523XI Snow blower trouble

[Forest Road 594]

Bummer. I've been topping mine off with whatever gear lube I have on hand. 5 years and counting since complete rebuild. 

[Kurt-NEPA 755]

10 hours ago, WHX9 said:

Good tip John, might try to use that to check the flatness of heads.

 

So what you are saying guys is that gearbox should have oil in it or grease like Kurts? Do these units have fittings for checking oil levels? Could a guy tap in a grease zerk and give it a shot after every blowing?

Signed

A deuce  looking forward to a rebuild!

I used grease because my auger shaft was badly pitted.  I polished it as best I could, but didn't think it would ever seal well enough to keep oil in.  It should have gear oil in there.  These gear boxes only see a couple hours a use a year.  If your shaft and seals are OK,  just top it off every fall.

 

If you want a good improvement to your blower add a center support to the auger gear box.  It real cuts down on vibration.  Has to help the wear on the entire system.

[WHX?? 49,151]

Yes I think you mentioned that in other blower threads. Got a pic on that support Kurt?

[Kurt-NEPA 755]

1 minute ago, WHX9 said:

Yes I think you mentioned that in other blower threads. Got a pic on that support Kurt?

This is what I did.  Simple fab job.

 

[WHX?? 49,151]

Thanks Kurt ... saved it this time!

[Xearl 131]

Kurt , Nice . I can't tell if this is solid or if there is some adjustment .  ED

[JERSEYHAWG / Glenn 4,497]

55 minutes ago, Xearl said:

Kurt , Nice . I can't tell if this is solid or if there is some adjustment .  ED

Ed, Kurt does nice work doesn't he? A great idea to. I get your question, a picture from the other side will show us if those holes are drilled straight through or not, good question to. 

 

Glenn

 

Btw, a good thread you have going here, enjoying following along.

[Kurt-NEPA 755]

7 hours ago, Xearl said:

Kurt , Nice . I can't tell if this is solid or if there is some adjustment .  ED

No adjustment on mine.  It took me a while to make sure I got the holes aligned.  I used transfer punches.  The hard part of this project was getting the piece to fit the auger gear box.  I used a piece of cardboard and kept trimming until it fit as I wanted it to.  Then I made the upright.  And finally the angle bracket.  Last holes to drill went into the blower housing.  I did support the gear box as I did this.  I put a bottle jack under it and moved the box to the neutral position with no sag in the auger shaft.  Hope that make sense.

[Kurt-NEPA 755]

Picture of the other side of the bracket.  A little dirty now, the blower just got rid of 28 inches of snow last week.

 

[Xearl 131]

Explanation clear . Kurt nice clean ,neat job . Ed

I can't believe how many posts there are in response to my question . What a great site . OH ,and thanks everyone . ED

 

[Sarge 3,463]

The reason GL-4 was specified is due to brass or bronze parts - older manual transmissions had brass synchros that had a bad habit of plugging up the grooves if GL-5 is used , making them hard to shift and destroying those synchro rings . My old Land Cruiser is that way and finding true GL-4 is a real pain in the butt - I think Brad Penn carries it IIRC ...

 

I wonder if the way that gearbox is designed if it might be a good idea to add a secondary brace to the bottom of the blower housing - between the scraper edge and discharge housing opening....? I've seen other brands of 2-stage blowers that used upper and lower braces like the mod above - just seems to make sense to support that box and not allow it to have to float on the auger shafts...

 

Sarge

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

What I dug up about GL5 gear lube  below, and as far as the auger suspended I believe if one does the bearing upgrade like I have vs the original bushings this helps tremendously and then add Kurt's mod also would be sufficient as the auger turns half speed of the impeller and single stage units, as I also did the rubber paddles extensions on the impeller and and solid "stone deflector" to help push the snow up and out of the chute, Jeff.

Edited March 22, 2017 by WVHillbilly520H

[Xearl 131]

I can't believe how many posts there are in response to my question . What a great site . OH ,and thanks everyone . ED

 

Jeff , That's a nice set up . Can you tell me more about the bearings ? I have the whole front end apart it might be a good time to switch to bearings even though I replaced the bushings last season . My shaft is not in the greatest shape and after I polish it my mind may have been made up for me .  ED

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

Ed, I used the same bearing retainers that have grease zerks and same style bearings as used for the impeller, but the bearing I.D. is 7/8" vs 3/4", the retainers are 3 bolt vs the 4 Bolt bushing retainer I used the top hole then drilled the other 2 using the retainer as a template, also had to fabricate a 1/4" spacer for the bearing to clear the housing, I got the idea from others threads on here (Dukes snow chucker build) that may actually have more in depth info, also the rubber impeller paddles I got from a kit on eBay, I figured since I had to rebuild it might as well go all in, sorry I don't have the specifics as I have paperwork scattered throughout the house and toolbox, but to me it was well worth the extra investment of time and money, Jeff.

