# Ariens 11528LE Drive Belt Slips Off



## ICECOLDBEER

I picked up this blower used. The auger wouldn't spin so I replaced auger belt and drive belt they were both chewed up pretty bad. Now the drive and auger both work however the drive belt keeps slipping off. It literally slipped off just sitting in the garage. Very weird. 

The belt appears tight and I am certain it is ran correctly. Did some digging in the manual it says to have the "traction drive clutch spring" expand 1/2 inch when lever is engaged(pg 26 owners manual). So i made sure that was done and it checks out and it did.

The idler pulley has a slight wobble to it but not sure if that could be the problem. As far as I can tell you can't adjust idler pulley for the drive system. 

The new belts were ordered from an Ariens Dealer and I gave them the serial # so can't imagine its the wrong belt. 

What other things could I check? 

Here are the owners/parts manuals:
Ariens Order Owners Manuals 

And I will take a few pictures maybe you guys can spot something.


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## JLawrence08648

Looseness in the idler pulley is common as it's not a precision bearing! Many times there is a minor adjustment. You loosen the center bolt and you can slide the pulley sideways about an inch.

Remove the auger belt and turn the pulley to ensure there's no binding. It should turn relatively easy. 

Turn all the pulleys to ensure they turn easy. Wiggle them also.

Look down eyeing the pulleys making sure they are inline. Make sure they are not bent or wobbly.

Then put the belts on, look at how they are riding in the pulleys.

Put blocks under the rear frame lifting the wheels off the ground. Take the spark plug wire off. Have someone slowly pull the starter cord while you are lining things up.

The adjustments underneath the engine and at the rear governs the tension applied to the belt which also controls slippage, has nothing to do with the belt slipping off unless it was crazy loose.


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## ICECOLDBEER

Pictures here. Not sure why they wouldn't upload on the forum. 

Ariens Blower - Album on Imgur


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## ICECOLDBEER

Video of it in action. Seems like the big drive wheel is bouncing around alot. Not sure if normal or maybe bad bearing/part in there somewhere? Hope you guys can help.


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## ICECOLDBEER

JLawrence08648 said:


> Looseness in the idler pulley is common as it's not a precision bearing! Many times there is a minor adjustment. You loosen the center bolt and you can slide the pulley sideways about an inch.
> 
> Remove the auger belt and turn the pulley to ensure there's no binding. It should turn relatively easy.
> 
> Turn all the pulleys to ensure they turn easy. Wiggle them also.
> 
> Look down eyeing the pulleys making sure they are inline. Make sure they are not bent or wobbly.
> 
> Then put the belts on, look at how they are riding in the pulleys.
> 
> Put blocks under the rear frame lifting the wheels off the ground. Take the spark plug wire off. Have someone slowly pull the starter cord while you are lining things up.
> 
> The adjustments underneath the engine and at the rear governs the tension applied to the belt which also controls slippage, has nothing to do with the belt slipping off unless it was crazy loose.


Thanks for the reply I appreciate it. So you're saying to loosen the drive belt pulley and slide it over an inch? Wish you were here to help. Confusing reading this. I need to line all the pulleys up somehow? The auger is working fine. Drive belt just keeps coming off.

Are you sure the drive belt pulley can be adjusted? I know the auger belt can as it has a groove where you can slide it forward or back.


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## bad69cat

Check that the engine bolts are not loose - it's possible that it has slid back a tad. It doesn't take much to be off line.......


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## ICECOLDBEER

bad69cat said:


> Check that the engine bolts are not loose - it's possible that it has slid back a tad. It doesn't take much to be off line.......


Thanks for the reply. Which engine bolts exactly are you talking about?


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## mfrs2000

Could the drive pulley be turned around?


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## wow08816

You can definitely adjust the belt idler (5).

The belt idler is loose and needs adjustment. The idler should have light steady pressure against the belt. But the pressure should not be so tight that it causes the auger to spin when the machine is simply idling. The idler can be adjusted by loosening the center screw (on the idler wheel (9)) shifting the idler wheel towards the belt and retightening the screw. If you over tighten the idler the auger will turn even though the impeller lever is not engaged. If this occurs you will just need to loosen the idler screw slide the pulley ever so slightly away from the belt. Note how the idler exerts slight pressure in picture below.

