Added an electrical actuator to my snow blower chute deflector.

[jaydee325]

I did the same mod to a snowblower I owned previously.

Never had an issue with water intrusion! Only complaint was the actuator I used was slow.

Snowblower - Linear Actuator on Snowblower

 

[NormL]

I did the same mod to a snowblower I owned previously.

Never had an issue with water intrusion! Only complaint was the actuator I used was slow.

Snowblower - Linear Actuator on Snowblower

The one I have is also slow. I tried it for various tasks and found it to be too slow to be of use at any of them. I'm hoping it won't matter as much on the deflector. Is there even any actuator that isn't slow?

 

[SylvainG]

I'm toying with the idea of copying your solution for adjusting the top chute from the operators seat. Does your actuator still freeze up after you blow out your drive? I use an electric window motor from a parts vehicle I had handy to swing the chute to either side - made necessary when I built a snowcab for my machine. The crank system would have been a major inconvenience. If I could aim the top chute down more when shooting against wind or driving into the wind, maybe I could avoid buildup of snow on the windshield. I don't have a wiper on there.

Didn't have enough snow to use the snowblower so far. It either melted before I could blow it or not enough so I used the ATV/plow. It might have been the temperature fluctuations between above/below freezing point that froze the mechanism. I only noticed it when I tried to move it to test how it would behave. It's pretty cold now so I'll see once we get a real snow storm.

 

[NormL]

Didn't have enough snow to use the snowblower so far. It either melted before I could blow it or not enough so I used the ATV/plow. It might have been the temperature fluctuations between above/below freezing point that froze the mechanism. I only noticed it when I tried to move it to test how it would behave. It's pretty cold now so I'll see once we get a real snow storm.

What you have going on sounds like our winter last year. I only got to use the blower twice all winter and one of those times it was mostly to test out the mods I'd done on it. This winter I have lost count of the times I've been on it. And it's because I have used it quite a lot that I find out what could be improved. If the electric deflector chute is not the answer I'll be putting a wiper on the windshield and maybe the side windows as well. The blowback when I'm working against wind keeps sticking to the windshield, side windows and the mirrors. Hopefully when that happens I can shoot the snow up and over the snowcab.

 

[SylvainG]

Well, my actuator is dead. I'll need to get another one. Hopefully it's a fluke and the new one won't have that issue. I'll make sure to install it with its rod pointing down this time. I opened it and just the motor itself has trouble spinning. I don't see any water infiltration but had it installed for a few weeks when it was raining last fall with the rod pointing up.

 

[LittleBill21]

Well, my actuator is dead. I'll need to get another one. Hopefully it's a fluke and the new one won't have that issue. I'll make sure to install it with its rod pointing down this time. I opened it and just the motor itself has trouble spinning. I don't see any water infiltration but had it installed for a few weeks when it was raining last fall with the rod pointing up.

i Wonder, if you can install a double lip grease seal on the shaft taped to the housing or something, ( i would 3d print something), i would be pretty confident that would keep over 90% of the water out.

I have no concern with mine, im not using mine in the wet, odd the motor is having a hard time turning. gl on the next one

 

[NormL]

Well, my actuator is dead. I'll need to get another one. Hopefully it's a fluke and the new one won't have that issue. I'll make sure to install it with its rod pointing down this time. I opened it and just the motor itself has trouble spinning. I don't see any water infiltration but had it installed for a few weeks when it was raining last fall with the rod pointing up.

Good possibility some windings overheated when you tried to run it when frozen. Those tiny motors have even tinier (delicate) wire in the windings and do not tolerate sitting and humming for long. I'll make sure to keep it in mind when I modify my blower with a copy of your setup.