This snowblower "rebuild" project is turning out to be a massive pain. After wrestling with the stuck right axle/wheel issue, and the auger flange pulley, the left axle is solidly stuck in the center axle tube (that both axles slide into internally). You can see I've had to rig a makeshift "pusher" tool using six threaded couplers, and 3 x 3/4" bolts. I'm not sure I've ever killed so much time dealing with just a few parts so my frustration level is high. I'm using a few ball joint removal kit bits along with the DIY pusher tool to try and extract the axle shaft from the tube shown in the 2nd pic below. This part is stuck with parts inside and outside the machine so I can't just remove it and take it to the same shop I took the wheel to (which has a 50 ton press).

The tube in the pic below is hollow..and both wheel axles normally slide into it. One side just slid out, but this side..not. I've been alternating heat and penetrating fluid and have moved the axle 1-2 inches with hours invested. I'm sure a shop much just cut these off and source new parts as this is a crazy time kill.

Part 32 is stuck in the tube, Part 36

The pieces I need to convert the old light to dual LED lights have all arrived so at least that is good to go. I'm still waiting for snowblower parts though. I guess I'll stare at that stuck axle for a few more days...

 

MAPP gas and patience (as in a few days messing with it)...success Now to wait for the replacement bushings and belts. $240 worth to be exact :-(

We're still waiting for parts so I figured it was time to sort the light upgrade out. The Toro light output is somewhere around 13V, but it is AC. That works fine for the old bulbs, but the LED lights want DC. In the pic a few posts back you can see the AC-DC rectifier and capacitors (to clean up the DC output) These bits are pretty much right from Youtube posts on snowblower LED light conversions (for older machines) so I won't post details. It's more or less here:

Here is the old light which when new was maybe 200 lumens. It's not adequate if you using the blower at night IMHO.

The new lights mounted x 2 (approx 2500 lumens). The clamps were sourced from Amazon.ca : https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07TNH72SG/?tag=atomicindus04-20

I fired up the disassembled snowblower for a few seconds to test. The lights pretty much lit up the garage, so for sure will be a vast improvement outside. Start up (cold engine) exhaust made for an interesting visual effect..ha. For about $60 for the lights, mounts and rectifier/capacitors, this is a pretty cost effective upgrade for pretty much any 12V application.

 

All parts in hand now, so reassembly is the next order of business. I sourced up some grease zerks, a new 1/4" 28 tap, and a solution for a "remote" zerk compliments of a local hydraulics shop. For about $15, they fixed me up with the high pressure hose, right angle adaptor and ends (used commonly on heavy equipment, trucks etc) so that I can grease the main auger bearing without splitting the case. It's hard to get at once installed, so the remote zerk will make it a snap to add a few pumps of grease to the bushing. The OEM setup is just a bushing..no way to grease it.

This is a self aligning bushing, which from the factory has a small bolt to keep it from spinning in the housing. I removed the bolt from the (brand new) bushing, drilled right through the housing and bushing, and tapped it 1/4" 28 for the right angled zerk adapter. This bushing takes the most abuse of any on a snowblower, so it makes sense to make it greasable.

Note, the bushing in the pic below is installed (incorrectly) backwards...the thrust surface should be oriented towards the impeller, not the impeller pulley!

The end of this hose (just out of frame) has the grease zerk fitted. Routing the hose behind the chute support tube ensures it will never contact the spinning main auger pulley

The main auger pully now back in place with a ton of anti-seize on everything By adding grease zerks to the main bearing and auger bearings, this PITA pulley will likely never need to be removed again.

I added zerks to the right and left auger bearings...again, there was no provision to add grease from the factory. These should be lifetime parts now. These bearings support the auger shaft left and right and cannot be removed unless you remove the entire auger assembly. The factory 100% should have these zerks installed during manufacturing but I guess it saves a few bucks and ensures you'll need to replace them every 8-10 years. If I bought a new snowblower, I'd 100% add these when the unit was new, and nothing was rusted/seized/stuck !!!

This is the external zerk for the main auger bearing. A squirt or two per season will make this a lifetime part.

The auger now sports greasable bushings (close up in the previous post) I changed up the gear case oil (80w90 Castrol) while I was in there. There was not much for old oil left, so I'll definitely add this to the check yearly list.

