Ha! Exact problem happened to me tonight with the exact same blower. Went through the same diagnostic as you, but gave up trying to figure out how to get the impeller out in the cold. Thanks for the inspiration!
Your camera work is exceptional and I'm off to replace my impeller pins! Unfortunately my craftsman came with hardened rolled steel pins that rusted out. Seems as if part of the 2 pins rusted into the shaft so I have no way to just replace the pins without drilling the holes clean. You have explicitly showed me how to separate the snow blower into 2 parts so now I can work the shaft to connect the impeller back onto the shaft! Thank you!!
Same, virtually exact, issue here in Sweden. Different brand name, assembled in US. Your video helped loads. Haven't got the right tools, but some stone will do for 'anvil', some heat and a carpenters hammer. 'Elbow grease'. And I have the time, so why not! Thanks Fixer Merlin!!!
Yellow things are augers and they fit into the auger housing. Yep got the same issue after catching a bundle of newspapers in a snowdrift. Stalled the engine and bent one of the tines on the impeller. Thanks for sharing your great video.
Great video of your repair. I recently picked up a 25 year old, 8.5, 26" craftsman for $50. Hadn't run it 2+ years. Cleaned the carb and got it running, but when I engaged the auger, the impeller was making a big noise and bouncing in and out. Seperated the housing from the engine and found that 2 of the 4 impeller blades were bent, as well as the auger blades rusted solid to the shaft. The steel they used 30 years ago in these machines is thicker that nowdays. Applied a 50/50 mixture of acetone/ATF to the impeller shaft as well as the auger. Took a few days of soaking and a couple of 18" pipe wrenches and I was able to remove everything off the shafts. If I was still working, I would use the company's hydraulic press and maybe even weld it to our welding table. That said, one option I might use is add a 1/8th" spacer between the impeller shaft and the housing, quick fix, $1 for a 1/8th" thick, 3/4" hole washer to keep the impeller from hitting the housing.
@FixerMerlin doesn't really "remove" it however it does break it down. It did however break the bond between the auger shaft and the auger. The machine I was working on didn't have and grease zero fittings and most likely had never been serviced, greased or taken apart since it was made. Patience and drops of the ATF/acetone 2x daily worked for me👍Used 80 grit sandpaper on the shaft after and I removed the auger blades and will install zerk fittings on the auger shaft before I put it back together
Haha thanks! Cold working light steel like that takes patience but I’m really happy with how it turned out. Very glad it wasn’t something more costly and time consuming.
Haha actually I think I got off really easy! It sounded so much worse than it was! I’ve heard tons of stories about gearboxes blowing up, thankfully it wasn’t actually too serious!
It was helpful to see the removal of the AUGERS (those 'yellow things in front')along with the impeller just to see how that's done. My lack of auger maintenance after too many years has caused my augers to rust onto the shaft and now I cannot grease them. If I want to fix this that assembly has to come out.
my impeller just got bent yesterday... no where nearvas badly as yours ive got a Poulan... but it looks identical to your craftsman.. .. thanks for the vid
I just did a simplicity 2 of 4 severly bent other 2 bent some. Had to cut welds on 2 about a 8"" piece of railway rail for dolly big hammer got it back in place. Weld it fixed. Had to sacrifice bearing with torch to get it apart. Someone else tried to fix it but failed.
@@FixerMerlin I wish I could do more to thank you! Merry Christmas. We've been getting a ton of snow and I bent my impeller the other night. I don't have a garage but we got a little sun this morning and I was able to straighten mine through the chute window! Normally I'd separate it like you did but I'm in a pinch and my house is buried lol thanks again!
@@TrillMurray just like and subscribe! Knowing that people like what they are watching is all the thanks I ever need! I hit a stone again this year and was also able to repair minor damage using a long punch without opening it up
Towel got caught in my impeller and the engine stopped. Spent a long time trying to cut out the towel but finally gave up when I realized the motor itself will no longer start anyway. Did I break a hard-to-access part in motor? I have replaced shear pins in auger but this seems a more serious repair, do you agree?
word of advice ....take that chute brush off the machine and leave it in the shed or garage. When you run over that and get it jammed in the auger it isn't good !!
had same problem too, thanks. But..... could you change out the 2 bolts that hold the impeller to the shaft for sheer pins so it would give if another rock got jammed in there? Just askin.....
I have same exact one and my gearbox housing blew a hole on both sides from the steel roll pin breaking in half and digging its way out of the housing with the centrifical force. Just a heads up.
@5:44 there is a small hole, maybe 1/4? And a bolt should go through the impeller and the shaft. If it sheared off flush it might be hard to see and you might need to drive it out with a punch?
