# Self Propel won't disengage



## Jessesimpson (Jan 6, 2021)

Hi there, hoping someone can help me out. My craftsman snowblower has started to self Propel without pressing the lever. I have checked the cable tension and it is not to tight and my friction plate seems to be sitting where it is supposed to be. But friction disc is tight to the plate. This seems to be a very simple design and I cannot figure out why the pkate is touching the wheel. Is it possible for the friction wheel to shift? I just can't figure it out. Thanks for your help.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Welcome to SBF Jessesimpson*







*


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## Jessesimpson (Jan 6, 2021)

Kiss4aFrog said:


> Welcome to SBF Jessesimpson*
> View attachment 173288
> *


Thank you! I belong to a few forums for different things and always find great people with lots of knowledge so hoping I can find some help here.


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## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

It looks like your friction disc/plate is too far away from the swing plate (red outline arrows). If your swing plate stop is in between the sheet metal cutout (solid white arrow LEFT), your friction disc may be spinning off the threads. If you look at the red outline arrows there is one big nut (think it's 15/16"??) on the auger side of the swing plate (inside the belt cover area) that the friction disc/plate/platter attaches to. See if that's tight, the pictures make it look as though it walked off the threads and is just binding against you rubber friction wheel.


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## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

On most of these, when you press down on the drive lever at the handle bar, that brings the drive plate into the friction disc, thus turning the axle. When you release the drive lever, there should be some sort of spring tension to draw that drive plate away from the friction disc. Every machine varies in this function, and many older units draw the friction disc into a stationary drive plate.

While it's in the service position, operate the drive system, to actually view what is going on, as something in that process is certainly not performing as intended. Something maybe broke, wore out, etc ....


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## Jessesimpson (Jan 6, 2021)

oneboltshort said:


> It looks like your friction disc/plate is too far away from the swing plate (red outline arrows). If your swing plate stop is in between the sheet metal cutout (solid white arrow LEFT), your friction disc may be spinning off the threads. If you look at the red outline arrows there is one big nut (think it's 15/16"??) on the auger side of the swing plate (inside the belt cover area) that the friction disc/plate/platter attaches to. See if that's tight, the pictures make it look as though it walked off the threads and is just binding against you rubber friction wheel.
> View attachment 173300
> 
> View attachment 173301


This is what I thought as well, I will check tonight. Thank you for the bolt size reference I will try that. Thanks for everyones input!


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## JayzAuto1 (Jul 25, 2016)

Looks like the Friction Disc Return Springs are missing or broken..... I can see 2 springs that go to the cable and the Plate Holder.... There should be 2 more "Return Springs on the Back side of that Plate Holder, That pull the friction plate away from the disc, once the handle is released. they should almost mirror the 2 that can be seen. But on the opposite side and pull the platter Away from the disc.

GLuck. Jay


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Can you post the model number of the machine ?


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## Jessesimpson (Jan 6, 2021)

So on closer inspection of the nut under the plate and it was tight, I decided to take the nut off and remove the wheel from the plate. Once it was off I noticed the bearing had come out about a 3/8 of an inch and was holding the wheel up just enough to engage the friction disc.pounded the bearing back in and is back running like a champ. Thanks for the idea to look at the bolt, if not for that I may be still scratching my head.

Again the power of forums saves the day. 

Thanks again everyone!


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## crazzywolfie (Jun 2, 2014)

does it feel tight? it definitely seems strange that it worked its way out. i know i was looking at it in the pictures thinking it didn't look right but i don't think i have ever heard of the disk starting to come off the bearing. it doesn't make sense since it almost always has pressure on it when in use.


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## Jessesimpson (Jan 6, 2021)

I agree it's a strange situation, I though maybe it had come loose at one point and may have gotten jammed by stripped threads which would have gave it the room for the bearing to move but after inspecting all the threads on thebolt and nut I couldn't see any damage. I ran it down the driveway and back and it seems perfect now. I bought the snowblower used and was told it didn't work, but they said it was engine related. Turn out to be nothing but old gas lol. It's possible it wasent assembled right to begin with but is strange that it didn't have this problem the first 3 times I used it.


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## schneetag (Jan 3, 2021)

Easy fixes are always nice. I like your highly detailed, in-focus pics.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

Jessesimpson said:


> It's possible it wasent assembled right to begin with but is strange that it didn't have this problem the first 3 times I used it.


Might have been working itself out for some time and finally hit a point where it popped out against the friction disc. ??


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