Hi,

Live outside of Boston.
Tons of snow yesterday.

Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years
old now.

Engine works fine.
Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.

But won't throw snow. No clog.

Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Neighbor suggested a broken belt.

If the Auger turns, can it, possibly, be a bad belt ?

If the Impeller is turning, which I haven't been able to verify, can it
be a bad belt ?

What are likely possibilities, and what can be eliminated, probably ?

Thanks,
Bob

On 2/9/2013 4:46 PM, Bob wrote:
Hi,

Live outside of Boston.
Tons of snow yesterday.

Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years
old now.

Engine works fine.
Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.

But won't throw snow. No clog.

Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Neighbor suggested a broken belt.

If the Auger turns, can it, possibly, be a bad belt ?

If the Impeller is turning, which I haven't been able to verify, can
it be a bad belt ?

What are likely possibilities, and what can be eliminated, probably ?

Thanks,
Bob
Typically snow throwers have sheer pins on the moving parts to prevent
damage when something other than snow gets jammed . I would be looking
for the high speed impeller to be turning, and if not, look in your
manual for a sheer pin location

Bob wrote:
Hi,

Live outside of Boston.
Tons of snow yesterday.

Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years old now.

Engine works fine.
Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.

But won't throw snow. No clog.

Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Neighbor suggested a broken belt.

If the Auger turns, can it, possibly, be a bad belt ?

If the Impeller is turning, which I haven't been able to verify, can it be a bad belt ?

What are likely possibilities, and what can be eliminated, probably ?

Thanks,
Bob

How is it that you can't tell if the impeller s tuning? Can't you see it by
looking into the auger housing?

sheer: thin, filmy. "Wow, hon, that's a sheer dress!"

shear: Break, usually rapidly and completely. "I caught a screw driver in
the auger, and lost the shear pin." Oh, it was a Klein screw driver that I
hit.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"RBM" wrote in message
...

Typically snow throwers have sheer pins on the moving parts to prevent
damage when something other than snow gets jammed . I would be looking
for the high speed impeller to be turning, and if not, look in your
manual for a sheer pin location

On Sat, 9 Feb 2013 18:10:56 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

sheer: thin, filmy. "Wow, hon, that's a sheer dress!"

shear: Break, usually rapidly and completely. "I caught a screw driver in
the auger, and lost the shear pin." Oh, it was a Klein screw driver that I
hit.

Christopher A. Young


He said he can't see it so maybe it is sheer.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sat, 9 Feb 2013 18:10:56 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

sheer: thin, filmy. "Wow, hon, that's a sheer dress!"

shear: Break, usually rapidly and completely. "I caught a screw driver in
the auger, and lost the shear pin." Oh, it was a Klein screw driver that I
hit.

Christopher A. Young


He said he can't see it so maybe it is sheer.

Ouch!

That's shear logic.

Well, I got to break, now. Got to cut this off.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 9 Feb 2013 18:10:56 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

sheer: thin, filmy. "Wow, hon, that's a sheer dress!"

shear: Break, usually rapidly and completely. "I caught a screw driver in
the auger, and lost the shear pin." Oh, it was a Klein screw driver that I
hit.

Christopher A. Young


He said he can't see it so maybe it is sheer.

Shear nuff! Cut it!

This is a troll. Sheerly you jest. Thinly veiled trolling on my part.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"DerbyDad03" wrote in message
...
Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On Sat, 9 Feb 2013 18:10:56 -0500, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

sheer: thin, filmy. "Wow, hon, that's a sheer dress!"

shear: Break, usually rapidly and completely. "I caught a screw driver in
the auger, and lost the shear pin." Oh, it was a Klein screw driver that
I
hit.

Christopher A. Young


He said he can't see it so maybe it is sheer.

Ouch!

On Feb 9, 1:46*pm, Bob wrote:
Hi,

Live outside of Boston.
Tons of snow yesterday.

Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years
old now.

Engine works fine.
Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.

But won't throw snow. No clog.

Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Neighbor suggested a broken belt.

If the Auger turns, can it, possibly, be a bad belt ?

If the Impeller is turning, which I haven't been able to verify, can it
be a bad belt ?

What are likely possibilities, and what can be eliminated, probably ?

Thanks,
Bob

Have someone else operate the machine and you watch the impeller. It
will (probably) rotate under no load but stop if any snow gets to it.
Broken shear pin located right behind the impeller on the shaft that
drives the auger. Not a fun thing to change.