@@FixerMerlin Is it supposed to be a shear bolt? I guess that would have prevented the deformation of the impeller blade and would have left you with an easy fix. Are you the original owner?
@@wryanddry2266 I bought it new so I’m assuming if there was supposed to be a shear bolt there they would have used one, but it doesn’t seem to be. The augers both have shear bolts I’ve replaced a handful of times.
@@FixerMerlin I would be inclined to use a couple shear bolts there, if they seem to fit okay. If they shear too easily, you can reach them easily by removing the base of the chute.
They're probably going to get me for $300 + pickup/delivery charge. You made it look simple. I wonder if they're going to straighten the impeller and charge me for new.
Jeez man sorry to hear that.. Could end up costing a good part of a new machine? Next time you'll know exactly what to do and be back plowing snow in about an hour!
I have the same problem with my Troy-Built impeller. A friend sent me a link to this video. I can't believe there's not more videos on this. Anyway, thanks
That tool box is for extra shear pins, wrenches, etc. Not a common feature anymore as most people just aren't capable of doing their own maintenance nowadays.
Interesting. I have had my MTD snowblower since new in 1997. It has vaporized newspapers, chewed up extension cords and slung rocks everywhere. No damage..not even a sheer pin. Lucky I guess.
Really not sure, engine oil? or gear oil? If you clean it off well you should be able to see where its coming from when it is running and heats up? Anyways good luck!
@@FixerMerlin Thanks Well that’s what I am not sure It was working fine week ago today was blowing snow fine all of a sudden I wouldn’t drive no more or back up. I put it away like that yesterday when I went to look at it and was oil all over the floor comes from around motors Frame
Id start by checking the engine oil level, if it’s empty don’t run it! Could be gear oil? I’d check that the drain plugs are secure, not sure but maybe some how you could have cracked a housing or unseated a gasket? Hopefully it’s nothing too serious..
That looks like a real weak design. All my blowers have braces behind each impeller blade to reinforce it from bending. I can run small branches thru mine without bending anything. If I were you I would weld some small supports behind each blade on that impeller to strengthen it.
Ya it’s crazy to see how cheaply made they are, reinforcing it could definitely help but I do t think it was designed to be used as hard as I push it..
My thought exactly, get it running and working again. I’ve heard about adding the rubber pads but not sure what the benefit is other than adding a seal where they contact and making the blades more efficient?
The bearing that sits in the housing between the auger pulley and the impeller might be damaged or worn out. If it has too much play the shaft will not allow the belt to maintain proper tension and will probably slip off the pulleys.
![How to Fix a Snowblower Auger Gear [Part 1]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/k4rk8AZY7WQ/mqdefault.jpg)
![How to Fix a Snowblower Auger Gear [Part 1]](/img/tr.png)
Ha! Exact problem happened to me tonight with the exact same blower. Went through the same diagnostic as you, but gave up trying to figure out how to get the impeller out in the cold. Thanks for the inspiration!
Your camera work is exceptional and I'm off to replace my impeller pins! Unfortunately my craftsman came with hardened rolled steel pins that rusted out. Seems as if part of the 2 pins rusted into the shaft so I have no way to just replace the pins without drilling the holes clean. You have explicitly showed me how to separate the snow blower into 2 parts so now I can work the shaft to connect the impeller back onto the shaft! Thank you!!
Thanks! I just replaced a shear pin today and had to use a punch to drive out the broken bolt
Same, virtually exact, issue here in Sweden. Different brand name, assembled in US. Your video helped loads. Haven't got the right tools, but some stone will do for 'anvil', some heat and a carpenters hammer. 'Elbow grease'. And I have the time, so why not! Thanks Fixer Merlin!!!
Good job man! Swedish ingenuity at its finest!
Thanks for the recording of this! Exact issue we had on our Poulan! Nice to visually see a fix. Thanks!
I’m glad it helped! Did you get yours running again?
Same here. Mine is a Briggs and Stratton branded, but I'm pretty sure it is made in the same place as Craftsman's. Thank for the video.
Yep…thanks again!
Yellow things are augers and they fit into the auger housing. Yep got the same issue after catching a bundle of newspapers in a snowdrift. Stalled the engine and bent one of the tines on the impeller. Thanks for sharing your great video.
Great video of your repair. I recently picked up a 25 year old, 8.5, 26" craftsman for $50. Hadn't run it 2+ years. Cleaned the carb and got it running, but when I engaged the auger, the impeller was making a big noise and bouncing in and out. Seperated the housing from the engine and found that 2 of the 4 impeller blades were bent, as well as the auger blades rusted solid to the shaft. The steel they used 30 years ago in these machines is thicker that nowdays.
