B10 snowblower belt tensioning

[tripleguy 74]

My friend picked up a B10 with snowblower recently and hasn't had the time to register here or look into working on his tractor so I thought I'd see if anyone might point me in the right direction for him. He just moved into a house that has a long driveway and the B10 he just purchased was slipping the blower belt badly. I am not sure of the adjustment and haven't really looked at it yet. I do know it has the crank pulley off the front of the tractor and the small belt engages on that and routes down into the blower mount. Can anyone point me to instructions for tensioning that belt? He slipped it badly and wore it out. Luckily, he has a spare. I'd like to help him adjust it before the next snowfall. Any documentation or instructions of your own would be very helpful and appreciated.

[tripleguy 74]

Found a manual for a Simp model 345 blower which looks to be the same. Any tips from other AC B series owners outside of what the brief adjustment section covers? Thx.

[rokon2813 272]

Other than the single tension adjustment on the engage pulley, I don't think there is anything else.

I would make sure the belt is correct, length and width, the blower and 2 pulleys on the hitch spin easily and make sure all the pulleys are the correct size, including width, and not worn badly.

Pulley's do wear, making the "V" too wide, allowing the belt to ride too deep, so it is trying to grip on the back side, bottom of the belt rather than the sides.

Edited December 20, 2016 by rokon2813

[Kent 435]

The bent wire "finger-type" belt stops are ABSOLUTELY critical to adjusting a single-belt blower on an FDT.  They must hold the belt as close as possible to the crankshaft pulley without rubbing the backside of the belt when the blower is engaged and the belt tight.  Then, when you disengage the blower, they hold the belt in "shape" so that the pulley can spin inside that loop without moving the belt.  The only adjustment for the belt tension itself is the vertical rod with a spring on it. But, you'll never get it adjusted correctly if the belt stops are not correctly adjusted first...

[theniteowl 29]

I have several of these snow blowers and here is what I have found.

1.  Make certain the pulley on the front of the tractor is the correct size but also the correct distance onto the shaft.  The vertical alignment to the pulleys below is critical.

2. The belt stops beside the drive pulley are critical as mentioned above. . 

3.  Adjust the belt stops on both snow blower pulleys.

4.  The belt guard over the large pulley that drives the auger should be aligned and tightened so as not to cause fiction with the belt or allow the belt to jump off.

5.  Make sure the auger pulley has been properly lubed and the assembly turns freely.

6.  There should be a spring connected from the mount to the right side pulley.  If this spring is missing or too weak the belt will jump off frequently.

7.  Adjust the tensioner as instructed in the manual.

8.  Heavy wet snow or slush may clog the chute and cause the belt to slip.  Make sure the auger and chute have a clean smooth surface for the snow to flow across, that the deflector is not angled too far down (especially for the heavy wet stuff).  Prep the surface to make it slippery with your choice of products but commonly used are silicone spray or wax.

9.  Once the belt starts burning from excessive slipping it will not have much life left as the problem will get worse quickly.  Always have a spare belt.

These snow blowers work well when they are setup properly but that takes a little practice to get the feel for it.  Take note that you need to adjust your usage of the blower based on the conditions.  Light fluffy snow moves very easily and you can move at a faster pace but if the snow is wet/heavy/packed/deep it will be more difficult to move and the speed of the tractor should be adjusted to lessen the load.  .When needed you can raise the snow blower and take the top off deep snow if needed and take passes only half as wide to keep the snow blower from bogging down too much.  If you keep the tractor inside you should bring it out long enough to acclimate to the outside temperature or the snow may begin melting on the warmer metal of the blower and start sticking.

The most important thing is to get the snow blower ready ahead of the season so you are all set to hook up and go when you get home from Thailand only to find yourself at the start of a nice big snow storm you were not prepared for an have no garage so have to work outside in extremely cold weather trying to get the snow blower prepared.  But that may be just me.