Harry K

I have an Ariens ST5520 snowblower; 5 hp engine, 20 inch wide scoop.

My experience has been that when the auger belt is loose or stretched, the machine will only throw the snow a few feet, like 4 or 5 feet. The auger and impeller will appear to turn normally when they're not under any load, but as soon as you try to throw any snow, it'll only throw it a couple of feet or so.

I would take the small cover off between the engine and the scoop and feel the tension in the belt that turns the front pulley (the one that turns the shaft that turns the impeller and the pinion gear (that turns the auger). If it's loose, just tighten the belt tension and see if it works better.

If tightening the belt helps a lot, then I'd plug through till spring by just tightening the belt, and then replace that belt in the spring. You can do that yourself, but you need to follow the instructions in the Owner's Manual. If you don't have that owner's manual, you should be able to download it from Ariens web site.

If the machine isn't throwing the snow AT ALL, even after tightening the belt, then I would suspect that the shear pins or set screws that hold the impeller onto the shaft that turns the pinion gear (that turns the auger) are broken or loose, respectively. Maybe get in there with a bright light and see if you can tell what holds the impeller to that shaft, and if it's broken or loose.

Lots of words in the English language have multiple spellings, and each spelling may even have multiple meanings.

The word "shear" is an engineering expression for how a force can be applied to an object, and how it can break.

You are undoubtedly familiar with the terms "tension", "compression" and "torsion" and can understand how something can break if you pull something apart, crush it or twist it's head off.

But what word would you use to describe how something would break if you held it in front of you with both hands (so that your thumb knuckles were touching) and pushed one half of it away from you with your left hand and pulled the other half toward you with your right hand?

In engineering lingo, that kind of stress is called a "shear stress", and excessive sheer stress will result in an object failing in shear.

Earthquakes are examples of the rock under your feet failing in shear because of the enormous shear stresses that can build up in the Earth's crust.

But, you can also buy your wife and girlfriend sheer lingerie, you can shear a sheep, you can sharpen a shear blade, you can faint from sheer exhaustion, and you can put Worstersheer sauce on your steak.

Bob wrote:
-snip-
Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years
old now.

Is that 'a few' like 3-4 or 'a few' like 30-40?


Engine works fine.
Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.

But won't throw snow. No clog.

Is 'won't throw' like it just dribbles out the chute-- or nothing is
happening there? wet snow? fluffy powder?


Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Turn off the machine. Take a poker and put it down the chute and
see if you can turn the impeller. When you do that, does the auger
turn-- or can you *not* turn it at all?


Neighbor suggested a broken belt.


If it is 8-40 years old I can assure you it is not a belt. [maybe
last week's model, too but I haven't played with them] If the
augur turns you have power past the belts. The bad news is- there
is probably not a shear pin on the impeller. What fails there is
that little gear case that sits between the augers.

If you can turn the impeller with the machine off listen to that gear
case and see if you hear bits of iron rattling around.

Jim

Eye half hat mie shear of Usenet threats where a simpel mis spelt werd haz
turnt intew a long threat about fairy-ous spellings of werds.

I've been gilty on both sydes, both the correktion, and also doing the mis
thpelling, of wrdz.

Isn't it worst chester sheer sauce?

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"nestork" wrote in message
...

Lots of words in the English language have multiple spellings, and each
spelling may even have multiple meanings.

The word "shear" is an engineering expression for how a force can be
applied to an object, and how it can break.

You are undoubtedly familiar with the terms "tension", "compression" and
"torsion" and can understand how something can break if you pull
something apart, crush it or twist it's head off.

But what word would you use to describe how something would break if you
held it in front of you with both hands (so that your thumb knuckles
were touching) and pushed one half of it away from you with your left
hand and pulled the other half toward you with your right hand?

In engineering lingo, that kind of stress is called a "shear stress",
and excessive sheer stress will result in an object failing in shear.

Earthquakes are examples of the rock under your feet failing in shear
because of the enormous shear stresses that can build up in the Earth's
crust.

But, you can also buy your wife and girlfriend sheer lingerie, you can
shear a sheep, you can sharpen a shear blade, you can faint from sheer
exhaustion, and you can put Worstersheer sauce on your steak.