Applied a 50/50 mixture of acetone/ATF to the impeller shaft as well as the auger. Took a few days of soaking and a couple of 18" pipe wrenches and I was able to remove everything off the shafts. If I was still working, I would use the company's hydraulic press and maybe even weld it to our welding table. That said, one option I might use is add a 1/8th" spacer between the impeller shaft and the housing, quick fix, $1 for a 1/8th" thick, 3/4" hole washer to keep the impeller from hitting the housing.
Cool! Does the acetone/ atf mix remove the rust?
@FixerMerlin doesn't really "remove" it however it does break it down. It did however break the bond between the auger shaft and the auger. The machine I was working on didn't have and grease zero fittings and most likely had never been serviced, greased or taken apart since it was made. Patience and drops of the ATF/acetone 2x daily worked for me👍Used 80 grit sandpaper on the shaft after and I removed the auger blades and will install zerk fittings on the auger shaft before I put it back together
Thank you for making this video, it was very helpful.
Glad I could help!
Dude you made that look so easy. Excellent.
Haha thanks! Cold working light steel like that takes patience but I’m really happy with how it turned out. Very glad it wasn’t something more costly and time consuming.
Thank you for taking the time to share this,
thanks for the video, this will be my project tomorrow, i ran over a c clamp
@@chuckg1546 haha brutal!
where did you get that auger i got a 1985 craftsman and want to upgrade my auger
It’s how it came new from sears 20 ish years ago
The little box you're wondering about probably made to keep extra shear bolts. Just a guess.
I keep a shear bolt in there now!
That’s Exactly what it’s for
@@randypatrick4421 makes sense it’s the perfect size!
Nice work! You made it "look" easy 👍🏽
Haha actually I think I got off really easy! It sounded so much worse than it was! I’ve heard tons of stories about gearboxes blowing up, thankfully it wasn’t actually too serious!
It was helpful to see the removal of the AUGERS (those 'yellow things in front')along with the impeller just to see how that's done.
My lack of auger maintenance after too many years has caused my augers to rust onto the shaft and now I cannot grease them. If I want to fix this that assembly has to come out.
my impeller just got bent yesterday... no where nearvas badly as yours ive got a Poulan... but it looks identical to your craftsman.. .. thanks for the vid
You are welcome! Stay away from the rocks🤣
I just did a simplicity 2 of 4 severly bent other 2 bent some. Had to cut welds on 2 about a 8"" piece of railway rail for dolly big hammer got it back in place. Weld it fixed. Had to sacrifice bearing with torch to get it apart. Someone else tried to fix it but failed.
Nice.
Just want to say thank you for sharing this.
Much obliged! If there’s something I figure out the hard way I’d always like to share so other people can save time and get it fixed faster
@@FixerMerlin I wish I could do more to thank you! Merry Christmas. We've been getting a ton of snow and I bent my impeller the other night. I don't have a garage but we got a little sun this morning and I was able to straighten mine through the chute window! Normally I'd separate it like you did but I'm in a pinch and my house is buried lol thanks again!
@@TrillMurray just like and subscribe! Knowing that people like what they are watching is all the thanks I ever need!
I hit a stone again this year and was also able to repair minor damage using a long punch without opening it up
Finally found a video on this bastard, thanks.
Cheers! Looks like the craftsman and poulan are rebrands of the same machine?
Towel got caught in my impeller and the engine stopped. Spent a long time trying to cut out the towel but finally gave up when I realized the motor itself will no longer start anyway. Did I break a hard-to-access part in motor? I have replaced shear pins in auger but this seems a more serious repair, do you agree?
Think I’d give up on cutting and grab the torch and burn it out😈. I doubt stalling it would cause any damage to the motor. How’s the fuel level?
Great video but what is the name of the gear that left and right auugers attached to.
@@CharlesHagen-e8j I’m not sure their names I had zero experience with anything related to this machine until it failed
The little snack-container is for shear pins, but if you don't have any you can use ... it for snacks
word of advice ....take that chute brush off the machine and leave it in the shed or garage. When you run over that and get it jammed in the auger it isn't good !!
Oh man that thing is long gone🤣
I know the feeling. It ended up in 3 or 4 pieces. Never again!
Yup.
At the end when you test, it looks like the auger shaft may also be slightly bent. It spins with a bit of a wobble ?
I have no doubt it’s bent to hell
had same problem too, thanks. But..... could you change out the 2 bolts that hold the impeller to the shaft for sheer pins so it would give if another rock got jammed in there? Just askin.....
