Just so you know your not alone....

[Docwheelhorse 2,561]

Hello All,

I had a beat up 42" snow thrower that was meant to go on the older (Pre '73) tractors laying around and I decided to convert it and get it running for a C series--I had to swap the bracket on the front to a C series style. I attached it to the tractor & dragged it out of the woods after I swapped the bracket and the first step was to put a new chute cable on. That turned into a disaster as the two cable clamps where missing. I pulled the chute off and cleaned /lubed everything up and put a good used (with clamps) chute back on. I then went to tackle the cable and decided to use the heavier 3/16" stuff, well this blower had the old rod only system which proved impossible to tightly wrap 3/16" cable on. Back out to my "junk yard" I pulled off a newer spool setup off a K.I.A blower that was missing a ton of stuff. On the new spool equipped handle went and I was able to wrap the 3 1/2 turns of cable onto it without an issue. There the chute spins around and back and forth like butter! I then go to mount the blower up and find that the pin that the lift rod goes on has been ground off from it hitting the pavement and somebody drilled a new hole.... I got the pin thru but every time I lifted the blower it sheared the pin off... I pulled the blower back off and ground a V notch into the lift rod and put it back on. It lifted perfect BUT ONLY LIFTED THE BLOWER 1/2" Off comes the blower again and onto the lift flag goes a 1" stack of fender washers. Back the blower goes and this time it lifts as it should. Next I try and get the pulley to move so I can properly allign it and put on a used belt to try the blower with (Thanks Sparky) The pulley doesn't move and I get to wedge the belt and fight till I get it to walk into the pulley. Okay... Now I have the belt on and I spin the blower up---everything looks good except the chain is slopping around. I move the adjustment sprocket all the way and it still is slopping around too much. I rotate the chain around and find the master link. I get it apart and take the chain off the blower. I walk over to the grinder and take off two links and re-assemble the chain on the blower. I CHECK THE ROTATION OF THE AUGER AND ITS CORRECT... but the chain is still sloppy... So off it comes and I take two more links out. I put it all back together and its nice and tight and the AUGER IS ROTATING CORRECTLY. I Roll it over by hand and the chain is hitting the housing at the top right above the drive sprocket Off to Sparkys I go and we find the chain is installed wrong but the Auger is still spinning the right way Sparky says---well you must have enough chain--just take it apart and put it together correctly. I do that AND THE CHAIN IS ONE LINK TOO SHORT Off to the junkyard I go and I pull another master link off of a junk blower. That link goes onto the blower and I am feeling that I am close to a succesful project. My father told me NEVER PUT TWO MASTER LINKS IN A CHAIN and yes those words rang in my ears loud and clear when I did it. Well I spun it up after I adjusted the chain and it worked perfect.... I drove to my backyard and started blowing snow..... The PTO started slipping so I put a couple of turns on the trunnion and tried again. It was blowing snow like a champ and I was about 100' into it when BANG and I saw the chain exit the front of the blower followed by the belt shredding. I picked up the chain and fully expected a broken/missing master link---nope BOTH of them where fine. The chain broke in another spot I dragged it backwards to my shed and there she sits. Another used chain out of the "junkyard" is sitting in a can of diesel fuel. I will fight it another day. The funny part is I still enjoyed myself turning wrenches and trying to make something out of a left for dead attachment. I think that this "mindset" is in alot of the members here and hopefully someone gets a laugh out of this story.

Tony :horseplay:

[MaineDad 85]

Nice work Tony. One other trick for the ground off pin for the lift rod is to use a turn buckle. My brother's Raider had the same problem. I drilled a hole in the lift tube just above where the pin and another hole in the snow thrower frame. The turn buckle worked slick.

It's fun to think of ways to make things work. Sounds like you had a lot of fun.

[sorekiwi 761]

Great story Tony.

That sounded like so many of my days, I laughed all the way thru it....

[TJ 171]

Great story.

