# Track propelled drive wheel cracked



## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

I obtained this two stage blower minus the engine from a "metal scrapping" friend for free. Having no prior experience with snow blowers but tired of pushing snow, I decided it worth investing a couple hundred $. 
After surveying a couple forums I decided the 212cc, 6.5hp Predator engine would power this unit. At $99.00 off the shelf, I figured i could overcome the fact it's 3/4" x 2.43" shaft was too short for the job. ( I had successfully adapted the shaft on a 5 hp Electric motor to drive my home made cyclone dust collector )
I used a 3/4" black pipe for the extension by placing it in my circa 1944 Pipe Master threader, and filed the OD down to 1 inch. 
The drive pulley for propulsion is 3", 3/4" bore with the duo 3" auger pullies being 1 inch bore. 
I cut a slot in pipe to accommodate the keyway and also drilled and tapped three holes 4 set screws to help secure to the original motor shaft. 

The ID of the pipe was slightly over sized. To compensate for this I took a 3/8 inch black pipe nipple and also filed it down to snugly fit inside a half inch black pipe, which I filed down to snugly fit inside the three quarter inch pipe I was using for the extension. The engine shaft was pre-drilled & tapped 5/16" FT24 so with a grade 8 bolt inserted through the 3/8 and half inch pipe, and using three-quarter inch 5/16 washers to align the bolt to center, I filled the void with J-B Weld... allowing an inch and a quarter threads protruding from one end.
This helped to keep the three quarter inch pipe shaft extension inline and secure . . . 
True to my being known for over- engineering everything, I added a pillow block bearing, 1/2" bore, to support the far end of the shaft extension. 

Two questions... 

Any thoughts on pulley size as I assumed the three inch to be close to original ( which didn't come with the blower )

And at wasn't till after having gotten the motor and shaft extension engineered and assembled on the blower that I noticed cracks and the drive wheels for the track propulsion system.

If not having taking the track off that seems like it's still fairly structurally sound. 
I thought as a preventative measure I would reinforce the drive Wheels with fiberglass or appropriate epoxy plastic glue with a fiberglass mesh tape for reinforcement.

Any ideas thoughts comments criticisms?
I'm a big boy I can take it... thanks


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## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Don


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

I can't believe this ... Most all small gas horizontal engines run clockwise when viewed from the flywheel side... ccw from shaft or PTO side ... is this not correct?

So why in the Sam Hill is this MTD set up for opposite rotation?

I never thought it would take a [email protected]$?¥RD engine ... 

What a waste of time...

I feel like the joke about the "Polak" who built a tank ....one forward and four reverse...


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

Thanks for your input jtclays... It's just not my day...


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

MLM, your snowblower most likely had a cam PTO engine (an engine with two PTO shafts). The crank PTO runs the impeller and augers (turns counter clockwise) and the cam PTO runs the drive unit (turns clock wise and at 1/2 the speed of the crank PTO). Search through the forum there are various threads about installing a single shaft engine onto a snowblower that originally had a 2 shafts engine. It can get complex but can be done.


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

MLM said:


> I can't believe this ... Most all small gas horizontal engines run clockwise when viewed from the flywheel side... ccw from shaft or PTO side ... is this not correct?
> 
> So why in the Sam Hill is this MTD set up for opposite rotation?
> 
> ...


that was really a drunk german VW bettle tech, 

before 1968 if we did a rebuild of the trans and installed the ring gear on the wrong side as if it was being used in a type 2 bus, the end result was 4 rev 1 forward gear, car. left clutch cable side . bus right side 
the old t 2 bus had a reduction gear setup on the axle ends. that reversed the rotation, so we had to install the ring gear on the opposite side of a bettle or a karmon ghia


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Check this threads

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/mtd-snowblowers/1171-[build]-repower-mdt-6-5hp-clone.html

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...y-predator-212cc-powered-1996-mtd-5-22-a.html

You can also browse through the MTD forum section for other possible threads on this subject.