I am not mechanically inclined at all. But replacing and adjusting belts on a snow blower is a very simple task. So simple even a NOOB such myself can perform. This task was an absolute necessity because that winter I was about to be bombarded with back to back 15" snowfalls. And I had thrown an impeller belt during the first storm and the next big storm was days away. All the local repair stores were out of snow blower belts and back logged with repairs. So it was either shovel or learn to swap a belt. Unfortunately, nobody had my snow blower's belt in stock. As a temporary fix for my blower I substituted an auto parts v-belt which was also 5/16" shorter than the OEM snow blower belt. Thus, I had to adjust the idler wheel to accommodate the shorter belt length. 4 weeks later when my OEM snow blower belt arrived I swapped out the auto store belt.


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## ICECOLDBEER

wow08816 said:


> You can definitely adjust the impeller idler pulley.
> 
> The idler pulley is loose and needs adjustment. The pulley should have light steady pressure against the impeller belt. But the pressure should not be so tight that it causes the impeller to spin when the machine is simply idling. The pulley can be adjusted by loosening the center screw (on the pulley) shifting the pulley towards the belt and retightening the screw. If you over tighten the impeller pulley the auger will turn even though the impeller lever is not engaged. If this occurs you will just need to loosen the pulley screw slide the pulley ever so slightly away from the belt.
> 
> I am not mechanically inclined at all. But replacing and adjusting belts on a snow blower is a very simple task. So simple even a NOOB such myself can perform. This task was an absolute necessity because that winter I was about to be bombarded with back to back 15" snowfalls. And I had thrown an impeller belt during the first storm and the next big storm was days away. All the local repair stores were out of snow blower belts and back logged with repairs. So it was either shovel or learn to swap a belt. Unfortunately, nobody had my snow blower's belt in stock. As a temporary fix for my blower I substituted an auto parts v-belt which was also 5/16" shorter than the OEM snow blower belt. Thus, I had to adjust the idler pulley to accommodate the shorter belt length. 4 weeks later when my OEM snow blower belt arrived I swapped out the auto store belt.


It's not the impeller belt... Its the drive belt. The impeller and auger work perfectly.


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## JLawrence08648

I re-read your post and you did write it was the drive belt coming off.

Looks like you do have an idler pulley for the drive belt, is that adjustable?

You have a belt bail or keeper for the auger belt, is your machine suppose to have one for the drive belt also? The bail reduces belt slap which causes stretching, also keeps the belt on.


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## ICECOLDBEER

JLawrence08648 said:


> I re-read your post and you did write it was the drive belt coming off.
> 
> Looks like you do have an idler pulley for the drive belt, is that adjustable?
> 
> You have a belt bail or keeper for the auger belt, is your machine suppose to have one for the drive belt also? The bail reduces belt slap which causes stretching, also keeps the belt on.


The idler pulley for the drive belt is not adjustable as far as I can tell. Not sure what you mean by belt bail/keeper.


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## wow08816

If the drive idler is loose. The drive idler can be adjusted by the same fashion. On my old Ariens the drive & impeller idler were on the same pulley system. Yours appear to be using 2 separate idlers. Accessing that idler may require you to remove the 2 cap screws (bolts) that hold the snow blower frame to the frame. Make sure you have a chair to slide under the handlebar to support its weight when the last 2 cap screws are removed. As you lower the handle bars the opening to the belt area will widen.


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## 524SWE

ICECOLDBEER said:


> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpHVbXJ_fPM&feature=youtu.be
> 
> Video of it in action. Seems like the big drive wheel is bouncing around alot. Not sure if normal or maybe bad bearing/part in there somewhere? Hope you guys can help.


Looking at your video the drive wheel (large pulley) seems to be no where's near in line with the small pulley on the engine. It was mentioned above your engine mounting bolts could be loose, I doubt it since your auger belt pulleys line up correctly. I think I'd open up the bottom and see if the drive pulley is loose or the bearing worn or the return spring or drive cable hanging up and the drive plate not freely moving.


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## ICECOLDBEER

524SWE said:


> Looking at your video the drive wheel (large pulley) seems to be no where's near in line with the small pulley on the engine. It was mentioned above your engine mounting bolts could be loose, I doubt it since your auger belt pulleys line up correctly. I think I'd open up the bottom and see if the drive pulley is loose or the bearing worn or the return spring or drive cable hanging up and the drive plate not freely moving.


