Forums Archive Index > Outdoor Power Equipment > Fixing the old Ariens that won't drive- day 2 & pictures

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 12 Dec 2005 3:01 pm

Well guys, I went back over there, first checked the belt....only one,
(I thought there would be two) and it looked fine.
Then I took off the skid plate, and I think I found the problem. The rubber on the friction wheel is all chewed up and not touching the flat disc when you put it in drive.
A picture is below....

Now, first, am I right? Second, I would like to fix this for this person. Can I do it? how hard is it? Where would I buy a new rubber friction wheel? I do not want the owner to have to pay for anything...hopefully this is not too expensive a part.

These people are good people and I would like to be a blessing to them if I could.
When I was there I got the model number and the serial number. I do not know how old it is. Model 91007 Serial number 030376

I'm wondering how the local Ariens dealer could have replaced the impeller shaft last year and not noticed this?? Maybe that's why the place is no longer an Ariens dealer.... :roll:

I have not even gotten to taking the electric starter off, I think that is bad also, but if need be, I think the owner could start it with the pull rope...it started on the first pull today. I first just want to get it to move.

Thank you all in advance for your help. Frank D.


[/img] :D :D

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 12 Dec 2005 3:31 pm

After I posted this, I went looking online for this part and also went to the Ariens website parts radar.
I could not find what I was looking for.
I could not even find where they list a model 91007 snowblower....all of the model numbers were higher.
It could have been my own fault, but I did not think it would be too hard to find this part.....

Frank D.

Author: MissSnowshoveler

Date: 12 Dec 2005 3:40 pm

Part number 3003. Should be able to handle on your own without hurting yourself (or so 'shoveler says and he says he's available for service calls but he wants milk & cookies :? ). They are available through Ariens or there are several aftermarket companies that have them also. Most of the aftermarket ones we deal with have the Ariens part number stamped right into the metal on them. Hope this is a little bit of help.
Sherri

Author: jubol

Date: 12 Dec 2005 4:00 pm

FF,
When you are in there, LUBE everything!!
I know you will!
Fred

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 12 Dec 2005 4:48 pm

Thanks Sherry!
I checked all over online, then checked with my local small engine guy...(not an Ariens guy, but a certified Koeller fixer and a simplicity rep, etc...real good guy I like giving business to...his name is Chris.) I even gave him our website, so he might be seeing this....

He has that #3003 part for $7.99...so i'll pick it up tomorrow. He says I should be able to do it in around 1/2 hour, even if I've never done it before.
I hope he is right.

What should I lube everything with?? I guess i'll ask him when i pick the part up. Things looked pretty good in there except for the chewed up wheel....didn't it?

Frank D.

Author: Garandman

Date: 12 Dec 2005 4:59 pm

You can buy the owner's manual from Ariens for $6 or so. It will have directions in it.

But here are directions for two models:

From RalphS


1. Remove bottom cover.
2. Remove connecting link from chain and remove train.
3. Remove left wheel
4. Remove plate on left side of frame.
5. Remove locknut on right end of hex shaft.
6. Remove the four locknuts holding the bearing flange on the left hand side of the carrier.
7. Pull the hex shaft out of the right hand bearing and the left hand bearing out of the frame.
8. Remove hair pin from fork shaft through the slot on the right hand rear corner of the frame.
9. Hold clutch handle up and remove the fork shaft out of the right side of the frame.
10. Remove cotter pin from shaft link.
11. Remove friction wheel assembly.
12. Remove snap ring, bearing and fork from the friction wheel hub.
13. Remove the five screws holding the friction wheel to the hub....

Directions for my 10995:


1. Remove bottom cover.
2. Remove connecting link from chain and remove train.
3. Remove left wheel
4. Remove plate on left side of frame.
5. Remove locknut on right end of hex shaft.
6. Remove the four locknuts holding the bearing flange on the left hand side of the carrier.
7. Pull the hex shaft out of the right hand bearing and the left hand bearing out of the frame.
8. Remove hair pin from fork shaft through the slot on the right hand rear corner of the frame.
9. Hold clutch handle up and remove the fork shaft out of the right side of the frame.
10. Remove cotter pin from shaft link.
11. Remove friction wheel assembly.
12. Remove snap ring, bearing and fork from the friction wheel hub.
13. Remove the five screws holding the friction wheel to the hub.

It will take you anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours. Take plenty of digital or Polaroid pictures before you start and if possible as you go.
Here's one I took on completion:

Author: robmints

Date: 12 Dec 2005 7:17 pm

How does the friction plate look Frank? It looks funny from here.

Not so much lube that it flies around or drips on the belts, friction disk or friction plate.

