This morning while clearing my driveway, I went to start my snowblower (Ariens 7/32 — 25-30 years old) and the pull start rope wouldn’t budge. Also the unit couldn’t be pushed even while in neutral unless the left-hand clutch was engaged.
Does this sound like a transmission linkage problem, as though the engine/gearbox are engaged and won’t let the pull start spin freely?
Thanks for your replies!
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Replies
First guess, if the unit was used recently, is that ice has gotten in and frozen it.
Another possibility is that the belts have gotten mucked up. Clearance is tight up front, and if one of the belt guides works loose or some such it can jam up everything. Take off the belt cover and verify that the belts and guides are where they should be.
"First guess, if the unit was used recently, is that ice has gotten in and frozen it"
Yeah, my first diagnostic for anything mechanical in winter is to let it thaw out in the garage. 70% of the time that fixes it.
And, in the other 30% of the time, it is SO much more pleasant to work inside!David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
Dan, I had just made a pass 1/2 way up the driveway (12% grade, almost 300ft long) and it started to bog down. The snow was so heavy this morning, I slowed down to let the auger clear. The it bogged even more and I figured the chute was clogged. Shut her off, checked the chute (clear) and tried to start up again. No dice. I'll check the belts when I get home tonight, but like Dave said, maybe sitting in the garage a while warming up will change its disposition. Thanks, guys,6
Based on that description, it sounds like a belt guide has worked loose inside. Pretty much the same thing happened to me on my similar 5HP unit a couple of years back.
Edited 1/6/2005 3:26 pm ET by DanH