--
nestork

On 2/10/2013 9:32 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
But, you can also buy your wife and girlfriend sheer lingerie, you can
shear a sheep,

You could also buy your sheep some shear lingerie.

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 08:16:33 +0000, nestork
wrote in
Re Snowblower Problem Question ?:

and you can put Worstersheer sauce on your steak.

What would be "Worcestershire" sauce. "Shire" as in an English "shire"
which I think is something like a county in the U.S.

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 07:57:15 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

Bob wrote:
-snip-
Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years
old now.

Is that 'a few' like 3-4 or 'a few' like 30-40?


Engine works fine.
Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.

But won't throw snow. No clog.

Is 'won't throw' like it just dribbles out the chute-- or nothing is
happening there? wet snow? fluffy powder?


Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Turn off the machine. Take a poker and put it down the chute and
see if you can turn the impeller. When you do that, does the auger
turn-- or can you *not* turn it at all?


Neighbor suggested a broken belt.


If it is 8-40 years old I can assure you it is not a belt. [maybe
last week's model, too but I haven't played with them] If the
augur turns you have power past the belts. The bad news is- there
is probably not a shear pin on the impeller. What fails there is
that little gear case that sits between the augers.

If you can turn the impeller with the machine off listen to that gear
case and see if you hear bits of iron rattling around.

Jim
IF it was the gear-case the impeller would spin but not the auger.
In this case the auger is turning - which on an Ariens means the belt
is OK and the shaft is turning - and the impeller has decoupled from
the shaft.. On any Ariens I've seen (I worked for an Ariens dealer
back in 1968-71) there IS a shear pin on the back of the impeller. It
is usually a 1/4X 1 1/4" roll pin rather than a bolt - and on an older
machine it will be terribly hard to locate (all rusted up - it will
basically dissapear from sight.)

On 02/09/2013 04:46 PM, Bob wrote:
Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years
old now.


http://apache.ariens.com/cgibin/ctrg0005?site=arienss

On Saturday, February 9, 2013 3:46:48 PM UTC-6, Bob wrote:


Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years



Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.


But won't throw snow. No clog.


Bob

1st a spring steel roll pin will probably not shear...it could completely rust-out though. There is a lack of tension, a worn belt or tension roller adjustment.
Leave the engine off and spark wire removed; bungee or clamp the auger drive handle and manually try to move the auger. You should not be able to move it if there is enough tension.
Ariens are an easy/straight forward machine to split the front-end if you need to for a belt change, but you may only need to adjust the length of the cable that engages the tension idler or the pulley idler itself.

I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.
HTH

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

On Saturday, February 9, 2013 3:46:48 PM UTC-6, Bob wrote:


Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years



Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.


But won't throw snow. No clog.


Bob

1st a spring steel roll pin will probably not shear...it could completely rust-out though. There is a lack of tension, a worn belt or tension roller adjustment.
Leave the engine off and spark wire removed; bungee or clamp the auger drive handle and manually try to move the auger. You should not be able to move it if there is enough tension.
Ariens are an easy/straight forward machine to split the front-end if you need to for a belt change, but you may only need to adjust the length of the cable that engages the tension idler or the pulley idler itself.

I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. Not common to shear both (or
all 4) pins at once

On Sunday, February 10, 2013 3:21:49 PM UTC-6, wrote:


I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an

Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.



If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad

belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. Not common to shear both (or

all 4) pins at once

It was not as a criticism...I just added my 2 cents worth.

wrote:

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 07:57:15 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:

-snip-

IF it was the gear-case the impeller would spin but not the auger.

you are, of course, correct. I woke up from my nap and I
re-remembered how that works.

In this case the auger is turning - which on an Ariens means the belt
is OK and the shaft is turning - and the impeller has decoupled from
the shaft.. On any Ariens I've seen (I worked for an Ariens dealer
back in 1968-71) there IS a shear pin on the back of the impeller. It
is usually a 1/4X 1 1/4" roll pin rather than a bolt - and on an older
machine it will be terribly hard to locate (all rusted up - it will
basically dissapear from sight.)

I've driven them out. I suppose one could fall out or rust-- but the
ones I've been able to budge were rolled steel and wouldn't shear.

That said- I *did* manage to flatten 2-3 of the vanes in an impeller
with a slightly smaller than a baseball sized rock. It raised
quite a racket so I shut it off quick. That was on a 30 yr old
Bolens so it is probably easier to bend the vanes on the newer ones.

