The bushings slide into the shaft holes on the blade assembly and over the drive shaft. They form a tight seal between the blade and the drive shaft, and help reduce vibration during operation. Over time and with extended use the bushings will wear down. When this happens there will no longer be a tight seal between the blade and drive shaft. If left too long, the play can become excessive, causing severe vibrations. To check for play, simply shake the blades back and forth, if you find that there is play you will need to replace the bushings. To access and replace the bushings in your snow blower you’ll need to remove the auger. This process will vary depending on model, but should be similar to what is laid out below.
To start this repair, you will need to remove the belt cover and roll the auger belt off...
The bushings slide into the shaft holes on the blade assembly and over the drive shaft. They form a tight seal between the blade and the drive shaft, and help reduce vibration during operation. Over time and with extended use the bushings will wear down. When this happens there will no longer be a tight seal between the blade and drive shaft. If left too long, the play can become excessive, causing severe vibrations. To check for play, simply shake the blades back and forth, if you find that there is play you will need to replace the bushings. To access and replace the bushings in your snow blower you’ll need to remove the auger. This process will vary depending on model, but should be similar to what is laid out below.
To start this repair, you will need to remove the belt cover and roll the auger belt off the drive pulley, and disengage the tensioner on the drive wheel belt. Remove the bolts securing the front roller bracket and set aside. Disconnect the auger drive spring from the idler pulley bracket. The bolts securing the auger housing to the snow blower will need to be removed. After you have removed those bolts you should be able to separate the auger house and assembly from the snow blower. You can safely rest the back part on the handles. You’ll then need to secure the impeller with a piece of wood, this will help prevent movement as you loosen the bolts on the auger drive pulley. Make sure you remove the washer and pulley with the hub. Remove the bolts that secure the bearing holders on the auger shaft. You will now be able to pull the auger assembly out and remove the bearing holders with the bearings, washers and spacers. You will also need to remove the shear pins. Slide off the auger blade and remove the bushings from the auger blade and install new bushings.
Once the new bushings have been installed, you need to put your snow blower back together. Start by sliding the blade back onto the auger shaft and re-install the shear pins, and then re-install spacers, washers and bearings with the bearing holders. Re-install the impeller back onto the rear gear box shaft. Next, re-insert the auger assembly back into the housing by aligning the rear gear box shaft into the rear bearing and make sure you’ve re-installed the bearing holders. You will then want to reinstall the pulley hub and the drive pulley with the washer and bolt. Again, secure the impeller with a piece of wood to prevent movement as you tighten down the bolts. Reattach the two halves of the snow bower back together, tighten the bolts, and ensure the connection is secure. At this stage, you can now reattach the chute onto the chute adapter, and reattach the auger drive cable spring to the idler pulley bracket. Next, reattach the front roller bracket to the frame. Feed the belts back onto the engine drive pulleys and underneath the belt tensioner and reapply tension on the drive wheel pulley and reinstall the belt cover. We recommend that you grease any grease fittings before using.
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