[Xearl 131]

Thanks . I have some information and the old parts I took off . I'll work it from there .   Do the paddles touch the housing ? I saw these but was concerned about wear . ED

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

Ed you want the paddles to just touch the impeller drum for "0" clearance but since they're rubber they'll wear in, here's another pic see the black in the drum from where they first made contact on break in, Jeff.

[Xearl 131]

Thanks . Not as bad as I imagined .  ED

[Xearl 131]

Well I made a jig to spin the auger shaft so I can clean it . Looking at it I see it is pretty rough so I am debating a new shaft but I don't know if it is worth it . I mean how many hours do I run in a year .  I'll post here on Red Square and see If I can find a used one . Grease in the case is a option or check the oil level before each use . The new bushings have some play and the surface where the seals run is rough . Any thoughts ???????  ED

Edited March 25, 2017 by Xearl

[Kurt-NEPA 755]

Well you are making progress.  Sounds like you found the same pitted shaft that I did.  I elected for the grease approach.  I used synthetic.  So far, so good.  I''l pour in some 85W-140 this fall and hope for the best.

 

How hard was it to get the gear off?  That is why I did not replace the shaft.  Decided to leave well enough alone.

 

Are you planing on the outboard bearing improvement and the paddle improvement projects?  I did both and it was well worth.  This last storm I blowing 14" of moderately heavy snow out the shoot for well over 100ft.

On 3/23/2017 at 9:09 PM, Xearl said:

Thanks . I have some information and the old parts I took off . I'll work it from there .   Do the paddles touch the housing ? I saw these but was concerned about wear . ED

For mine I used metal paddles with 1/16" clearance.  They work well but I worry about what will happen if I loose a bearing.

 

 

 

[Xearl 131]

 The gear came off easy enough . I cleaned the rust off with a disc grinder staying away from the bearing surfaces . I then stood it up on a block of wood and tapped it off . Just now while I was polishing ( 400 wet then 1500 wet ) I noticed the key ways spread a little probably took a good smack at one time . I can tap the metal back in place then I have to figure out which way the shaft turns , up or down , so I can put the good side opposite the rotation . I 'm looking around at bearings trying to figure how to go about getting the right ones and then centering so new holes can be drilled .  I don't know how much clearance there is between the auger and the housing . Tractor supply has a nice assortment .  Then someone posted a picture of a cast iron bearing with a zerk  but without knowing dimensions I don't know if there is enough clearance . I have a few decisions to make and  I'd hate to take the wrong path .   Thanks for the feedback . Ed

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

I would stay away from the cast block bearings because of clearance issues, the "big bearing store".com is where is sourced all my replacement bearings sprockets and roller chain, I'll have to back search for my receipts later and hopefully give you all the info on it, Jeff.

[Kurt-NEPA 755]

I used the following cam lock bearing on mine - the bearing number was SA205-16 with T52MSTRZP-1 flanges.  TSC numbers 1195167 and 1198717

My notes say the auger shaft was 1" - so check that.  I got the bearing from USA Bearings and Belts.

 

I had to fabricate a 1/4" spacer to move the auger shaft bearing inboard.  Without the spacer, the bearing came out past the end of the shaft.

 

[Xearl 131]

Just to make it clear my bearings have four mounting holes so the three holed ones would require drilling all new holes . Centering the new bearing would be my concern .  . Jeff and Kurt thanks for the help .

[WVHillbilly520H 10,374]

Ed, I bolted the new flanges (BTW Toro part #s 2 of 110568 and 2 of 119020 relube with grease zerk) to the top center hole then used a transfer punch to mark the 2 new holes that needed to be drilled (a bit oversize for some adjustments) and Kurt beat me to the bearing #s ($13.06/2 from TheBigBearingStore.com) , and also the 1/4" spacer fabbed too, I also made a cover plate for the outside and RVT sealed to try and help keep dirt/water from getting in on that side of the bearings, also my auger shaft was/is pitted but it's just carrying the auger for the most part, just polish with sand paper as best you can, Jeff.

Edited March 26, 2017 by WVHillbilly520H

[Kurt-NEPA 755]

1 hour ago, Xearl said:

Just to make it clear my bearings have four mounting holes so the three holed ones would require drilling all new holes . Centering the new bearing would be my concern .  . Jeff and Kurt thanks for the help .

Yes I did have to drill new mounting holes.  I made my 1/4" spacer and drilled the holes in the end plate on a milling machine.  But I could easily have done it on a drill press or with a hand drill.  Just be careful with the lay out.  It doesn't need to be super accurate,