Snowblower - what happened?

[robbo323]

I have a front-mount 2750C snowblower attached to my BX2350. "Found" a 2x4 that got left in a bad place and snapped both shear bolts for the first time on the main auger shaft. I replaced both bolts, but I noticed that where previously there was an equal small gap at each far side of the shaft - basically it was perfectly centered, now the auger shaft is shifted to butt up against the left side and there's about a 1/2" gap on the right with the underlying shaft exposed. With the shear bolts in where they belong, its all locked in, so it can't be nudged back over. I can't even get my head around how this happened without some kind of horrible damage to the gearbox in between. What happened? Think I can leave this alone? Incidentally, I finished the driveway before I noticed this problem and it seemed to work fine. Thanks.

 

[Dyer retired]

I have a front-mount 2750C snowblower attached to my BX2350. "Found" a 2x4 that got left in a bad place and snapped both shear bolts for the first time on the main auger shaft. I replaced both bolts, but I noticed that where previously there was an equal small gap at each far side of the shaft - basically it was perfectly centered, now the auger shaft is shifted to butt up against the left side and there's about a 1/2" gap on the right with the underlying shaft exposed. With the shear bolts in where they belong, its all locked in, so it can't be nudged back over. I can't even get my head around how this happened without some kind of horrible damage to the gearbox in between. What happened? Think I can leave this alone? Incidentally, I finished the driveway before I noticed this problem and it seemed to work fine. Thanks.

I was wondering if you ever got a response to your question on this? I have the same blower on the front of my BX 1800 (at least it's a 2750, not sure of the C) and I had what I thought looked like a perfectly spaced auger shaft set up between the ends of the housing of the blower. Well, I hit the 10 pound rock one day and broke both pins. The first problem I had was finding the sheared bolt, because I now too had, what you described above, about 1/2 movement now on both shafts. I ended up spraying degreaser, shining lights, finally getting one side lined up and using a punch to get the sheared bolt out. The other side would not line up absent divine intervention and I thought I'd ruined the entire unit. The Kubota repair guy came to the house and, unfortunately, I think it was his first day on the job, or any other, because he had as much luck as I had. Another repairman came the next day, walked up took a look at it all, took out a rubber mallet and hit the center gear housing so hard in one direction that I thought I was going to have to knock him down and shoot him. It turns out there is quite a bit of play in those things and it did no harm to the unit, allowed me to see how to replace the pins in the future, and only cost me about $150.00 bucks in repair visits (they didn't charge me for the first guy, since he could not make the repair.)

Kind of a long answer to what you've probably already long ago found out, but I am wondering if you've come up with any inventive solutions to lining up the holes to release the sheared pins now? I have had some success with painting some marking lines, but it really should not be so hard and my walk behind blower is a 3 minute change out when I shear a pin....something I would have hoped for with the 2750. I also notice that the difficulty in finding, removing the old shear, and replacing with a new on is directly proportional to how low the temperature is and how hard the wind is blowing on your bare hands...wondering if you've found the same thing. One more thing I figured out pretty quickly....the impeller shear pin is difficult to get a wrench on and the replacement bolts come with self locking nuts, but they are just about an inch and a half longer than they need to be. I figured out very quickly (probably should not have to, but kept breaking shear pins until I got the mental map of all my property down pat) to buy a bunch of the bolts and cut about a 1/2 inch off the end of each bolt to at least make that operation go a little faster. Just wondering if you've had that same experience. Dyer, retired

 

[Dyer retired]

robbo323,

Does this operation look familiar? Dyer, retired

 

[kevinj]

I have a front-mount 2750C snowblower attached to my BX2350. "Found" a 2x4 that got left in a bad place and snapped both shear bolts for the first time on the main auger shaft. I replaced both bolts, but I noticed that where previously there was an equal small gap at each far side of the shaft - basically it was perfectly centered, now the auger shaft is shifted to butt up against the left side and there's about a 1/2" gap on the right with the underlying shaft exposed. With the shear bolts in where they belong, its all locked in, so it can't be nudged back over. I can't even get my head around how this happened without some kind of horrible damage to the gearbox in between. What happened? Think I can leave this alone? Incidentally, I finished the driveway before I noticed this problem and it seemed to work fine. Thanks.

You knocked the end support bearings loose. recenter in the housing and tighten the bearing locks.

 

[WayneB]

robbo323,

Does this operation look familiar? Dyer, retired

Looking at the picture, I think you should go out and get a Femco weather break for next years snow season! One of the better items that I bought for my tractor.

Wayne

 

[Dyer retired]

Looking at the picture, I think you should go out and get a Femco weather break for next years snow season! One of the better items that I bought for my tractor.

Wayne

Wayne,

Probably, but it's really not that bad all the time. We get the rare Nor'Easter (although it seems like this year has been averaging a couple a week) that dumps a lot of snow and we submit the worst of the worst pictures for pity purposes. Truthfully, the pity pictures should be of everyone shoveling the roofs, sidewalks, alcoves, decks, sunrooms, etc. before we get to the fun part of clearing the rest with the tractor. Dyer, retired

 

[WayneB]

John, we have the same here, the biggest stories on the local news is about another building roof caving in! When the days are nice around here they are really nice, but when the snow comes, at least this year, it seems to come in a big way.

This past storm seemed to miss us in my area, we had some freezing rain in the morning, but it was past us and heading toward Maine by about 9 AM.

Oh well, enjoy spring is right around the corner then we can all start talking about mud and black flies.

Wayne

 

[shvl73]

It was slippery! I went from Bangor to Caribou and back. Freezing rain most of the way.

 

[Dyer retired]

John, we have the same here, the biggest stories on the local news is about another building roof caving in! When the days are nice around here they are really nice, but when the snow comes, at least this year, it seems to come in a big way.

This past storm seemed to miss us in my area, we had some freezing rain in the morning, but it was past us and heading toward Maine by about 9 AM.

Oh well, enjoy spring is right around the corner then we can all start talking about mud and black flies.

Wayne

Wayne,

I mentioned to someone the other day in this forum that the winters keep the mosquito population down for those months that it's here. I forget how bad I hate the black flies, although they used to seem worse in the County. I will start to get the sailing bug when the clocks move ahead this weekend. Around the first week of May, I'll bring the boats out from under cover and start the process of gearing them up for summer, drop the blower and mount the mower deck. I wait as long as I can, but it seems that we always have one more freak snow storm the minute I drop the blower off that thing? Probably my imagination.

Shvl73,

I've made the trip from Caribou to Augusta and back more times than I can count and way more than a few in the conditions you were describing yesterday. It is not fun and there is no short cut. If, for some reason, I ever needed to go to Fort Kent, we could always jump off in Sherman and cut miles off by going Route 11, but there are areas of that road that never see the sun in the winter and, therefore, never have bare tar for traction. Once you think you're on a good stretch of road, 2700 pounds of Moose runs out in front of you, so it really does snap the fun out of that trip. You had a long drive yesterday for sure. Take care guys. John, retired

 

[ChuckinNH]

These moose are a little harder to see in the winter.....