# Troy Bilt Auger Gearbox Stripped: Edit (No It's Not)



## luteplayers (Feb 11, 2017)

Drats, I already have plans to buy an Ariens for the house next fall. I was planning on leaving my TB 3090XP at rental property I own for the occasional cleanup after the plow guy. I used the TB with no problems on the 20" we got during Stella. 

I fired it up last night to clear the few inches we got, and it wouldn't throw anything. Parked it and grabbed a shovel. Took a look this morning and the impeller is spinning freely with the auger remaining stationary. 

I had replaced the augers (long story involving a wire reinforced collapsible leaf bag) before the 15/16 season and split the gearbox and cleaned and greased it. The gears were in good shape then. I bought it new in the fall of 2009, and Im thinking it may not be worth fixing with a new Ariens inbound. I'm thinking I may be able to able to part it out for some funds towards the new blower.

It has a 483 SU 357cc engine, and trigger steering, and joystick (not working all that great) chute control. I wonder if it would be better to replace the $20 gear and sell it complete or just part it out?


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

luteplayers said:


> ". . . I wonder if it would be better to replace the $20 gear and sell it complete or just part it out? . . ."


What is your time worth ?

Stripping off parts and selling them individually isn't simple . . . . but *the sum of the parts is greater than the whole !*

I'd replace the gear, seeing as you know what the problem is . . . . and you have a use for the machine !


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

If the gear is only $20 I'd replace it and it will give you more options parting it out or selling it whole and running. Parting out you may get more money but you are dealing with more than one buyer and you have to find more than one buyer.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

Poster erased the post. Wrong post.


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

luteplayers said:


> Drats, I already have plans to buy an Ariens for the house next fall. I was planning on leaving my TB 3090XP at rental property I own for the occasional cleanup after the plow guy. I used the TB with no problems on the 20" we got during Stella.
> 
> I fired it up last night to clear the few inches we got, and it wouldn't throw anything. Parked it and grabbed a shovel. Took a look this morning and the impeller is spinning freely with the auger remaining stationary.
> 
> ...


Is it possible you forgot to put the shear bolts back in the augers? That would allow them to spin freely as well. If you have not used it since you did the auger replacements might be worth a look. If you have used it since, maybe the gear is stripped, surprising however if it was good and newly cleaned up and re lubricated. What did you use for lubrication in the gear box?


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

Id fix it. Especially since you've taken the auger assembly apart before.

Its much easier and faster the second time through. Hopefully its only the brass ring gear.

A rebuild kit with a new worm shaft, ring gear, and bushings is $100.


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## luteplayers (Feb 11, 2017)

My time isn't worth much. It is supposed to be around 40° tomorrow, so I will probably take it apart to verify if it is just the brass gear. As noted I do have a use for the machine, so will probably fix it and leave it at the rental. While I have the auger out would be a good time to do an impeller mod as well as getting some paint on the inside of the housing.

This model has six individual auger blades, each with their own shear pin. The augers have two full seasons on them now. I used the MTD Avalina EP 00 grease. 

My main issue with this model is the joy stick chute control. The push button no longer reliably locks the chute in place, there is a lot of play before it starts moving the chute, the little plastic piece that the hex rod fits into on the dash is cracked, and the hex rod pops out all the time. A new handle is only $15 but the whole assembly is $125. I will see if I can fix it with a hose clamp on the cracked piece and some bailing wire.

I guess what I needed was a nudge in the repair it direction. I wish I had found a forum like this when I was first in the market for a blower. I hate how we have become a throw away society. Reminds me of my time in Japan. They would buy something new and put the old one on the side of the road in the gomi pile. I think their culture views it as keeping workers employed. They also charge more road tax on old cars to encourage people to buy new ones, for the same reason I think.

Thanks for the nudge.

Jlawrence, I think your second post was on the wrong thread.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

Selling as parts may be more difficult than a complete machine, because the demand for the parts may not be there, and you will probably be left with a carcass after you sell a few things.


