust on one of my cars in 2002 and when it rusted and needed replacing this summer, the stainless fasteners unscrewed as if they'd been installed a week ago.


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## YSHSfan

mobiledynamics said:


> I've seen too many bad examples of SS galling that if I'm not mating SS against another SS variant, I'd be too concerned about it galling.


What I have found while researching about it was:
1. Use SS bolts with non SS nuts.
2. If you use SS bolt and SS nut, make sure to use antiseize.
3. If you use SS bolt and SS nuts (specially if they are self locking nuts), turn them slowly (do not use power tools), galling happens mostly from the 2 surfaces getting hot, if you keep them cool it is likely to be fine.

FYI, I've had SS bolts and SS lock nuts weld themselfs together and the bolt snap off, but in those cases I did not use antiseize and I was using an air impact gun.


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## lardness1

great pics elaw, way to go, so what,you spend 2k on restoring what seems to be a great machine,you get the pleasure and satisfaction of doing this,it keeps you off the street and your wife,if you have one,knows where to find you,lol. cheers, the more i read about ariens the more impressed iget, thanks to scot for allhis neat info on his sites.and again thanks for taking the time to post the pics,very interesting.bob.this site is amazing,i wish id found it sooner.


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## bwright1818

ELaw said:


> Hey for those who have owned & used this model, I have a question: did you find it hard to keep it going in a straight line?
> 
> I generally liked the older 32" I had, but even though it had a lockable diff that I kept locked all the time, it seemed like the scraper bar and/or skids would constantly catch on imperfections in the driveway and try to make the machine turn left or right. I found it much harder to keep it going straight than my ST824 and the other 24" machines I've owned.
> 
> I'm hoping that being larger and heavier and having a wider tire track, and better tires, this one won't be so bad.


Yes, yes, YES, they hang up on every little stone, rut, ice ball and constantly try to yank the handles side to side!! (Not to mention all 32 inches trying to climb upward on hard pack.) If it's nice fresh snow on a flat paved drive way, they work awesome. Otherwise, they are beasts in more ways than just clearing snow. At almost 60 with a pretty shot back, I may have to give up using them....It's just that they are so impressive to LOOK at!!!


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## GoBlowSnow

E350 said:


> *GoBlowSnow*: What would you recommend if we come to the same conclusioin regarding the 1032's tires? Would it help to retrofit them with a different aspect ratio or tire size?


For that answer, I'm going to have to defer to someone else on here with more experience when it comes to tire sizes. Just a bit too wide and height is not tall enough is what I am thinking.


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## St1032

*Not a hijack just wanted to show off my ST1032*

I know in my PM to you ELaw I said that I was lucky enough to find this beauty in very good condition so here it is after a 16" snowfall in Roscoe,IL with the new 18W Cree LED upgrade

notice the snow on the landscape timbers in the distance... these machines are incredible


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## ELaw

Wow! Did you buy that new, or did you restore it?

That's about the nicest ST1032 I've seen.


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## ELaw

Hey here's a question - not really ST1032 specific, I'd think it would apply to any Ariens machine, or at least any 924 series, of that era.

Can anyone give me a specific brand+color of spray paint that matches the wheels?

I'm currently refinishing them and have some paint that's close (more of a cream color than the "putty" color I'd call the OE paint) - but if I could get a more exact match it would be nice.


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## E350

*ELaw*: I am currently putting together my compressor, tank, dryers, gun, automotive paint (Imron maybe?) spray system - for a lot of stuff that I have to paint. On the jet ski forum, for spray paint, the Dupli-Color brand is well regarded both for the quality of the paint and the multitude of colors available. So may want to download a color chart 

http://www.duplicolor.com/

then order a couple of shades of Dupli-Color from Amazon or pick it up at O'Reilly Autoparts? 

And I am sure that you are way ahead of me on this, and I have never called Ariens, but would their customer service recommend a brand/color? If so, please post the recommendation for all of us.


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## ELaw

Well after I posted that I did some googling and didn't come up with much. Thousands of hits about matching "Ariens orange" but nothing for wheels.

So I went to my friendly local hardware store and basically took a guess, and left with a can of Rust-Oleum "professional high-performance enamel" spray paint. I'm at work right now but looking on their website I think the color is "light machine gray" - I'll check when I get home.

Anyhow, it's a fantastic match for the wheel color. I showed one of the wheels to my wife and she couldn't tell which areas I'd painted and which ones I hadn't!


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## ELaw

Hey I guessed right! I've got the can in front of me and it's as described above: Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel, color Light Machine Gray 7581.

I think the color is a darn good match:








The middle of the "inside" (meaning the part that's inside the tire) is original paint, most of the rest is repainted.

Because I kind of messed up the beads on the used tires I'm going to be installing, I've decided to put tubes in the tires. But there's a problem, or what I think could be a problem:








There is quite a lot of weld spatter near where the halves are welded on both wheels. I think I'm going to have at these with a Dremel and see how much of that I can get rid of... it seems to me it could pretty easily puncture the tubes. Then I get to paint where I've Dremeled them to prevent rust... ugh.


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## ELaw

Hey I have to digress for a moment to gloat about something... this ties in a little with the "are electric snowblowers practical?" thread.

One thing you definitely can NOT do with an ST1032 is store it hanging from the ceiling! Like you can with a small Toro electric:









The cool thing I built that makes that easy is this hook:








A length of 1/4" steel rod bent into a hook shape on one end, welded to a steel plate with holes to bolt to the ceiling (well technically a beam embedded in the ceiling), and it's done! Snowblower stored, 0 square feet of floor space consumed.


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## E350

*Elaw*: Congrats on your welding skills. I don't think your hanging snowblower really qualifies as a "digression" since it juxtaposes the 1032 to an electric snowblower. 

A true digression would be something that should really be its own thread, such as a _*"Girls and Snowblowers"*_ cheesecake thread...


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## jpswift1

Hello from a new member here. I've enjoyed reading this thread and I'm restoring a 1986 Ariens ST1032 after I got the bug to find one when I saw one for sale in person over the Summer for $700 (but I didn't want to pay near that much). This unit has lots of peeling paint, a crack in the sheet metal housing, it's missing the carburetor, bad wheel bearing and impeller bearing, incorrect muffler, and a few other missing small parts like the belt cover and a bent impeller pulley/sheave. I traded this ST1032 for a nice running late 1960's 6HP Arines Sno-Thro that my dad I picked out of the garbage a while ago plus $50.

I got all the missing parts I needed, used, locally for $50, $11 for a Chinese replacement carburetor, $17 for the bearings, and my welder is repairing the crack, sandblasting the housing and chute and priming it for $40. I got 5 cans of Rustoleum Chevrolet Orange (thanks to this site for the info on matching Ariens Orange) for $22 and then $10 into stainless nuts and bolts. 

Right now I have it completely disassembled and it'll be ready for paint when the housing is repaired, blasted, and primed and my paint arrives. I'll have a little over $200 total into this project (plus the old Ariens I had that I wasn't using) once all is said and done. It's a little more than I wanted to spend, but I like doing things right and I don't think I'd be able to find a nicely put together ST1032 for that price. I'll keep everyone updated and thanks for the wealth of knowledge on this great forum!


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## YSHSfan

Welcome to the forum jp :welcome:
You may want to start a new thread on your ST1032 restoration here
http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=10


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## ctdave

hi, I would just like to add about restoring the bolts ,and other parts and such. a product called metal rescue. home depot carries it on the web site but not in stores most of the time. this stuff works awesome for restoring parts. just let them soak can be used on any metal and chrome and is not corrosive, does not leave a residue behind. I use it and love the stuff. I've only seen it mentioned here on my resto post,so not sure how many have tried it. Metal Rescue - Metal Rescue


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## E350

*ctdave*: It says that Metal Rescue doesn't contain acids. So it is not phosphoric acid (like OSPHO) and it doesn't just turn the rust black and leave it in place? It actually removes the rust leaving a clean metal surface? If so, I am interested and thanks for the post. Good Reviews, 4.5 stars:

http://www.amazon.com/Workshop-Hero-WH290487-Rescue-Remover/dp/B005JVNQPQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1449338498&sr=1-1&keywords=metal+rescue


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## ctdave

E350 said:


> *ctdave*: It says that Metal Rescue doesn't contain acids. So it is not phosphoric acid (like OSPHO) and it doesn't just turn the rust black and leave it in place? It actually removes the rust leaving a clean metal surface? If so, I am interested and thanks for the post.


yes. stuff has worked real, real good for me so far. that is why I thought I would mention it again.it did not leave the black residue, or etch it , or leave the whiteish residue after as with other rust removers. removed it (rust) down to bare metal I found out about it from a guy at work,(before I retired) used it to restore a triumpth (sp)750 bike,that his dad had years ago before he passed, and was just rusting away.he showed me how good it worked and raved about it ,so I had to try. . the pic's on the web site of the before and after, are the same results that I have got. it is pricey but I like it, because I prefer to use original stuff if I can, but wont put rusty bolts on a resto. I strain it and reuse it also....p.s. the only time I had metal turn black is when I left grease on the part and I believe it soaked into the metal


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## ELaw

Well it seems my project has run into a large chunk of ice, as it were.

A month ago I ordered a new bucket for the machine from Jack's. Their website said it was available, and I figured it would probably be drop-shipped from Ariens so it might take a few days to show up. Their order status page indicated about the same thing.

Fast-forward to November 18th. The part hadn't shown up yet, nor was there any indication it had shipped. The status page on Jack's website said it would ship in 4 days... which is what it says every time I visit that page. Always 4 days in the future.

I'd seen something on the internet that worried be about the bucket having been superseded... it looked like other parts might be required to make it work. So I emailed Ariens customer support asking about that... and was pleased when I got a response about 1/2 hour later indicating no additional parts were needed. They also recognized the order and said the bucket was backordered and would ship on or about 12/4 (last Friday).

So last Friday came and went with no news, and yesterday I sent an inquiry to Ariens asking for a status update. Now they say it'll be shipping at the end of December. 

I've seen situations before where manufacturers claim an item is backordered, when in reality it's made to order and they don't do a production run until enough orders accumulate. And if enough orders never materialize, the item will effectively be backordered forever. I sure hope that's not the case here... :icon_blue_very_sad:

In the interim I might look into cutting out part of the bottom of the bucket and welding some new metal in. The problem is the area where the scraper bar attaches is so rusted, half of the bolts really aren't even attached to anything! I'm probably being a little paranoid but I'm worried with the bar so poorly attached and my uneven driveway, that something could hit the bar and drive it upward and make it catch on the augers. I suppose in that scenario the shear bolts should prevent any severe damage but I'd instantly be left with a useless snowblower.


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## E350

*ELaw*: I am heading over to Cutting Edge Supply in a moment to to pick up my 1/4" thick x 2" wide plow steel for my ST1032 bucket (yes, my auger bucket is worn but not much and it has no rust). 

But anyway, here is an option for you, you can buy plow steel in various widths. I have bought it in 4" wide for the Earthcavator box scraper. So could you buy 4" wide plow steel and drill your holes higher up the bucket at least as a stop gap until you get your new bucket?

Or how about a 1/8" x 4" wide regular bar stock sandwich?


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## ELaw

I might try something like that!

But on this model unlike other Ariens' I've owned, the scraper is not just bolted to the bottom of the bucket but to the sides - two bolts are shared with the skids. So the scraper mounting on the bottom can't be changed too much or the side attachment points won't line up.


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## jtclays

Here's a video that describes what you are running into.
May give you a better feel for the old parts potential?


