[HwyStarJoe]

For some reason, my snowblower is locked.... the axle won't turn. When it's running and the engagement handle is pulled, I get no forward movement.
The drive belt system is in perfect working order, the engagement cable is adjusted properly, the friction disk is fine and I shot all the belts and friction wheel with belt dressing.

The wheels are locked. I can't pull it or push it by hand.

I flipped it over and took the inspection cover off to figure out why it won't engage and move. As you can see by the pictures, there's nothing broken or out of wack.

In the first picture, it shows how the blower is built from the factory....
You see the series of gears how they are layed out on the axle shaft and the drive shaft.

So, in the second picture, I took the outer gear loose, and slid it along the shaft to disengage it from the other gears and the axle spins freely! I flipped the blower back over and threw it in gear but I got very little movement. I even pushed on the drive belt pulley to engage it even tighter into the drive belt, but the blower hardly moved.

It seems I have two problems.... maybe a slipping friction disk\friction wheel, and the locked axle shaft.

What am I missing here? Why does the axle shaft lock up tight when the gears are installed the way they're supposed to be?? That's what I don't get. With the engagement handle off, it should free-wheel no problem. The gears don't move along any shafts... they are locked on the shafts, so it's not like something moved where it wasn't supposed to. I can't make any drive adjustments until I figure out why the axle is locked.

 

[Everett#2390]

The compound gearset on the friction wheel shaft are frozen together, the left gear and the middle gear.

By sliding the upper compound gears over to OE position, two different gear ratios and locks up the axle, trans in two gears syndrome.

I think.

 

[HwyStarJoe]

That's kind of what it seems, right? Take the inner gear(s) away and the two shafts free-spin.
But that doesn't make sense. All sets of gears are supposed to be there, where they are in the first pic. They don't slide.... they're static.

I'm losing my mind! Both shafts free-spin. The only thing that makes them turn is when the engagement handle is pulled, moving the friction disk up against the friction wheel. because the two shafts free-spin, the friction wheel makes them both rotate, engaging the axle shaft and WA LA! The blower moves.

What could possibly be keeping the shaft(s) from turning is totally beyond me! I'm sitting on the darn floor staring at it and there's NOTHING that would cause them to lock! They're just gears for God's sake!! Other than what you just said.... different ratios working against each other.... but it worked fine for the last 2 years!!
AARRGGHH!!

 

[thorpe67RS]

Its trying to tell you its to damn late in the season to be snowblowing. Can someone say...Spring please!

 

[pappy's69]

Can there be a keyway that has fallen out and lets the gear spin on the shaft? or something along this order?
______________________________________
Dan

 

[HwyStarJoe]

I looked at that.
The only keyed gear is the (outer) upper one on the axle shaft. The one next to it spins free if it's slid out of the way like in the second pic. It's not keyed at all.

It's like a Chinese puzzle.... I had a neighbor over scratching his head for an hour today as well.

We're at a total loss as to what is keeping the shafts from spinning. There's got to be something I'm missing.... something that's out of wack. If either of the inner gears is slid along the shafts and moved out of the way, both shafts spin freely.... put them back where the belong, and there's NO WAY the shafts will spin because of different ratios conflicting with each other. Unfortunately, the gears are not meant to slide at all when assembled properly. They're held firm with e-clips and there are no linkages or brackets or anything that connects to them for any purpose.
That's the puzzling part!

I give up.... I'm calling Troy-Bilt in the morning.

 

[tejasrs/ss]

snowblower?? what is that??? sunny 80 degrees here in Northern Cali!

 

[Mat Klemp]

What do those other gears drive? It looks like gears closest to the wheel drives the wheel , the other gears are for? I cannot see, but anyhow, what they drive may be stuck? Just some thoughts.

TTFN
Mat

 

[click]

some gears are for reverse Im guessing but as to why the right ones dont turn is very weird. I can put a new motor on it Joe but I dont have a clue when it comes to the gearing.

 

[MRCOOL_RSSS350]

I shot all the belts and friction wheel with belt dressing.
Joe...Take some brake clean and wash all of the dressing off!!!! the belt and the wheel needs to be dry!!!!
Nick

 

[John Doyle]

It sounds like a shear pin broke in the axle. See if the manual mentions any pins.

