# Pushing more than blowing?



## burnt03

MTD 10/28, not sure of the year but probably late 90s or early 2000s.

I'm pretty new to snow blowers so maybe this is normal.... while I'm running it, I get good distance out from the impeller (bolted on some rubber flaps to each vane) but it doesn't seem to collect the snow well into the auger? (Even at the slowest wheel speed and fairly light snow) Quite a bit just gets pushed to either side of the chute and I leave big windrows that I have to go over again.

Is this normal or is it something I can adjust? (Auger speed up or something?)

Thanks!


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## nwcove

read i similiar post about that issue, any chance someone had the front end of that machine apart and put the augers on the wrong sides?


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## cranman

Either that or the shearpins are missing and not pulling the snow in...


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## jtclays

If you look at the machine from the bad side (as it would be coming at you) you should see

////////// O \\\\\\\\\ not \\\\\\\ O ///////

Check the shear pins to see if they are in fact there. Likely not your problem, but a 2 stage in light snow needs to go fast enough to load up the bucket. Light snow and slow travel speed aren't the perfect scenario for a 2 stage. Are you sure the augers are in fact rolling forward?
May take few minutes of help from a neighbor or spouse to watch as you approach snow. Easy test is do it right into the biggest pile you have and have them watch to make sure the augers are rolling toward them (obviously at a safe distance) and that they never pause. If they are in fact ////// 0 \\\\\\ and are rolling forward toward the observer they should never pause. If they do you either have sheared impeller shaft pins, or the gear box has gone away on you.


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## burnt03

It looks like the leading edge of the blades are leaning out.... I bought it off a guy down the road and he had a few things bolted on wrong so it's possible they're switched up? I've attached a photo.










I'll have to double check whether it's rolling fwd and if it's stalling out or not. Shear pins are both fine.


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## sscotsman

Thats 100% the problem..the augers are backwards!
The one on the right needs to switched to the left, and the one on the left needs to be switched to the right.
then it will work correctly..

the way it is set-up now, the augers are spinning snow to the outside edges of the bucket, rather than toward the center of the bucket.










Scot


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## drmerdp

That's funny, by the looks of it those don't look like shear bolts. Might wanna make sure those bolts are designed to shear, like a grade 2.


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## burnt03

That's bizarre, maybe that's why they sold it lol. Next question, how do I remove the augers? I removed the shear pins (not shear pins, class 5 bolts....) and the 6 mounting bolts on either side of the auger. Looks like a couple roll pins holding the shaft to the centre of the impeller... pull one of those out and rotate it?


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## guyl

burnt03 said:


> It looks like the leading edge of the blades are leaning out.... I bought it off a guy down the road and he had a few things bolted on wrong so it's possible they're switched up? I've attached a photo.
> 
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> I'll have to double check whether it's rolling fwd and if it's stalling out or not. Shear pins are both fine.


No wait...that's how they're configured for use in Australia, where water in the drain spins the other way!

Hehe, seriously that's a really dumb mistake whoever put them on that way.


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## drmerdp

You need to separate the bucket from the rest of the machine. Typically 4 bolts and the two halves of the machine will fall apart.

From there the auger pulley will need to be removed. Then the impeller/auger shaft with gearbox and augers gets pulled out of the impeller bushing as an assembly.

Before you remove the assembly take a moment to check for play in the impeller bushing. It's brass and wears out. It can be real difficult to slide he shaft out of the bushing but since it's clearly been removed at least once before, it shouldn't be too bad.


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## burnt03

Got them flipped and working on putting it back together... came up w another question. What sort of oil goes into the gearbox between the two augers? How full should it be filled? Thanks. 

Also, anyone have a link to a manual? Proavqbly save a lot of questions!


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## drmerdp

It's grease not oil in mtd gear boxes. 00 grease I believe.


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## burnt03

Had it out today and ran it through some packed stuff on the road shoulder (prob 8" deep), HUGE difference. Thanks a ton!


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## Kiss4aFrog

It's just amazing how having them installed correctly can make such a difference !!

That grease you're looking for is "00" (zero, zero) weight. Tractor supply carries it as do most John Deere dealers. Depending on where you are (no location in your profile) you might need to buy it on line.

Super S Cotton Picker Spindle Grease 00 - For Life Out Here
https://www.google.com/search?q=00+grease&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
.
.


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## Faron79

I accidentally flipped mine the wrong way during re-assembly in Dec. 
Took it apart again just after New-Years (I think) to do it the right way! Arrrggh....how embarrassing!

Yes...it's amazing how much difference correct augers make!!
That, and a NEW carburetor. $125 for mine though (at retail). Uffda!

Faron


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## CalgaryPT

sscotsman said:


> Thats 100% the problem..the augers are backwards!
> The one on the right needs to switched to the left, and the one on the left needs to be switched to the right.
> then it will work correctly..
> 
> the way it is set-up now, the augers are spinning snow to the outside edges of the bucket, rather than toward the center of the bucket.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Scot


That's so interesting. I have never actually seen this happen. I didn't ever realize you could do this. Either I have always been anal about marking mine with tape just in case (on Hondas you there are no zerks so you need to remove the augers to grease them), or I have been lucky for years. I'm thinking back 25 yrs ago on a Sears Driftbreaker and I vaguely recall they either had markings or a mechanical way that prevented this.

Thanks for the great pics...I've heard about this happening, but never seen it. Wow. So "thar's yer problam!"


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