Snow Going through second stage bolts

[jrogers]

I switched to a roll pin in the U joint and went out to do the driveway. Went through 2 more shear bolts in the second stage. They really sand out road heavily, and I am back to thinking that the problem is the sand, or probably more accurately, the gravel that they are using. It seems like it is similar diameter to the gap between my fan blades and the housing. Any ideas as to how to best tighten up this gap? Here is one I found:

SNOW BLOWER IMPELLER KIT™ - 1/4" 4-Blade Universal - Modifies 2-Stage Machine | eBay

But it looks a bit light weight for my application. Another idea that I was considering is removing the fan blades and welding on the end and grinding to narrow up the gap. I am not sure how much work it is to get the fan blades out. If anyone has experience with this I would be interested in hearing of there is an easy way to get the fan out, but it looks like it would be a pretty major disassembly. Also, if there are any products that I can slip on the ends of the fan blades to decrease the gap, but this may be hard to keep in place.

 

[Dave M7040]

Consider going to Salem Power and compare the parts and upgrade kits they have for Bercomatic blowers. I think same origins as RAD.

Salem Power Equipment, LLC - Search Results for "16517"

The upgrade kit is 104977 at this link: 14977 } UPGRATE KIT FOR WORM GEAR - Salem Power Equipment, LLC

They dont say what the upgrade consists of but suspect a new fan with new shear bolt design, new flange piece to slip over fan shaft to mate to new fan shear bolt and probably upgrades within the gear box itself.

A call to them might yield a lot of info.

Dave M7040

 

[JWR]

jrogers -- some of this has been interesting and/or educational, but your situation is ridiculously out of hand. Find the dealer who sold the thing to you and demand that they back the product -- make them figure out what the problem is...no matter who has to pay for it. Nothing else makes any sense at this point.

 

[jrogers]

JWR,

I bought it used, but there is a local Kubota dealer. I am thinking after the winter is over (or at least the snowfall) I will take it down there for them to look at and see of they can figure it out. I am thinking that it is all of the sand, and the size of the sand vs. the gap between the housing and the fan. One idea I had to test this was to spray the housing with a thick, plasticized paint like on tool handles to take up the gap on a temporary basis and see of this causes the gravel to make it through. I am not convinced that the gravel is the problem though, since the last shear bolt went when I was 100 yards away from the main road where the gravel is at -- by maybe it does not get pushed out right away and just rolls around in the fan until it jams...

Thanks for sticking with me and all of the suggestions.

 

[Dave M7040]

I have been posting about shear bolt failures being experienced by the owners of front mounted blowers which are driven by mid pto's. My comments are negative. I was surprised to find an email in my inbox from: CustomerService@Kubota.ca. with the topic Shear Bolt failures.

I have not opened the email fearing a virus but checked and Kubota Canada posts that same email address.

I sent an email to that address at Kubota.ca saying I received an email looking like it came from them but I would not be opening it.

I suggested if they have anything to say about shear bolt failures they should join the forum(s) and disclose who they represent. I also said many frustrated owners would like to have a person at Kubota to deal with.

Have any of the forum members been contacted by Kubota like this?

Dave M7040

 

[jrogers]

Well the problem is not sand. I just went through 4 shear bolts in an hour, and I was just plowing through 6 inches of fresh snow on pavement, no where near any rocks or gravel. I am going to go back and revisit the phasing issue, and maybe even rotate it 90 degrees to see if this helps. It seems to take a bit longer to break the bolts if I throttle back a bit, but not much difference. The bolt parts I recovered are looking pretty beat up for only being in there for 15 minutes or less. I will post a picture of a couple of them when I get the chance.

 

[JWR]

I have been posting about shear bolt failures being experienced by the owners of front mounted blowers which are driven by mid pto's. My comments are negative. I was surprised to find an email in my inbox from: CustomerService@Kubota.ca. with the topic Shear Bolt failures.

I have not opened the email fearing a virus but checked and Kubota Canada posts that same email address.

I sent an email to that address at Kubota.ca saying I received an email looking like it came from them but I would not be opening it.

I suggested if they have anything to say about shear bolt failures they should join the forum(s) and disclose who they represent. I also said many frustrated owners would like to have a person at Kubota to deal with.

Have any of the forum members been contacted by Kubota like this?

Dave M7040

I was contacted by 2 different AGCO reps about the same problem this past week. Ordinary emails. I think you were aware that MF (e.g. AGCO) has the same issue reported on these forums all tracking back to the same OEM brand front end snowblower. I told them I was not the customer/owner/user of the units with trouble and pointed them back to the forum so they could make contact.
So far as I could tell they were genuinely interested in trying to get to the bottom of the problem. One was replying to my email to AGCO asking if they were going to issue a recall or if they were aware of the problems. The other was from "AGCO Answers" customer service people. By the way, as long as you have your computer anti-virus software set to protect you (normal defaults, standard stuff) you are in no danger opening an email. You'll never be hit just opening an email if you are using any of the standard antivirus programs. You ARE at risk opening attachments to emails, not emails themselves. I use Microsoft Security Essentials (which is free) on 3 machines at our household and 2 others that I have installed for people. Never heard of a breakthrough in many years.

 

[Dave M7040]

JWR

Please don't take my reply as being in anyway a negative response to your opinion on the risks involved with this email.
On the orange forum where I also posted this concern, a member also suggested to open it.
I asked him to pm me his email address and I would try and forward it unopened.
I just finished dealing with a nasty virus masquerading as the major Canadian Telco and internet provider doing a customer survey.

It was in a link a trusted friend sent me concerning research at a University we were both involved in.

I am always concerned when I cannot click on reply or forward an email before opening it.

If Kubota will formally come on the forum with the intention of making its customers happy, it is a win win situation for everyone.
I recently got a threatening email from an American Attorney representing some Hollywood giant.
My son forgot to use his VPN software when he was here to visit and proceeded to bit torrent download USA stuff.

I am old and, at times foggy from opioids, and just try and keep my life simple.

Dave M7040

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[JWR]

No problem, quite alright. I find tractors and farm equipment to be a great escape from the arcane business of the computer world. You're old ! I'm 74 this year and headed for your country to ski next week.

 

[Dave M7040]

No problem, quite alright. I find tractors and farm equipment to be a great escape from the arcane business of the computer world. You're old ! I'm 74 this year and headed for your country to ski next week.

JWR

I too loved hiking, cross country and downhill skiiing.
Also like high tech solutions to problems.

Had serious pain issues from a neck injury and after 8 years on heavy duty opioids elected to have a neurostimulator implant.

Electrodes placed beside my spinal cord in my neck and a black box in my abdomen.
A special belt to wear to charge up the black box. Remote control to adjust the black box.
No more welding because of the strong magnetic fields so gave away my welders.

It all went wrong and I ended partially paralyzed from an infection around the electrodes which compressed my spinal cord.

The photo to remove the infected tissue and bone + the electrodes left this hole in my neck.
I was sent home to grow new tissue to fill the surgical hole.

Sorry if it offends anyone. I shrunk is as much as I could. Now more pain and more opioids than ever. Hospitals are a dangerous place to go.
All my welders are gone but because the stimulator was ripped out I am allowed to weld again.

Dave M7040

p.s. I apologize to the originator of this thread for going so far from it.