Author: RalphS
Subject: Disk Replacement

Date: 12 Dec 2005 7:39 pm

Frank-
With all due respect and apologies to Garandman, his recollection of my instructions are a little different than I originally posted.
You don't need to remove the wheel or the snap ring.
I will find my instructions and post them again.
Regards,
RalphS

Author: RalphS
Subject: Disk Replacement

Date: 12 Dec 2005 7:48 pm

Well-
I found these instructions alot faster than I thought I would.
Here goes:

These are the instructions from the Ariens manual. The part descriptions are kind of vague, but once you get into things, you should be able to figure it out. The item descriptions in the instructions from Ariens don?t necessarily match the item descriptions in the exploded parts view, so that?s really what took the longest the first time I did this.
Anyway, I?ve added a few of my comments where I remembered them. It?s been a while since I replaced the disk on my SnoThro, so I can?t offer much more detail than what I have already added. I used a general purpose Moly/Lithium grease for the sliding surfaces. ?Left? and ?right? refer to the machine as if you were operating it.

1. Disconnect spark plug.
2. I tilted my SnoThro forward for easier access, this may or may not work for you, depending on how much gas is in the tank.
3. Remove bottom cover (two screws on the back come all the way out; two screws on the bottom have ?keyhole? slots, just loosen these two).
4. Shift to second speed.
5. Remove the cotter pin and washer from the ?shift connecting link? (this is the short link indirectly attached to the shift lever).
6. On the right-hand side, remove the two screws that secure the shift lever bracket to the frame, then remove the bracket from the frame. Just let it hang out of the way.
7. Remove the master link from the drive chain (this can be messy and a pain, try to set the chain so that the link is easily accessible. Remove the chain. It wasn?t easy getting back on in my situation.
8. Remove the cotter pin from the right and left side ?connecting brackets?. These are short rods on either side of the machine. These brackets will just hang down.
9. Remove the cotter pin from the ?fork shaft?. This cotter pin is located on the left side of the machine- it should be visible just above the adjustment mechanism and below the left handlebar.
10. Slide fork shaft to the left side of the frame (be careful not to slide fork shaft beyond bracket assembly) until the whole drive wheel assembly can rotate down and towards you.
11. Hold the hex shaft in place with a wrench, then remove the five screws from the friction wheel hub.
12. Hold the hex shaft again, then remove the hex nut from the right side of the hex shaft.
13. Remove the four lock nuts from the bearing flange left side (these are the four locknuts near the chain side of the machine).
14. Pull hex shaft to the left and remove friction wheel and friction wheel hub.
15. You could also inspect the bearings inside both the left and right side bearing flanges at this point also. Mine were a little loose three years ago, but I didn?t have opportunity at the time to replace them. They seem to still be fine.

Reassembly is basically the opposite. Ensure that BOTH right and left connecting brackets are in position when you rotate the drive wheel assembly back into place.
It probably wouldn?t hurt to clean the metal driven surface with some alcohol to remove any grease while you?re in there.
I lightly greased the sliding shaft parts while apart. Wipe off any excess before reassembly.
I also wiped some grease onto the chain (on the inside, where the sprockets contact the chain).

Hope this helps.
RalphS

Author: snowshoveler

Date: 12 Dec 2005 7:50 pm

hey now ...
it took me a few times to realize whats wrong here.
that engine is much newer than the snowblower.
it appears to be painted black and it has a plastic gas tank .
thats at least a late 80s or newer engine.
nice..electronic iginition ?

the friction wheel is an okay job.
remove the bearing at each end of the shaft and remove the shift lever and a bit of wigling and its out.
the hard part on those snowblowers is replacing the aluminum housing that the drive plate bearings are in...it has been known to break an ear off.
chris

Author: Garandman
Subject: Re: Disk Replacement

Date: 12 Dec 2005 8:01 pm

RalphS wrote:
Frank-
With all due respect and apologies to Garandman, his recollection of my instructions are a little different than I originally posted.
You don't need to remove the wheel or the snap ring.
I will find my instructions and post them again.
Regards,
RalphS
I clipboarded them from your old post, but go to it!

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 12 Dec 2005 8:15 pm

You guys are all awesome!

Thank you all for the time it took to type all of that. I'll print all of this and take it with me. Also, i'll take some pictures all along the way and especially before, so when i'm done I can compare.

The friction plate looks fine, but needs some cleaning up where the wheel ran in 4th gear....(the edge).

Right now it is only 8 degrees here, so I'm not too eager to get going on this. I may see if I can put it on my truck and bring it home to my garage. I do not have a heater in there...(love to find one of those you mount to your ceiling). Once it is in my truck, I have more options.....

Yes, it is a black engine with a plastic tank....so it must be a newer engine.
I wonder how old the snowblower really is.

I'll keep you all posted. Part of me really wants to tackle this, but the part of me that only likes to do this stuff in shorts and a tee shirt isn't too eager. 8)

Thanks again so much!!

Frank D.

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 13 Dec 2005 8:53 am

I'll go today and buy that part for $7.99

Gonna try to get it on my truck so I can work on it here. It is close to zero this morning. My garage is unheated, but i'll rig something up.