Where'd the OP go-- still out shoveling?

Jim

wrote:

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

-snip-
I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was
turning. so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's
razor choice.


If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. Not common to shear both (or
all 4) pins at once

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one
augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. Until the
second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.g

Jim

Jim Elbrecht wrote:
wrote:

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

-snip-
I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are
not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to
turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was
turning. so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's
razor choice.


If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. Not common to shear both (or
all 4) pins at once

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one
augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. Until the
second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.g

Jim

Jeez. Now I have to keep a mirror in my garage to make sure both augers are
turning.

I wonder if Ariens carries one as an accessory.

On Feb 10, 10:46*am, wrote:
On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 07:57:15 -0500, Jim Elbrecht
wrote:





Bob wrote:
-snip-
Have an Ariens snowblower. Model 7524. Typical 2 stage unit; few years
old now.

Is that 'a few' like 3-4 or 'a few' like 30-40?

Engine works fine.
Drive system to wheels works.

Big Auger wheel in front turns.

But won't throw snow. No clog.

Is 'won't throw' like it just dribbles out the chute-- or nothing is
happening there? * *wet snow? fluffy powder?

Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Turn off the machine. * *Take a poker and put it down the chute and
see if you can turn the impeller. * * When you do that, does the auger
turn-- or can you *not* turn it at all?

Neighbor suggested a broken belt.

If it is 8-40 years old I can assure you it is not a belt. * *[maybe
last week's model, too but I haven't played with them] * * If the
augur turns you have power past the belts. * * The bad news is- there
is probably not a shear pin on the impeller. * *What fails there is
that little gear case that sits between the augers.

If you can turn the impeller with the machine off listen to that gear
case and see if you hear bits of iron rattling around.

Jim

* IF it was the gear-case the impeller would spin but not the auger.
In this case the auger is turning - which on an Ariens means the belt
is OK and the shaft is turning - and the impeller has decoupled from
the shaft.. On any Ariens I've seen (I worked for an Ariens dealer
back in 1968-71) there IS a shear pin on the back of the impeller. It
is usually a 1/4X 1 1/4" roll pin rather than a bolt - and on an older
machine it will be terribly hard to locate (all rusted up - it will
basically dissapear from sight.)

Aha! That is what happened to my old one! I spotted the remnants of
a roll pin and assumed some idiot had used one in place of a shear
pin. Instead it was an idiot of an engineer or designer. I junked it
as there was no way to get at it short of dismantling the machine so I
couild get a drift punch and hammer on it.

Machine was too small for my use anyhow, replaced with a 10hp.

Harry K

On Feb 10, 2:33*pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
wrote:
On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

-snip-

I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was
turning. * so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's
razor choice.



If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. *Not common to shear both *(or
all 4) pins at once

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one
augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. * * Until the
second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.g

Jim

Happend to me on a new 10hp. First time it was used it was a knock
down drag-out fight to blow any snow at all until I examined it. From
the looks of the hole there had never been a shear pin in it,

Harry K

On Feb 10, 3:29*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:
Jim Elbrecht wrote:
wrote:

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

-snip-
I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are
not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to
turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was
turning. * so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's
razor choice.

If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. *Not common to shear both *(or
all 4) pins at once

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one
augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. * * Until the
second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.g

Jim

Jeez. Now I have to keep a mirror in my garage to make sure both augers are
turning.

I wonder if Ariens carries one as an accessory.

Common bolt will "work" but it takes more force than a real roll pin
does to shear it. If Ariens puts a rollpin in there then something
will break before it shears.

Harry K

On Saturday, February 9, 2013 4:46:48 PM UTC-5, Bob wrote:
Big Auger wheel in front turns.
But won't throw snow. No clog.
Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Sure you can. Hold down the handle, stretch out a little, and LOOK. Any normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front.. Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

Or, just get someone to hold it for you, or get them to look. They don't have to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing. It's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be running full-bore. If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF THE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assistant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the snowblower... Of course if it's running at an idle, it will stall immediately, and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt.

People watch too many horror movies, and can't differentiate between reality and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety features...

First, don't get close enough to get sucked in.