Yes I’m sure you could
Nice work! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I have same exact one and my gearbox housing blew a hole on both sides from the steel roll pin breaking in half and digging its way out of the housing with the centrifical force. Just a heads up.
Oh no! Sorry to hear that.. Initially I thought something like that had happened to mine as well.
What are you using to secure the impeller to the drive shaft? My impeller spins freely and I don't know what to use to secure it.
Diagrams don't show what to use either.
@5:44 there is a small hole, maybe 1/4? And a bolt should go through the impeller and the shaft. If it sheared off flush it might be hard to see and you might need to drive it out with a punch?
@@FixerMerlin Is it supposed to be a shear bolt? I guess that would have prevented the deformation of the impeller blade and would have left you with an easy fix. Are you the original owner?
@@wryanddry2266 I bought it new so I’m assuming if there was supposed to be a shear bolt there they would have used one, but it doesn’t seem to be. The augers both have shear bolts I’ve replaced a handful of times.
@@FixerMerlin I would be inclined to use a couple shear bolts there, if they seem to fit okay. If they shear too easily, you can reach them easily by removing the base of the chute.
Great video would you mind sending me the model number of the craftsman snowblower I have one similar with no manual.
It’s a craftsman 1650 series
They're probably going to get me for $300 + pickup/delivery charge.
You made it look simple. I wonder if they're going to straighten the impeller and charge me for new.
Jeez man sorry to hear that.. Could end up costing a good part of a new machine? Next time you'll know exactly what to do and be back plowing snow in about an hour!
I have the same problem with my Troy-Built impeller. A friend sent me a link to this video. I can't believe there's not more videos on this. Anyway, thanks
Glad it helped!
Thanks for video ! Think I can fix mine now ?
I’m sure you can!
That tool box is for extra shear pins, wrenches, etc.
Not a common feature anymore as most people just aren't capable of doing their own maintenance nowadays.
True that. I put a spare bolt in there and somewhere along the line it must have fallen out and run away with the plastic stick for clearing jambs..
Interesting. I have had my MTD snowblower since new in 1997. It has vaporized newspapers, chewed up extension cords and slung rocks everywhere. No damage..not even a sheer pin. Lucky I guess.
Haha ya the impeller on mine definitely seems to be a weak point
How old is that can of W D - 40 ?
No idea, why?
Thought mine was bent lol oh shit , thanks for video
Glad I could help! Once you open it up it’s probably not as bad as it sounds!!
Fixer Merlin didnt open it i put a crowbar through the shoot and pryed it back . Wasnt as bend like yours lol .
@@carolinesauve5184 good thinking!
First rate diagnosis and fix!
🙏
good job
My snow blower has an oil leak somewhere where should I look for it it`s a craftsman 208 CC 24" Tow-stage
Really not sure, engine oil? or gear oil?
If you clean it off well you should be able to see where its coming from when it is running and heats up? Anyways good luck!
@@FixerMerlin Thanks Well that’s what I am not sure It was working fine week ago today was blowing snow fine all of a sudden I wouldn’t drive no more or back up. I put it away like that yesterday when I went to look at it and was oil all over the floor comes from around motors Frame
Id start by checking the engine oil level, if it’s empty don’t run it! Could be gear oil? I’d check that the drain plugs are secure, not sure but maybe some how you could have cracked a housing or unseated a gasket? Hopefully it’s nothing too serious..
That looks like a real weak design. All my blowers have braces behind each impeller blade to reinforce it from bending. I can run small branches thru mine without bending anything. If I were you I would weld some small supports behind each blade on that impeller to strengthen it.
Ya it’s crazy to see how cheaply made they are, reinforcing it could definitely help but I do t think it was designed to be used as hard as I push it..
Would have been a good time to add some rubber pads to the impeller.
I’ve heard it makes it more effective?
First get it running again stock. Can easily remove the chute anytime to add paddles.
My thought exactly, get it running and working again. I’ve heard about adding the rubber pads but not sure what the benefit is other than adding a seal where they contact and making the blades more efficient?
My impeller is damage goes up and down
That does not sound good? Could there be a bent shaft?
The bearing that sits in the housing between the auger pulley and the impeller might be damaged or worn out. If it has too much play the shaft will not allow the belt to maintain proper tension and will probably slip off the pulleys.
Looks like it’s made of tinfoil. My John Deere is made of thick steel. Never bend like that. Thanks from.St. Paul Minnesota.
Haha ya basically. I used to have an old John Deere, they definitely don’t make them like like they used to..
The early JD's were basically Ariens, but they did have a really cool "limited slip" differential thing that I never saw anywhere else.