So take the bottom plate off? Not really sure what i am looking for. I will take it off and post some pics. Also the pulley's seem to line up pretty good when the clutch is engaged. The large drive pulley moves back and lines up alot better.


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## ICECOLDBEER

Think I might have found the problem. This spring appears to be bent a bit. I think I took it off when replacing belts but didn't think much of it. Its connected to the large drive pulley and is supposed to pull it forward a bit. Its kinda hard to see but it is bent a bit. 

Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet


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## ICECOLDBEER

Another random video. Trying to show the spring mainly. I cant really see anyway to adjust the small pulley so I think it must be that spring not holding the large one in place.


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## ICECOLDBEER

I believe number 38 here is the damaged spring... Time to yank the front off again... yay


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## jtclays

Icecold, The 926 series blowers have a couple unique issues that needed after attention from Ariens. Most notable was going to the dual drive belts for the auger. A baffle kit to keep water out of the tractor area. And if you scroll through to approx. time 9:05 in this videos for a simple fix that may get your belt in better alignment.


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## ICECOLDBEER

And heres my spring... Although its damaged it appeared to be doing its job. Do you think a new spring will fix the issue? 

Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

Still cant get pics to upload properly on here.


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## ICECOLDBEER

jtclays said:


> Icecold, The 926 series blowers have a couple unique issues that needed after attention from Ariens. Most notable was going to the dual drive belts for the auger. A baffle kit to keep water out of the tractor area. And if you scroll through to approx. time 9:05 in this videos for a simple fix that may get your belt in better alignment.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-PQISVTk_I


Thanks for this. I have to agree this blower has a tonne of problems I am less then impressed with it. Pretty disappointing. I love my 28 Deluxe but this thing has got to go.

Reading through the comments on that video there appears to be no dual belt kit for my machine but it seems to throw the snow REALLY well so not sure its needed.

I owe you one for sure. Gonna have to go get some fuel line.


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## RIT333

ICB

You may want to consider stepping up your maintenance program. You have a ton of rust in your tranny area. I would use more grease, and spray some lubricant on the shafts - but not on the friction disc or driven disc.

Just mt $0.02


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## Dauntae

I have a similar ST1027LE and the gearbox was similar and I ended up replacing every bearing and bushing in the thing, I do believe they also make a kit for yours to put a auto turn axle in which replaces the wheel unlock lever that I could not get to work on mine so plan to go to the dealership and order tomorrow after work, If the engine runs I spent I think about $35 ish for all the bushings and new auger bearing, I needed a new double pulley also but mine came stock with one but I ordered the kit for $55 just to get all the new parts because the pulley alone was $45. This is the thread on my rebuild http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/104154-ariens-1027le.html


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## toroused

For those that didn't watch the video, Ariens had a service bulletin awhile back that dictated that a one inch piece of gas line could be installed
inside one of the housing bolts, thereby providing a premature bumper stop for an overly aggressive traction drive pulley. 

JTClays, that was an excellent video.


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## Shaw351

ICE COLD BEER...

It is very possible your idler is the problem, first check to make sure it is working ok with little play. If its good then check alignment while your squeezing the handle to see all moves ok. You should be able to see how the belt acts when running and being operated. 

Had issue with similar machine, it threw the belt and always wore through belts quickly. That series machine moves the pulley that the drive belt is on towards the friction wheel correct ???
And it has pulleys with the key cast into them rather than having a separate key i believe...

If so i found that there was bad alignment from the factory on the belt alignment setup. The remedy i came up with was to cut off 1/4" from auger pulley, file out the key portion on your new spacer ( Have to because the crankshaft might not be sllotted enough for proper fit ), then place it on the crank - then drive pulley - finally the auger pulley. That machine has been running now for 4 years on the same belt with this modification. 

Look closely at the pixx and you can the spacer closest to the engine, this is what was cut off the auger pulley. By doing this modification it better aligns the drive pulley and belt with the lower pulley and its movement. 









Good luck with your project.


