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snow throwing - not what I expected


AC710

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Today we got a few inches of powder. Almost done plowing when "KLUNK" and the blower stopped blowing. Quick check and  - "Oh, it just threw the belt."

I got it in the shop and saw it came off the blower end! Not good.

I bought a new key and some loc-tite and put the pulley back on. No harm done. Confirms you need a shop available to keep these old girls running.

 

 

snowblower wheel.jpg

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You guys are making me think I have to check both of mine. Have not had that happen yet. I typically take the blowers off in the off season but last year I did not. I did inspect them but may not have checked that.

Thanks for sharing. Hope belt was ok. Pricey for a V belt

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4 hours ago, PhanDad said:

Belt and suspenders.  I tried the loc-tite route; didn't work for me.  

 

Good plan, however there is no shaft sticking out on this model to put the collar on. There is no real way to keep the pulley from sliding off other than the friction of the set screw. Might help to drill and tap the pulley for a second set screw on the shaft. Nowadays they would probably groove the shaft and put on a circlip or C-ring, but there isn't even enough shaft to do that.

Any other ideas?

1 hour ago, rockfangd said:

Hope belt was ok. Pricey for a V belt

No damage to the belt or anything else. I think the pulley just came loose and fell off.

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Make sure the pulley is in the proper positon, then drill thru the set screw hole into the shaft about 1/8 inch deep.  Put a dog point set screw in and tighten it with loc-tite, then another set screw over the top of the first one. 

I will need to check mine, I have never had it come loose either so I guess I am due for that problem.

 

Steve

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Interesting belt guard. I have never seen one like that. All of my blowers have/had the rod that pokes thru the top of the tunnel over the top of the pulley.

I have replaced the short set screws with a longer one, long enough to put either a jam nut or hex nut on the set screw.

Edited by Bill725
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3 hours ago, steve-wis said:

Make sure the pulley is in the proper positon, then drill thru the set screw hole into the shaft about 1/8 inch deep.  Put a dog point set screw in and tighten it with loc-tite, then another set screw over the top of the first one. 

This pulley has a woodruff key that the set screw tightens against, which is one reason it can slide off the shaft.. Your solution would drill a hole in the key. It would work better if another set screw hole were drilled and tapped.

I am also thinking it might be easiest to drill all the way through pulley hub and shaft and install a roll pin.

3 hours ago, Ronald Hribar said:

Can the pulley be installed with hub in opposite direction?

Probably so, but I can't see how that would make a difference - no change in shaft fitment.

2 hours ago, Bill725 said:

Interesting belt guard. I have never seen one like that. All of my blowers have/had the rod that pokes thru the top of the tunnel over the top of the pulley.

I have replaced the short set screws with a longer one, long enough to put either a jam nut or hex nut on the set screw.

There is a screw through the tunnel that positions the guard - the belt can't come off with this one. . . unless the pulley comes off - LOL

The longer set screw and lock nut might help, but with this design - screw tension against the key - there is no mechanical lock to keep the pulley from sliding off other than the friction of the set screw on the key in the pulley groove. Steve-wis' solution or the roll pin would fix this problem.

Also, there is no seal on the end of the tube that holds bearings and shaft, so greasing the driveshaft pushes lube into the pulley hub. the shaft was nice and slippery.

Just had an AHA-MOMENT - :D The easy solution is to cut a groove across the flat side of the key the width of the set screw.  that way the half-round side of the key locks the shaft, and the groove with set screw locks the pulley - even if it is not extremely tight.

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9 hours ago, Ronald Hribar said:

Can the pulley be installed with hub in opposite direction?

 

5 hours ago, AC710 said:

Probably so, but I can't see how that would make a difference - no change in shaft fitment.

No it can't. 

For the FDT and two pulley hitch RBT blowers, the drive hub is toward the left (drive chain side).  With the newest single pulley hitch (7100 series), the hub is toward the right (away from the chain side).  It the hub isn't positioned correctly, the belt won't align properly - especially with the single pulley hitch.  

 

8 hours ago, Bill725 said:

Interesting belt guard. I have never seen one like that. All of my blowers have/had the rod that pokes thru the top of the tunnel over the top of the pulley.

Those type of belt guards appeared with the last FDT blower(s?) such as MFG #990564.  

This is an IPL for MFG #990745, one of the first RBT blowers for use with the two pulley hitch:  

image.png.7f67d7671c1b1a1b2e4faddc8ee045f0.png

 

16 hours ago, AC710 said:

Good plan, however there is no shaft sticking out on this model to put the collar on.

Not much extra shaft on mine either, maybe slightly more than half the width of the shaft collar.  And to get that much, I had to remove the chain guard and make sure the driven shaft was as far right as possible when I installed the pulley.  

IMG_6568.thumb.jpg.c2e3503ccc0b637b0b287b9d68b5a4aa.jpg

 

 

Edited by PhanDad
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1 hour ago, PhanDad said:

Not much extra shaft on mine either, maybe slightly more than half the width of the shaft collar.

I clamped the sprocket end tight against the drive tube to re-install the pulley. No clearance whatsoever - it barely clears the pulley, so the collar solution is out. I believe I will try the slotted key approach even though it weakens the key.

Boy is that ever a shiny blower tunnel! Squeaky clean. C|:

Edited by AC710
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I tried nearly every solution in this thread with no success in the end. I even swapped out the pulley for one with a taper lock bushing and even that wouldn't stay on. I eventually gave up on the blower and bought a 720 with front and rear blade. lol

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Never had a problem with the pulley on my blower but the pulley on my sickle bar is a different story. I tried everything i could think of to keep it on, finally had to tack it on. Hated to but damn it I wanted to use it.

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1 hour ago, AC710 said:

Boy is that ever a shiny blower tunnel! Squeaky clean. C|:

Those pics were taken when new and just out of the box.  An uninstalled bargain 10 years ago.  

 

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19 hours ago, spi said:

 

Never had a problem with the pulley on my blower but the pulley on my sickle bar is a different story. I tried everything i could think of to keep it on, finally had to tack it on. Hated to but damn it I wanted to use it.

I had the same problem with two FDT sickles. 

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On 2/19/2021 at 5:35 PM, AC710 said:

Confirms you need a shop available to keep these old girls running.

The time I spent in the US Army was spent under this banner. Shops are nice, but the amount of fixing that goes on in the field may surprise you.

Armyengineer.jpg

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1 hour ago, kwt said:

The time I spent in the US Army was spent under this banner. Shops are nice, but the amount of fixing that goes on in the field may surprise you.

 

Well, for me, "shop" is a relative term meaning me having tools and knowing how to use them, not taking my tractors to someone else's repair shop. I spent about 40 years fighting forest fires and engineering forest roads for Montana, and that meant keeping surplus military stuff working with a variety of facilities ranging from Dept. rehab shops to dusty firelines to keep the water flowing, so I know what you mean. GO ARMY engineers!

And my experience with "professional" repair shops has been highly variable quality and usually expensive.

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/20/2021 at 5:28 AM, steve-wis said:

Make sure the pulley is in the proper positon, then drill thru the set screw hole into the shaft about 1/8 inch deep.  Put a dog point set screw in and tighten it with loc-tite, then another set screw over the top of the first one. 

I will need to check mine, I have never had it come loose either so I guess I am due for that problem.

 

Steve

That two tier system you mention is a good way to go. Nother would be drill and install a crush pin. I have one of those in the final drive of my woods mower and that baby is not falling out!

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