front mount snowblower on L3430

Max Power · Oct 2, 2011

art said:
With some uses of snow blower we have found them more prone to breaking shear pins as well as chains.

Chain breakage has been more prevelent in use in hardened banks and shearpin issues have been more prevelent in lumpy conditions. Either way they have not been issues with fresh fallen snow in normal cleared paths and driveway.

There are times that with more immediate snow removal the issues described prior will not be a problem they still can persist.

thanks

these chains should not be breaking. not if things are set right.

I can see shear pins breaking with aggressive use but the chain should be able to take a lot. (I still haven't used this one and even without doing anything I am sure it will blow snow. Just a little perturbed that it is out of wack as far as being able to set the chain tension. I will just leave set properly at the tight end and let the other half or the rotation be loose.

regards

art · Oct 2, 2011

Max Power said:
thanks

these chains should not be breaking. not if things are set right.

I can see shear pins breaking with aggressive use but the chain should be able to take a lot. (I still haven't used this one and even without doing anything I am sure it will blow snow. Just a little perturbed that it is out of wack as far as being able to set the chain tension. I will just leave set properly at the tight end and let the other half or the rotation be loose.

regards

See how it free wheels. this wil give you an idea if and where it might have a flat spot or tight or loose and try and adjust around it.

Max Power · Oct 2, 2011

art said:
See how it free wheels. this wil give you an idea if and where it might have a flat spot or tight or loose and try and adjust around it.

it free-wheels fine ...the chain gear (is bolted to the auger flange) is not centered on the flange of the auger or the flange is not centered on the auger shaft (the flange is welded to the shaft). so as it turns the chain gets tight and then loose.

It should handle being a bit loose better then being tight. I will have to take the thing off and check the gear if the bolt holes are off-set.

I am wondering if anyone else has seen this, whether there are QC issues with these blowers.

thanks

Gomer · Oct 5, 2011

SPYDERLK said:
no inherent reason that those issues would break shearpins
larry

I beg to differ with you.
The driven sprocket is loose and can chuck back and forth, when you disengage the blower the auger and shaft continues to turn, the sprocket stops, the driven gear is all the way counter-clockwise relative to the shaft (remember I said the key is about half the size it was) when you re-engage the blower the sprocket takes off, shaft does not move until the sprocket moves about 2" which translate to 1/4" at the shaft and key, which is a **** a lot of torque for a little 1/4" grade 8 bolt.
I rest my case.

My point in all this was to get other people with this blower to check their sprockets and keys. I don't think I was any help for the original poster but he did not say what model he had until later in the fight.

Max Power · Oct 5, 2011

Gomer said:
I beg to differ with you.
The driven sprocket is loose and can chuck back and forth, when you disengage the blower the auger and shaft continues to turn, the sprocket stops, the driven gear is all the way counter-clockwise relative to the shaft (remember I said the key is about half the size it was) when you re-engage the blower the sprocket takes off, shaft does not move until the sprocket moves about 2" which translate to 1/4" at the shaft and key, which is a **** a lot of torque for a little 1/4" grade 8 bolt.
I rest my case.

My point in all this was to get other people with this blower to check their sprockets and keys. I don't think I was any help for the original poster but he did not say what model he had until later in the fight.

I didn't realize this was a fight !

there are no keys on my blower setup. it is an L2174A* ...not my first time around snow blowers. I used to work on those big ones you see at airports.

...if you are referring to the shear bolt it should be grade 5.

I did take the auger apart and there is a lot of play in the sprocket to shaft and can produce considerable out of round (just in the play on the bolt holes, even though they are not elongated, in my case). It seems the previous owner had the bolts holding the sprocket get loose and fall out or break and then continued to operate the blower (the shaft and sprocket show that the sprocket was turning free on the shaft ....aaaarrrrggg). I got the sprocket square and tightened up the bolts using grade 8 instead of grade 5. If it gets loose again it will be easy enough to drill a couple of extra holes in the sprocket/flange to solve the issue, actually if I get time I will just do that anyhow.

cheers