# Snapper l4222 snowblower impeller



## kbsnow (Oct 21, 2011)

My friend has a Snapper l4222 blower that is in excellent shape EXCEPT he chewed up the auger gear. Now according to the snapper dealer he went to, on this model the gear is welded to the shaft, and thus needs the worm gear and impeller shaft which is a welded unit. He never did pick up the impeller, or shaft, and now is looking for a replacement. 

Are there any other brands that would fit? The 4hp tecumseh starts right up and runs strong. I could get the gearcase and axles on ebay, but they are 24 in wide....could I just cut the shaft down? That would still leave me in search of an impeller.

A new impeller from Snapper is $225.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Auger shaft*

I found this manual and think it's the right one (one less digit than you listed)
Snapper Snow Blower Safety Instruction & Operator's Manual | ManualsOnline.com
Unfortunately it doesn't show the parts breakdown. Having said that, I'd be surprised to see the Impeller gear welded to the shaft, especially since most shafts are steel while the gears I've seen use a rollpin to join the two together but anything is possible.

If it uses a standard auger gear, I suspect another brand may fit or you may be able to have one machined up. Best to disassemble the gearcase and do some looking at the case and shaft. Others may fit but there may need to be mods made for it to work. The holes for the impeller along with the pulley may need to be modded. 

Best bet to find something, look at the numbers inside the gearcase halves and try matching them to other brands. Look for length and orientation of the impeller mounting and pulley.

Just for reference, here's an auger gearcase I just finished repairing








Here's the shafts outside of the case








Though the wormgear on the impeller shaft is covered in tape at that time, the gear is held on the shaft with a rollpin. Take out the rollpins and the entire shaft comes apart










Sorry, best guesses with no pictures


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## bwdbrn1 (Nov 24, 2010)

Some photos of the pieces you're talking about would help. I would suggest taking the parts that are needing attention to a shop, maybe a welder, and see what they might suggest about changing things out. It might be that the gear that is welded on could be cut off, and a new one welded on in it's place. Then you'd have to off set the cost of the pieces to get the job done, labor and such, against the cost of new parts from Snapper. Might be a good savings, or it might just pay to get the parts new.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Better gearbox photo - example*

Here's alittle better picture as an example. Same parts as last entry but this was right after I disassembled it. PO had pumped it full of grease instead of using the correct oil (likely due to a bad seal on the impeller shaft at the time). It's since been rebuilt and will get the correct oil when it's reinstalled









By removing the rollpins, you can disassemble it 100%. Just a note, the bushing on the wormgear end is reversed in the photo. This had a bad bushing and seal on the impeller side of the gearcase, since replaced.

By comparing what you have against something like this, may figure out if something like this is a possible replacement or not for yours.


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## kbsnow (Oct 21, 2011)

Thanks HCBPH, the problem is he doesn't have ANY of the gears or shafts or the impeller for me to even fix. I need the complete assembly of worm gear and shaft and the auger gear and shaft along with an impeller.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*You have a mess*



kbsnow said:


> Thanks HCBPH, the problem is he doesn't have ANY of the gears or shafts or the impeller for me to even fix. I need the complete assembly of worm gear and shaft and the auger gear and shaft along with an impeller.


Sounds like you have the housing and nothing else, that would be a real mess. If it was me, I'd do one of three things: either look for a decent shape or repairable snowblower with a comparable blown engine, a complete snowblower that needed repairs, or a complete replacement auger housing that would mate to your tractor unit.

I've done all three: I changed out a auger housing, swapped out comparable motors and rebuilt a snowblower. Which is best depends upon alot of things including your mechanical ability, tools and what's available locally. To me the best option would be a complete snowblower with a compatible engine. Rebuild/Repair as needed and you'd have a 2d engine to get running or become parts for the one you have.
In you look on this site I put together a thread on Modding a 10 HP Craftsman. It included an auger swap and some repairs. Over here: Restorationmen Forum I have a couple of threads on going through a used engine and rebuilding an auger housing. They might give you an idea on whether it's right for you or not.

Now for the sales pitch: if you can find the right ones, a Craftsman 536.918xxx or 536.882xxx can be gotten many times for a good price and with the mechanical drive transmission in them they are very solid machines. Wear parts can be had or substituted and they can be gotten cheap many times (I've paid from $20 to~$100 each for 8 of them last year) and it's only the usual wear parts that you need. Most everything is still available some place. Now for equal time: there are alot of good used machines out there including Ariens, Toro, Honda and too many more to name. If you do a little research and are willing to do a little legwork, most can be brought back to life if they need a little repair. Just remember that if it's a Tecumseh motor, 5 HP and lower 4 cycles are twin shaft while 7 HP and above are single shaft (don't know about 6 HP), if you want compatiblity then get something with the same style of motor you have.

What you get and do will totally depend on the time and money you want to put into it. With the amount of missing parts you noted, I would not expect to find another auger assembly that would fit unless you luck into a parts machine.

Good luck


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## kbsnow (Oct 21, 2011)

Hey HCBPH, I have experience with blowers, and my latest project I posted on this site was repowering a Craftsman 9hp 26. It had the Tecumseh with the oiling problem. Original owner trashed the motor and he sold me the blower for $30. I sanded primed and painted the body, and installed a Briggs 8hp Industrial Plus. A bit of drilling to mount the motor, and since it has a tapered crank, my FIL machined the new pulleys to match the crank. I have access to mills and lathes.

For the Snapper, here is what I see my options as:
- going with a compete Auger set from another manufacturer which are on ebay for about $100, and "MAKE" it work. 
- sell the useable parts. EXCELLENT running motor, the body and drive train are in GREAT condition, and the augers are in good shape.

I don't know if I want to spend the time and my friend wants to spend the money.


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*You have a plan*

Sounds like you have a plan, tools and tallent to pull it off. Having not cross-branded a machine yet, here's thoughts to watch. If any of the belt tension controls mount on the auger, check that out. If there's any flanges etc for belt guards - same thing. Auger chute may be different location or crank controls so that also needs to be addressed or maybe moved from one to the other. Last thing I can think of is the width of the auger, if it's narrower than the original there's a chance the wheels may extend beyond the replacement housing.

I'd still suggest watching for a parts machine. I bought a couple to part out and the whole auger housings can be used and I got those two for $20 & $30, one came with an engine and the other didn't. One I used on my 10 HP and the other one is still in the shed in case I ever need it.

Good luck. Please keep us posted on how it goes and definitely post some pictures of the results.


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