[Docwheelhorse 2,561]

Thanks For the replies.... Micah I would love to see a pic of the turn buckle conversion.

Tony

[BPjunk 184]

Ahhhh But Tony,

Ain't having spare junk parts GREAT?????

Wild Bill in Richmond, Va.

[Sarge 3,462]

I own two welders ,

3 torches

2 grinders

drill press

3 bench grinders

bench sander

sand blaster

bead blaster cabinet

huge air compressor

And, enough tools to flatten the tires of the largest Snap On or Matco trucks built .

I don't give up on ANYTHING !!!

Sarge

[pfrederi 17,182]

it is reassuring to see what real people go through when they work on old stuff. I realize that I am not alone in finding that seemingly simple jobs can balloon all out of proportion. Fortunately my shop is way off the road so that neighbors and small children are not traumatized by my language

By the way, do you have anymore snowblower frames for tach-matics??? I am also looking to convert an older blower

[Teddy da Bear 11]

I "WAS" going to go out and work on my blower chute cable.

But after reading this.... I am way too stressed out and tired!

Thanks a pant load Doc!! :whistle:

[Docwheelhorse 2,561]

Yes Bill--having a pile of left for dead parts is a God Send!!!

Sorry Mike that I ruined you day......

Tony (Out Picking up the Garage and ignoring the snow thrower attachment.... ) :thumbs:

[Docwheelhorse 2,561]

02-07-2009 UPDATE!!!!!

Hello All,

today I drove the C141 with the broken snow thrower into the garage. I decided the first thing to do was to get the pulley off the shaft so I could put a good belt and pulley back on. Well..... I had to drill out the set screws and then my three jaw puller and my big red wrench gave all they had and managed to mangle the pulley to death. I then took a hammer and beat the pulley off of its hub... Then the die grinder came out and I cut the pulleys hub in two sections and knocked it off the shaft. I couldn't get any of the pulleys on my junkyard stash to move so I purchased a 5" pulley at the hardware store (all they had....). Stock size is 5 1/2 " but the 5 went on and the tensioner took up the extra slack without an issue. My good used chain came out of its diesel bath and I fed that on the correct way and put the master link in, set the adjusting sprocket to where the chain wasn't tight but had very little slack. The head gasket on the old 14 Kohler had popped awhile back and as todays final chore I swapped it out. I got the tractor running and went out to the backyard for the testing... it blows real nice and throws the snow about 15' (I know thats nowhere near a tall shoots range... but I was happy with it ) The driveshaft is tweaked a bit between the pillow block bearing behind the pulley and the drive sprocket I don't plan on changing that out... My friend that I got a 414 for is interested in a blower and I am going to give this one to him along with a good used driveshaft... he is a diesel engine/John Deere big boy tractor certified technician and he can argue with the shaft collars etc.....

All in All I won the "argument" and thats good enough for me :horseplay: .

Tony

[Sparky-(Admin) 19,664]

Well I'm glad to here its outa here. I could hear those bearings screaming all the way over here during your "test" with the doors and windows closed and the stereo cranked way up .

Mike...........

[WHC-125 4]

I think all of Connecticut heard it :whistle:

[Docwheelhorse 2,561]

The bearings aren't THAT loud..... Sparky wouldn't know the sound of a high performance machine turning 3600 if it bit him. I'm just getting even for the 36" deck that his son runs during the summer months when the windows are OPEN

Tony

[WHC-125 4]

Tony,

I had a C-85 that had a deck with the bearings were shot and the exhaust had a crack and if you lived next door to me when I had it you would have moved away

My neighbors were always and saying :wtf:

[Docwheelhorse 2,561]

Hey Chriis... next time someone complains about noise tell them the same thing the Harley Guys do.... "If its too loud, your too old!!!!"

Tony

[WHC-125 4]

Tony,

That is justwhat my Dad did before he sold his Harley.

He went to work at 5 am though :thumbs: