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Ariens 11528LE Drive Belt Slips Off

37K views 49 replies 18 participants last post by  RIT333 
#1 ·
I picked up this blower used. The auger wouldn't spin so I replaced auger belt and drive belt they were both chewed up pretty bad. Now the drive and auger both work however the drive belt keeps slipping off. It literally slipped off just sitting in the garage. Very weird.

The belt appears tight and I am certain it is ran correctly. Did some digging in the manual it says to have the "traction drive clutch spring" expand 1/2 inch when lever is engaged(pg 26 owners manual). So i made sure that was done and it checks out and it did.

The idler pulley has a slight wobble to it but not sure if that could be the problem. As far as I can tell you can't adjust idler pulley for the drive system.

The new belts were ordered from an Ariens Dealer and I gave them the serial # so can't imagine its the wrong belt.

What other things could I check?

Here are the owners/parts manuals:
Ariens Order Owners Manuals

And I will take a few pictures maybe you guys can spot something.
 
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#2 ·
Looseness in the idler pulley is common as it's not a precision bearing! Many times there is a minor adjustment. You loosen the center bolt and you can slide the pulley sideways about an inch.

Remove the auger belt and turn the pulley to ensure there's no binding. It should turn relatively easy.

Turn all the pulleys to ensure they turn easy. Wiggle them also.

Look down eyeing the pulleys making sure they are inline. Make sure they are not bent or wobbly.

Then put the belts on, look at how they are riding in the pulleys.

Put blocks under the rear frame lifting the wheels off the ground. Take the spark plug wire off. Have someone slowly pull the starter cord while you are lining things up.

The adjustments underneath the engine and at the rear governs the tension applied to the belt which also controls slippage, has nothing to do with the belt slipping off unless it was crazy loose.
 
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#5 · (Edited)
Thanks for the reply I appreciate it. So you're saying to loosen the drive belt pulley and slide it over an inch? Wish you were here to help. Confusing reading this. I need to line all the pulleys up somehow? The auger is working fine. Drive belt just keeps coming off.

Are you sure the drive belt pulley can be adjusted? I know the auger belt can as it has a groove where you can slide it forward or back.
 
#14 ·
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpHVbXJ_fPM&feature=youtu.be

Video of it in action. Seems like the big drive wheel is bouncing around alot. Not sure if normal or maybe bad bearing/part in there somewhere? Hope you guys can help.
Looking at your video the drive wheel (large pulley) seems to be no where's near in line with the small pulley on the engine. It was mentioned above your engine mounting bolts could be loose, I doubt it since your auger belt pulleys line up correctly. I think I'd open up the bottom and see if the drive pulley is loose or the bearing worn or the return spring or drive cable hanging up and the drive plate not freely moving.
 
#9 · (Edited)
You can definitely adjust the belt idler (5).

The belt idler is loose and needs adjustment. The idler should have light steady pressure against the belt. But the pressure should not be so tight that it causes the auger to spin when the machine is simply idling. The idler can be adjusted by loosening the center screw (on the idler wheel (9)) shifting the idler wheel towards the belt and retightening the screw. If you over tighten the idler the auger will turn even though the impeller lever is not engaged. If this occurs you will just need to loosen the idler screw slide the pulley ever so slightly away from the belt. Note how the idler exerts slight pressure in picture below.

I am not mechanically inclined at all. But replacing and adjusting belts on a snow blower is a very simple task. So simple even a NOOB such myself can perform. This task was an absolute necessity because that winter I was about to be bombarded with back to back 15" snowfalls. And I had thrown an impeller belt during the first storm and the next big storm was days away. All the local repair stores were out of snow blower belts and back logged with repairs. So it was either shovel or learn to swap a belt. Unfortunately, nobody had my snow blower's belt in stock. As a temporary fix for my blower I substituted an auto parts v-belt which was also 5/16" shorter than the OEM snow blower belt. Thus, I had to adjust the idler wheel to accommodate the shorter belt length. 4 weeks later when my OEM snow blower belt arrived I swapped out the auto store belt.
 

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#10 ·
You can definitely adjust the impeller idler pulley.

The idler pulley is loose and needs adjustment. The pulley should have light steady pressure against the impeller belt. But the pressure should not be so tight that it causes the impeller to spin when the machine is simply idling. The pulley can be adjusted by loosening the center screw (on the pulley) shifting the pulley towards the belt and retightening the screw. If you over tighten the impeller pulley the auger will turn even though the impeller lever is not engaged. If this occurs you will just need to loosen the pulley screw slide the pulley ever so slightly away from the belt.

I am not mechanically inclined at all. But replacing and adjusting belts on a snow blower is a very simple task. So simple even a NOOB such myself can perform. This task was an absolute necessity because that winter I was about to be bombarded with back to back 15" snowfalls. And I had thrown an impeller belt during the first storm and the next big storm was days away. All the local repair stores were out of snow blower belts and back logged with repairs. So it was either shovel or learn to swap a belt. Unfortunately, nobody had my snow blower's belt in stock. As a temporary fix for my blower I substituted an auto parts v-belt which was also 5/16" shorter than the OEM snow blower belt. Thus, I had to adjust the idler pulley to accommodate the shorter belt length. 4 weeks later when my OEM snow blower belt arrived I swapped out the auto store belt.
It's not the impeller belt... Its the drive belt. The impeller and auger work perfectly.
 
#11 ·
I re-read your post and you did write it was the drive belt coming off.

Looks like you do have an idler pulley for the drive belt, is that adjustable?

You have a belt bail or keeper for the auger belt, is your machine suppose to have one for the drive belt also? The bail reduces belt slap which causes stretching, also keeps the belt on.
 
#13 ·
If the drive idler is loose. The drive idler can be adjusted by the same fashion. On my old Ariens the drive & impeller idler were on the same pulley system. Yours appear to be using 2 separate idlers. Accessing that idler may require you to remove the 2 cap screws (bolts) that hold the snow blower frame to the frame. Make sure you have a chair to slide under the handlebar to support its weight when the last 2 cap screws are removed. As you lower the handle bars the opening to the belt area will widen.
 

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#21 · (Edited)
Icecold, The 926 series blowers have a couple unique issues that needed after attention from Ariens. Most notable was going to the dual drive belts for the auger. A baffle kit to keep water out of the tractor area. And if you scroll through to approx. time 9:05 in this videos for a simple fix that may get your belt in better alignment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-PQISVTk_I
Thanks for this. I have to agree this blower has a tonne of problems I am less then impressed with it. Pretty disappointing. I love my 28 Deluxe but this thing has got to go.

Reading through the comments on that video there appears to be no dual belt kit for my machine but it seems to throw the snow REALLY well so not sure its needed.

I owe you one for sure. Gonna have to go get some fuel line.
 
#23 ·
I have a similar ST1027LE and the gearbox was similar and I ended up replacing every bearing and bushing in the thing, I do believe they also make a kit for yours to put a auto turn axle in which replaces the wheel unlock lever that I could not get to work on mine so plan to go to the dealership and order tomorrow after work, If the engine runs I spent I think about $35 ish for all the bushings and new auger bearing, I needed a new double pulley also but mine came stock with one but I ordered the kit for $55 just to get all the new parts because the pulley alone was $45. This is the thread on my rebuild http://www.snowblowerforum.com/forum/general-snowblower-discussion/104154-ariens-1027le.html
 
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#28 ·
Thanks if I decide to replace the bushings ill def take a look at your guide there. I agree the wheel lock/unlock thing is a pain in the ass. Mine works on and off sometimes you have to pull the lever like 5 times. Looking through the manual it shows how to adjust it but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Auto turn is the bees knees in my books.
 
#24 ·
For those that didn't watch the video, Ariens had a service bulletin awhile back that dictated that a one inch piece of gas line could be installed
inside one of the housing bolts, thereby providing a premature bumper stop for an overly aggressive traction drive pulley.

JTClays, that was an excellent video.
 
#25 ·
ICE COLD BEER...

It is very possible your idler is the problem, first check to make sure it is working ok with little play. If its good then check alignment while your squeezing the handle to see all moves ok. You should be able to see how the belt acts when running and being operated.

Had issue with similar machine, it threw the belt and always wore through belts quickly. That series machine moves the pulley that the drive belt is on towards the friction wheel correct ???
And it has pulleys with the key cast into them rather than having a separate key i believe...

If so i found that there was bad alignment from the factory on the belt alignment setup. The remedy i came up with was to cut off 1/4" from auger pulley, file out the key portion on your new spacer ( Have to because the crankshaft might not be sllotted enough for proper fit ), then place it on the crank - then drive pulley - finally the auger pulley. That machine has been running now for 4 years on the same belt with this modification.

Look closely at the pixx and you can the spacer closest to the engine, this is what was cut off the auger pulley. By doing this modification it better aligns the drive pulley and belt with the lower pulley and its movement.


Good luck with your project.
 
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#33 ·
I just installed the dual auger kit on my 11528... Was $55 from Repair Clinic... and $10 for the water baffle kit.. I started a tread "Dual attachment kit belt alignment" and have some pictures uploaded there... At the suggestion of one really helpful member, I used washers or "bushings" - from Tractor Supply..


I used one bushing to move the traction pulley into more alignment but didn't want to change much there because I thought ... If it aint broke don't fix it....


I used another bushing washer to further move the auger pulley up into alignment... The package of bushing washers was $2 and 65 cents at the Tractor supply...


Be careful not to over tighten the belt guide upon re-assembly !.... It is a steel bolt into soft aluminum and... I stripped mine out... Luckily ... the blind hole in the aluminum was deeper than needed. So a longer 5/8 -24 bolt solved the re-attach issue... Otherwise I would be learning how to use Heli-coils right now...


I use duct tape to seal the belt cover up on the opposite side of the water baffle... I also cover most of the many holes in the body of the blower so as to keep the blowing snow out..


If someone is not mechanical I can see why they would get rid of this machine fast.. but if you don't mind turning some bolts and staying with it... This is a nice powerful blower..
 
#34 ·
I have the same issue

I've been having the same issue. The machine is an animal! It works great and throws snow a mile. When I'm done I put the machine in the garage. Next day the belt has popped off. Don't understand it. I even replaced both belts and having the same issue. Love the machine but getting very tired of having to fight the belt on before every storm. This is obviously a common issue. Also few days after a storm the auger belt slipped at start up and would not catch??? worked perfect a few days before. Threw the old belt back on and works find. Very frustrating!!!!!
 
#35 ·
I've been having the same issue. The machine is an animal! It works great and throws snow a mile. When I'm done I put the machine in the garage. Next day the belt has popped off. Don't understand it. I even replaced both belts and having the same issue. Love the machine but getting very tired of having to fight the belt on before every storm. This is obviously a common issue. Also few days after a storm the auger belt slipped at start up and would not catch??? worked perfect a few days before. Threw the old belt back on and works find. Very frustrating!!!!!
Sound like one of the belts is a little bit different length than the other. The belts should always be replaced in pairs, and from the same mfg - and compared in length before installing. I used the belts that came in the replacement kit, and mine works awesome.
 
#36 ·
Hi folks. First post.
I have a 926101. bought new about 15 years ago. I have done absolutely nothing other than lube and oil. Awesome machine.

Never had a problem with belts. The auger started slipping last year, so I went to find a reasonably priced replacement without paying dealership prices.

No can do. Gates, Goodyear, Dayco, Carlysle, Continental. Close, but no cigar. Obviously, the "ariens" belt is made by one of these major belt manufacturers, but they are custom sized. Yes it is a V-belt, 4L, raw, but...

...That Ariens spec belt is a custom length, and not to be found off the shelf in an auto part store or online. All of the closest ones are off by 1/4 - 3/8 inch.

I eventually bought the exact one at the Ariens dealer. It's like the machine is brand new again.

I would strongly advise anyone, before they start modifying their machines, to break down and get the correct belt ($30) from the dealer. Then adjust the cables exactly as indicated in the service manual.

If your belts are falling off, you have the wrong belt, or you have a part missing, or you have a adjustment issue. That's all there is there, it can't be anything else.