I'll work in shifts....
Ten minutes work......30 minutes hot coffee....ten minutes work....30 minutes hot coffee....ten minutes work....30 minutes hot coffee.....ten minutes work.....25 minutes hot coffee & pee break.....ten minutes work....

Frank D.

Author: HONEST TECHNICAN
Subject: ARIENS SNOW THROWERS

Date: 13 Dec 2005 3:11 pm

HI FRANK JIM FROM NORTHSIDE SAW & TOOL , BRING THAT MACHINE IN AND I WILL HELP YOU REPAIR IT IN MY HEATED SHOP. :D

Author: jubol

Date: 13 Dec 2005 3:24 pm

:D HT and Frank,
That is great work by both of you!!!
Fred

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 13 Dec 2005 4:50 pm

Well guys,
I was going to post a nice update, and I see jim beat me to it. Jim and his brother Chris are the guys I have posted about here before. They are the guys I buy my needed parts from. They own and operate the best OPE place in the area, and are now Simplicity dealers. They also are other company dealers, like chain saws, etc, but I do not have the need for those, so I do not know too much about them other then the ones I use at the firehouse for cutting roofs.

Anyway, Jim is a certified Koeller engine guy, as well as alot of other acreditations that proves he knows his stuff. I told him about our forum awhile ago, but as you could imagine, he is pretty busy fixing the stuff the other OPE places around here have messed up.

I went in today to buy the friction wheel, and Jim knew that the ariens was not mine. When I told him the circumstances, he told me he was confident that I could do the job, but also knew that I would be working in a unheated garage. He then offered to fix the unit for me for a very affordable price. He told me that it would take him much less time then it would me in his nice heated shop, and seeing that he has done this many times and could do it with his eyes closed, I thankfully said YES!

At the risk of sounding like a wuss, I would have enjoyed doing this job in the summer, but not in single digit weather with snow due by the end of the week.

Jim knew that I was just trying to help a deserving but needful fellow man, and Jim was nice enough to also want to help this person, and in doing so, help me. I am very grateful.

Jim should have it all done tomorrow, and I will deliver it to the owner, who I know will also be thankful.

Jim, thanks again. I'm glad you finally made it here to the forum! Your expert advice will be appreciated. It is also good to have someone here knowledgeable on Simplicity's....they are a good unit, and you know I already like the color!

Guys, welcome Jim and Chris to the forum.....Jim and Chris, see you tomorrow!!

Frank D.

Author: snowshoveler

Date: 13 Dec 2005 5:05 pm

welcome to the family Jim and Chris...
im chris from Nova Scotia canada.
i work in a shop here and am also a briggs MST...husqvarna ,snapper ariens honda mtd simplicity kohler tecumseh,murray and a bunch of other stuff..glad to here of your arrival.
chris

Author: MissSnowshoveler

Date: 13 Dec 2005 5:52 pm

I'll also welcome Jim and Chris to the forum...
I'm Chris from Nova Scotia's other half. I also work at the shop in the parts department. Always glad to see people in the business join in here to help out where they can. :D
Sherri

Author: robmints

Date: 13 Dec 2005 7:37 pm

Welcome Jim and Chris. Thanks for helping Frank. Hope you hang around, this is a nice group. Mostly.

Author: Majorxlr8n

Date: 13 Dec 2005 8:07 pm

A warm welcome Jim & Chris! :D

We really do have a ultra nice group of folks here. Kudos to your helping Jim out so quickly - many shops around my neck of the woods would have laughed at returning it so quickly, and even more so
for a cheaper price...

Marty

Author: faithfulFrank

Date: 14 Dec 2005 4:57 pm

Well guys,
Jim from Northside Saw and Tool called me and told me my friends snowblower was ready. He also told me that it was in more need then first thought. After he replaced the friction wheel, he found that although the engine ran, under load it would die out. He found that the main jet was completely plugged, and something else was wrong with the carb....gas was leaking out when it ran. I'm not sure all that he did, but the fixed the carb, cleaned it, adjusted it, etc.......he also changed the oil and installed something else.......it runs fine now, drives and throws snow.

He also told me he checked the starter, and the starter part was fine, but something was wrong with how it worked with the flywheel....something about the flywheel was welded or something and that although it ran fine, it would not work with the electric starter without a new flywheel. I don't really understand it, but as long as it runs fine, all is well.

Jim also charged me a very reasonable price for all he did....I paid him, and delivered the "new" snowblower back to my friends house. When he comes home tonight he wil find it in his garage all fixed and ready for the next snowstorm, which they say might be here as soon as tomorrow.

I would have liked to do all this, but not when it is single digits around here. It's easier for me to work a bit of overtime then to freeze for a few hours... Thanks again guys for all of your help. I also want to publicly thank Jim for his help in this.

I'll make sure my friend for now on has PRI-G in his gas, and I'll summerize it for him in the spring so we do not have to do this again next year. :o

Thanks again! Frank D.