Check this video and browse through youtube for more of them


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

please don't let it bother you, as a former tech, the best of us have all learned by the school of hard knocks . 
lesson you learned is do a full research first, brand, model, engine used , the engine used ,the codes at the end tell what it was beyond the hp spec, say a hmsk80-?????? those last numbers tell what it is beyond it being a tech. horizontal shaft, medium frame, snow king of 8 hp 'it tells how long the shaft is, dia of shaft,key way size, if it has a second pto ,rotation of the shaft or shafts
as to the cracked pulley,it is a mtd new are easy to find and purchase, better then trying to do a jury rig on plastic junk


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## unknown1 (Dec 13, 2015)

I've hit the twin-shaft versus single shaft issue. (forward gears versus reverse are switched)
This video shows a way to "flip" the transmission to get back to "normal"
If you are lucky it might work for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=85&v=3hAwFdPZlzo


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

First, sorry about the "polak" joke... It was inappropriate... Guess I was just venting.

Yes , I see now that it is only the propulsion that is reversed... 

I was at a disadvantage not having the original engine but it's true, I certainly failed in my due diligence to sufficiently research this ahead if time. No one to blame but myself.

At least it seems there is light at the end of the tunnel... 

Many thanks to all for your input... It seems I have a couple of videos to watch and some threads to study!

What a great forum !


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

Well, as you can see, my situation is slightly more complex than the examples afore to mentioned.

Being a track propelled model with steering capability i.e. independent? disengagement of left or right track... I may have need of flopping more than just the "transmission axel". 

I'll know more as get further into the disassembly. 

Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained !


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

Picture of drive / steering mechanism!


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

It looks to me like the easiest fix would be to relocate the shift linkage from being centered as it currently is... over to the right by about an inch and an eighth from center line... I still have an 1 3/8" travel left on my hexagon shaft from the original REVERSE position ... now the new FORWARD due , of course , to the CW rotation of the pressure plate...
Granted I will lose high speed - 4th & 5th "gear" - due to not being able to engage the outer most part of the plate, but it seems far less trouble than dealing with the alternative .

I prefer to think of it as prudent rather than lazy... lol

Any thoughts on this solution ?


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Can you post a pic that show the shifter arm on the rear of the blower, seems like it may be a matter of just flipping it like some videos show.....

There is another forum member that is also doing a dual shaft to single shaft engine conversion on a CubCadet, maybe he can give you some tips as he is well aware of what needs to be done....

http://www.snowblowerforum.com/foru...618-cub-cadet-826t-repower-customization.html


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

Your MTD and John_U CubCadet look almost identical, chances are the same procedures will be needed on the two snowblowers...


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## 10953 (Sep 4, 2017)

lets remember a cub is really just a mtd painted yellow.


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

WSHSfan, here are the pictures of shift linkage...


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

Well ... Here is what I had to do...
I positioned the transmission to what I determined would be 1st gear but the linkage came nowhere near lining up with the hole in the shaft at the rear of machine.... Untill I shorten the linkage adjustment all the way IN ADDITION TO relocating the rod to the upper hole in shifter arm..
I don't have the higher two gears as this , of course , had no ability to change the distance of travel towards the outer most part of the pressure plate . It is limited by lever arm hitting the bottom of the engine deck... BUT AT LEAST I HAVE 3 FORWARD AND ONE REVERSE!!!

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH !

First picture is first gear...
second picture shows the reworked linkage on the shifter arm 
third picture shows reverse which is pretty much the same speed as third gear now is.... 

But a far sight easier than my
relocating idea or the transmission flop. 

That Cub Cadet does look exactly the same as mine except his having two reverse ... And being lemon yellow! 

Now to reassemble ... Address a few other minor issues . 
Then break in the engine for 3 hours under no load conditions, change oil , add some Motor Kote hyper lubricant... And watch the weather forecast....

( Watch I just jinxed myself.... LOL )


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## YSHSfan (Jun 25, 2014)

MLM,
Did you flip the lever to change drive direction?










I wonder if you can remove the friction disc and flip it so that you are not limited on the forward gears but reverse as it was originally


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## MLM (Sep 12, 2017)

Yes by flipping the linkage I was then able to have three forward and one reverse. 
You can see in the attached Diagram the linkage arm hitting the bottom of the engine deck precludes it from traveling any further down the hexagonal shaft.

In my case, flipping the transmission would not help without also reorienting the "L" shaped linkage arm on it's shaft.

The only easy way to restore it to 5 forward and one reverse, is like I mentioned before... Move the linkage arm assemblage about an inch, off center, to the right.

I'm good with 3, low speed forward gears right now... 

Thanks again for all your help...


I filled the engine with oil and gas, and the predator came to life on the first pull.

I am going to let it run, under no load , at idle for a bout half hour at a time, till it gets 5 hours ... Then change the oil.

Hopefully this will give me a number if years of service ...


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