rexman72 210 #1 Posted December 17, 2013 I had to replace the bearing in the gear box of the blower this summer.I used the blower this last snow storm and the blower sounds so louder then normal.My question is has anyone else had this issue.Could the old chain I put back on cause it to be loud?the impeller and auger seem to be turning freey.Also could thebearing be bad down at the shaft impeller?any suggestions would be great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wallfish 15,963 #2 Posted December 17, 2013 Check the bearings on each end of the auger. They are just bronze bushings so they wear quicker than a real bearing would. Just grab hold of the end of the auger and pull up since they wear on the bottom, should be no or very minimal movement. Just had to replace mine, $18 each from PartsTree.com. Made a big difference in mine. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick_in_CT 156 #3 Posted December 17, 2013 Rexman, I have a 44" two stage as well, and have changed that bearing before, what fun. Blowers are loud to begin with, especially when they are not moving any snow. If you listen carefully to the noise, can you start to get a feel for how fast the parts are moving that are making the noise? The augers and the fan shaft don't really rotate all that fast, so I would think that a noise from them would have a fairly slow frequency. Have you greased the zerk fittings on the fan shaft bearing and the upper jack shaft? The chain drive and it's associated sprockets are moving much faster, and will produce more of a roar when something is failing or too tight. I know from experience that you can vary the pitch of the blowers noise by changing the tension of the chain. If it is too tight, it will let you know, i.e. very loud roar. The manual calls for 1/8" to 1/2" of deflection in the chain, as measured in the long run from the lower sprocket to the top sprocket. I would guess that I have about 3/8" deflection in mine. A bad bearing in one of the idler sprockets could make some noise too. The belt drive is normally pretty quiet. Of course you do have four pulleys with bearings in the carriage, they should all spin freely. If you are working around the blower, make sure that you do not have any loose clothing, drawstrings, etc. hanging down near moving parts. Bad stuff happens fast! Be safe. Let us know how you make out/what you find. Rick 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #4 Posted December 17, 2013 Hi John I checked the auger and they seem to be fine which i can check that off my list.thanks for the suggestion. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #5 Posted December 17, 2013 rick you are so right.theres so many moving parts to a two stage it boggles my mind.I have greased everything to date.What i did do is when i changed the bearings,the chain was strecthed out so i took too links off the chain and that chain is so tight.I am wondering if i should bite the bullet and start with a new chain and see if that quites it down. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick_in_CT 156 #6 Posted December 17, 2013 Rexman, It the chain is too tight, it is going to scream. This will also put undue stress on all of the components, i.e. idler sprockets, chain, jack shaft bearings. On my two stage you adjust the chain tension using the idler pulley in the bottom right, does yours have this adjustment? If you cannot get it loose enough now after removing the links, replace the chain. I went to the hardware store and purchased a small box of #40 chain and a couple of master links. The box contained enough chain to make up two. One is now is a ziplock bag with a couple of master links, ready to go if needed. My final chain adjustment was somewhat done by ear. I could tell if it was too tight by the sound being louder than normal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #7 Posted December 17, 2013 Rick i do have an idler pulley at the bottom right,I think i will go get a chain at the hardware store and put it on and adjust it.It does scream and it is really tight.So you think i may have to adjust it several times before i get it the way i want it> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cheesegrader 433 #8 Posted December 17, 2013 Don't change the number of links. A new chain with the original number of links will be tighter. Make final tension adjustments using the tensioning block or by adjusting the idler pulley. The old chain, streched out as it was, was not jumping off. A new one, even put on loose, won't jump off either. I think the manual calls for 1/2" of slack on the longest run of chain. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick_in_CT 156 #9 Posted December 17, 2013 I have attached the chain adjustment page from my manual. This is for a 44" blower off of the 5xi, not sure if yours is exactly the same. Rick Blower Chain Adjustment.pdf Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,529 #10 Posted December 18, 2013 Here is a 2000 manual Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bitten 133 #11 Posted December 18, 2013 If your chain was stretched that you could take out 2 links then it is time for a new chain. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #12 Posted December 18, 2013 lol bitten and cheesegrader you couldnt be more right.I am going to the hardware store which rick suggested and buy myself a chain rick thats pretty much the same thing as my blower so ty for the manual. gwest i am down loading that right now and ty very much. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 10,529 #13 Posted December 19, 2013 If that manual does not work for you I found 4 more. Have a model number and serial number on it? Garry 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #14 Posted December 19, 2013 garry it was actual right on.thanks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #15 Posted December 19, 2013 picked up a chain at a local green dealership for 10 bucks. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RMCIII 838 #16 Posted December 19, 2013 My 2 cents. If the chain tensor is going bad, it may not be evident by actually feel yet, but that thing will make a ridicilously load noise. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #17 Posted December 19, 2013 what happened was when I actually pulled the chain and could look at it close I saw I had a broken link which was making the auger skip causing a load noise over and over.I kept thinking I might not of put everything back the same as the bearings were such a pain in the butt to change. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rick_in_CT 156 #18 Posted December 20, 2013 Rexman, Going from memory here (this could be dangerous), but I seem to remember that when I reassembled my blower (I took it 100% apart and refinished everything) I used a long straight edge going from pulley to pulley to try to make sure that they were all in alignment with each other. I wanted to make sure that the pulleys that could be adjusted in or out on a shaft were in good alignment with the non-adjustable pulleys, such as the two idlers. Just thought I would pass this on as a way to attempt to minimize wear on the chain and sprockets. Rick Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rexman72 210 #19 Posted December 20, 2013 rick thats great advice and i did line everything up. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
