# Ryobi Snowblower



## amnotpm (Dec 2, 2014)

Hello to all. I have a Ryobi 9.5hp and 26" snowblower. It has 6 forward and 2 reverse speeds. My problem is the 1st reverse gear makes the snowblower go forward. All the other gears work correctly. I have lubed and adjusted everything in the manual. Also the drive plate and friction wheel all are grease free and in good shape. Any ideas? Thanxs.


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

amnotpm said:


> Hello to all. I have a Ryobi 9.5hp and 26" snowblower. It has 6 forward and 2 reverse speeds. My problem is the 1st reverse gear makes the snowblower go forward. All the other gears work correctly. I have lubed and adjusted everything in the manual. Also the drive plate and friction wheel all are grease free and in good shape. Any ideas? Thanxs.


It has to be out of adjustment. There's nothing else to make it do that except adjustment. You need to adjust your gear selector rod/cable. What happened to cause it to behave this way? Has it done it since new?


----------



## amnotpm (Dec 2, 2014)

I got the snowblower from a friend who moved down south. The first few years it was working perfectly. I have checked the adjustment on the shift rod and that seems to be fine. If I adjust the rod up or down then it won't get into the highest or lowest setting so it seems to be correct. I am totally confused by this.


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Not sure if your blower has a neutral setting but evern if it doesn't, put your speed selector between low gear forward and low speed reverse. Your drive disc should be running in the exact center of the platter. Now, if you have problems with losing speed settings you more than likely need to replace the rubber drive disc. I can't think of anything else.
Let us know what happens.


----------



## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

*Blower*

Welcome to the forum. I'm not the best friction disc person but I had something like that one one machine I bought to fix-up and sell. In my case it turned out to be an adjustment along with a bent linkage.

You may have to do this more than once to find the final adjustment if you don't have a manual on the machine.
Start by setting the gear selector to neutral, adjust the linkage to where the friction disc is roughly on center of the friction wheel. Check the linkage to see if the friction wheel goes on either side of center when going into reverse and 1st. Then look at where it ends up when in the highest gear. You probably will have to some further adjustments to get it set up right but unless something is worn or broken, that should at least get you in the ballpark.

Good luck.


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

Here's another thread about your machine. I don't know how to link this thread on my tiny little android tablet so I just took a screenshot of the thread beginning. 
According to thread your blower is an MTD clone, as I suspected.


----------



## micah68kj (Oct 8, 2011)

According to thread your blower is an MTD clone, as I suspected. 
Stand that rascal on it's nose, remove the bottom cover, put your speed selsctor between forward and reverse and center your rubber disc over the center of the platter. Done.


----------



## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

A lot of MTDs use a steel cable for the gear shifter with a heavy return spring to pull it back. It could just be stretched out or frayed.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Or it could be missing. Last two I worked on had similar problems with gearing and the spring on the friction wheel was missing.


----------



## amnotpm (Dec 2, 2014)

Thanxs for all the ideas. Adjusting the linkage in the center of the disk won't work because then it doesn't lock into the slots for all the speeds. The manual says to adjust it from the fastest speed gear, (6) which I already did. I will check the springs to see if they are stretched or missing. There are 2 there now and they seem to be fine but another look sure won't hurt only help. Stay tuned for the update, lol.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

It would be helpful if you posted the full model number off the machine so we can take a look at a parts diagram.
That and adding a location to your profile so it pops under your used name. Some times location will make a difference. Not so much in this particular instance.


----------



## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

Try putting the shift lever in 1st gear. Then adjust your friction disc so it is just to the left of the center of the drive disc.


----------



## amnotpm (Dec 2, 2014)

Well here's the update. Per the manual the only way to adjust the gears is doing in the 6th and fastest forward position. Doing it any other way prevents me from locking into all the gear positions with the lever. The model number is Ryobi 31ae6q0f034. All the springs are in place and in good shape. Could it possibly be the drive belt might be stretched? The reason I suspect this is that I raised the machine, put it into the 1st reverse position and the wheels rotated in reverse but when I have it back on the ground it goes forward in that reverse gear. Again in the 2nd or fastest reverse gear it works correctly. As of now I still have the same problem of it going forward in the 1st reverse position.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Any chance the handle bars are loose and shifting position thus affecting the shifter position ??


----------



## amnotpm (Dec 2, 2014)

The handlebars are fine. That wouldn't explain why the wheels go n reverse when the snowblower is raised but go forward when on the ground.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I was lazy and hadn't looked up your exact model.
IF, the handle bars are a little loose then they can change the tension, length or position of the shift mechanism be it cable or rod. You have a rod from the parts diagram. Is it bending when you shift ??
When you lift a machine up using the handles and they are loose or flex you might be moving something in the shifter linkage enough to put it in a different gear.

In my mind if the handles were loose it might explain it but since yours aren't, it's moot.

I have a well worn Brute that's doing something like yours and I'm pretty sure it's because the shift rod (like you have) is bending like spaghetti and the pivot points have too much slop.


----------



## amnotpm (Dec 2, 2014)

Thanxs for the ideas. The only linkage that might be a little loose is the carriage that slides across the friction wheel. It does seem to have a lot of play. Do you think the drive belt if it is stretched alittle could cause it? Just a guess, not sure if it's an intelligent one, lol.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The drive belt is on the wrong side. For it to be changing directions it has to be something with the shifter, linkage or friction disc or the shaft it rides on.


----------



## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

The only way the wheels are going to be going forward and then reverse is if that friction disc can somehow go from one side of the center to the other. It has to cross over to change the direction the wheels turn.


----------