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## 524SWE

jtclays said:


> Icecold, The 926 series blowers have a couple unique issues that needed after attention from Ariens. Most notable was going to the dual drive belts for the auger. A baffle kit to keep water out of the tractor area. And if you scroll through to approx. time 9:05 in this videos for a simple fix that may get your belt in better alignment.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-PQISVTk_I


as the man in the video says, "that's Ariens" I thought the need for dual belts was perhaps over the top but this fix with fuel line, essentially a rubber bumper and stop is rather understated, did you notice the thread marks from the bolt he put the hose on. it looks like JTCLAYS has got your fix. just as an aside, when I worked in roll coating at the Eastman Kodak company it always amazed me what engineering would try to get away with and expect us in the machine maintenance department to solve for them. Ya gotta love engineers!


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## ICECOLDBEER

Shaw351 said:


> ICE COLD BEER...
> 
> It is very possible your idler is the problem, first check to make sure it is working ok with little play. If its good then check alignment while your squeezing the handle to see all moves ok. You should be able to see how the belt acts when running and being operated.
> 
> Had issue with similar machine, it threw the belt and always wore through belts quickly. That series machine moves the pulley that the drive belt is on towards the friction wheel correct ???
> And it has pulleys with the key cast into them rather than having a separate key i believe...
> 
> If so i found that there was bad alignment from the factory on the belt alignment setup. The remedy i came up with was to cut off 1/4" from auger pulley, file out the key portion on your new spacer ( Have to because the crankshaft might not be sllotted enough for proper fit ), then place it on the crank - then drive pulley - finally the auger pulley. That machine has been running now for 4 years on the same belt with this modification.
> 
> Look closely at the pixx and you can the spacer closest to the engine, this is what was cut off the auger pulley. By doing this modification it better aligns the drive pulley and belt with the lower pulley and its movement.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Good luck with your project.


Wow nice fix. I think I am just going to try the fuel line. I am pretty sure it should work.


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## ICECOLDBEER

Dauntae said:


> I have a similar ST1027LE and the gearbox was similar and I ended up replacing every bearing and bushing in the thing, I do believe they also make a kit for yours to put a auto turn axle in which replaces the wheel unlock lever that I could not get to work on mine so plan to go to the dealership and order tomorrow after work, If the engine runs I spent I think about $35 ish for all the bushings and new auger bearing, I needed a new double pulley also but mine came stock with one but I ordered the kit for $55 just to get all the new parts because the pulley alone was $45. This is the thread on my rebuild http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/104154-ariens-1027le.html


Thanks if I decide to replace the bushings ill def take a look at your guide there. I agree the wheel lock/unlock thing is a pain in the ass. Mine works on and off sometimes you have to pull the lever like 5 times. Looking through the manual it shows how to adjust it but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Auto turn is the bees knees in my books.


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## ICECOLDBEER

RIT333 said:


> ICB
> 
> You may want to consider stepping up your maintenance program. You have a ton of rust in your tranny area. I would use more grease, and spray some lubricant on the shafts - but not on the friction disc or driven disc.
> 
> Just mt $0.02


We really need a definitive guide on this. I followed the owners manual best I could but the manual leaves alot to be desired. IIRC it only mentioned greasing the friction wheel shaft. 

The previous owner didn't help matters much either lol.


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## wow08816

This youtube video addresses drive slippage resolution for both 926 & 11528 models. Reference to the 11528 is at 7:05 of video.


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## ICECOLDBEER

jtclays said:


> Icecold, The 926 series blowers have a couple unique issues that needed after attention from Ariens. Most notable was going to the dual drive belts for the auger. A baffle kit to keep water out of the tractor area. And if you scroll through to approx. time 9:05 in this videos for a simple fix that may get your belt in better alignment.
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-PQISVTk_I


Where can I find the baffle kit, dual belt kit, auto turn kit? I may be interested in these if they're not too expensive. They don't mention anything in the parts manual online.

I am also having trouble with the chute not staying in place. Currently it swings all over (Left and right) when blowing snow. I had got it so it wouldn't move but still had some play in it. Super frustrating. Do they make a kit for that as well? I think the little gear and pin that holds it in place is poorly designed. It allows some play.