Second, if by some chance the snowblower jumps into gear and starts chasing you around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

Third, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck, push the throttle lever to OFF.

Fourth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately kill the engine.

Fifth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank the spark plug wire and the engine will die.

Sixth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the snowblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire doesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while the snowblower chews you into hamburger.

On Feb 10, 11:48*pm, Harry K wrote:
On Feb 10, 3:29*pm, DerbyDad03 wrote:





Jim Elbrecht wrote:
wrote:

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

-snip-
I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are
not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to
turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was
turning. * so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's
razor choice.

If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. *Not common to shear both *(or
all 4) pins at once

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one
augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. * * Until the
second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.g

Jim

Jeez. Now I have to keep a mirror in my garage to make sure both augers are
turning.

I wonder if Ariens carries one as an accessory.

Common bolt will "work" but it takes more force than a real roll pin
does to shear it. *If Ariens puts a rollpin in there then something
will break before it shears.

Harry K

I meant the *mirror* as an accessory to make sure both sides of the
auger are turning.

Anybody else hear a "whoosh"?

On Feb 11, 11:41*am, wrote:
On Saturday, February 9, 2013 4:46:48 PM UTC-5, Bob wrote:
Big Auger wheel in front turns.
But won't throw snow. No clog.
Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Sure you can. Hold down the handle, stretch out a little, and LOOK. Any normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front. Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

Or, just get someone to hold it for you, or get them to look. They don't have to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing. It's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be running full-bore. If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF THE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assistant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the snowblower... Of course if it's running at an idle, it will stall immediately, and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt.

People watch too many horror movies, and can't differentiate between reality and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety features...

First, don't get close enough to get sucked in.

Second, if by some chance the snowblower jumps into gear and starts chasing you around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

Third, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck, push the throttle lever to OFF.

Fourth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately kill the engine.

Fifth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank the spark plug wire and the engine will die.

Sixth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the snowblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire doesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while the snowblower chews you into hamburger.

While I love all the suggestions in case things go terribly wrong, I'm
going to postulate that your statement "Any normal person has enough
reach to be able to lean around and look in the front" may not be
accurate. I guess it depends on your definition of "normal".

I'm not home right now, but I really don't think that I could hold
down the auger handle and be able to see into the front of the auger
housing. I'm almost 100% sure that I couldn't reach far enough to be
able to see the impeller through the front. Maybe through the chute,
but not through the front of the machine. I'll try tonoght, but I
doubt I'll be able to see much.

Now, I am below the "average" height of US males, but - even if you
equate "average" with "normal" - I don't think the extra few inches
would help.

Heck, I had to modify my blower to be able to reach the chute
deflector from behind the machine. Note the extension handle on the
deflector. I just added it for this year's blowing season and I love
it.

http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/q...9390888902.jpg

The hooks are for carrying a shovel and snow brush down the block to
the elderly lady's house who's driveway and car I keep clear.

On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:46:42 -0800 (PST), Harry K
wrote:

On Feb 10, 2:33*pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
wrote:
On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

-snip-

I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was
turning. * so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's
razor choice.



If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. *Not common to shear both *(or
all 4) pins at once

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one
augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. * * Until the
second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.g

Jim

Happend to me on a new 10hp. First time it was used it was a knock
down drag-out fight to blow any snow at all until I examined it. From
the looks of the hole there had never been a shear pin in it,

Harry K
Let me guess - you bought it at Home Despot? Or Costco?

On Mon, 11 Feb 2013 08:41:08 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Saturday, February 9, 2013 4:46:48 PM UTC-5, Bob wrote:
Big Auger wheel in front turns.
But won't throw snow. No clog.
Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Sure you can. Hold down the handle, stretch out a little, and LOOK. Any normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front. Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

Or, just get someone to hold it for you, or get them to look. They don't have to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing. It's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be running full-bore.
If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF THE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assistant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the snowblower...
Of course if it's running at an idle, it will stall immediately, and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt.


Not brfore he gets hurt - possibly before a limb is amutated or
SERIOUS harm is done.
People watch too many horror movies, and can't differentiate between reality and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety features...

First, don't get close enough to get sucked in.

Second, if by some chance the snowblower jumps into gear and starts chasing you around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

Third, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck, push the throttle lever to OFF.

Fourth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately kill the engine.