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## YSHSfan

_*ELaw*_,
Is your auger housing completely shot?
Or why did you order a new one? 
If you can not get the new one, you can always "rebuild" the old one I would think. 

I will be "custom making" an auger housing for my HS1128TAS project using the impeller housing section of an ST1032 and the rest of the auger housing from an HS828 (impeller section on it is shot).


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## ELaw

Well it's not *completely* shot... it's got some pretty severe cosmetic rust in various spots (including one where it looks like someone got it *very* hot with a torch) but the biggest issue is the same as you can see around the 1:30 point in the video above. The bottom of the housing where the scraper bar attaches is both ground away and rusted, to the point where most of the attachment bolts aren't really doing anything.

I'm sure I could restore it to usable condition, but by buying a new one I save some time. Okay a lot of time - probably 15+ hours to get the thing into decent condition. Plus being honest, my metal-finishing skills aren't that great, whereas with a proper factory paint job and indoor storage, I'd expect a new part to last decades.


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## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> Well it's not *completely* shot... it's got some pretty severe cosmetic rust in various spots (including one where it looks like someone got it *very* hot with a torch) but the biggest issue is the same as you can see around the 1:30 point in the video above. The bottom of the housing where the scraper bar attaches is both ground away and rusted, to the point where most of the attachment bolts aren't really doing anything.
> 
> I'm sure I could restore it to usable condition, but by buying a new one I save some time. Okay a lot of time - probably 15+ hours to get the thing into decent condition. Plus being honest, my metal-finishing skills aren't that great, whereas with a proper factory paint job and indoor storage, I'd expect a new part to last decades.


If you have to go the route of rebuilding it I might be able to send you a "blue print" of that lower area of the housing (as long as it is in good condition in one of the ones I have. (you could get the restored part sandblasted and professionally painted or powder coated for long durability).


----------



## ctdave

hi, I ran into the delayed order (jacks) for some smaller parts over the summer. all the parts were there except one and the whole order was delayed 3 weeks because of that. now when I order, I call. I have my part # list and ask if it's in stock, if it is I tell them to add it as I go down the list so if one is not in stock my whole order is not held. works better that way. not the same as what you encountered, but I find it's better all away around. you may want to do that if you order more parts. they have excellent cust. service and fast shipping.


----------



## ELaw

hsblowersfan said:


> If you have to go the route of rebuilding it I might be able to send you a "blue print" of that lower area of the housing (as long as it is in good condition in one of the ones I have. (you could get the restored part sandblasted and professionally painted or powder coated for long durability).


That would be great if you could do that!

One thing I'm starting to realize is there must be several "flavors" of this machine.

If you look at the video above, you'll see that like most snowblowers I've seen, the sheet metal that forms the top/back/bottom of the bucket is straight all the way to where the scraper mounts.

But on mine, there's a "step" in the metal as shown in the attached image. You also can't see much of them in the image but there are "braces" between the main part of the bucket and the impeller housing, that I don't see on the Deere in the video.


----------



## ELaw

ctdave said:


> hi, I ran into the delayed order (jacks) for some smaller parts over the summer. all the parts were there except one and the whole order was delayed 3 weeks because of that.


Interesting!

I was actually worried that would happen, but in this case it didn't. About a week after I placed the order (for 13 different items), I received everything except the bucket. I think the stuff was drop-shipped directly from Ariens so maybe that was a factor.

Of course the effect is about the same... I've got all these parts sitting around but not much I can do with them. :facepalm_zpsdj194qh


----------



## E350

*ELaw*: My ST1032 I have the same step in the auger bucket that you show. I just picked up 10' of 1/4" 2" non-beveled plow steel to fabricate a replacement scraper bar, to make it through this Winter though I truly believe you just could ignore that step and just "bridge" it for now with 4" wide plow steel or even 4" wide mild steel and mount it by drilling some bolt holes in the auger bucket above the step. Just a comment from a small peanut in the gallery...


----------



## ELaw

Actually taking that idea a little farther... if I knew it was only short-term, I could get an appropriate sized strip of steel like you say, weld it on there, and quit worrying about the bolt holes completely!

But for that to work I'd have to know the new bucket was going to show up eventually, since the above approach would not allow adjustment and thus would not be good for the long term.


----------



## E350

I think you are on to something. And in that regard, a grinder is the welder's "adjustment" tool.* 

I have buyer's remorse because this weekend I burned up and replaced a 7 amp Makita 4.5" angle grinder. But wait! I could have had an _*11 amp*_ Dewalt 4.5" angle grinder for just $20 more... Now, speaking with a number of persons whom I respect, Dewalt is the new best of the reasonably priced metal working tool companies out there. But until I repurchased Makita, I didn't know... Dang.

* I am not a welder I am a "grinder" trying to work my way up to becoming a "welder."


----------



## mobiledynamics

E350 ---


Metabo is the grinder you want....

But FWIW, I have 3 Metabos and I always grab my Milwaukee Cordless Grinder. It really has changed how I use a grinder. I have held it in 15 different ways without thinking, as normally you could/would not do it with a corded unit..


----------



## E350

Thanks buddy, I have heard about Metabo. I will look into pricing. And you are the second person who recommended a cordless Milwaukee grinder. I just can't believe that a cordless unit could work that well as a grinder. BTW, the guy who recommended the Milwaukee cordless grinder is the same guy who recommended the Dewalt 11 amp angle grinder. You guys cut the boloney really thin. (Meaning: "You guys really know your tools.")


----------



## ELaw

E350 said:


> * I am not a welder I am a "grinder" trying to work my way up to becoming a "welder."


That's okay... I'm an IT guy and I weld about as well as most IT guys... :icon_whistling:


----------



## mobiledynamics

E350 -

Just realized one thing. It's not the tool if you don't have ALOT of batteries though...
I was working on some wrought iron this spring. Held this thing upside down, 45 angle, u name it. I was swinging that grinder like one of the Williams sisters on the court. Never did have to 2nd guess about ~cord~ position, getting in the way of the workpiece, etc. Anywhere from maybe at least 4-5 hrs staight.

Runtime is TBD depending on the load but I had ON Hand at least 10+ 4.0 AH batteries I had used and rotated throughout this long session with the grinder. Not the ideal tool if you are not ~invested~ in batteries.


----------



## E350

*01024200 CutterBar*

*ELaw*: Edit: The slicer, cutter bar is depicted two different ways in the Ariens 924 Parts Manual. And IMHO, it isn't a bad idea to wrap the cutter bar up the auger bucket to integrate the bucket bottom to the sides and shoe.

I won't know how mine is made until I look at it hopefully this weekend. But it also looks like the nuts are inside the bucket which makes more sense to me than protruding out underneath to catch things.


----------



## ELaw

It's not the scraper bar that's the problem... well it has issues too but I've got a brand-new one ready to go. It's the part of the housing it bolts onto that's largely gone AWOL...

Oh and for what it's worth, the part you linked isn't the same part (the scraper that attaches to the bottom of the bucket). It's one of the ones that bolts to the side and sticks up and forward... sometimes called a "drift cutter".


----------



## ELaw

Hey if anyone's curious, the design of the scraper bar on this thing is definitely more complex than just a flat piece of metal with a few holes in it.

In addition to the "ears" on the end that mount with the skid bolts, it's also got a lip on the back. I assume that's meant to cause it to sit at a particular angle...?


----------



## mobiledynamics

Elaw -

Loving the TeNaCity to keep things OE !


----------



## E350

ELaw said:


> Hey if anyone's curious...


*Elaw*: Yup, that would include me. I hadn't planned on barging the mounting holes and now I am not sure I will even elongate them to make the scraper bar adjustable. I think I can add the adjustability when and if the scraper bar wears. 

But that lip in your picture is likely there to stiffen the scarper bar and likely to reduce any possible "pillowing" at the bolt holes. Makes engineering sense to me. But I am not an engineer, so I am just using the "Just make it thicker (and heavier) cave man" approach.

I may try to weld the plow steel onto the existing scraper bar, or take the ears off the existing scraper bar and weld them onto the plow steel or, more likely, since I am really bad at welding two metals with different thicknesses, just make my own ears out of plow bar steel and weld them onto the plow bar scraper (I think) I am welding (err grinding). 

That picture is invaluable to me. *ELaw*, thank you for posting it.


----------



## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> Hey if anyone's curious, the design of the scraper bar on this thing is definitely more complex than just a flat piece of metal with a few holes in it.
> 
> In addition to the "ears" on the end that mount with the skid bolts, it's also got a lip on the back. I assume that's meant to cause it to sit at a particular angle...?


IMHO the "lip" seems to be to reinforce the scraper bar.


----------



## ctdave

re-inforced angle scraper bar. that's what is on my 32"10954. although it does not list it for the 10954 but for the 10955 . its the one that was on mine when I got it in "85". it does not have the "ears" that mount to the skid bolts, it just mounts with the 5 bolts like the regular scrapper bar .it helps keep the bottom edge of the bucket from bending up or down if you bang into stuff. it does not touch the ground or affect the angle of the bar ....Ariens 01044600 Reinforced Angle under scraper bars listings,(browsing ) it does not bring it up..you have to type in the part number to find it. its listed in the prm 10000 manual as part 10446


----------



## ELaw

Yeah I realized I was envisioning wrong how the bar is installed.

For some reason I pictured it installed on the outside of (ie underneath) the bucket, and the "lip" would rest against the bucket and make the scraper sit at an angle. But in reality the bar installs inside the bucket so the lip would not contact the bucket structure.

And it makes sense the lip would be for reinforcing it... you have 32" of bar supported only by fairly thin sheet metal and it would not take much force to make it deflect.


----------



## ctdave

*pic*

how it sits on my 10954. the bottom of the housing is sandwiched between the the scrapper blade. two pieces. same bolts


----------



## ELaw

Ah! Thinking back, I think that's how it was on my 10000 series 32" too.

The new one is different... as I indicated above the scraper sits inside the bucket and the "lip" is oriented upward instead of downward.

I suppose it may interfere with the "flow" of snow into the bucket a little, but when you're chewing through a foot of snow, a 1/4" lip hopefully won't matter too much.


----------



## ELaw

So who wants to hear a funny story?

I think I've mentioned in this thread my frustration with the new bucket I ordered at the beginning of November, which was backordered and the ship date got pushed back.

A couple of days ago I was discussing that with a coworker and joked that if I refinished the old bucket, they'd probably ship the new one the next day. :icon_whistling:

Well I did in fact do that, and last night started putting things together... see the image below.

And guess what was in my email this morning? They shipped the new bucket!

Oh well, things could definitely be worse...


----------



## ELaw

Hey here's a question for the Ariens experts. The flange on the back of the impeller shaft that the pulley bolts to... how far is that supposed to be pressed onto the shaft?

The image below shows the position it was in when I received the machine but I don't know if that's correct as someone else could have had it apart. I have the service manual for the machine but it doesn't give a spec or any other indication what the position of that thing should be.

If I pressed it on until it stopped, it would probably be down about 5/16" farther than its position in the picture.


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## Kiss4aFrog

Why didn't you just start working on the old bucket sooner so you'd get the new bucket sooner instead of making them wait all this time on you. :icon_whistling::icon_whistling:

I'm guessing you'd want it flush with the end of the shaft.


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## YSHSfan

*Auger serrations*

_*ELaw*_,
Did you do the auger serrations.....?


----------



## ELaw

Nope, the augers are new and they came that way... a pleasant surprise!

