Snow Thrower Wear---Straightening process

[MPH]

Tore down the blower I Was planning on putting new bearings in, Think the shell is in worse shape then the one I'm using now, may have to cut the hitch off and weld it too the 3 belt blower I have, if its in any better shape. Orange painted area is my main point of concern. about a half inch gap under the straight edge here. One in use looks to have about the same. [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snoblower.wear.jpg[/img] About 3/4 inches here, none on the one in use now, but looking on the back side it looks like it was made with this 'cup' in it. My camera batteries died trying to photo that. [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snoblower.wear.1.jpg[/img] Thinkin I got my moneys worth outta this bearing [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snoblower.wear.2.jpg[/img] IF i was using that fancy measuring device you can see in the previous pic correctly my brother send me up, think its called a dial indicator, there is about a .015 groove wore in the shaft where the bearing race was cut in half. [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snoblower.wear.3.jpg[/img] Only other major damage I saw is the fact that the front cutting edge is bowed downward about 1 inch in the center. Since they are both close to the same makes me have to ask, is this suppose to be? Or have these two machines seen that much abuse in thier 40 years. With everything packed but the kitchen sink I got a little shop time on my blower. Here was the bow I started with. [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snowblower.edge.jpg[/img] here was my scam to straighten it [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snowblower.edge.1.jpg[/img] [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snowblower.edge.2.jpg[/img] plus a little welding that lucky for me doesn't show, here what I gainned. Did hit it with the 8 lb'er a few times when I had tension on it. [img]/club2/attach/MPH/snowblower.edge.3.jpg[/img]

[comet66]

The shell on my blower is worn pretty thin (a few holes actualy) right in the center just before the material (gravel) enters the chute. I haven't pulled it apart yet but it looks to me that there is enough clearance between the auger and the shell to weld a patch in it. I'm thinking with a little hammer work I can gain a little more room to put in a patch. Is there a minimum clearance needed between the auger and the shell? I never bothered to look when it was new.

[toad270]

a local machine shop should be able to repair the shaft by welding it up and turn it or replacing the shaft. now for the shell mabey a body shop or fabricater can repair that if it isn't suppose to be like that I don't know I don't have a snow blower YET.

[D-17_Dave]

If the shell still has some thickness to it and It's been working I don't think I'd much mess with it. It may have the dip in it to start the flow that way or it may just be worn allowing the blower not to be as efficient. If it worked before it shouldn't be a big deal. As for the shaft, if the bearings don't use a concentric lock on them the groove won't hurt anything. If in dought, put a little locktight on it when you reasemble. I'd be more concerned about the 1" deformity in the cutting edge. I thought mine was straight all the way across. I just haven't been down to the shed to look at anthing yet this morning. BTW that's a dial caliper for mesuring shafts and whatever ese it will go around. A dial indicator uses a magnet mount with a floating finger out of the instrment head. Placed beside a shaft it measures out of roundness on a rotateing shaft, or anything else you put it next to. lol Even the cheap indicators come in awfully handy a lot of times. I found I could get along without one till I got one. Now I use em' all the time.

[MPH]

' I found I could get along without one till I got one" My brothers is a injection moldmaker, self employed for years Dave, said he bought this one for the shop but for some reason wasn't what he liked so he never used it and I just couldn't keep measuring everything with a 30 foot stanley. As the bearing has a wide enough inner flange to more then cover the grove I'm not concerned about it, just took the pic to show the wear. Haven't decided how to pull the V outta the cutting edge yet, it's a pain being there because it cuts in pretty bad or ride on it instead of the skids.

[UCD]

Marty I have had some blowers that looked 10 times worse than those. Kirk has one of them now and that was a good looking one. A new cutting edge should cure the problem. Or you couold do loke I did and clamp a piece of plate steel to and and drill the holes bolt it and then install cutting edge.

[MPH]

If I get time after I get tools and winter gear and regular cloths and stuff packed up to go back too work I'll have to some thinkin' on what to do with it. Leaving for work in Jan is a flat rude interruption of life.

[msiebern]

quote:

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Originally posted by MPH
If I get time after I get tools and winter gear and regular cloths and stuff packed up to go back too work I'll have to some thinkin' on what to do with it. Leaving for work in Jan is a flat rude interruption of life.

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Will you have internet access where you are working? Sure look forward to your posts and AK pics.

[MPH]

Don't know for sure Mike, heard there may be wireless in the rooms for 50 bucks a month, my son tells me this new lap top would need a board or chip or something added. he didn't figure I had any need for it here so didn't add it in.

[D-17_Dave]

It'd be nice if you had some need for your tractors during work so you could have an excuss to take one with you.lol I don't get to very often, but it's nice to play and get paid for it. Besides what else besides ride tractors can you do at -20 degrees?

[MPH]

'what else besides ride tractors can you do at -20 degrees?' On these jobs Dave, anything you do at 80 above, except sweat. If there's concrete to pour, ya build a plastic tent and add heat, plastic tents are just all fun in the wind that blows in Delta. Sounds like maybe about half the work here will be inside stuff.

[D-17_Dave]

Sounds like me when I worked site construction. Spent half our time in the winter fighting mud and wet and cold before we could do any gradeing. Good luck and stay warm.

[MPH]

As a standard tool bucket like this [img]/club2/attach/MPH/toolbucket.std.jpg[/img] fills up with snow and rain in foul weather, which I'm expecting to be working in, I cut up an old bucket buddie I had, pop rivets it to the sides of the bucket and now I can put the lid on. Lost a lot of storeage space but thats ok as I TRY to keep the bucket down to tools I commonly use maybe every day or such but ain't gonna pack 'em in my bags anymore. [img]/club2/attach/MPH/toolbucket.foulWea.jpg[/img] Granted, the time been better spent working on my snowblower, but thats life.