AArdvark's Snowblower project

[AArdvark]

For Christmas (2019, I bumped this thread a couple years) my brother found me a leaf blower.


I had one at my last house but it suffered a fatal case of self destruction. The thing was great, I could clear the yard in ten minutes.
In this thread hijack, I will resurrect the new-to-me leaf blower in time for the upcoming fall season. That means I have all summer to get it working. Stay tuned!

On another note, I see photobucket has removed all my photo links to the SnowVark 2000 posts, cheese-eating fuckers that they are over there. If anyone really cares I can repost them thru Postimage. ( the pix are backed up on a CD someplace in the basement)

sannyways, it's another project

THE
MUST BE A NEW YEAR
AARDVARK

[The Happiness Engine]

[AArdvark]

That was odd, but funny

[AArdvark]

Ok its done. Yard blower starts on first pull. Got the new name on it

[AArdvark]

The SnowVark 2000 is gettin' new rubber. The old tires were from the Regan era.


Should I replace all those missing pix? Does anyone care if they're not available?

[AArdvark]

It was a right bastard gettin those tires on the rims. Never doing it again!

[Tdarcos]

It was a right bastard gettin those tires on the rims. Never doing it again!

Maybe the rims need more holes in them?

[bryanb]

Should I replace all those missing pix? Does anyone care if they're not available?

Yeah, we're going to need some reuploads pronto. Don't blueball us!

[AArdvark]

Deal! Let me look around

Edit: Found most of them, enough for everyone to get the gist.

Funny, I wouldn't do this project today. I would just drop three grand on my credit card and buy an attachment for my lawn tractor. I think I'm gettin' old. When SnowVark 2000 finally dies it's what I'm going to do.

THE
SIT DOWN
AND BLOW
AARDVARK

[AArdvark]

Update!

Someone gave me another snowblower. People just give me things. They took it to Sketchy Snowblower Services first and they told them it needs a new transmission, will cost around 200 to 300 dollars to fix it. That's when they offered it to me. I'm betting that it's a two dollar shear pin thats broken and I can fix it in an afternoon. Soon as I find time to look at it I will post pix here

[Ice Cream Jonsey]

We would like the snow back home to be manageable. But if not, we would like you to get over on the people that give you broken things and just throw snow everywhere. LICK IT OFF, Rochester.

[AArdvark]

They just went with a snowplow service instead of doing it themselves

[AArdvark]

Bl

The victim, a 22 inch Bolens MTD with Chinese parts.

It won't self propel

[AArdvark]

The transmission is in that plastic housing. Gonna pull it and have a look inside

[AArdvark]

I'm betting this is considered a single replacement unit, like pc circuit boards or hot water tank anodes. You don't fix 'em you just drop in another one

[AArdvark]

I cracked it open and the oil came out gold colored. I quickly realized the brass gear was toast. They meshed it against a steel worm gear, guess which one lost.

Just think, if all the gears were steel this thing would still be working. Planned obsolescence? You be the judge. This gizmo drives the wheels on a snowblower, not a kids' bubble machine toy.

Oh well, I'll keep the engine, the rest of the thing is going to the landfill, it's just as cheap

[AArdvark]

I can buy a new gear and drop that in for twenty bucks, maybe thats the way to go.

Edit: I just looked at how the mechanism works. While the engine is running the steel worm gear is constantly spinning. When you pull the drive handle a lever pushes the brass gear into the steel gear and they are supposed to mesh together and thus drive the wheels. If the threads don't exactly mesh properly the steel gear will rub against the brass teeth and eventually wear them away until you get the result shown above. This is a poor design.

My SnowVark 2000 has a spring loaded idler wheel that pulls the belt against the drive pulley. After a few years the belt wears out and you need a new replacement belt, not a $150 transmission. Which is better for the end user?
You be the judge

[AArdvark]

Closure: I put the machine ( less broken transmission) out by the curb on trash night and it was gone by morning. Fait accompli.

I don't have the energy to disassemble a snowblower and keep the parts for an unspecified use.