Back together and running very nicely. The auger assembly is running so quiet and vibration-free, the only way I knew it was running is by hearing the motor load up a bit when engaged. The new LED lights are crazy bright too, even in daylight

The 342 CC engine (4 stroke) got a fresh fill of synthetic 5w30 oil too. I'll be sure and pull the wheels every year now (so they don't seize again), along with the yearly oil change, and grease work. I've found that the octagonal drive shaft (the friction drive wheel slides on this) does need a yearly coat of low temp grease as it will quickly rust if left alone for even a year. I did not realise that you could just tilt the blower up on the auger housing. This makes it a lot easier to pull the bottom access plate and service the drive components with low temp grease..again, added to my yearly task list.

On to the next project.

 

All parts in hand now, so reassembly is the next order of business. I sourced up some grease zerks, a new 1/4" 28 tap, and a solution for a "remote" zerk compliments of a local hydraulics shop. For about $15, they fixed me up with the high pressure hose, right angle adaptor and ends (used commonly on heavy equipment, trucks etc) so that I can grease the main auger bearing without splitting the case. It's hard to get at once installed, so the remote zerk will make it a snap to add a few pumps of grease to the bushing. The OEM setup is just a bushing..no way to grease it.

This is a self aligning bushing, which from the factory has a small bolt to keep it from spinning in the housing. I removed the bolt from the (brand new) bushing, drilled right through the housing and bushing, and tapped it 1/4" 28 for the right angled zerk adapter. This bushing takes the most abuse of any on a snowblower, so it makes sense to make it greasable. The

View attachment 191853

The end of this hose (just out of frame) has the grease zerk fitted. Routing the hose behind the chute support tube ensures it will never contact the spinning main auger pulley


View attachment 191854

The main auger pully now back in place with a ton of anti-seize on everything By adding grease zerks to the main bearing and auger bearings, this PITA pulley will likely never need to be removed again.

View attachment 191855

I added zerks to the right and left auger bearings...again, there was no provision to add grease from the factory. These should be lifetime parts now. These bearings support the auger shaft left and right and cannot be removed unless you remove the entire auger assembly. The factory 100% should have these zerks installed during manufacturing but I guess it saves a few bucks and ensures you'll need to replace them every 8-10 years. If I bought a new snowblower, I'd 100% add these when the unit was new, and nothing was rusted/seized/stuck !!!

View attachment 191856

This is the external zerk for the main auger bearing. A squirt or two per season will make this a lifetime part.

View attachment 191857

The auger now sports greasable bushings (close up in the previous post) I changed up the gear case oil (80w90 Castrol) while I was in there. There was not much for old oil left, so I'll definitely add this to the check yearly list.

View attachment 191858

Back together and running very nicely. The auger assembly is running so quiet and vibration-free, the only way I knew it was running is by hearing the motor load up a bit when engaged. The new LED lights are crazy bright too, even in daylight

The 342 CC engine (4 stroke) got a fresh fill of synthetic 5w30 oil too. I'll be sure and pull the wheels every year now (so they don't seize again), along with the yearly oil change, and grease work. I've found that the octagonal drive shaft (the friction drive wheel slides on this) does need a yearly coat of low temp grease as it will quickly rust if left alone for even a year. I did not realise that you could just tilt the blower up on the auger housing. This makes it a lot easier to pull the bottom access plate and service the drive components with low temp grease..again, added to my yearly task list.

On to the next project.

View attachment 191859

Nice Job! I did the same grease fitting Mods on my Toro 521. I didn't do the remote grease line for the impeller bearing, though...Nice touch. I did put quick releases on the belt cover for greasing access. I also replaced the impeller pulley to bearing thrust washer, with a roller type thrust bearing. It's a little wider than the thrust washer, but I had room and still got full engagement of the impeller shaft through the pulley. The thrust bearing (See Pic) made a big difference in reducing friction. The auger runs amazingly smooth and quiet. More horse power for throwing snow. Thanks for sharing! Nice work!

 

What is the formal name of those side auger bearings so I can Search for the correct size for mine.

 

JLaw, they are just the OEM replacements for a TORO model 38680, serial 314000000 series. I drilled and tapped them for the zerks to make sure the grease would enter the bushing and "cavity" side of the bushing. Zerk is a 1/4" 28 thread, drill bit is #3, or 7/32".

2	106-4570 BEARING-AUGER

Part 2 in this diagram:

Parts – Power Max Heavy Duty 1128 OXE Snowthrower | Toro

www.toro.com

 

Anti-size, I put that s**t on everything. Nice work there.

 

Auger, we see a lot of winter road salt here (Northern Ontario, Canada) so I keep a large tub of anti-seize on hand for all jobs I also spray the entire chassis of the snowblower and auger assembly with Rust Check, Fluid Film or whatever I have on hand each Spring. I sprayed the auger housing this time with Noxudol 300, while it was apart. It's a water base wax that has corrosion inhibitors integrated. It's heavier than the Noxudol 700 (for internal cavities) and normally used on exposed chassis parts. It's a bit more expensive so I normally use it only the automotive stuff.