I'm nowhere near ambitious enough to do that sort of thing! Plus if I'd done it you could tell because the serrations would all be different sizes, different depths, different spacings... :facepalm_zpsdj194qh


----------



## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> Nope, the augers are new and they came that way... a pleasant surprise!
> 
> I'm nowhere near ambitious enough to do that sort of thing! Plus if I'd done it you could tell because the serrations would all be different sizes, different depths, different spacings... :facepalm_zpsdj194qh


I thought you got ambitious about serrations on the augers like this person did :icon-hgtg:


----------



## ELaw

Wow, was that all done by hand?


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## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> Wow, was that all done by hand?


Yes, that is what he states
*"I went into home Depot and when no one was looking made a pattern on a piece of cardboard of some auger teeth from one of their blowers. Adjusted it a little to fit the curve of my augers. Cut out the pattern for three teeth and then used a silver lacquer pen to transfer the pattern onto the steel. That took almost as long as it did to cut out the teeth. About two hours total for the job. Used a right angle grinder with a 4 1/2 x .45 thick blade."
*


----------



## skutflut

hsblowersfan said:


> Yes, that is what he states
> *"I went into home Depot and when no one was looking made a pattern on a piece of cardboard of some auger teeth from one of their blowers. Adjusted it a little to fit the curve of my augers. Cut out the pattern for three teeth and then used a silver lacquer pen to transfer the pattern onto the steel. That took almost as long as it did to cut out the teeth. About two hours total for the job. Used a right angle grinder with a 4 1/2 x .45 thick blade."
> *


that third cut from the top on the bottom photo looks off a bit....:icon_whistling:


----------



## bwright1818

ELaw said:


> Hey here's a question for the Ariens experts. The flange on the back of the impeller shaft that the pulley bolts to... how far is that supposed to be pressed onto the shaft?
> 
> The image below shows the position it was in when I received the machine but I don't know if that's correct as someone else could have had it apart. I have the service manual for the machine but it doesn't give a spec or any other indication what the position of that thing should be.
> 
> If I pressed it on until it stopped, it would probably be down about 5/16" farther than its position in the picture.


Mine have all been roughly flush with the end of the shaft. That seems to work out well with belt alignment. I had one that had come loose and had moved. I re-positioned it flush and it worked out well for me.


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## ELaw

Thanks everyone! It sounds like flush is probably the best way to go. If I set it that way and the belt appears misaligned I guess I can always change it.


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## ELaw

*Finally... progress!*

♫ It's beginning to look a lot like a snowblower... ♫ Well, how did you *think* that sentence was going to end? :icon_whistling: 

So yes folks, my new bucket showed up yesterday. And it is good.

The first image below shows new (on the right) vs. old. You can't see much difference in the photo but trust me, there's quite a big difference between an Ariens factory finish and my "quick and dirty" job.

I was able to make quite a bit of progress last night... I got the guts transferred from old bucket to new, and the skids & scraper bar mostly installed - the parts manual says the scraper has 5 bolts along the bottom but it actually has 6! So I've got a little more hardware I need to buy. Installed a new brake arm, and new clip nuts on the bucket.

The tractor part was pretty much together - I just had to mate it to the bucket, and install the belts which was harder than I expected - there are lots of thingys in there that have tight clearances to other thingys. But I finally got them installed, and got the wheels on.

Then I set it in its normal position and put the handles on. I wasn't going to repaint the trim panel or whatever it's called, but now it looks so ratty compared to the rest of the machine I'm reconsidering.

The middle photo shows it in its current state... chute needs installing, controls need connecting, engine needs bolting and pulleys installed, and that's about it! Oh and a couple of covers have yet to be installed.

The last photo shows my "stable": "baby bear" Toro on the left, "papa bear" ST1032 in the middle, "mama bear" ST824 on the right.


----------



## ELaw

By the way, if anyone's interested in an ST1032 bucket that's old and used, with a worn-down lower lip and a crummy DIY paint job that still looks 10x better than an unpainted one, the old one is available for free. Local pickup only in Wilmington, MA... shoot me a PM if you're interested. It's not a wonderful piece, but it would be a shame for it to go in the scrap heap...

Edit: I've gotten a PM from someone who's interested, so unless that person decides he doesn't want it, the bucket is taken!


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## ELaw

Hey here's a question for the others that own one of these machines...

Looking in the parts manual, it looks like there's supposed to be a clip somewhere along the deflector-control cable to keep it in the right position.

My machine had no clip, and the cable is seriously chewed up... I think they had run it with the belt cover off and it hit the pulleys, as well as maybe the chute base.

Can anyone with a photo or description tell me where the clip is supposed to be located?


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## E350

If you don't find the clip before then, I will look and take photos this weekend and post them here for you. 

I do know this, however, if your muffler shroud bracket is hanging loose and hits the wires on the engine which run down from the key, it turns off your engine (grounds out) just like you turned the key off. My machine has a lot of missing bolts, etc. (E.G., chute deflector is missing one pivot bolt so sometimes it shoots snow downward onto the machine from the back of the chute...) I really should sit down and go through it (lightly) like you are going through yours (heavily) but my 1929-era garage is not heated so I use it (for an hour or two straight) and park it and go sit by the fire... I guess am learning what Summer is for... I like the machine. You are really going to like yours.


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## ELaw

Hey thanks!

I actually did a Google image search for "ST1032" and found a number of photos, and none seem to have a clip holding that cable.

So the parts book may be imagining things... it sure wouldn't be the first time that's happened!


----------



## E350

I know that on the left hand side (hands on the handle) the muffler bracket has two holes, one of which a cable of some sort passes through. The bracket also has a plastic edge cover on it to prevent something else from rubbing. I will really have to sit down with a cup of coffee and look at the machine. Although it runs like a champ, it has vibrated alot of stuff off or loose or has been worked on with not all the bolts put back in.

_Learning to see_, is 90% of learning any new endeavor.


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## ELaw

*My, what a tall chute you have, grandma!*

So no photos this time but I did make some good progress last night!

The engine is now properly attached to the machine. Belts and guards are installed.

And the chute is installed, along with the rotation and deflector control mechanisms. Man that sucker is tall... between the length of the chute itself and the larger impeller, the top of the chute is 11" higher than on my ST824!

I've also got a question for others with similar machines, or any 924 series probably. I got a gen-you-wine Ariens traction belt (the one closer to the engine) and it seems like it's a little longer than it should be? It isn't very tight and the tensioner pulley is maybe 1/4" from the large driven pulley. It seems like if the belt wears or stretches at all, the tensioner will hit the pulley and lose its effectiveness.

I'm 99.9% sure all the parts are correct: the belt is Ariens p/n 07206600 which the parts book and online sources say is the right one. The engine and driven pulleys are the ones that came with the machine. The engine's not original - it's an HMSK110 instead of the HMSK100 that came from the factory, but the location of the output shaft should be the same.

It wouldn't be a big deal to install a belt that's 1/2" shorter, but it just seems odd that an OE belt would be so loose. FWIW the auger drive belt seems to fit perfectly.


----------



## E350

Well you have the correct part number for sure, because I checked and rechecked the part number in the *Ariens 924 PARTS MANUAL - PM-24-93.pdf* before I bought my oem Ariens belts and friction disc last night on ebay. Item no. 32 on pages 8 and 9 are idler pulleys which appear to provide spring tension to take out slack, but I won't know until I open the gear box until this weekend although I doubt I will receive the parts before this weekend I plan to inspect and adjust the drive system.


----------



## ELaw

Yeah I'm pretty puzzled. Usually new belts are tight and they get looser with age - you don't expect them to be that way when they're brand new.

It looks like that belt is 33-1/2" x 3/8" - I just ordered a 33" x 3/8" belt and we'll see if that fits better.


----------



## ELaw

The image below shows the next nightmare I'm going to have to deal with on this machine... the PO pretty well ruined the linkage rod for the drive speed control.

It's funny... when I first looked at this I thought it was done because the adjuster threads had stripped. But if you look carefully, it seems the rod has actually been extended!

So the question is, why would anyone do that? And then I realized the answer... the handles that the machine came with were bent upward. So they probably had to do that to get the adjustment correct! Oy.

Anyhow, since new Ariens parts are expensive and I like doing things that hard way, I've bought a bunch of stainless bits and I'm going to cut out the POs handiwork and replace it with my own. The biggest goals being to restore the linkage 1) to its correct length and 2) to being adjustable. Photos to follow...

Getting back to the handles for a moment... as I think I posted earlier, on this machine the handles had actually broken where they attach to the tractor body and were welded by the PO. I've seen a few other ST1032s with that problem, and I must say the handles are pretty springy - they seem a bit wussy for maneuvering such a heavy machine. Have any of you guys ever thought of trying to make some kind of brace to reinforce the handles?


----------



## Kiss4aFrog

To bad they couldn't just go the the hardware store and get a longer turnbuckle rather then pull out a welder :facepalm_zpsdj194qh:facepalm_zpsdj194qh


----------



## E350

Unless weight has been added to the auger housing, the machine should be pretty well balanced, pivoting on the wheels such that no significant downward pressure or even upward pressure is required on the handles to manipulate it. So, no, I have not even thought about beefing up the handles. My guess is that when your (and my) machine moves well under its own power, no modification of the handles will be necessary.


----------



## ELaw

Well... I think I may have figured out my belt length problem.

When I got the machine, it didn't have its original engine. And apparently the pulley(s) on the engine aren't original either! See the attached image below.

That's one of those stacked pulley setups which I must say is VERY nice when it comes to installing the belts. But apparently the machine came from the factory with a pulley like this:








...and just by looking, I suspect the traction-drive part of that pulley is a larger diameter, which of course would make the belt tighter.

The ironic thing is I have one of that type of pulley, but it's for a 1" shaft and my engine has a 7/8" shaft. So if that turns out to be the problem, I'll have to buy one of those adapter kits.


----------



## E350

*ELaw*: So that's where those pulleys go! Dang, do I have to take off the front pulley to put the back belt on? I will read the Service Manual and find out...

But I think I have solved your missing clip problem. I am pretty sure that my chute deflector cable is routed on the left hand side of the machine. I see yours is on the right hand side. On the left hand side there is a bracket which I wrote of earlier which holds the muffler shroud up which also routes the chute cable. I will take some pictures this weekend and pm or post them for you.

Speaking of which, your forensic dissection pictures are invaluable to me. BTW, if your hard drive ever fails, pm me and I will email them to you (your pictures have their own file folder in my Ariens snowblower directory on my hard drive!)

I am glad you found the pulley "problem." But before you get rid of it, decide if it is really not a "modification" instead of a problem. In other words, does it improve function (e.g., faster impeller rpm or lower drive wheel gearing for inclines - I am not sure what belt that pulley serves)?


----------



## ELaw

E350 said:


> But I think I have solved your missing clip problem. I am pretty sure that my chute deflector cable is routed on the left hand side of the machine. I see yours is on the right hand side. On the left hand side there is a bracket which I wrote of earlier which holds the muffler shroud up which also routes the chute cable. I will take some pictures this weekend and pm or post them for you.


Great... that would be very much appreciated!

If you do a google image search for "Ariens ST1032" you'll see the cables routed on both sides of the machines, but who knows how they got that way...



E350 said:


> I am glad you found the pulley "problem." But before you get rid of it, decide if it is really not a "modification" instead of a problem. In other words, does it improve function (e.g., faster impeller rpm or lower drive wheel gearing for inclines - I am not sure what belt that pulley serves)?


That pulley is part of the drive system for the wheels. Installing a smaller one (which I think is what has happened) would make the wheels go slower. That's probably not an improvement!


----------



## E350

Here you go, from the *Ariens Sno-Thro 924 Series Owner/Operator Manual *(if you don't have it I can email it to you). Clearly the chute deflector control cable (No. 5) is to be routed on the left hand side of the machine. Look at the vertical bracket which supports the muffler shroud. Does it have two holes in it and a plastic edge protector to prevent rubbing?