Fifth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank the spark plug wire and the engine will die.

Sixth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the snowblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire doesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while the snowblower chews you into hamburger.

On Feb 11, 11:41*am, wrote:

snip

If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF THE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your assistant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the snowblower... Of course if it's running at an idle, it will stall immediately, and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your assistant gets hurt.

snip

Found on numerous websites and stolen without permission...

"The Consumer Products Safety Commission reports that with 1000
amputations and 5000 hospital emergency room treated injuries per year
related to snowblower accidents; the snowblower ranks as the fourth
leading cause of finger amputations each year.

In most of these accidents improper handling of snowblowers is the
main cause for such injuries. Hospital staff indicates that patients
report injuries after they attempt to clear the auger or discharge
chute manually with their hand. As the individual attempted to clear
the obstruction, their hands and fingers many times get caught up in
the rotating blade of the snowblower with severe tissue damage
resulting. Even in cases where an individual’s fingers or hands are
not completely severed due to the original injury; physicians treating
such wounds explain that quite commonly there is such serious damage
that it is simply not possible to repair or re-attach the injured
parts."

I'm thinking that shear pins don't shear quite as easily as you claim
they will.

When I think about how much snow gets packed into the EOD pile after
the plow goes by, and how my Ariens just chews right in and tosses it
aside - without shearing anything - I can't image that any part of my
body is going to shear a pin before some serious damage is done.

In article
,
DerbyDad03 wrote:

On Feb 11, 11:41*am, wrote:
On Saturday, February 9, 2013 4:46:48 PM UTC-5, Bob wrote:
Big Auger wheel in front turns.
But won't throw snow. No clog.
Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Sure you can. Hold down the handle, stretch out a little, and LOOK. Any
normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the
front. Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

Or, just get someone to hold it for you, or get them to look. They don't
have to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing.
It's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be
running full-bore. If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF
THE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your
assistant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the
snowblower... Of course if it's running at an idle, it will stall
immediately, and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before
your assistant gets hurt.

People watch too many horror movies, and can't differentiate between
reality and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety
features...

First, don't get close enough to get sucked in.

Second, if by some chance the snowblower jumps into gear and starts chasing
you around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

Third, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck, push
the throttle lever to OFF.

Fourth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the
throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately kill
the engine.

Fifth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the
throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank the
spark plug wire and the engine will die.

Sixth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the
throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the
snowblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire
doesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while the snowblower chews
you into hamburger.

While I love all the suggestions in case things go terribly wrong, I'm
going to postulate that your statement "Any normal person has enough
reach to be able to lean around and look in the front" may not be
accurate. I guess it depends on your definition of "normal".

I'm not home right now, but I really don't think that I could hold
down the auger handle and be able to see into the front of the auger
housing. I'm almost 100% sure that I couldn't reach far enough to be
able to see the impeller through the front. Maybe through the chute,
but not through the front of the machine. I'll try tonoght, but I
doubt I'll be able to see much.

Now, I am below the "average" height of US males, but - even if you
equate "average" with "normal" - I don't think the extra few inches
would help.

I'm 6'5 with a long reach, and I can't stretch far enough to see around
mine. But if I slip a glove over the handle it will hold down the lever
keeping the auger running. (and when I was young and stupid I would
stand in front of it and kick the ice and snow that the plow had left
behind into it.)

Most likely a shear pin. Could have happened if it was started while
there was ice in the impeller. A few times I've had to throw a tarp over
mine with a trouble-light under it to warm it up and thaw it out. (I
better stock up on more bulbs while I still can, doubt if a cfl would
work.)

On Monday, February 11, 2013 3:23:54 PM UTC-5, DerbyDad03 wrote:
When I think about how much snow gets packed into the EOD pile after
the plow goes by, and how my Ariens just chews right in and tosses it
aside - without shearing anything - I can't image that any part of my
body is going to shear a pin before some serious damage is done.

Well yeah, if you shove your arm in there like an idiot with the engine going full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

At an idle, you can stall the engine of a most homeowner-grade snowblowers with the toe of your boot.