 

I use the graphite Never-Seize only on a few things, things that really can get stuck by heat, spark plug threads, head bolts, some engine bolts. I also use it on car lug nuts. Everything else gets synthetic grease, Super Lube, cheaper, effective, and that particular brand, I like the consistency. Synthetic grease doesn't harden, get crusty, in time as Dino grease does and it doesn't thicken in the cold. However, I use Dino grease for the spinning auger blades only because I have 8 tubes that were given to me. After I grease the auger, I now follow with a squirt of Synthetic Super Lube hoping it won't clog or block the zerk fitting as Dino does.

 

denwood: great work. On the impeller bushing, was it oilite or steel? If oilite, are there any issues drilling and tapping it? Also, most metals sites say to not use grease on oilite, only use oil. I assume this is due to the possibility of blocking the pores. Any concerns about this? (probably not since you are greasing directly on the shaft)

Thanks

Paul

 

Jlaw, I use a combination of synthetic red grease, low temp grease, or the nickel antiseize. I think the important thing is just doing the maintenance regularly . I've never had to remove the wheels so was a bit surprised to see how badly seized one was to the axle. I guess it's like greasing the auger tine assembly (which I pulled apart during service) and greasing that shaft so it can rotate and break the shear pins if required. Again, I've never broken one or had that assembly apart in 9 years...however the factory did at least have some grease in there, still active after 9 years. I will for sure pull the wheels yearly now for some greasing.

Paul, the impeller bushing has a round steel outer shell (so it "floats" and self aligns in the bushing clamp) and they press a straight cylindrical oilite bushing into that. I drilled through the outer shell and the bushing as well. If you do this, you'll note that there is a void between the outer shell and the bushing. The grease zerk is threaded into the outer steel shell only (the zerk threads are not long enough to go into the oilite portion), so grease will fill that void, and then find it's way through the drilled bushing to lube the steel shaft rotating inside it. I see zero issues greasing an oilite bushing (particuarly if you do it often) as the grease will reduce wear dramatically if a film stays active between the steel and oillite. You end up with grease filling the bushing housing, as well as the hose itself for a decent reserve. I figure pores there are a good thing. It seems like a lot of discussion about a small mod, but given what a PITA it is to replace (due to the impeller pulley requiring a serious puller to remove), I figure it's 100% worth it if you want to avoid servicing it again.

You can see the hole (7/32") that I drilled right through the bushing assembly here. The oillite bushing itself is actually not that thick so there is quite a gap (now filled with grease) between the oillite bushing core and the steel outer shell. I just drilled it in my drill press vice in about 10 seconds...the bushing is quite soft compared to the steel shell. The outer steel shell is thin, so take care to thread carefully and use thread locker. Assembled, it's quite satisfying to see the low temp grease making it's appearance around the shaft (and crackling a bit) as it exits both sides of the bushing.


Note, the bushing in the pic below is installed (incorrectly) backwards...the thrust surface should be oriented towards the impeller, not the impeller pulley!

The replacement bearing is just the spherical bit shown here at the top of the picture. I removed that bolt (which only goes through the outer steel shell) and drilled it out for the zerk 1/4" 28 thread. The bolt just keeps the bushing from spinning in its housing so if removed, a grease zerk takes on that function. You can't see it in the parts below, but the bushing clamp has a bigger 1/4" hole on the side to allow that little bolt to protrude and stop rotation, but still allow enough room for the bushing itself to self align.

You can see how the bushing assembly floats in the bearing carrier/clamp assembly looking at the parts below. I should mention that you should not even try to tighten the 3 bolts holding the auger main bearing assembly to the auger housing until the auger assembly and shaft are slid back through, and the auger right/left bearings are bolted back in. Once all that is in place, tighten the three bolts to clamp the bearing into place. If you don't do this, it will be next to impossible to the get the auger assembly back in place, and you'll prematurely wear the bushing as well.