----------



## ELaw

Interesting... thanks!

I actually do have the operator's manual, I'd just been too lazy to look at it. :icon_whistling:

But what's written in step 4 on page 26 answers a question I had! The bracket on the left side that the chute-rotation shaft goes through has a second hole in it, and a rubber piece that looks like it's meant to keep something from chafing... but there's nothing there!

It sounds like what's supposed to happen is the deflector cable gets secured to that bracket somehow. If you could get me a photo of how it attaches, it would be awesome!


----------



## E350

Of course, will do no later than this weekend and if we go up earlier, then earlier. I am looking forward to opening up the gear box and looking for "critters" and I am excited about adjusting the clutch so that it about but doesn't take off in reverse. 

You will love yours especially with that awesome new auger housing and serrated auger! And it turns on a dime with the lockout hub unlocked and pulls like a tractor (especially with V-bar, 2-link chains) with the lockout hub locked.


----------



## ELaw

And...we have more progress! Some forward, some backwards. :facepalm_zpsdj194qh

First, the issue with the speed control linkage rod has been sorted. I basically cut it apart and replaced all the welded-together bits with different bits, all stainless by the way, that will allow adjustability. Then I painted it to mask my crummy welding... see the image below.

I also made some spiffy replicas of the bits used to hold down the engine... see the second photo below. Nothing fancy, just bolts welded to 1/8" thick bars, but they make it WAY easier to install the engine as you don't need to hold a tool on the bolts underneath.

And that's the forward progress.

The backward progress is this: I got the thing almost completely put together, and realized that compared to the rest of the machine, the bits at the top of the handles looked like a turd. So... I disassembled that whole thing, ground off the rust, and I'm priming and repainting just about everything.

The upper handle itself had a ton of rust. I turned it upside-down and shook it, and the rust that fell out (through the worn-off ends of the grips) literally made a pile on the floor! Naturally there's not much I can do about rust inside the handle (although I did spray a lot of rust-neutralizing primer in there), but I did my best to clean up the outside as well as all the other parts in that area. I'll post some photos when the job is finished!


----------



## ctdave

ELaw said:


> And...we have more progress! Some forward, some backwards. :facepalm_zpsdj194qh
> 
> First, the issue with the speed control linkage rod has been sorted. I basically cut it apart and replaced all the welded-together bits with different bits, all stainless by the way, that will allow adjustability. Then I painted it to mask my crummy welding... see the image below.
> 
> I also made some spiffy replicas of the bits used to hold down the engine... see the second photo below. Nothing fancy, just bolts welded to 1/8" thick bars, but they make it WAY easier to install the engine as you don't need to hold a tool on the bolts underneath.
> 
> And that's the forward progress.
> 
> The backward progress is this: I got the thing almost completely put together, and realized that compared to the rest of the machine, the bits at the top of the handles looked like a turd. So... I disassembled that whole thing, ground off the rust, and I'm priming and repainting just about everything.
> 
> The upper handle itself had a ton of rust. I turned it upside-down and shook it, and the rust that fell out (through the worn-off ends of the grips) literally made a pile on the floor! Naturally there's not much I can do about rust inside the handle (although I did spray a lot of rust-neutralizing primer in there), but I did my best to clean up the outside as well as all the other parts in that area. I'll post some photos when the job is finished!


determination!! I like it .your welding looks like a pro did it ,compared to what mine looked like


----------



## ELaw

ctdave said:


> your welding looks like a pro did it...


Trust me, if you saw it before it was ground down and painted, you wouldn't say that! :icon_whistling:


----------



## ELaw

Hey I've got a question that maybe someone here knows the answer to?

The attached image shows one end of the bucket, and there are 4 holes near the top.

My understanding is the ones circled in green are for drift breakers. What are the other two for?

I want to put some reflective stripes on the bucket, but I want to ensure there's no interference between them and drift breakers or anything else that I'd want to attach.


----------



## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> Hey I've got a question that maybe someone here knows the answer to?
> 
> The attached image shows one end of the bucket, and there are 4 holes near the top.
> 
> My understanding is the ones circled in green are for drift breakers. What are the other two for?
> 
> I want to put some reflective stripes on the bucket, but I want to ensure there's no interference between them and drift breakers or anything else that I'd want to attach.


I might be wrong, but I think all those 4 holes are for the drift brakers, it depends if you want to install the breakers vertically or on an angle towards the front (JMHO) 



















Not the perfect example, but that is the idea. But maybe I'm wrong :facepalm_zpsdj194qh


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## ELaw

Interesting idea!

Mounting them vertically doesn't make much sense to me - you'd think they'd make the drift break off so far back it would fall behind the bucket instead of going inside. But maybe I'm missing something?

One possibility I guess is it could be a "storage position"?


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## ELaw

Hey here's another one for you 1032 owners: is there any chance someone could snap a photo of the pulley that's on the engine, or even better measure the diameter of the two pulley sections?

I just replaced the belt cover on my 824 and the pulley that's on that motor (which I *think* should be the same as on the 1032) looks different from what I expected.

The pulley I had sitting around that I thought was correct for the 1032 but I'm thinking now might have come off an older model is 2.25" OD for the wheel belt and 2.75" OD for the auger belt. The one on the 824 is the same size on the auger end but 2.5" OD on the wheel belt end.

The pulleys that are currently on the 1032 (which I know are wrong) are 3" for the auger which would give a nice speed increase, but 2" for the wheel drive. If the correct size for the wheel pulley is 2.5" OD, a 2" pulley is going to make it significantly slower.


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## E350

Yep, when I get back to the machine, happy to do.


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## ELaw

Thanks, I'd really appreciate it!

I tried rerouting the deflector control cable on the left side of the machine, but couldn't make it work. No matter how I routed it, as the chute neared the counterclockwise rotation limit, the cable would start to stretch. I'd love it if you could get some photos so I can see if I routed it wrong!


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## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> Thanks, I'd really appreciate it!
> 
> I tried rerouting the deflector control cable on the left side of the machine, but couldn't make it work. No matter how I routed it, as the chute neared the counterclockwise rotation limit, the cable would start to stretch. I'd love it if you could get some photos so I can see if I routed it wrong!


I looked at my 2 ST1032 and my ST1236 and one ST1032 and the ST1236 have the cable routed on the left side of the blower which seems to be the right routing (mufler/carb side).
Neither of the blowers have any retaining clips on them.


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## YSHSfan

I might be getting the auger housing off from one of the ST1032 tomorrow. If so, I will snap a few pictures of the pulleys and take measurements of them.


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## E350

*hs*: Good pictures. See the bracket with the two holes in it? One has the chute rotator crank shaft in it? The other hole is for the cable tie listed on the diagram I posted. See the plastic edge protector on that bracket? See how it is on the outboard edge of the bracket? What function does it play with the chute cable on the inboard side of the bracket? My guess is that the combination cable tie and plastic edge protector (my edge protector is on the outboard bracket edge too) is because the chute cable is designed to be routed on the outboard edge of the bracket and cable tied there to keep it away from engine heat and the plastic edge protector is to keep the cable from rubbing on the metal edge of the bracket.


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## YSHSfan

*Chute deflector cable routing*

Here is a another picture where the cable just runs on top of the engine deck (does not seem to be retained with any clips or ties)










Here is one with the drift breakers vertically mounted.


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## ELaw

E350 said:


> My guess is that the combination cable tie and plastic edge protector (my edge protector is on the outboard bracket edge too) is because the chute cable is designed to be routed on the outboard edge of the bracket and cable tied there to keep it away from engine heat and the plastic edge protector is to keep the cable from rubbing on the metal edge of the bracket.


That's exactly what I was thinking! However when I tried routing the cable that way, it seemed too short. I also went back and looked at the parts manual and what I thought was a special clip is listed as "cable tie" so I guess it's not a special part.

The fact that some people have the cable routed on the left side but "inside" the bracket is interesting. Maybe I'll try it that way, although I must say it seems pretty happy routed on the right side.


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## ELaw

So... do snowblowers have "coming-out parties"? If so, this one's party was yesterday!

There are still a few small items on the "punch list" but yesterday afternoon I rolled the pretty-much-complete machine out into the driveway and fired it up! For your amusement, I've attached "before and after" photos below.

There were a few small issues at first, one of which was pretty funny. The engine would not idle at all... as soon as the throttle plate closed it would want to stall. So I grabbed a screwdriver and started tweaking the idle mixture... and it started idling perfectly! Then I removed the screwdriver and in about 5 seconds it stalled. Fired it up, tweaked some more, same thing... it would idle fine until you removed the screwdriver then it would stall.

So I grab a flashlight and look to see what's happening. Turns out the top-quality Chinese carburetor I installed didn't have a spring on the idle mixture screw, and as soon as I removed the screwdriver the screw would turn in all the way by itself! I found a spring that fit, installed it on the screw, and that problem was solved.

Next issue was the wheel drive didn't work. It turns out with the undersized pulley that's on there, the wheel drive belt had basically no tension. I had ordered a belt that was 1/2" shorter so I installed it and that problem's fixed.

I didn't actually have a chance to try it in any proper snow - we had about 1.5" fall a couple of days ago but it ended as rain and it's all solid ice now. I did manage to run a few small ice chunks through it and it seemed to throw them a good long way!

One other interesting note: I did a "poor man's alternator upgrade" on the engine. The engine originally came with a small lighting coil like this:








... but I want to add some electrical toys to this machine.

So I got a higher-output alternator like this:








which came with one side grounded and a diode in the output lead. I removed the diode and disconnected the other end of the coil from ground, so I can use a bridge rectifier to get the maximum power out of it.

The one thing I didn't now was how much voltage would come out of that setup, but when I ran it yesterday I finally was able to take a measurement. The darn thing put out 38 VAC! Rectified and filtered that should yield a little over 50 volts. I suspected all along the voltage would be high so I'd ordered a buck regulator module to bring it down to a battery- and light-happy level. But the module I ordered could only take a maximum of 30 volts on its input. Luckily yesterday I was able to find one that can take up to 60 volts which should work better.


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## E350

*ELaw*: Thanks for inviting us to the party! Guest of honor is looking good!!! 

I will still take a crap load of pictures for you this weekend. It will show the factory design or, if modified by P.O.'s, one example of an alternative design. 

Now, we all want links to the alternator upgrade, regulator, bridge rectifier and lights you are considering installing.

And BTW, for that guy who got grief about wanting to install a heated beverage container. Last time I blew snow, I had to leave my insulated REI coffee sippy cup in the middle of the driveway where I wouldn't blow or run over it because I don't have a cup holder, much less a heated cup holder to carry it and likely don't have enough electrical output to power a heated plug in coffee cup like *Kiss4aFrog* suggested. So, your links above and continued suggestions and mods will be appreciated!


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## YSHSfan

ELaw, I got a chance to snap a few pics and take measurements of the pulles on my ST1032s.

The drive pulley is 2.5"
The impeller pulley is 2.75"
The distance from the engine to the center of the drive pulley groove is ~ 1 3/16"
The distance from the engine to the center of the impeller pulley groove is ~ 2 7/16"

This distances are taken from the "ring" on the engine housing (look at the pictures)
The belts sit flush on the pulley groove.

I am also taking the impellers and augers off. On the impeller pulley hub distance from the shaft one has the shaft exposed about 1/8" and the other one has the axle recessed in the hub about 1/32" (I know the one that has 1/8" has been apart before since the bearing retainer has some welds on it).


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## ELaw

Thank you!