 

[HwyStarJoe]

The friction wheel and plate are dry. The dressing is sticky and functions great. That's not the problem.

We didn't see any pins in the axle or hex shaft, other than the key for the large gear on the axle.

The gears don't have anything to do with forward or reverse. The friction wheel is slid back and forth along that hex shaft by the gear selector, moving it across the plate which is always spinning. The far left is forward gears. As it crosses center to the right side of the plate, it has two reverse speeds. The engagement handle pulls it up against the friction wheel causing the hex shaft to turn, which makes the axle turn through gearing, then moves it away when the handle is released.

But the shafts are locked! I should be able to (and always have been able to) push the blower back and forth by hand... no power. I can hear the gears whirring as it's moving. There's some resistance. Now, the axle is locked because it seems the gears on the two shafts are working against each other.

It makes NO sense. The gears are static... they do not move along the shafts and do not move up and down away from each other. How the heck this thing ever worked is beyond me right now.

I wish I could post a video.... I have no way to get a video from my camera to the PC. I'd show exactly what's happening. I'll be surprised if Troy-Bilt contacts me on this. If they do, I'm sure it'll be something where I'll smack myself in the forehead and say 'DOH!'.... and it'll be something too simple. Like I said, my neighbor and I spent the afternoon with the parts manual, flashlights, and a lot of head scratching and couldn't come up with a single answer. Other than the fact that the gears are working against each other.

I promise, swear on my grandmothers grave, and cross my heart and hope to die that this thread will not become another "what's buried in my yard" thread.

I WILL FIGURE THIS STUPID MACHINE OUT!!!
If I can rebuild engines, trannies and rear ends, I can certainly fix this.

 

[click]

wanna bet buddy?

 

[Everett#2390]

Can you scan/pdf the parts page?
I believe on of the two compound gears is stuch, or ther engagement adjustment is out of whack putting it into two gears at one time.

Bottom shaft pinion on the left turns with the friction wheel. It turns upper left spur gear and turns it mating middle upper pinion. U/P turns lower middle spur mating lower final right pinion and turning output upper right spur gear to turn axle for motion. Parts list would show this.

However, I bet there are two speeds in each direction.

 

[Dan E.]

Is it stuck in rev and forward at the same time what happens when you move the forward/rev lever? Could that be the problem as in not disengaging one when it engages the other?

 

[HwyStarJoe]

Try this.... it's a link to the owners manual in PDF....
http://manuals.mtdproducts.com/mtd/DocGetter?doc=769-01279a.pdf

I scanned it if this doesn't work.

It can't be stuck between gears. (6 forward, 2 reverse)
The only thing that makes it go forward or reverse is the location of the friction wheel on the friction disk. The disk is not touching the wheel until the handle is depressed. The gears and the shafts they are on are all static.... in other words, they never move except to rotate when the friction wheel is turning.

The friction wheel you see on the lower hex shaft slides back and forth as the gear lever is moved. It won't turn until the engagement handle is held down.

 

[MRCOOL_RSSS350]

It sounds like a shear pin broke in the axle. See if the manual mentions any pins.

Yes there is a pin..on the outside of the rim..on the black pipe.there is one one on each side.

 

[67 Plum]

Is the driven disc touching the axle shaft?

 

[67 Plum]

With a sheared pin it would freewheel and push easy.

 

[Mat Klemp]

O.K. Here's my next theory: The far right(outside) 2 gears on the hex shaft should spin freely on the shaft. They are either rusted to the shaft, or the shaft has worn into them ? The parts drawing shows this as round for some distance.
My theory is the gears are simply speed reduction. power from the friction drive is applied to the far left small gear. This gear is coupled to the hex shaft. It powers the top 2 gears that you moved to the left, The small top gear powers the large lower gear , which is connected to the low right gear. it then powers the large gear which is connected to the wheels.

With the top gear slid out of engagement, the wheels should spin freely, without turning the hex shaft from the friction drive.

Make any sense?


TTFN
Mat