 

[tripleguy 74]

Thank you, all - this will help!!  Checked out the problem today and yes, the crank pulley on the front of the tractor needs to be set back a bit so the finger guides can be set up correctly. It is flush with the shaft now. There are 2 pulleys on there - one is a V-belt pulley and the other a flat idler on the right side. It looks like the idler was changed out but not sure if it's the right size. Can anyone tell me the proper height and width of that part. Manual shows #106716 which is now cross referenced to 1685150SM but it doesn't tell me ow big the pulley is. I suspect it might be too small or the belt too big. Belt shows #10676 which is 1/2" x 56". Might try one slightly smaller and adjust out? Any thoughts?

--Bill

[lobsta1 5]

I found in the beginning that the belts I was getting from Napa were getting chewed up quickly. They were an L type belt. These blowers call for an HA type belt.  Bought some 54" HA Kevlar belts from http://www.vbelts4less.com/ . They work great & last a long time.

Al

[tripleguy 74]

We have a 1/2" x 56 Simplicity belt on there now and it runs good. Problem is, when you disengage the blower, the belt jumps off the idler pulley on the right side. I believe there are supposed to be belt keepers on those 2 pulleys and his blower does not have those. Looks like we need to fabricate something. The idler pulley looks wide to me as well. Don't know if it is the correct part.

[jlasater 285]

Does the idler pulley have flanges on each side that will keep the belt on? If not, the belt can easily wander off. I'm not familiar with his tractor, but thought I'd add that.

[PhanDad 3,616]

Both pulleys have belt guards.  Some pics:

(The clutch arm was cut off to fit a RBT)

[tripleguy 74]

Thanks for the pics - helps. Do you know the diameter and thickness of the idler pulley? Looks like his might be too wide. Belt guards are in order for sure.

[B10Dave 1,786]

Bill; here is my contribution to this topic. My blower is mounted on a BigTen. All three pulleys are 4in. diameter. I  hope my pics are clear enough to show the belt stops and the angle of the arm the flat idler pulley is mounted on. This setup must  be close to perfect as the belt is now in it's fourth season of blowing...Dave

 

[tripleguy 74]

Those pics are very helpful Dave. If you had to hazard a guess, how wide is that idler pulley? Looks just a tad wider than the belt. 5/8" or so on the flat?? 

[B10Dave 1,786]

Yes; I would say about 5/8in. wide. Forgot to measure it when I took pics. Just barely wider than the belt, which is why alignment is so critical to prevent side wear to the belt. Good luck helping your friend to get everything proper on his setup. They are a real snow moving machine when right.

[tripleguy 74]

So we just about get it all figured out and POW, blow a head gasket! Anyone know the part number for a 10HP Briggs head gasket for a mid-60s Big Ten off hand?

From the looks of it, it was ready to go at any time. Just looking to get it running before the next snow hits.

[Kent 435]

Don't know the part number.  But the model number of your engine is a 243431 -- that should be enough for most parts places to work with.

[dince 276]

1 hour ago, Kent said:

Don't know the part number.  But the model number of your engine is a 243431 -- that should be enough for most parts places to work with.

Kent, is this the same as 23D-FB, that I have on my Simplicity 700?  I realise that this is not the original engine, but a PO upgrade.  Why I ask is because I see parts advertised for a 243431 and wonder if they will suit my engine?

Edited January 2, 2017 by dince

[Kent 435]

5 minutes ago, dince said:

Kent, is this the same as 23D-FB, that I have on my Simplicity 700?  

No, the 243431 is a 10hp (versus your 9hp), and a slightly newer, refined design. 

[dince 276]

14 minutes ago, Kent said:

No, the 243431 is a 10hp (versus your 9hp), and a slightly newer, refined design. 

Thank you, Kent.

[tripleguy 74]

Thanks. Yes, it appears that's the one (part #692230 for the head gasket). And of course, one of the head bolts wasn't cooperating and no amount of back and forth seemed to help so it sheered off. I think there is enough there to get a nut on and tack it in place with a welder. The heat should help it to come out.