2 stage snowblower mod

A couple of bucks

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Ogle County Illinois USA
Last year I ran across this JD snowblower that was put out to the curb for the garbage pick-up. Took it home, took the carb apart & cleaned the Saraha desert out of the bowl. Slapped it back together and fired that mother up.
Upon blowing snow last year, I understood why it was thrown out. The snow barely made it out of the chute and plugged up every 20 feet. Looking in at the 2nd stage I could tell why. There was 3/4s of an inch clearance between the impeller and the wall.
Now I know the pictures are a little lacking, but......you'll get the picture. HA
I took thick rubber pieces and completely closed up the gap. Secured them down with self tapping screws. I put the rubber up TIGHT against the wall. I figured I'd let it wear in on its own. They were so tight when I fired it up, the belt slipped and squalled uncontrollably when the auger was engaged. So I gave the walls a generous smearing of grease and oil on the auger wall. Started it back up and I was back in business.
Now that little 3.5 Tecumseh throws snow around 15 yards.
 

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I picked up a nice honda snowblower this fall that was out to the curb, cleaned the carb and fixed the broken start rope and she was as good as new. I love freebies like that!
 
It friggin amazes me the things people throw out. Went past a house about 5 or 6 years ago and saw a Toro lawnmower at the curb beside the trash cans. Went up to ask the people about it and they said "it's perfectly fine. We just want a new one". So I pushed it 1 block home and mowed my yard with it and the gas already in the tank. 1 hour after I pushed it down the alley I was sippin iced tea and looking at a mowed yard.
 
I used to work for a trash hauling company and ppl would throw away brand new stuff too. Like a newer washer/dryer. Driver asked if it was for trash and they said yes because it didn't match the new curtains they put in. Sleds too! Nothing new but runable.
 
Last year I ran across this JD snowblower that was put out to the curb for the garbage pick-up. Took it home, took the carb apart & cleaned the Saraha desert out of the bowl. Slapped it back together and fired that mother up.
Upon blowing snow last year, I understood why it was thrown out. The snow barely made it out of the chute and plugged up every 20 feet. Looking in at the 2nd stage I could tell why. There was 3/4s of an inch clearance between the impeller and the wall.
Now I know the pictures are a little lacking, but......you'll get the picture. HA
I took thick rubber pieces and completely closed up the gap. Secured them down with self tapping screws. I put the rubber up TIGHT against the wall. I figured I'd let it wear in on its own. They were so tight when I fired it up, the belt slipped and squalled uncontrollably when the auger was engaged. So I gave the walls a generous smearing of grease and oil on the auger wall. Started it back up and I was back in business.
Now that little 3.5 Tecumseh throws snow around 15 yards.

Yep that is a neat mod.Did that to my old snowblower and it now throws snow way further as well.Went one step future.Rigged up an actuator to raise or lower the chute and power window actuator to rotate the chute..Cat's azz I say...
 
I'm sure something like the sidewall of a tire would work too. I had a 9 horse Simplicity years ago. With this mod to the JD, it throws the same as the Simplicity. Just take the chute off(3 bolts) and work thru there. I used my new 1/4 inch impact for it. Shaped the rubber on the grinder(fine tuned).
 
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I picked up a non-running snowblower approx. 10 years ago as well - broken gas tank from storing stuff on top of it etc. A little TLC, runs mint, Craftsman unit probably built in the early '70's. Guy I got it from wouldn't believe me when i told him it was operational!!! I was wondering "what" you used for your mod! THANKS for sharing, now I have some work to do!!!!
 
I picked up an old craftsman mower that did run when I got it, but I ended up putting $60 into it to make run like it should. Used it for about 3-4 yrs about 10x a week and then gave it to my brother...he's still using it to this day.
 
So I did a straight trade with a kid for his old,old Yardman Snowbird. My running JD that is shown in post #1, for his non running Snowbird. Can you say brick sh!thouse !!!
Had to take the gas tank off and muratic acid the inside as there was ancient gas stalagmites in it. Then I lined the tank w some kind of red liner. It all worked very good. Ordered a new carb for a whopping $10 or $11. Heck a rebuild kit was @ $7 so that was a easy decision. And of course I did the impeller mod. A Snowbird is very unique snowblower with an articulated chute. This one isn't mine but it's just like it.
I'll get a video if we ever get any friggin snow.
 
I know it's not a snow blower but have any of you guys seen one of these?
I can't find any information on it and sear don't know nothing about it. And it doesn't have any numbers on it.
It pushes snow great!! Lot better than a shovel.
 

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I picked up a Simplicity 36" tractor mounted blower and figured I'd continue on this thread.
My son has a 20 horse/50" deck Landlord DLX. Power steering and hydraulic lift came as standard equipment on the DLXs. I saw an ad on C/L for someone wanting a snowblower hitch for his 54"/23 horse DLX. I knew where there was one sitting and not being used. I picked it and a blower up for $150. Then sold the hitch to the guy on C/L for $150. So I have a rusty old 36" blower that I have ZERO cash in. My son already had the hitch, just not a snowblower. Here is is before I blasted and powder coated it.
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I Teflon powder coated the throat of the body and the chute. I replaced the normal steel washers w/ Teflon ones. Those will come into play when I mount the linear actuator.
 

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Unbelievable ACOB, it's like you read my mind. I picked up a 40" Bolens garden tractor snowblower attachment (CHEAP!), found a 13.5 Honda motor (yeah, I know!) from a water pump and made a frame to push it with my Grizzly to eliminate the 3 hours of snowblowing up at the cottage. Approx. $800 to date, still a little fabrication to go but a heck of a lot better than $6K to purchase.
 
Unbelievable ACOB, it's like you read my mind. I picked up a 40" Bolens garden tractor snowblower attachment (CHEAP!), found a 13.5 Honda motor (yeah, I know!) from a water pump and made a frame to push it with my Grizzly to eliminate the 3 hours of snowblowing up at the cottage. Approx. $800 to date, still a little fabrication to go but a heck of a lot better than $6K to purchase.
Ingenuity,patience and a little head scratching saves boo-koo time and money. ;)!
 
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I got my homemade chute rotator on. It started life as a Durango window motor. I just made framework out of some leftover aluminum angle and bolted it up to where the manual one was. Currently working on the DPDT momentary switch. I'll get pictures of that and the deflectors linear actuator upon completion.
 

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And here's the auger mod. All I can think of in that first picture is Mad Max. I did take the cutoff wheel to the self tappers sticking out.
 

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