Snowblower not working???

[RyanM84 0]

Hey I just hooked up my snowblower tested it and everything turned good pto worked good. I took it out to the driveway and lowered the blower and kicked the pto on and it sucked the snow in and seemed to get clogged with snow and stopped the pto... Tractor is a 312-8 and the snowblower is from the the 70's I think a 36" its a single stage blower the only thing I can figure is the spring tensioner on the blower for the belt it is not tight enough... Snow was about 6-7"

[MaineDad 85]

Post some pics real quick and we will tell you what's wrong. Make sure you take a pic of the belt routing too.

[MaineDad 85]

My guess is that your belt is routed wrong or the PTO trunnion is not tight enough. Read this thread...

[Callen 64]

I would try engaging the PTO and get it up to operating rpm before you let it down in the snow.

[MalMac 1,328]

If your belt routing is right and pto adjusted correct, chances are you are trying to take too big a bite or speed is too fast, plus if it is a wet heavy snow the snowblowers just plain do not like it. If the latter is the case a very slow speed plus max RPM is a must. Sometimes only taking half a swath will help. Moving wet heavy snow is always a chore with a blower.

[Kelly 1,028]

Couple things, are you running the engine full throttle? it should be, is the belt on correctly? it can go on wrong very easy. wet heavy snow will not blow very good you must go very slow, what is not turning when it plugs?? is the clutch slipping? the belt? or does it kill the engine?

[RyanM84 0]

Ok belt routing was correct... When I run a belt driven implement like a tiller, mower, or snowblower I always run full throttle... Maybe Im not getting the blower up to full rpm... Snow is pretty sort of fluffy... When ever I put it into the snow everything locks up even the clutch maybe I am taking too big of bite when ever I lift it up everything frees up... Oh and my tractor is not the problem... Maybe you old timers need to give a class to us youngsters on how to run a snowblower lol...

[Kelly 1,028]

so you say even the clutch locks up? so it's killing the engine? or the PTO bell stops spinning and the clutch disk is slipping?

[RyanM84 0]

Not killing the engine. Pto bell stops spinning.

[Forest Road 594]

If your clutch bell stops.spinning once you hit snow your clutchwife is not tight enough. The trunion needs to be tightened a bit. Its at the end of your pto engagement shaft right next to the bell. Give it a few spins. Once you engage the pto you'll feel the difference upon engagement.

[Kelly 1,028]

That is a sign the clutch is slipping, if you have done it to much, you can burn the face of the clutch disk, and it will slip a lot faster than normal, and if slipped enough it will ruin the PTO bell, and it can over heat the PTO bell and cook the grease out of it, on to the clutch disk, in turn making it slip more, this Old timer would take the PTO apart and check things out, probably buy a new grease seal for the back of the PTO bell, they are cheap, last one I bought was under $5, new clutch disk are about $65, to start check the face of the PTO bell for hot spots, I've flat filed the face back true, but it is hard so it takes time, be sure to pack the center bearing with a rag if you try to clean the face up, then clean the old grease out, then after cleaning the bearing in the PTO and installing a new seal put a very small amount of grease on the bearing, just enough to lightly cover the rollers, set that aside and remove the clutch disk, if it has any material left on it, new the lining is about 1/8" think or just under, not counting the metal plate, I sand the disk face on a flat surface with 100 grit paper to remove the glazed face, and high spots, then drop down to a finer paper to finish it up, if it has gotten grease on it from a being hot or a bad seal, you can try brake cleaner to remove the grease, some have used a propane torch to try to burn the grease out, if you don't get it all out it will come back to the suface when it gets hot, reinstall all the parts and adjust the trunion on the rod to engauge the PTO so it snaps over when you push the lever.

[RyanM84 0]

Im going to tear apart the pto bell and check things over. When you say pto lever snaps over??? Your pto lever should have some tension on it when you engage it??? Mine seems pretty easy to engage. I have already replaced a clutch disk about 2 years ago. I was mowing high grass and it just shattered. That could have happened because of the clutch was slipping???

[Kelly 1,028]

Yes when you engage the PTO the lever should snap into place, not super hard, but take a little force when it gets past halfway you will feel the break over point, if you have been running it loose you may need to do a quick PTO tune up so you don't ruin the new disk, age and over heating can cause a disk to fall apart.