I took some measurements of the pulley on my ST824 and they match what you posted, so it's probably the same pulley.

I got the wheel drive working by installing a slightly shorter belt that I ordered and the machine really doesn't seem like it's going particularly slow. I may recruit my wife to take the other machine and we can do a side-by-side speed comparison... I might actually leave things the way they are.


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## E350

*ELaw*: Here is the picture of the chute cable routing, the bracket and the edge protector, but no cable tie which I need to install. I replaced the friction disc this weekend (cover is off in photo). What a difference that makes! (Carb. shroud is also off, I need to find appropriate size bolts from parts diagram.)

I did not replace the belts yet (probably next weekend). When I do, I will add photos of my pulleys to *hsblowersfan*'s photos.

Hey guys, am I missing an air cleaner in my photo above? *ELaw*, do you have an air cleaner like the one in the attached Parts Manual page below?

Edit: *ELaw*, thanks for your air cleaner response below. I will be able to take more photos this weekend of the chute cable routing along the entire length, pulleys, etc.


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## ELaw

Thanks for the photo! I'm pretty sure I tried that routing and couldn't get the cable to reach, but maybe I did something wrong. :wacko:

Your machine isn't supposed to have a air cleaner... that diagram is for an air cleaner that is sold as an accessory for using the engine in the summer (when dust can be an issue).


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## YSHSfan

ELaw said:


> Thanks for the photo! I'm pretty sure I tried that routing and couldn't get the cable to reach, but maybe I did something wrong. :wacko:


On 2 of my ST the cable just lays on the engine deck, between the crank rod bracket and the engine (there should be the extra slack that you need)


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## ELaw

Hey... to those of you that have piles of ST1032s sitting in your back yard... :icon-hgtg:

Does anyone have one of these thingys they'd like to sell?









Those worm gears with the friction setup seem to be about as rare as 4-leaf clovers, but I'd love to get my hands on one to put on my 824...

I could probably fabricate one, but if anyone has one they'd sell for reasonable money I'd much rather buy one.


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## E350

Ariens 924000 Series Chute Crank Worm Gear Universal Joint 625065 02211000 | eBay


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## ELaw

Hey thanks but that's not quite what I need.

If you look on mine, on the side opposite the u-joint you can see a couple of nuts. Those are used along with a spring washer to provide friction so the chute will stay where you put it instead of moving by itself.

On my 824 there are effectively only about 7 chute positions because the shaft will rotate by itself under the weight of the crank knob! A worm gear with the friction thingy would fix that.


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## ELaw

Well since my last post there's been some progress and a setback.

The good news: last Friday I rolled the machine out into the driveway and set up to do some electrical testing. And I was able to get 50 watts out of the alternator! Not bad for one rated to put out 36 watts. :icon_whistling: I actually think I could have gotten a fair amount more, but didn't want to fry the thing and 50 watts is plenty for what I want to do so I stopped.

And the bad news: when I finished my testing, which involved running the engine for maybe 25 minutes at full speed, there was a puddle of oil under the machine!

A bit of investigation revealed the oil was coming out of the breather tube... the engine seemed to have a ton of blowby. Which is weird, because I used this engine all last winter on a different snowblower with no problem!

Anyhow I pulled the engine apart over the weekend and didn't really find anything wrong. The ring gaps are a little wide but within tolerance at about 0.017" - the spec is 0.010" to 0.020". Other than a bit of carbon on the top, the piston looked okay - there was very minor scuffing on the sides but it seemed reasonably tight in the bore. Valves and guides looked okay too.

As I've discussed in another thread (here: http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/79241-tecumseh-oh318.html), I've been thinking for a while about trying out a Tecumseh OH318 engine that a few suppliers are selling for very short money ($110 plus $50 shipping!).

To make a long story short I made a few inquiries about whether I might be able to swap my alternator, flywheel, and crankshaft over to the new engine from my current HMSK110 and got positive responses. So I decided to pull the trigger on the OHV engine! I'll let you guys know how it works out. That engine is a weird design because unlike almost all other OHV snowblower engines, this one has the cylinder oriented vertically, not at an angle. It really looks like Tecumseh just made minimal changes to the block and slapped an OHV head on one of their old l-head designs. But hopefully for me that'll be a good thing since it makes parts compatibility more likely between the two.

I also had already ordered a new piston, rings, and head gasket for the l-head engine. I'm going to try to cancel that order but if I can't, I'll have those parts for sale. As far as I know, they should fit an HMSK100 or HMSK105 too, or any other Tecumseh 358cc horizontal-shaft l-head engine.


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## ELaw

Another small update...

I've been told by another pretty reliable source (guy who worked on engines at an OPE store for 30 years) that the crankshaft from the l-head engine can be used on the OHV motor.

I was starting to get worried because if you search ebay for "Tecumseh OHV crankshaft" and look at the images (there are a ton of them for sale), most have a little pin/key type thing sticking out right next to the cam drive gear. But the crank on my l-head has no such thing! Then I had a thought... those cranks mostly come from vertical-shaft engines, which have an extra gear to drive an oil pump. I think the pin/key on those cranks is to drive that gear and presumably is not needed on a horizontal-shaft engine.

I should know for sure in a couple of days since the new engine's scheduled to be delivered on Thursday.


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## E350

Can I sell you my Ariens ST1032 for $300?


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## ELaw

Heh... if shipping didn't cost so much you could sell me the GX340 engine that you may have an extra one of! 

Much as I'm intrigued and excited by this new Tec engine I've got coming, I've always lusted after the Honda motors. But unfortunately my bank account doesn't share my enthusiasm...


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## E350

Yes, Honda engines are great. But so is the Tecumseh in my ST1032. And so are the Kohler's and B&S in the garden tractors. They are all a little different, but IMHO, you just need to learn them, which you are certainly doing. And, IMHO, all engines including the Honda's are more appreciated with electric start of some sort. Because once they get going, you forget about what engine is powering the device and just do the work.


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## ELaw

And... the ST1132 lives!  Since it's got an 11 HP engine, I can call it that now. :icon-hgtg:

If you're interested in details on the engine, you can read all about it here: http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/79241-tecumseh-oh318.html The executive summary is I bought the cheap Tecumseh OH318 engine and modded it to work with this machine.

The most amazing thing to me is that this engine, manufactured just about 10 years ago, having never been run or even had gas or oil in it, _started on the first pull_! Seriously! Without a primer too, as the carb doesn't support one.

And it runs absolutely perfectly. It's quieter than the l-head engine although not by a lot. It sounds good at speed, and idles well.

A few photos of the finished product (so far) are below.


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## E350

*ELaw*: Congratulations on your repower! Your machine looks great!

Your handles look totally wimpy. I now understand what you are complaining about. Later today I will be getting mine ready for sale and will post some pictures of my much beefier handles. They look stock, but they may have been beefed up by a P.O.

I may use it to run over last night's dusting on the 1"-2" ice/snow base I made with the Honda tracked machine last weekend. Yesterday, we had rain until 9:30 pm at 6700' so thank you God I did not have to blow snow just to park for the night. Drove right in and unloaded the truck. Today Snow showers. Temperature falling to around 30 by 5pm. Southwest wind 17 to 21 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.


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## lee h

Great job on the 1032. Looks awsome.


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## GoBlowSnow

Congrats!!!! Get some video of her running too. These ST1032s (1132s <grin>) are one awesome machine I get to run/work on 2 of them whenever I want to.


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## YSHSfan

_*ELaw*_,
Are you relabeling it......... ST1_*1*_32......??? :icon-hgtg:


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## ELaw

Heh... if I had any graphics skills, I just might!

Today there's been another important bit of progress. We have lights! And a rectifier/capacitor/regulator setup to drive them.

The photos below are sort of backwards... the first is the finished product, the second is the electronics box under the "dashboard", and the third is what's inside the box.


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## ELaw

Well just to prove once and for all what I dummy I am... I was just now reading through jpswift1's ST1032 thread and realized I posted something there that I meant to post here!

So better late than never, here's the answer to a question I think someone asked here a while back (with some newer information):

Hey someone had asked before about what electronic components I'm using with the alternator upgrade.

The alternator I'm using (if the ebay seller is correct) is Tecumseh p/n 611113 which is supposed to put out 36 watts. It comes from the factory with one lead of the coil (there's just one winding) grounded and a diode in the other lead.

In order to hopefully get a little more juice out of it, I lifted the grounded end of the coil and instead of a single diode, I'm using a bridge rectifier, filter cap, and a buck regulator module to bring the ~30 volts that come out of the bridge/cap back to the proper level.

Basically I have a 3-phase plan. Phase I is the alternator/rectifier/regulator and LED lights. That's almost done.

Phase II is motorizing the chute rotation and deflector. I bought two motors, and have a joystick and relays to control them. For one motor I fabbed up a linkage arm and I think it'll be suitable for the deflector. The other one was for the rotation but I think it's a bit on the small side so I'm on the hunt for a larger one.

Phase III will be adding a battery, replacing the 120V starter with a 12V one, and related items like a solenoid. I'm thinking of using an AGM battery which can operate in any position, and mounting it on top of the bucket so it can double as a weight for the front.

Anyhow back to the specific question that was asked... the bridge rectifier I'm using is Digikey part number GBPC1502FS-ND, and the cap is Digikey p/n 493-8716-ND. Together they cost about 10 bucks.

The buck regulator module is this: 





The attached schematic shows what was going to be in the electronics box. Basically it's a bridge rectifier, a filter cap, a buck regulator to convert the much-too-high voltage coming from the alternator to what's appropriate for the accessories and battery, some diodes to ensure the lights only run when the engine is going and receive the correct voltage, and some relays to control the motors on the chute.

The schematic also shows a "pre-regulator circuit" consisting of Q1 and associated parts that's not going to get built. A while back I'd measured the AC output voltage from the alternator and calculated that when converted to DC, it would be about 53 volts - pretty close to the buck regulator's input limit of 60 volts. So I designed that circuit to ensure that the input voltage would never go too high. But when I actually hooked up the bridge rectifier and cap, the DC voltage with no load was only about 43 which poses no danger to the buck regulator. So no pre-regulator.

Right now all that's in the box is the bridge, the cap, and the buck regulator which I have set (it's adjustable) to exactly 12 volts to run the lights. Later when I install the battery, I'll increase it to about 14.2 volts to properly charge the battery, and add diodes to drop the voltage a little for the lights.


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## E350

See post #45 here:

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/ariens-snowblowers/73593-ariens-st1032-restoration-5.html


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## ELaw

All,

Happy FRIDAY!

Well I'm glad to finally report that I actually got to USE this wonderful snowblower!

We're getting our first "real" snow of the season today... 4-8" of snow is forecast and there was about 4" of very heavy wet stuff when I took the machine out. Unfortunately the missus had to go grocery shopping or I would have waited until the snow stopped.

Generally the machine worked great. It definitely throws snow farther than any other Ariens I've owned... I'd guess about 40 feet. The remote-adjustable chute deflector is wonderful, as is the friction thingy on the chute direction control that keeps it from moving by itself. The engine ran beautifully and seemed to have more than enough power. And it seems a bit quieter than the HMSK110 that was (briefly) on there before.

The tall chute seems to work well, and while it's got a bit of that problem where a little snow shoots straight upward when it's near the extreme clockwise position, it doesn't seem as bad as on my ST824.

In terms of directional stability, it's definitely harder to keep going in a straight line than the 824, but not as bad as the older 32" machine I had. I'm thinking that's due to its weight and maybe the tires are better? I think I may raise the scraper bar up a little too... I'm thinking the 32" width gives it more opportunity to catch on things and having it a little higher should help.

