Eddie wrote:
My craftsman snow blower is about 5 years old. The last couple storms I've
noticed that it is lacking power when it comes to throwing the snow
through the shoot. It seems to clog a lot more then usual as well. I'm not
sure if there is a belt that may be loose .if that's the case where is it
and how do I access it?
--
First, just to keep the terminology straight, it's called a chute, not a
shoot.
Second, it would help if we had a model number to refer too. What some
people call "snow blowers" are actually "snow throwers". I'm not saying you
used the wrong term, I'm just saying that we don't know what you have since
we can't see the machine from where we're sitting.
So, assuming it's a two-stage snowblower, with an auger and an impeller,
one quick check it to make sure both sides of the auger are turning. Either
have someone look into the front end while the auger is engaged or strap
the handle down and check it yourself. If one shear pin has broken only one
side of the auger would be turning. Less input to the impeller, like when
you're blowing 2" of snow as opposed to 8, means less oomph to the throw.
You could also check for a broken shear pin by attempting to spin each side
of the auger by hand with the machine off, although I would never recommend
that you put your hand into the auger or impeller housing, regardless if
the machine is running or not. That's your decision. If either of the
augers spin freely with the machine off, you probably have a broken shear
pin.
Another thing to check is to make sure the blades on the impeller are not
cracked or bent, perhaps from a rock or chunk of ice. This can happen with
plastic impellers.
AFAIK, most two stage snow blowers don't have belt for the impeller. The
impeller is either pinned or welded to the shaft from the gear box on the
auger axle. Via gear reduction, it spins much faster than the augers. That'
sphere it's throwing power comes from. If the impeller pins are broken, the
impeller won't spin except perhaps via friction. This could reduce the
output. It could also be the gear box itself that is shot.
Again, if we had a model number we could offer specific advice or point you
to the correct place for more information.