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## luteplayers (Feb 11, 2017)

Hmmm, back to the drawing board. The auger gearbox is actually working as designed. I was spinning the impeller and it didn't seem like the auger was turning, but I think I wasn't spinning it enough with the combination of the 10/1 reduction and my bad eyesight. 

Split the blower and brought the bucket inside, and tried again this time spinning the auger and the impeller was indeed turning. Figured while I had it inside I will refurbish the bucket before next season. I took the auger blades off and noticed the two most inboard sheer pins were bent. I don't remember hitting anything, but decided to pull apart the gearbox to see if it might be damaged and slipping under load. Everything looks fine, however the impeller is rusted to its shaft. The shaft is also thinning just before where it enters the gearbox.

http://www.pcsoluts.com/Snow/Impeller.JPG


I don't have a wheel puller or a press to get the impeller off the shaft. I currently have some PB Blaster working on it. I think it will be easier to do the impeller mod with it off the shaft. I'm wondering if the thinning of the shaft is enough that I should replace it even though the worm gear on it is fine.

I also wonder what the original issue was. I'm thinking the belt may have been slipping. It does seem to be loose, although it looks good.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

Well, it's good that the auger gearbox is OK, at least! Is the shaft thinning at an area that's important? I doubt the shaft will break or anything, it's maybe more a question of whether it's going to let the shaft flop around too much, and gradually cause some damage. 

I wouldn't try to get the impeller off the shaft unless you *really* need to. I did my impeller mod with the whole impeller & auger assembly removed from the machine, which definitely made things easier. But some people do the mods with the impeller in-place, and a long drill bit. 

I think it should be doable with the impeller still on the shaft. Taking the impeller off the shaft can be a real bear, apparently, sometimes requiring both a hydraulic press *and* heat. I had to use a gear puller just to get the impeller hub off the shaft on my machine, and it has much less length in contact with the auger shaft. And as it was, the gear puller was working hard, I was afraid I was going to break something, even after soaking it with penetrating oil.


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## luteplayers (Feb 11, 2017)

It's not too clear but I tried showing the thinning area in the picture. I don't think it will break there or cause any flopping. The blower is going to see much less use at the rental than it saw here for 8 years. I won't replace the shaft which means I can forget about trying to get the impeller off. Just ordered a Kevlar belt set, figured I might as well replace the drive belt while I'm working on it. I need to get the impeller mod stuff ordered.


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

I like installing impeller seals with everything in place so I can accurately gauge where they get bolted to achieve zero clearance. 

Better to have the paddles be a little long and wear into place then leave an unnecessary gap.


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## Vermont007 (Mar 29, 2015)

What am I seeing . . . . a fresh coat of red paint on those Auger Blades ?

I guess if I have to come back in my next life as a snowblower, I'd choose to be one of yours !

Will anyone at the rental property be allowed to touch this machine ?


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

drmerdp said:


> I like installing impeller seals with everything in place so I can accurately gauge where they get bolted to achieve zero clearance.
> 
> Better to have the paddles be a little long and wear into place then leave an unnecessary gap.


I drilled the impeller holes with the impeller & auger removed. Then reinstalled, measured & cut the rubber belt material. I slotted the holes in the rubber, so I could dial in the fit while installing them. I gave them a little interference at the tightest location, so they'd wear-in to zero clearance as I started running it.


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## luteplayers (Feb 11, 2017)

Haha, that is the original paint on the augers, but they were new at the start of the 15/16 season. The three on the other side are black. Didn't plan it that way, it's how I got them from partstree. I hadn't discovered Jack's yet. I will be wire brushing the inside of the bucket and painting it. I also need to replace the scraper. My drive is paved except the last 10' where it meets the dirt road I live on. I have some pebbles wedged between the edge of the bucket and the scraper.

I will have the housing nearby for temporarily sliding the impeller in place to measure. I plan on leaving them a but long and letting them wear in too.

I will have to assess the new tenants before I decide if they can use it. I do have the place plowed, it only will be used for walkways and the path for the oil guy. 

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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