The other problem I think I've mentioned here before is the wheel drive is definitely too slow. The pulley I've got on the engine is 2" OD and I think the OE one is 2-1/2", and the wheels turn correspondingly slower. So I've got my machinist friend making me a 2-1/2" pulley.

I'm very curious to see how the lights work out but got nothing on that today since it was daylight out when I used the machine.


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## E350

Pictures of the completed restoration?


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## ELaw

I need to get some better pix but hopefully these will do for now? The third one shows the box I installed under the "dashboard" to house the electrical bits.

One other comment from taking it out a 2nd time just now... the 318cc engine definitely could use a little more oomph. It's not so bad I'd say it's significantly underpowered, but when doing the sidewalk which is covered with plow drift I think the machine could have gone one gear faster but the engine couldn't keep up. Keep in mind this is *very* heavy snow although the depth in that location was only about 8".

A few weeks ago ebay was tormenting me with a nice OHSK120 engine which I think would be just the ticket... 358cc, electric start, the correct carb/heater box/throttle setup... but I'd die at my wife's hands if I put another $450 into this thing.


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## Kiss4aFrog

ELaw said:


> but I'd die at my wife's hands if I put another $450 into this thing.



I know that feeling :wacko:


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## E350

Very cool! Looks very nice. If it truly throws 40', then you have really improved it over stock! In the third picture, what is that rocker switch in the pull starter housing?


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## ELaw

I suspect most of the throwing distance comes from the large impeller - really the only "mod" I've done in that area is I'm running a 3" pulley to drive the auger/impeller and I think stock is 2.75". So the bits in front are turning about 10% faster than normal. Another factor I suspect is the wet snow that just carries far due to its weight.

The rocker switch was a shutoff for the engine. The engine came with a low-oil shutoff system which I think also might have lit a light in the switch? In any event, I disconnected the whole setup, as the speed control lever has a shutoff contact and there's also a key switch on the control panel.


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## ELaw

Hey out of curiosity... I know most machines with lights have them up high on the handlebars, but a few have them mounted on top of the auger housing. Have any of you ever owned both and do you have any thoughts on which position works better?

I had the chance to take this machine out in the dark for the first time last night and the lights (mounted on the control panel) worked okay... but they seemed to light up the chute and auger housing more than anything else. So I'm thinking about moving them to the top of the auger housing but before undertaking that I'd love to hear from people who have used machines with lights in that location.

Oh and I'll echo what I think others have said here about LED lights... snow building up on them and blocking the light is an issue. Not a huge issue, and with the lights near the operator's position it's easy to clean them with a swipe of your finger. But it definitely does happen.


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## ELaw

Hey just a few random thoughts/questions based on two "real snowstorms" we've had recently - as opposed to the nothingness that was last winter...

Tires: is it possible to have *too* much traction? The XTrac-type tires on this machine grab *way* better than the ones on any machine I've had in the past. I'm finding that good in some respects, but bad in other respects. On all the other machines I've used (including my current ST824), I'd keep the diff locked 99% of the time when actually snowblowing. The machine could still be turned, it just required a little muscle. And with the diff locked it was much easier to keep the machine going straight on my long driveway. With the tires on the 1032, with the diff locked, I can NOT turn it except when it's on glare ice. The tires just grip too well... the weight of the machine is probably a factor too. Also with the other machines when you first engage the wheel drive, the wheels will spin a tiny bit until the machine gets up to speed. With the 1032, it pops a wheelie... not an awful problem but it does leave a small spot uncleared until the front drops back down.

Engine: in general I like the "OHSK110" but it definitely doesn't quite meet the demands of this machine. Last night I was removing about 8" of very heavy snow and there were several times when the engine would have stalled if I hadn't disengaged the wheel drive in time. This engine has a 318cc displacement and I notice the LCT 11.5 HP "storm force" engine that's available online is 414cc! I suspect that engine would be a better choice for this beast.

Serrated augers: this is the first machine I've owned with serrated augers. And... you're probably all familiar with the scenario where you stop the machine while snowblowing and there's a little pile of snow left right where you stopped? This machine seems to leave a much larger pile than any other I've owned. Whether that's just a coincidence or a result of the serrated augers I can't say. I'm tempted to get a pair of non-serrated used ones and toss them on there to see. Oh and yes, both augers are definitely turning... there are no broken shear pins.

And one last thing that probably falls into the "duh" category for most of you: if the lowest forward wheel speeds seem too fast, make sure the speed selector linkage is adjusted correctly! When I put the machine together I basically guesstimated the selector rod length adjustment, and figured it was all right since the selector lever didn't hit the stops at either end. And I ended up having trouble using it because in some circumstances I couldn't find a slow enough forward speed (first was too fast). Well long story short, I adjusted the linkage as described in the service manual, and that problem's gone.


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## RIT333

Elaw

The snow that you are leaving is probably not because of the auger teeth, but seems like a lot of work to replace them - just to see. Maybe when you stop, let it idle in "neutral" but with the impeller still engaged to clean the snow from the bucket.

I don't think you could have too much traction. You can decrease it a little by increasing your tire pressure. As the tires wear, you will wish you had more traction - LOL.


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## 43128

on my 1032(not an st but a 924044 model) i just ended up cutting up some toro 824 handlebars and mounting the headlights on them. they work great, and are aim able, the only issue is that it is easy to get snow on the lights but they are in fully sealed aluminum housings. i kind of went a tiny it overkill with my build. full equipped with a predator 420cc engine with modified carb jet, alarm system, horn(its kind of fun to honk at people and see the look on there face when there are no other cars around them), 12v led headlights and reverse lights, and a custom built battery tray


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## ELaw

RIT333 said:


> Maybe when you stop, let it idle in "neutral" but with the impeller still engaged to clean the snow from the bucket.


Yeah I usually do that out of habit, but it doesn't seem to work with this machine.

I've even tried the trick of stopping, waiting until no (or almost no) snow is coming from the chute, then advancing the machine a few inches to grab that "last little bit" and still no luck.

What I didn't do last night and should have, was to look at the front of the machine to see if there was a lot of snow stuck to the augers... that may have been all or part of the problem. Last night's snow was very sticky.


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## ELaw

43128 said:


> on my 1032(not an st but a 924044 model) i just ended up cutting up some toro 824 handlebars and mounting the headlights on them. they work great, and are aim able, the only issue is that it is easy to get snow on the lights but they are in fully sealed aluminum housings.


That's an interesting idea... and a nice setup you've got there!

Mine has a couple of holes on the top of the bucket that I think are for mounting a weight kit... I was going to get some 1/8" by 3/4" stainless bar stock, bend it into kind of a giant "U" shape, bolt the bottom of the "U" to the bucket and mount the lights on top of the legs. Really not much different from what you did.


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## 43128

2Pcs 6" CREE 18W LED WORK LIGHT SPOT BEAM OFFROAD DRIVING FOG ATV 12V 4WD LAMP | eBay

these are the lights i used, much brighter then any incandescent or halogen bulb and they are cheap


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## Shaw351

Here are a few pixx of an ariens 32" I've been refurbishing to sell, I put an LCT414cc 12.5 HP snow king engine on it. The engine has tons of power for this bucket size. I just welded in new studs to the chassis everything lined up perfect. Used it with this storm and it was awesome, we got 12" of snow here, and my neighbor got 20" of snow.


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## ELaw

Wow that looks great!

I'm jealous of that engine. I'd really like to put one of those on mine, but the wife's not entirely on board with my desire to put a new engine on it. Most likely because I just put a brand-new engine on it last year? :roll3yes:

Out of curiosity, what pulley did you use on the engine? That engine's got a 1" shaft, right?

The engine that came on mine had a 3/4" shaft and the OH318 the same so I got lucky in that regard.


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## Shaw351

Hey Elaw, I used factory ariens pulley that was on the original 10Hp tecumseh and it is 1". I paid about $250 including shipping to Massachusetts.

If I post it right my first video should be below, it's my franken blower usage from the recent storm. I was in third gear which seemed ok from the handle side, but after watching the video i saw snow pushing in front of the bucket. Should of been in second.


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## cranman

Very impressive Shaw!


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## jtclays

That's just plain fun to watch. Well done on that build:icon-clapping-smile


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## ELaw

That's impressive!

Other than the mounting studs were there any issues making the motor work? Does the chute rotation linkage clear okay?


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## Shaw351

ELaw said:


> That's impressive!
> 
> Other than the mounting studs were there any issues making the motor work? Does the chute rotation linkage clear okay?


No issues at all. After welding studs on, it was exactly like just an easy engine swap, and longer belts as the centerline of crank is taller. I have the belt sizes wrote down in the shop somewhere. Only thing i have not put on yet is the belt guard, might have to modify but im sure it will be easy. If you ever need help just pm me, your only 20 minutes away.


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## rearaghaerh

ELaw said:


> Hey just a few random thoughts/questions based on two "real snowstorms" we've had recently - as opposed to the nothingness that was last winter...
> 
> Tires: is it possible to have *too* much traction? The XTrac-type tires on this machine grab *way* better than the ones on any machine I've had in the past. I'm finding that good in some respects, but bad in other respects. On all the other machines I've used (including my current ST824), I'd keep the diff locked 99% of the time when actually snowblowing. The machine could still be turned, it just required a little muscle. And with the diff locked it was much easier to keep the machine going straight on my long driveway. With the tires on the 1032, with the diff locked, I can NOT turn it except when it's on glare ice. The tires just grip too well... the weight of the machine is probably a factor too. Also with the other machines when you first engage the wheel drive, the wheels will spin a tiny bit until the machine gets up to speed. With the 1032, it pops a wheelie... not an awful problem but it does leave a small spot uncleared until the front drops back down.
> 
> Engine: in general I like the "OHSK110" but it definitely doesn't quite meet the demands of this machine. Last night I was removing about 8" of very heavy snow and there were several times when the engine would have stalled if I hadn't disengaged the wheel drive in time. This engine has a 318cc displacement and I notice the LCT 11.5 HP "storm force" engine that's available online is 414cc! I suspect that engine would be a better choice for this beast.
> 
> Serrated augers: this is the first machine I've owned with serrated augers. And... you're probably all familiar with the scenario where you stop the machine while snowblowing and there's a little pile of snow left right where you stopped? This machine seems to leave a much larger pile than any other I've owned. Whether that's just a coincidence or a result of the serrated augers I can't say. I'm tempted to get a pair of non-serrated used ones and toss them on there to see. Oh and yes, both augers are definitely turning... there are no broken shear pins.
> 
> And one last thing that probably falls into the "duh" category for most of you: if the lowest forward wheel speeds seem too fast, make sure the speed selector linkage is adjusted correctly! When I put the machine together I basically guesstimated the selector rod length adjustment, and figured it was all right since the selector lever didn't hit the stops at either end. And I ended up having trouble using it because in some circumstances I couldn't find a slow enough forward speed (first was too fast). Well long story short, I adjusted the linkage as described in the service manual, and that problem's gone.


On my JD 1128DDE I have never used the differential lock, tires never slip. The very few times I tried the lock, it was nearly impossible to turn.


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## Shaw351

Fairly local to you Craigslist find, an 18HP duromax engine for $200. Similar to my Franken Blower engine. 

https://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/for/6001112254.html


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## Kiss4aFrog

That Duromax would be a fun engine to have on any blower !!


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## Shaw351

Hey ELaw, finished up my machine today. I had to install a belt guard bracket to make it fit without rubbing on the pulleys. Ariens makes one for thier larger machines, fortunately i had a 36" machine here for a template. I made up a couple extras if you ever make the swap to a bigger engine I'll give you one. Everything else was factory bolt on except belts, 1/2" X 39" for auger... 3/8 X 36" for transmission.