On Feb 11, 10:19*am, wrote:
On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:46:42 -0800 (PST), Harry K
wrote:





On Feb 10, 2:33*pm, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
wrote:
On Sun, 10 Feb 2013 12:50:56 -0800 (PST), Bob_Villa
wrote:

-snip-

I would add the simplest possibility is sheared auger pins and they are not moving snow to the middle for pick-up and are just snug enough to turn when not under load.
HTH

I said IF the auger is turning and the impeller is NOT turning on an
Ariens 2 stage, the pin is gone. NO OTHER OPTION . period.

Correct-- *But* - The OP said he couldn't tell if the impeller was
turning. * so it might be-- and then what Bob says *is* the Occam's
razor choice.

If the augers stop under load it is a different story - could be a bad
belt, tensioner, or auger shear pins. *Not common to shear both *(or
all 4) pins at once

No-- but I've seen people going up and down their driveway with one
augur turning, blissfully unaware that one is sheared. * * Until the
second one goes-- then they know something isn't right.g

Jim

Happend to me on a new 10hp. *First time it was used it was a knock
down drag-out fight to blow any snow at all until I examined it. *From
the looks of the hole there had never been a shear pin in it,

Harry K

*Let me guess - you bought it at Home Despot? *Or Costco?

Nope, Amazon. I assembled it following he step by step instructions.
Wasn't the only thing that the manufacturer's quality control missed.
From the missing shear pin, to a drive chain not put on sprocket, to
no mention of having to reverse the wheels to get them to drive (that
one was traced to shipping the wrong manual with it)...etc, etc. Many
e-mails and phone calls back and forth that basically came down to "we
don't give a crap".

Harry K

On Feb 11, 8:41*am, wrote:
On Saturday, February 9, 2013 4:46:48 PM UTC-5, Bob wrote:
Big Auger wheel in front turns.
But won't throw snow. No clog.
Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Sure you can. Hold down the handle, stretch out a little, and LOOK. Any normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the front. chute and see the impeller.

That wouild be one looonnnggg stretch for a normal person. An
Orangutan micht beable to do it.
Added to that, it wouild accomplish nothing as, unless it has snow on
it, it will turn normally just from the friction. Needs a load before
it stops turning.

Worst case you can look down the chute

Same problem, it it isn't trying to blow snow you would see it
turning.

snip weak attempt at humor

Harry K

On Feb 11, 1:33*pm, Mark Storkamp wrote:
In article
,





*DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Feb 11, 11:41*am, wrote:
On Saturday, February 9, 2013 4:46:48 PM UTC-5, Bob wrote:
Big Auger wheel in front turns.
But won't throw snow. No clog.
Can't see if the high speed Impeller is turning or not.

Sure you can. Hold down the handle, stretch out a little, and LOOK. Any
normal person has enough reach to be able to lean around and look in the
front. Worst case you can look down the chute and see the impeller.

Or, just get someone to hold it for you, or get them to look. They don't
have to stick their head in there or even get within 10 feet of the thing.
It's not in gear so it can't chase you around. It doesn't even have to be
running full-bore. If they do somehow get caught by the machine, LET GO OF
THE TRIGGER. You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while your
assistant is slowly sucked in and ground into hamburger by the
snowblower... Of course if it's running at an idle, it will stall
immediately, and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before
your assistant gets hurt.

People watch too many horror movies, and can't differentiate between
reality and fantasy. In real life snowblowers have redundant safety
features...

First, don't get close enough to get sucked in.

Second, if by some chance the snowblower jumps into gear and starts chasing
you around, let go of the handle and it will stop.

Third, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck, push
the throttle lever to OFF.

Fourth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the
throttle lever won't shut it off, remove the safety key to immediately kill
the engine.

Fifth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the
throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work, yank the
spark plug wire and the engine will die.

Sixth, if the snowblower jumps into gear and the handle gets stuck and the
throttle lever won't shut it off and the safety key doesn't work and the
snowblower is somwhow possessed by the devil so yanking the spark plug wire
doesn't shut it off, just push it over on its side.

You don't have to sit there paralyzed in fear while the snowblower chews
you into hamburger.

While I love all the suggestions in case things go terribly wrong, I'm
going to postulate that your statement "Any normal person has enough
reach to be able to lean around and look in the front" may not be
accurate. I guess it depends on your definition of "normal".

I'm not home right now, but I really don't think that I could hold
down the auger handle and be able to see into the front of the auger
housing. I'm almost 100% sure that I couldn't reach far enough to be
able to see the impeller through the front. Maybe through the chute,
but not through the front of the machine. I'll try tonoght, but I
doubt I'll be able to see much.