I'm all for saving a buck getting a belt that is 'close enough', but Ariens machines last a lifetime+ , so they made some custom parts to keep their dealers alive. Support them so they are there when you really need them.

I'm in Boston, on the water, and throw a lot of heavy wet snow. 15+ years out of a belt is fine with me.
 
#37 · (Edited)
Hi folks. First post.
I have a 926101. bought new about 15 years ago. I have done absolutely nothing other than lube and oil. Awesome machine.

Never had a problem with belts. The auger started slipping last year, so I went to find a reasonably priced replacement without paying dealership prices.

No can do. Gates, Goodyear, Dayco, Carlysle, Continental. Close, but no cigar. Obviously, the "ariens" belt is made by one of these major belt manufacturers, but they are custom sized. Yes it is a V-belt, 4L, raw, but...

...That Ariens spec belt is a custom length, and not to be found off the shelf in an auto part store or online. All of the closest ones are off by 1/4 - 3/8 inch.

I eventually bought the exact one at the Ariens dealer. It's like the machine is brand new again.

I would strongly advise anyone, before they start modifying their machines, to break down and get the correct belt ($30) from the dealer. Then adjust the cables exactly as indicated in the service manual.

If your belts are falling off, you have the wrong belt, or you have a part missing, or you have an adjustment issue. That's all there is there, it can't be anything else.

I'm all for saving a buck getting a belt that is 'close enough', but Ariens machines last a lifetime+ , so they made some custom parts to keep their dealers alive. (Support them once in a while so they are there when you really need them.)

I'm in Boston, on the water, and throw a lot of heavy wet snow. 15+ years out of a belt is fine with me.
 
#41 ·
Hi folks. First post.
I have a 926101. bought new about 15 years ago. I have done absolutely nothing other than lube and oil. Awesome machine.

Never had a problem with belts. The auger started slipping last year, so I went to find a reasonably priced replacement without paying dealership prices.

No can do. Gates, Goodyear, Dayco, Carlysle, Continental. Close, but no cigar. Obviously, the "ariens" belt is made by one of these major belt manufacturers, but they are custom sized. Yes it is a V-belt, 4L, raw, but...

...That Ariens spec belt is a custom length, and not to be found off the shelf in an auto part store or online. All of the closest ones are off by 1/4 - 3/8 inch.

I eventually bought the exact one at the Ariens dealer. It's like the machine is brand new again.

I would strongly advise anyone, before they start modifying their machines, to break down and get the correct belt ($30) from the dealer. Then adjust the cables exactly as indicated in the service manual.

If your belts are falling off, you have the wrong belt, or you have a part missing, or you have an adjustment issue. That's all there is there, it can't be anything else.

I'm all for saving a buck getting a belt that is 'close enough', but Ariens machines last a lifetime+ , so they made some custom parts to keep their dealers alive. (Support them once in a while so they are there when you really need them.)

I'm in Boston, on the water, and throw a lot of heavy wet snow. 15+ years out of a belt is fine with me.

The drive belt is 7 bucks from many places online
the auger belt is 12 bucks from many places online
the dual upgrade pulley with new belts is cheap at 55 which comes with both belts when you are paying 30 for 1 belt sheesh
the baffle kit for 10 is also needed
since ariens added both of those thing to all 926 blowers going forward they must be needed woudnt you say?


auger belt 12 bucks free shipping https://www.ebay.com/p/Replacement-Belt-for-Ariens-07200021/1158357112?iid=171741583627&chn=ps

drive belt 7 bucks free shipping https://www.ebay.com/itm/5018-Rotar...Wk9Xc:sc:USPSFirstClass!01915!US!-1:rk:3:pf:0


Main Belts Sizes Reference
 
#39 · (Edited)
I wish I had found this forum years ago! I've suffered the belt jumping issue for years. Ariens sent me a new friction pulley after speaking with one of their engineers back when I first purchased it. The new pulley has a wider lip on the engine side but it didn't fix the issue and I finally gave up on it and purchased a different brand yesterday because the belt would pop off every time I tried to start it. I'm thinking the fix of placing a spacer on the engine side of the drive pulley would have been the trick. I guess I'll have to try that so I can feel comfortable passing this machine on to someone else.
 
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