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## ELaw

Interesting! So basically that just raises the belt guard up a bit?

If you have any, I'd love to see some photos of them installed.


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## Shaw351

Here is the finished machine. Correct that the bracket raises the belt guard so it does not hit the pulley as the bigger engine has a higher crankshaft position.


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## Kiss4aFrog

That looks really sharp. Great job :coolpics:


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## RIT333

Awesome - looks brand new - actually better tan new, much better than new.


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## ELaw

That does look really nice!

So the belt guard bracket is only on one side? That seems weird but it obviously works!


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## Fred9

Great work!!! Thanks for sharing!!


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## Shaw351

ELaw said:


> That does look really nice!
> 
> So the belt guard bracket is only on one side? That seems weird but it obviously works!


Yep, pivot's the guard up to give clearance for taller engine height.


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## PBHoss

Thanks for the tips! It helped me rebuild my own ST1032. Cheers!


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## Shaw351

Building another 10/32 Ariens machine with a LCT 414cc engine. Here's a few pixx ....

Bucket...









Gearbox and 6 bladed impeller...









Tires & rakes...









Tractor & engine. Had to make a custom oil drain adapter to fit around the added gussets for handle reinforcement. Engine thread is 12mm x 1.50mm, took a 1/4 steel hex pipe nipple and machined one end down, re-threaded it to metric, fit perfectly. Now it has a proper drain, tire clearance was good on test fit.


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## cranman

I'm going to start on mine after X-mas , Shaw...thanks for the tips!


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## ELaw

Hey how much does the fuel tank on that engine hold? It looks like it's smaller than on the "classic" engines but it's hard to tell because of the different shape.


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## ELaw

Hey... if I decide to upgrade to the LCT engine, would anyone here be interested in buying the Tecumseh OH318 11HP engine I'm currently running?

You can read/see about it on page 13 of this thread. I bought it brand-new a year ago and it's got maybe 15 hours of operation. I used regular oil for the first few hours for break-in, then Mobil 1 since. It's got a high-output alternator installed, 1-gallon fuel tank, speed/shutoff control, and 120V electric starter from a Tec HMSK110 installed. I added an oil drain tube on the flywheel side. Output shaft is 3/4", long enough for typical snowblower use. It always starts and runs beautifully... I'm just looking for a little more horsepower for this beast.

I'm thinking $150 for the price, picked up in Wilmington, MA.


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## ELaw

So here's something interesting I noticed today. I have the ST1032 (which I'm very tempted to start calling the "STX32" :wink2: sitting right next to my ST824. I always thought the 1032 looked a little "stubby" and figured it was due to the large wheels and wide bucket. But I noticed something else: the handles on the 1032 are quite a bit shorter in the front-to-back sense than the ones on the 824! Take a look at the image attached below. It's a little hard to see, but the machines are lined up perfectly at the front and at the axles, but the handles on the 824 (the one in the foreground) extend at least 5" farther back than those on the 1032.

I wonder if this is part of why the 1032 is so hard to keep going in a straight line? Has anyone ever tried swapping over longer handles from another machine? I think what would be needed is the handles (and control panel etc. possibly) from another 924-series machine with a remote chute-deflector control.


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## Shaw351

ELaw said:


> Hey how much does the fuel tank on that engine hold? It looks like it's smaller than on the "classic" engines but it's hard to tell because of the different shape.


I apologize for the late reply Elaw, somehow I missed your post. I'd say it's a 1/2 gallon or possibly a little more.


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## Shaw351

Final update on this rebuilt 10/32 Ariens as it's off to the new owner. The lct 414/420 engine has tons of power, was going through our New England Bombgenisis storm full bucket width and throwing it 25 - 35 feet. Runs smooth and fairly quiet for such a big engine. The 48 watt led was very bright at night, only problem with the light is it does not generate heat like a halogen bulb. So you must occasionally wipe the light when it accumulates snow buildup and blocks output. Very happy with this engine and completed project.


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## ELaw

Shaw351 said:


> I apologize for the late reply Elaw, somehow I missed your post. I'd say it's a 1/2 gallon or possibly a little more.


Hey no problem!

I actually bought the engine and it looks to me like the tank is closer to 3/4 gallon. A little disappointing, you'd think such a large engine would come with a larger tank.

I really don't like the idea of running an engine without a throttle, so I've ordered the (hopefully correct) parts to add a throttle to it. Unfortunately they're backordered so it might be a while before the engine gets installed.

I'm also having a machinist friend of mine make a pulley for it that will overdrive the auger/impeller to hopefully improve performance. Not a lot, about 10%.

I also put the mounting bolt patterns of the old and new engines into a CAD drawing to make locating the new mounting holes on the tractor body easier.

This is going to be fun!

In the meantime, I've made some other tweaks to the machine. I realized on the current engine, I had the governor rigged so the engine would slow down quite a bit under load. I reset it to be more sensitive and in a quick test it seemed to perform better.

I also relocated the lights from the handlebars to "stalks" on the auger housing. It didn't get totally dark when I was using the machine during this last storm, but I think I like that location better. You get good illumination of what's in front of you without the glare from the light reflecting off the machine itself.


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## ELaw

Shaw351 said:


> Final update on this rebuilt 10/32 Ariens as it's off to the new owner.


That looks fantastic... congratulations!


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## ELaw

Shaw351 said:


> Final update on this rebuilt 10/32 Ariens as it's off to the new owner. The lct 414/420 engine has tons of power, was going through our New England Bombgenisis storm full bucket width and throwing it 25 - 35 feet.


Hey... do you happen to have the specs for the belts to use with that engine?

My LCT engine showed up the day before that storm and I'm trying to work through the details to get it installed. I ordered what I think are the right parts to put a throttle on it, but they're backordered and I'm impatient so yesterday I fabbed up a crude throttle.

I'm debating whether to try to get it installed for the storm we have coming on Wednesday... :smiley-confused009:


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## Shaw351

My first machine was ......
3/8 x 36" for transmission 
1/2 x 39" for auger

So I wrote everything down, bought several EXTRA belts to build this second machine and have spares just in case. When I went to put it together something was different, the auger belt was too loose !!! 
Tried next size belt smaller but there was not enough adjustment, auger turned at minimum setting. This custom machine would need a special 1/2 size belt, did not want to go that route because then you cannot get a belt locally as most suppliers do not carry half size belts but only online. So I decided to make an adapter for the auger lever pulley, see attached pixx. It worked out perfect,, and I kept regular idler pulley and a normal size belt. 











This past weekend I started rebuilding another 32in machine, and I saw that the motor pulley looked odd, so I measured the auger groove and it was three and a quarter inches..... but the transmission groove was normal size. Guess the last machine had the bigger pulley and this one has the two and three quarter inch auger groove, that would probably explain why the same belts on the same engine on the same machine were different.











So measure your engine pulley to see what you have, don't want to run into the same problems I did.


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## ELaw

Thanks!

That's weird about the pulley sizes... I thought they were all 2-3/4 inches. Does the larger one look like it's OE?

Now you've got my curiosity piqued... I'm going to have to measure the pulley that's on there now. Although I know that one's not original and probably not even Ariens as it's not a single pulley but in multiple pieces.


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## ELaw

Just did the math on 3-1/4" vs. 2-3/4"... assuming the pulley on the impeller shaft is the same size, that will spin the impeller & auger almost 20% faster. That thing must throw snow into the next county!

I've actually got a friend making me a pulley that's 3" on the impeller drive end but now I'm thinking about whether I might want to go larger.

Another question if you don't mind: where do you get your belts? Those look nicer than your average McMaster-Carr or auto-parts-store ones.


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## ELaw

So I'm a rather impatient type and I got sick of waiting for backordered LCT throttle parts to arrive... so I made my own!

The photos below show, from left to right, the throttle in "slow" position, in "fast" position, and a closeup of the mechanism.

The pivoting part is made from 1/16" x 1" bar stock, just a short piece with a bit of 1/4" steel rod welded to it as a lever. The pivot is a 3/8" weld nut, held in place by a bolt from underneath, with a generous amount of Loctite to keep it from loosening.

For friction, there's a stack of flat washers, wave washers, and a fiber washer. A bit of almost-correctly-bent piano wire links the governor spring to the pivoting part. The spring used to hook into the small hole on the sheet metal "tab" you can see in the third photo.


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## Shaw351

ELaw said:


> Another question if you don't mind: where do you get your belts? Those look nicer than your average McMaster-Carr or auto-parts-store ones.


Buy my belts here, kevlar or power rated. Usually a quick shipping in a few days,

Engine Belt Replacement | Small Engine Pulleys | PSEP.biz


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## ELaw

And... we have a new engine! And a new auger belt tensioning arm.

The engine install was a little harder than most I've done... the LCT barely fits on this thing! It actually overhangs the tractor housing a little on each side, and I had to grind down the bolt heads (which go up from the bottom) to clear. But overall it was not awful.

One thing that helped is I used a CAD program to enter the bolt patterns of the old and new engines, then printed it out at 1:1 scale to use as a template. That enabled me to get the mounting holes located perfectly.

The other issue as Shaw351 pointed out is the length of the belt. I measured and it seems a 38-1/2" belt would be perfect, but half-inch sizes are not easy to come by. I tried making a thing like Shaw351 did to space the idler out a bit, but messed up the dimensions and the idler hit the crankshaft pulley.

So I took a slightly different approach... I made up a piece of metal with a longer adjustment slot for the idler, then cut the tensioner arm and welded the new piece into it. Photos are attached... it turned out really well and does the job perfectly!

While poking around the parts catalog for the machine I think I discovered how Ariens solves the same problem on the ST1236 model. They use a 39" belt, but put spacers under the engine to raise it up a little.


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## 1132le

nice work


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## Shaw351

Nice Work !!
Real clean rebuild.
Did the belt sizes I suggested work on your setup or did you need different sizes ??


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## ELaw

Shaw351 said:


> Did the belt sizes I suggested work on your setup or did you need different sizes ??


They did!

Although I have gone ahead and ordered a 38.5" belt for the auger drive, just in case my kluged tensioner arm has an issue and I have to go back to the OE one.


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## ELaw

Hey just a quick update... we finally got some snow yesterday and I got a chance to test "papa bear" with the new engine. It wasn't a lot of snow - about 3", but it was *very* wet. It was wet when it fell, plus it had been raining hard for about an hour before I was able to attack it.

Anyhow I am very happy with this engine. The old engine actually was doing a bit better when I last used it because I set the governor to be a bit more sensitive (to hold speed more closely). But the greater displacement of the LCT really shows. I was flying down the driveway in high gear shooting show halfway into the yard and the engine was just sitting there staring me asking "is that all you've got?" :grin:


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## HCBPH

ELaw said:


> So I'm a rather impatient type and I got sick of waiting for backordered LCT throttle parts to arrive... so I made my own!
> 
> The photos below show, from left to right, the throttle in "slow" position, in "fast" position, and a closeup of the mechanism.
> 
> The pivoting part is made from 1/16" x 1" bar stock, just a short piece with a bit of 1/4" steel rod welded to it as a lever. The pivot is a 3/8" weld nut, held in place by a bolt from underneath, with a generous amount of Loctite to keep it from loosening.
> 
> For friction, there's a stack of flat washers, wave washers, and a fiber washer. A bit of almost-correctly-bent piano wire links the governor spring to the pivoting part. The spring used to hook into the small hole on the sheet metal "tab" you can see in the third photo.