Now, I am below the "average" height of US males, but - even if you
equate "average" with "normal" - I don't think the extra few inches
would help.

I'm 6'5 with a long reach, and I can't stretch far enough to see around
mine. But if I slip a glove over the handle it will hold down the lever
keeping the auger running. (and when I was young and stupid I would
stand in front of it and kick the ice and snow that the plow had left
behind into it.)

Most likely a shear pin. Could have happened if it was started while
there was ice in the impeller. A few times I've had to throw a tarp over
mine with a trouble-light under it to warm it up and thaw it out. (I
better stock up on more bulbs while I still can, doubt if a cfl would
work.)

Hadn't thought of trying that.

I cobbled together a "hood" from foil faced insulation board and duct
tape. It sets over the the front end with an electric heater pointed
right in at the auger and housing. Even that takes considerable time
to get it thawed out.


Harry K

On Feb 11, 1:44*pm, wrote:
On Monday, February 11, 2013 3:23:54 PM UTC-5, DerbyDad03 wrote:
When I think about how much snow gets packed into the EOD pile after
the plow goes by, and how my Ariens just chews right in and tosses it
aside - without shearing anything - I can't image that any part of my
body is going to shear a pin before some serious damage is done.

Well yeah, if you shove your arm in there like an idiot with the engine going full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

At an idle, you can stall the engine of a most homeowner-grade snowblowers
with the toe of your boot.

In the "here, hold my beer and watch this" category.

Only a total fool would try that.

Harry K

On Feb 11, 4:44*pm, wrote:
On Monday, February 11, 2013 3:23:54 PM UTC-5, DerbyDad03 wrote:
When I think about how much snow gets packed into the EOD pile after
the plow goes by, and how my Ariens just chews right in and tosses it
aside - without shearing anything - I can't image that any part of my
body is going to shear a pin before some serious damage is done.

Well yeah, if you shove your arm in there like an idiot with the engine going full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

At an idle, you can stall the engine of a most homeowner-grade snowblowers with the toe of your boot.

What kind of "homeowner-grade snowblowers" are you talking about? Most
snowblowers these days don't have an "idle speed" and/or "engine going
full bore" when discussing the auger. Some very old units with
throttles had "idle speeds" and "engine going full bore" but these
days the engine is either running or not and the auger is either
turning or not, depending on whether the lever is depressed.

BTW...I checked your "Any normal person has enough reach to be able to
lean around and look in the front" and I have to ask: How tall are
you?

As I said earlier, I'm a few inches shy of the average (normal?)
height of US male, but I'm so far from being able to even see the
augers, nevermind the impeller, by looking into the front of the
machine that I can't imagine anyone other than perhaps someone of
Manute Bol's stature being able to do it.

Let me know the next time you plan to stick your boot in the auger to
stall the machine. I'll load up 911 on my cell phone and be ready to
hit send...maybe.

On Feb 11, 4:44*pm, wrote:
On Monday, February 11, 2013 3:23:54 PM UTC-5, DerbyDad03 wrote:
When I think about how much snow gets packed into the EOD pile after
the plow goes by, and how my Ariens just chews right in and tosses it
aside - without shearing anything - I can't image that any part of my
body is going to shear a pin before some serious damage is done.

Well yeah, if you shove your arm in there like an idiot with the engine going full bore, you're gonna get hurt.

Perhaps it's time to review what you wrote:

" and if it's running full-bore, it will shear a pin long before your
assistant gets hurt. "


Which of course is nuts. You don't have to shove your
whole arm in to get seriously injured. But you would
have to have a significant portion of some part of your
body in the machine to cause a shear pin to break.
Small branches, for example, routinely get snapped and
spit out without breaking the pin. Is say a wrist that much
tougher that it's going to shear the pin without injury? And
by the time the shear pin did break, I'd say the odds are
you would already be seriously injured. The shear pin
is there to save the
machine from damage if it picks up something solid
that jams the mechanism. Yeah, it MIGHT prevent
a total amputation and turn it into just a serious injury,
but it sure isn't going to prevent you from getting
seriously hurt. The serious accident stats cited prove that.







At an idle, you can stall the engine of a most homeowner-grade snowblowers with the toe of your boot.