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## uforia2

are the 926002 models prone to all of the above?

it is a 11528le I think bought around 2006 or 2005

thx
chris


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## Marcus

I just installed the dual auger kit on my 11528... Was $55 from Repair Clinic... and $10 for the water baffle kit.. I started a tread "Dual attachment kit belt alignment" and have some pictures uploaded there... At the suggestion of one really helpful member, I used washers or "bushings" - from Tractor Supply..


I used one bushing to move the traction pulley into more alignment but didn't want to change much there because I thought ... If it aint broke don't fix it....


I used another bushing washer to further move the auger pulley up into alignment... The package of bushing washers was $2 and 65 cents at the Tractor supply...


Be careful not to over tighten the belt guide upon re-assembly !.... It is a steel bolt into soft aluminum and... I stripped mine out... Luckily ... the blind hole in the aluminum was deeper than needed. So a longer 5/8 -24 bolt solved the re-attach issue... Otherwise I would be learning how to use Heli-coils right now...


I use duct tape to seal the belt cover up on the opposite side of the water baffle... I also cover most of the many holes in the body of the blower so as to keep the blowing snow out..


If someone is not mechanical I can see why they would get rid of this machine fast.. but if you don't mind turning some bolts and staying with it... This is a nice powerful blower..


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## Franko

*I have the same issue*

I've been having the same issue. The machine is an animal! It works great and throws snow a mile. When I'm done I put the machine in the garage. Next day the belt has popped off. Don't understand it. I even replaced both belts and having the same issue. Love the machine but getting very tired of having to fight the belt on before every storm. This is obviously a common issue. Also few days after a storm the auger belt slipped at start up and would not catch??? worked perfect a few days before. Threw the old belt back on and works find. Very frustrating!!!!!


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## RIT333

Franko said:


> I've been having the same issue. The machine is an animal! It works great and throws snow a mile. When I'm done I put the machine in the garage. Next day the belt has popped off. Don't understand it. I even replaced both belts and having the same issue. Love the machine but getting very tired of having to fight the belt on before every storm. This is obviously a common issue. Also few days after a storm the auger belt slipped at start up and would not catch??? worked perfect a few days before. Threw the old belt back on and works find. Very frustrating!!!!!


Sound like one of the belts is a little bit different length than the other. The belts should always be replaced in pairs, and from the same mfg - and compared in length before installing. I used the belts that came in the replacement kit, and mine works awesome.


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## Spanker

Hi folks. First post.
I have a 926101. bought new about 15 years ago. I have done absolutely nothing other than lube and oil. Awesome machine.

Never had a problem with belts. The auger started slipping last year, so I went to find a reasonably priced replacement without paying dealership prices.

No can do. Gates, Goodyear, Dayco, Carlysle, Continental. Close, but no cigar. Obviously, the "ariens" belt is made by one of these major belt manufacturers, but they are custom sized. Yes it is a V-belt, 4L, raw, but...

...That Ariens spec belt is a custom length, and not to be found off the shelf in an auto part store or online. All of the closest ones are off by 1/4 - 3/8 inch. 

I eventually bought the exact one at the Ariens dealer. It's like the machine is brand new again.

I would strongly advise anyone, before they start modifying their machines, to break down and get the correct belt ($30) from the dealer. Then adjust the cables exactly as indicated in the service manual. 

If your belts are falling off, you have the wrong belt, or you have a part missing, or you have a adjustment issue. That's all there is there, it can't be anything else.

I'm all for saving a buck getting a belt that is 'close enough', but Ariens machines last a lifetime+ , so they made some custom parts to keep their dealers alive. Support them so they are there when you really need them.

I'm in Boston, on the water, and throw a lot of heavy wet snow. 15+ years out of a belt is fine with me.


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## Spanker

Hi folks. First post.
I have a 926101. bought new about 15 years ago. I have done absolutely nothing other than lube and oil. Awesome machine.

Never had a problem with belts. The auger started slipping last year, so I went to find a reasonably priced replacement without paying dealership prices.

No can do. Gates, Goodyear, Dayco, Carlysle, Continental. Close, but no cigar. Obviously, the "ariens" belt is made by one of these major belt manufacturers, but they are custom sized. Yes it is a V-belt, 4L, raw, but...

...That Ariens spec belt is a custom length, and not to be found off the shelf in an auto part store or online. All of the closest ones are off by 1/4 - 3/8 inch. 