I'm curious where you found a throttle assembly for a LCT engine. I've got a 291cc on the shelf I looked at recently and found it's one of those 'all or nothing' engines - either top speed or stopped. I've been looking for something and have yet to find anything available. If you'd PM me info on where you found the ones you ordered, I'd appreciate it.


Paul


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## ELaw

Well basically what I did was dig around parts diagrams for different versions of the engine until I found one with a throttle, and tried to guess what parts I'd need to do a retrofit.

The parts have not shown up yet so I have no idea if they're the right stuff, but what I ordered are p/n 45021 "governor arm assembly" and p/n 41428001 "throttle control assembly".


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## HCBPH

ELaw said:


> Well basically what I did was dig around parts diagrams for different versions of the engine until I found one with a throttle, and tried to guess what parts I'd need to do a retrofit.
> 
> The parts have not shown up yet so I have no idea if they're the right stuff, but what I ordered are p/n 45021 "governor arm assembly" and p/n 41428001 "throttle control assembly".



Appreciate the info. Like I said I've got that 291 sitting on the shelf and this is the first one I'm looking at trying a repower with eventually. I just can't see having any engine without a throttle on it.


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## 1132le

HCBPH said:


> Appreciate the info. Like I said I've got that 291 sitting on the shelf and this is the first one I'm looking at trying a repower with eventually. I just can't see having any engine without a throttle on it.


dont see why you cant buy a carb that has the throttle down on it for the 291cc and put it on maybe 

unless you mean fully adjustable i aslo would like fully adjustable mine just idle and full throttle

https://www.milfordpower.com/23101-LCT-Carburetor-291cc-Snow-w-idle-down-L11D-p/23101.htm


----------



## HCBPH

1132le said:


> dont see why you cant buy a carb that has the throttle down on it for the 291cc and put it on maybe
> 
> unless you mean fully adjustable i aslo would like fully adjustable mine just idle and full throttle
> 
> https://www.milfordpower.com/23101-LCT-Carburetor-291cc-Snow-w-idle-down-L11D-p/23101.htm


I apparently bought this one before they had the idle and full adjustment on it. Plus the parts that were listed are about half the price of another carb. So far I have not found a good schematic of the setup and I'm not ready yet to tear a 'new in the box' motor apart to examine it. I've got time to work through it all. I do admit I'd rather have a full functioning throttle on it, but then again I've got to do a number of mods to the blower just to get he motor to fit so it likely will be a while before I get to it.

Time will tell what happens.


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## ELaw

Hey a quick update on the LCT engine... I still generally love it although it seems to be preventing us from getting any significant snow. 

But I have discovered one small issue - well, two issues that are almost the same. First, due to the design of the fuel tank and the location of the filler, if it's more than about 1/4 full and you put the machine into service position, it leaks gas from the cap. So you have to ensure there's not much fuel in the tank, and that task is harder than on the old Tecumseh because you can't easily get access to the tank outlet on the bottom and just drain it through the hose.

Also, when you put the machine in service position, fuel drips out of the carburetor float bowl. I'm sure that problem can be solved by running the carb empty before shutting off the motor, but that requires foresight that I don't always have. :icon-doh:


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## ELaw

EDIT: Please disregard this - see the next post!

So here's another interesting one for you all...

I was fooling around inside the machine earlier today and it seemed like the friction disc has a lot of slop in it... you can wobble it back-and-forth maybe 1/4" at the edge which seems like a lot to me.

My first thought was that the ball bearing that carries it was junk. But looking more closely, it seems like there's a metal sleeve that's actually what slides on the hex shaft and goes through the bearing, then an aluminum carrier that sits on that sleeve, and the friction disc is bolted to the carrier. And the carrier seems loose on the sleeve.

What I'm trying to figure out is whether it's supposed to be that way, or is something wrong?

I did a quick check of the nut that holds the sleeve into the bearing and it seems tight. And the disc is tightly bolted to the carrier.

Just so everyone knows what I'm talking about, the sleeve is # 2 in the attached image, and the carrier is #4.

The problem I'm trying to solve is that I can't seem to get the wheel drive to go at a very slow speed. I've got the speed control linkage set properly I think, but when you put the lever in first gear and engage the drive, the rubber disc "walks" outward (meaning away from the center of the drive disc) making the machine go faster than I think it should. The same happens in reverse.


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## ELaw

In the infamous words of Emily Litella, "never mind"!

It turns out I should have checked that nut (the large one that holds the sleeve into the bearing, #9 in the diagram) a little more carefully. It was about a turn loose! I'm not sure how it got that way... during operation, or maybe I had a brain fart when I put the machine together and forgot to tighten it. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

It seems to have made first gear a little slower but I'm not sure if I'm imagining things... when I'm able to recruit an assistant, I might have a "race" between this machine and the ST824 which has the same drive mechanism, to compare speeds.


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## 1132le

putting a plastic glove over the fuel tank and then the cap will stop the tank leak
i always drain the carb and line before flipping it up or its going to leak


----------



## ELaw

Hey has anyone had fitment problems installing Armorskids on a 1032?

I just got a set and they don't fit! I measured the skid bolt spacing at 3-1/2" and ordered a pair accordingly, but upon closer inspection it seems the bolt spacing is slightly less than 3-1/2". The front bolt hole is enlarged so the bolt can slide back and forth but at the widest position the spacing seems to be about 3-7/16". I didn't measure but it looks like the hole gives about 1/4" of adjustment so the innermost position would make the spacing 3-1/4" and I don't think Armorskids come in that size.

First pic below is the Armorskid sitting on top of one of the skids that was on the machine. The hole spacing isn't parallax... the difference is real.

Those that have read this whole thread know that the bucket was replaced with a brand-new one when I rebuilt the machine a couple of years ago, but the skids are the ones that came with it (which is not to say they're necessarily original).

Edit: with a little work, I managed to make things fit! I think it may have been a tolerances issue... on the other side of the bucket the bolts lined up, barely. On this side, I enlarged the hole in the bucket a little with a Dremel tool and all is well.


----------



## sock-feet

That tractor part of the blower looks exactly like the Craftsman track Drive machine that I have. Was the Ariens made by Murray?


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## ELaw

No, Ariens makes their own stuff. I think at some point during the 1980s/1990s they also made some John Deere models, but otherwise I think Ariens is Ariens.


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## GoBlowSnow

Correct. in the 90s and I believe for 00, 01, and maybe 02, Ariens built some machines for JD. I use an 828D that is ariens built. the Murray built machines start off with the TR- so like TRS-27, TRS-32, TRS-24 those are Murray built.


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## ELaw

Hey just a quick update on a couple of things...

As I indicated above, the Armorskids are installed! Obligatory photo below.

The other thing I've been concerned about is these machines' tendency to bend/break handlebars. When I got the machine the bars had broken off and the PO had done an amazingly bad job of welding them to the tractor frame. Now I have a new tractor frame and bars (the lower two - the upper u-shaped one is original) and I've decided it would be nice to have the bars not break again. 

I know a few people have reinforced the bars in various ways but being the contrarian I am, I had to go my own route. Photos are attached... I fabbed up a reinforcement that goes from the bottom of the upper handlebar to the two bolts that hold the cover on the tractor case. I first built it a couple of weeks ago then realized it interfered with the auger-clutch mechanism so I cut it up and rebuilt it yesterday with some old parts and some new. It doesn't look like much, but I think it'll help.


----------



## ELaw

So... one thing that's always frustrated me about this machine is how light it is in the front... especially for a machine that weighs almost 400 lbs.!

And this weekend I finally did something about it. The price for Ariens weight kit seemed kind of nuts and I wanted more than 10 lbs. so I took the DIY approach. I went to the hardware store and got two lengths of 3/8" x 2" steel. I might have gotten three but the two were all they had. These were 36" long so unlike those lucky folks with 36" machines, I had to cut them to length with a hacksaw. That was too much fun. Drilled holes in the appropriate places, then paint, paint, paint! Two coats of "cold galvanizing" primer, then about 42 coats of Ace "safety orange" which is how many it took to make it look orange. I'm exaggerating of course, it might have been only 40 coats. :devil:

Anyhow, I think they turned out well and as you can see in the photo they're very compatible with my lights. As to how well they work, I suspect I'll be finding that out tomorrow AM and will post back!


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## Oneacer

@ELaw,

Looks nice …..


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## ELaw

Well I got a chance to use the machine this afternoon... for about 1-1/2 hours! Removing about 8" of the seriously heavy snow that fell overnight and today.

And the verdict is... there's still not nearly enough weight on the front. Each bar is 3/8" x 2" x 32" which works out to about 6.8 lbs. of mild steel, 13.6 lbs. total for two. I think I need at least twice that much weight!

One thing I realized is that pretty much the entire engine is behind the axle, and that crazy LCT engine weighs 72 lbs.! That's compared to about 55 lbs. for the original Tecumseh and just eyeballing it I suspect the Tec's center of mass is farther forward.

So... the quest is on for more weight. I've got a friend who's a welder, I may see if he can get me some 1/2" x 3" 304 stainless bar stock. Two 32" pieces of that will weigh about 28 lbs. Or... maybe I want 3 pieces?


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## E350

*ELaw *I always thought that the reason the ST1032 auger housing rises is because the wheels are so close to the housing. Which makes the pivot point close to the front. The tires are so close to the front that tire chains almost rub the back of the auger housing. Combine that with what you say about the engine's weight being behind the wheel axles, and that would add to the problem. 

How about instead of adding weight to the front, weld up some trailing wheels such that as the auger housing rises the trailing wheels would resist it?

Quite frankly, a second set of same size (idler) wheels trailing the power wheels would likely be best. Like a tandem axle.


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## ELaw

I actually thought about that, but the added wheels would effectively take weight off the drive wheels, reducing traction. Also there are some times when you want to tip the bucket up and they'd prevent that.

I think the ideal options are to move the engine forward and/or the axle back... but both are impractical as far as I can tell.


----------



## E350

I actually considered this:


https://www.snowblowersdirect.com/Ariens-72101800/p11297.html


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## ELaw

Oh man would that be cool! It doesn't seem to be designed for the 924000-series machines, I wonder what it would take to adapt it?

Looking at it, there's another thing I wonder about. When you use it you're effectively replacing the drive wheels with ones about half the size. Wouldn't that make the machine travel at 1/2 speed? For me that would sometimes be a plus, but other times a minus.


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## Harbormaster

Sorry but just backing up a few posts, regarding the chute rotation rods. Did the lower rod clear the left side of the LCT engine without any modification? I couldn’t tell definitively from the photos. Did the rod still pass through the factory hole in the factory bracket that’s under the rear handlebar bolt? I’m going to install a 414/420 LCT snow engine on my 1032 (924052). I can deal with the different bolt pattern, different crank height, longer belts, belt cover, etc. Just wondering if the chute rod clears under the LCT engine. And eventually I’d like to modify the throttle for manual control.


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## ELaw

Yep, it clears fine!

I think it blocks the oil level plug a bit, but there's one on the other side so that's not really a problem.


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## ELaw

I've also got some news re the machine.

Last year I bought one of those universal cab kits but never even got around to unboxing it. This year I finally had some time so I took it out, assembled it, and determined it would fit my ST824 just fine. I'd like to use it on the 1032 also, but that machine's just too cool to use "just any universal kit" so some fabrication was required. :devil:

Pix of what I made are below. It's basically an H-shaped frame with two flat bars that go upward and attach with the bolts that hold the handlebars together. The cab has two pieces of steel tube on the front, you just stick them into the holes in the thing I built and you're good to go. When you're done the cab is easily removable which is necessary because there isn't enough room where I store the machine to accommodate the cab.


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