 

thanks denwood. Yeah, I have had those apart for cleaning/replacement several times, simple setup. I like the idea of a floating bushing at that location to accommodate alignment imperfections. And I am not trying to make a big deal about the modification, just curious on your thoughts. I have one machine coming up for bushing replacement this spring, so I am considering this mod.

thanks again

 

Paul, all good I will say that after firing up the snowblower for a quick test, the auger was so quiet/vibration free that I could only tell it was running by listening to the motor throttle up a bit. The old setup lasted about 9 years with a lot of use, so my guess is that the new one will last a lot longer with a few shots of grease during the season to the main auger and right/left auger bushings. That thrust bearing idea is a good one...and by adding a zerk to the bushing, some grease should get to the bearing along the auger shaft. I saw very little wear on that thrust washer as I'm guessing as there is more back loading to the shaft during use. A nice "factory" mod would be to incorporate a decent shaft bearing, and thrust bearing into a single grease-able part. I understand (as I used to own a company in the manufacturing industry) why TORO would use bushings, however a few bucks added on grease zerks would elevate the build above their competition in many respects. Now a remote zerk on the main auger bearing would likely save a lot of people (like every owner!) some grief.

Tesla, I could see from my searches on this forum that a few folks were installing zerks on the main bushing, but no one detailed it with pics, or had sorted a remote zerk for this one. That's why I registered and posted up the mods. It's always good to return information in the grand internet karma scheme..ha.

I didn't post much about the LED light mod (which is awesome!!!) as it's already detailed here quite nicely. It's like having two car headlights on there. I used a single rectifier, inline 5A fuse, and two caps per light, pretty much as per this post: Upgrading your snowblower lights to LED lights (Please...

That's the best $50 I've ever spent on an upgrade I suspect

 

Suddenly I realise that the impeller bushing is installed backwards...ack!! I'll need to pull it apart and reverse it as the thrust part of the bushing (protruding oillite/brass flange) should be against the impeller itself, not the impeller pulley! Jeeps creeps...

 

...and fixed. This time the disassembly took all of 30 minutes. I used an air hammer on the impeller shaft while prying up on the impeller pulley gently with a pry bar...it came off in about 10 seconds this time . Now if only the factory had used anti-seize from the get go...

 

Great write-up, looking good. Well done.

 

Penna, thanks. It looks like Spring is in full swing for us this week, so I guess the machine is all ready to go for winter 2022

 

Being that grease zerks have been a preoccupation on the snowblower this month, I realised that I have fought with grease guns or torn out zerks when the gun doesn't want to disengage nicely from the fitting. Many grease fittings are installed in thin material (like your average trailer bearing buddy) so tweaking on them even a few times can tear them out.

Enter this bit: LockNLube Grease Coupler | End Greasing Frustration

It does what you might guess...clamp and then un-clamp from a zerk with no struggles. I'm leaving out the terms nipple, clamp etc. cuz I can't restrain my immaturity...

Below is with the "trigger" depressed, so ready to hook on. The jaws slide over the zerk, and when you release the clamp, the jaws are locked on as the outer sleeve slides forward. Depress the side "trigger" again, and the gun slips right off the zerk with near zero pressure. The "kit" comes with rebuild bits to replace the internal seal, jaws and metal core.

While sorting this, I figured I should have a grease needle on hand for all those jobs where a zerk does not exist.

The needle has a sleeve that slides back to make the assembly rigid.

We are expecting up to 15cm of snow tomorrow, so I may get to test out the pimped TORO before next year after all...

 

I highly recommend the LockNLube fitting, a little pricey but well worth the $. They work great and no more issues with pulling out the zerks.

 

I was a bit surprised at the price, however the part is excellent quality..and they do include the rebuild kit. I'm sure there is a decent margin at $50. That said, it will pay for itself quickly by not tearing out zerks from parts! I see they've done a variation of this for air as well which I don't have a use for..but some might.

 

Well, good morning everyone. Not sure if the early bird actually gets a worm, but I could have used one in the bottom of a Tequila bottle today..

The snow bank at the end of the driveway and laneway were only 36" high..ha. Good news is the the pimp'd out TORO and lights worked great in the 12" or so of wet snow and churned right through the snow banks too. With new belts and greased up bushings we're back to the 45' throw distance, even with wet snow. The extra 2500 lumens of LED light is pretty much as it should have been from the factory.

This morning:

Front view from last week:

 

I spent 4 months (September -January) in Thunder Bay on a college co-op work term back in the mid 80's, such a beautiful area.

There was a blizzard on Halloween, but that didn't stop the kids from trick or treating and I think I was the only resident that didn't have a block heater in my car.
Car still started every morning, but many times had the frozen flat spotted tires until they warmed up and the ride smoothed out .

Winter is not over for many of us.

 

35 to 50cm of wet snow and counting ...

To contrast, the forecast is 7C and sunny tomorrow so I'll need to get my water wings out too

 

Get out there and party up gents/gals No shortage of snow this year and the pimp'd out snowblower has been going strong. Lights working like a charm. A few happy senior neighbours too...