I eventually bought the exact one at the Ariens dealer. It's like the machine is brand new again.

I would strongly advise anyone, before they start modifying their machines, to break down and get the correct belt ($30) from the dealer. Then adjust the cables exactly as indicated in the service manual. 

If your belts are falling off, you have the wrong belt, or you have a part missing, or you have an adjustment issue. That's all there is there, *it can't be anything else.*

I'm all for saving a buck getting a belt that is 'close enough', but Ariens machines last a lifetime+ , so they made some custom parts to keep their dealers alive. (Support them once in a while so they are there when you really need them.)

I'm in Boston, on the water, and throw a lot of heavy wet snow. 15+ years out of a belt is fine with me.


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## RIT333

Spanker

Excellent points.

By the way - I had that handle in high school - I was Spanky, though.


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## niteshft

I wish I had found this forum years ago! I've suffered the belt jumping issue for years. Ariens sent me a new friction pulley after speaking with one of their engineers back when I first purchased it. The new pulley has a wider lip on the engine side but it didn't fix the issue and I finally gave up on it and purchased a different brand yesterday because the belt would pop off every time I tried to start it. I'm thinking the fix of placing a spacer on the engine side of the drive pulley would have been the trick. I guess I'll have to try that so I can feel comfortable passing this machine on to someone else.


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## niteshft

@Shaw351 do you really need to put the spacer in place or simply leave room between the pulley and engine and lock it in place with the set screw? I'm going to try your idea before I put my machine up for sale and I understand the end will need to be removed for space issue when I move it over. Thinking not having the spacer in place will allow for adjustment without having to pull the engine in case it isn't working in my case.

I'm remembering a conversation with a tech from Ariens years ago that mentioned this fix but I couldn't comprehend the idea and didn't want to take a chance of messing things up.

Update: I finally got a chance to look everything over and my question has been answered...no set screws and it's tightened by a bolt in the front so, yes the spacer has to be placed between the pulley and engine. Now I have to take it off and find a way to get it cut straight. It looks like I will try to keep it if it gets fixed. The Husqvarna I bought just creeps while in reverse and it doesn't have any adjustment. I fell on by butt a few times pulling it back and that just won't work out. At 65 I don't heal as quickly as I used to.


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## 1132le

Spanker said:


> Hi folks. First post.
> I have a 926101. bought new about 15 years ago. I have done absolutely nothing other than lube and oil. Awesome machine.
> 
> Never had a problem with belts. The auger started slipping last year, so I went to find a reasonably priced replacement without paying dealership prices.
> 
> No can do. Gates, Goodyear, Dayco, Carlysle, Continental. Close, but no cigar. Obviously, the "ariens" belt is made by one of these major belt manufacturers, but they are custom sized. Yes it is a V-belt, 4L, raw, but...
> 
> ...That Ariens spec belt is a custom length, and not to be found off the shelf in an auto part store or online. All of the closest ones are off by 1/4 - 3/8 inch.
> 
> I eventually bought the exact one at the Ariens dealer. It's like the machine is brand new again.
> 
> I would strongly advise anyone, before they start modifying their machines, to break down and get the correct belt ($30) from the dealer. Then adjust the cables exactly as indicated in the service manual.
> 
> If your belts are falling off, you have the wrong belt, or you have a part missing, or you have an adjustment issue. That's all there is there, *it can't be anything else.*
> 
> I'm all for saving a buck getting a belt that is 'close enough', but Ariens machines last a lifetime+ , so they made some custom parts to keep their dealers alive. (Support them once in a while so they are there when you really need them.)
> 
> I'm in Boston, on the water, and throw a lot of heavy wet snow. 15+ years out of a belt is fine with me.



