# Sears Craftsman 26" w/stripped Worm Gear



## lfdal (Jan 4, 2014)

I just ordered a new auger worm gear for my 7 year old 26" Craftsman Model 247.883700. The old one was stripped. Very stripped. 

I'm guessing the worm gear at the end of the impeller shaft is still okay. It looks all right and steel usually trumps brass/bronze in terms of durability. 

I'm a little disappointed this happened. We've had plenty of snow since I got it new, but its never been abused. I've broken one shear pin since the unit was new. 

Anyway, while I'm waiting for the gear to arrive, I was wondering if I shouldn't have ordered a new worm shaft just to be on the safe side. Opinions on that are welcome and appreciated.

Also wondering what to put back in the gearbox for lube. The stuff that was in there was the consistency of Vaseline (not counting all the metal particles embedded into it). There's no drain hole, so I'm guessing whatever it is, it's supposed to be "lifetime lube". 

Would a "00" grease work for this? If so can anyone steer me to a particular type or online place to purchase from?

Thanks for reading, and all help appreciated.


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## cdestuck (Jan 20, 2013)

With all the work that it takes to get into the box I certainly would do both gears as a set. I did the same to a friends last winter. JUst back the box with wheel bearing grease.


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## Colored Eggs (Dec 7, 2012)

For the grease make sure to check it out to make sure its yellow metal safe. I know when I was searching for the grease for my gearbox I had to return my first purchase becasue it would eat the brass gear. I remember somewhere where donyboy73 used a grease that was used in mtd snowblower gearboxes.


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## motorhead64 (Dec 15, 2013)

What wears out the bronze gears in the gearcase are improper lubrication, badly warn bearings, bent shafts, frozen augers and improper shear pins. Carefully eliminate all of these potential problems or you might have another gear issue soon. MH


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## lfdal (Jan 4, 2014)

motorhead64 said:


> What wears out the bronze gears in the gearcase are improper lubrication, badly warn bearings, bent shafts, frozen augers and improper shear pins. Carefully eliminate all of these potential problems or you might have another gear issue soon. MH


The gearbox was still packed with that heavyweight lube, and there seemed to be plenty of it. The auger and impeller shafts look all right when I put them on the bench and lay a straight edge against them. The shear pins are Sears factory, or their equivalent/recommended replacement. I've kept the augers lubricated on the shaft. As to the bearings, they're a joke. Plastic inserts, but they seem to fit snug and aren't beat up.

I guess that's why I'm puzzled about the worm gear failing, everything that should have an effect on its durability seems to be okay. 

I will take another look before I put it all back together again. Still need to locate some lube, I'll do that this week. I'm assuming automotive gasket maker will work fine for re-assembling the gearbox halves.

We do get heavy snow around here, and I've gone through some tough banks with it. I wonder if I just wore it out?


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

Heavy snow and ice could have put some extra stress on it. Have you picked up any big chunks of concrete or asphalt? Another thing I wonder about is if you have the skids adjusted low enough that the augers hit the ground sometimes. My old Toro would do that sometimes if I drove off the edge of the driveway.


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## lfdal (Jan 4, 2014)

Shryp said:


> Heavy snow and ice could have put some extra stress on it. Have you picked up any big chunks of concrete or asphalt? Another thing I wonder about is if you have the skids adjusted low enough that the augers hit the ground sometimes. My old Toro would do that sometimes if I drove off the edge of the driveway.


I broke a shear pin on a nasty chunk of ice 3 seasons back. No damage to the auger blade, which surprised me. 

It's a definite possibility I'm hitting the street where the driveway intersects it. My driveway has a miserable slope to it, I had to put chains on the wheels or I was pushing it uphill. But at the top, its possible when I crest the rise I'm rubbing asphalt for a second. I'll recheck the skid height when I go to put it back together. 

Where is the sweet spot for the skids to be adjusted?


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

The sweet spot is where you get the most amount of snow removed without hitting anything.


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## lfdal (Jan 4, 2014)

Shryp said:


> The sweet spot is where you get the most amount of snow removed without hitting anything.


Thanks, in that case I think I'm there..... The driveway is decently close after I finish, and there's no sign of auger marks in the asphalt. 

I'm thinking I'll alter my approach and make a single pass up through the end of the driveway, which will put me at the top of the slope, then work downwards so that I transition from higher ground to lower ground, vs. lower to higher.


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