The drive belt is 7 bucks from many places online
the auger belt is 12 bucks from many places online
the dual upgrade pulley with new belts is cheap at 55 which comes with both belts when you are paying 30 for 1 belt sheesh
the baffle kit for 10 is also needed
since ariens added both of those thing to all 926 blowers going forward they must be needed woudnt you say?


auger belt 12 bucks free shipping https://www.ebay.com/p/Replacement-Belt-for-Ariens-07200021/1158357112?iid=171741583627&chn=ps

drive belt 7 bucks free shipping https://www.ebay.com/itm/5018-Rotar...Wk9Xc:sc:USPSFirstClass!01915!US!-1:rk:3:pf:0


Main Belts Sizes Reference


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## niteshft

As for the drive belt issue where it keeps jumping off, @Shaw351 fix is rather easy. It may have been easier if I saw his video but I went at it on my own and I finished it in about an hour. I just scribed a 1/4 inch line and worked around it with a hacksaw until it went through. The major part was getting the pulleys off to begin with and I happened to have a rod that fit the threaded hole and used a puller against that. It's all back together but since the engine weight is off the machine, I'm going to go over everything else before I put it back together. Thank you so much Shaw351 for your idea and your balls to try something different.

@1132le I agree, there are many options besides going with Ariens belts. With my machine, I've had to go with so many belts before, I would just take them to the Auto Parts store and have them match them up. I know the auger belt for mine is 3/8 X 27 inch. I don't remember the drive belt size but they have a match for them as well and they are both much cheaper then the dealer. The belts are not special for the machine as some would make you think.

Great site, great people, great help....wish I found you all sooner, it would have made my life a lot easier.


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## niteshft

Sweet, I started her up and the belt stayed on! Thanks very much for posting that fix and as I said before I wish I hand found this site years ago. I took time to go over everything and found I'm going to replace some parts soon so I'll be ordering them. I also repaired the threaded holes for the belt guard since one hole striped from replacing the drive belt so often. I went with 3/8 rather than the metric since it's easier to replace and had to open the hole in the guard as well. Thanks again @Shaw351 for posting the fix. It's starting to spit snow ahead of the new storm and for the first time in many years I'm feeling comfortable with it.


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## Shaw351

Niteshft thanks for the kudos, I enjoy sharing my thoughts & ideas to help others. I believe it was a bad design from the start, and it was changed on the next series machines. To be honest the idea was given to me by a friend that has been in the small engine business for 40+ years, and he has done this mod to every one like this and not one has come back for same problem........ Guess it works !!!!

Check out my posts and projects here, I put up great pixx to show how my things are done and give any advice to those that ask questions.


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## niteshft

Two storms with no issue with belt jumping off! The last storm was very wet from the change to rain and my new auger belt needs to be changed already. Towards the end, I could see and smell the smoke coming out of the pulley area. The main reason was the slush/wet snow wouldn't throw far enough so I would have to rethrow it along with the stuff it landed on for the last half of the area. I wish I could find a coating that I could apply to make chute and impeller more slippery. I thought I read somewhere that Dupont made a paint that was hydrophobic but I can't seem to find any info on it. Anyone else come across any info on this?


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## RIT333

Leonz hasn't convinced you yet that Fluid Film is your answer ? I have some Rustoleum Spray that I bought at the Dollar Store, and I think it is hydrophobic. I was wondering what I would do with it, but sounds like the snowblower is my answer !


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## Johnnynikon

*Dual belt upgrade*

Just finished this fun little project and because I installed a new drive belt at the same time I also experienced the belt jumping off. I had the same issue as Marcus with the dual auger belt upgrade in that the rear belt was only half way on the idler pulley. So after 2 machine bushings behind the drive pulley and one behind the auger pulley the alignment is perfect even when engaged. The choke and throttle pics are because this is my second set of knobs as the originals fell off. When I ordered new ones and slipped them on the were loose and I was afraid they would fall off and be lost as well... I was going to epoxy them on but thought it would be better not to due to needing them off while servicing. My idea .. cross drilled and cotter pinned. Simple yet effective. I have a video I wanted to upload but having trouble. I will attach later.


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## RIT333

Johnny


Didn't your kit come with two brand new auger belts ? Ariens highly recommends that when you do the 2-pulley upgrade that you use both of the new belts because they are "guaranteed" to be the same length, while using a new and an old does not, so one of the two belts is doing the work, and the other is just going along for the ride.


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## Johnnynikon

Yes it sure did. What your looking at here is the belts were already run in for 30 min before I had to fool with the shimming.


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## RIT333

Johnnynikon said:


> Yes it sure did. What your looking at here is the belts were already run in for 30 min before I had to fool with the shimming.



Reason I ask is because the bucket-side belt looks brand new, and the engine-side belt looks used.


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