B2782B SnowBlower chute problem

[NEPA Guy]

2 feet of snow so far today. Everything was working fine on my first few passes. I took an hour break and went back to blowing snow, except this time when I got the 2650 going, and engaged the mid pto, the chute was rattling something fierce. It shakes forwards and backwards.

The engine bay and the whole cab was shaking. Something changed. Its almost as if the shaking is the same when I raise the snowblower off the ground to realign my wheels so I can make a turn, but then when I put it in float it won't stop shaking.

I'm able to rotate the chute without any issues and the auger works well enough. I had no choice but to do a few more passes to keep the snow down on the road and it worked OK, just the rattling of the cab is now starting to make some squeaking sounds as if something is off now. I checked the bolts that appear to hold the chute in place and it seems tight.

I cleaned it off and put the heat on in the garage to melt the snow off. I'll give it another hour before I get back out.

Any suggestions on what I can check?

Thanks!

 

[MadMax31]

Sounds like an iceball somewhere on a rotating part?

 

[kubotasam]

Check to be sure the pto shaft has not started to come off, and/or you bent it some how.

 

[D2Cat]

If it worked fine, then you took a break and when came back the vibration was there...something must have froze on a rotating part and caused an imbalance. The heated shop and an inspection may find the problem.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

If you don't find a problem with an unbalance caused by ice, check the universal joints. If it previously vibrated when you raised the snow blower that may have been an indication of a universal problem or the vibration may have damaged the universal joint. There is a limit to how far you can angle a universal, you may be raising the snow blower to high.

 

[NEPA Guy]

I let it sit long enough to warm it up and melt all the ice and snow off it.

Madmax and D2 hit it. Something must have frozen and threw it off. I checked the spacers, bolts, and teeth, re-greased everything. Started it back up and it worked fine.

It looks like there is some play for it to bounce up and down a bit, and the weight of the chute itself is what keeps it stable. Ice must've got underneath the teeth (item 2) or the retaining plates (items 5 and 6), causing it to bounce.

Thanks for the advice!

That was by far the longest I've ever used the tractor. I burned though 8 gallons of fuel today! It took a while but I cleared the road!

3 feet of snow and no jam ups!

Eee ha!

 

[NEPA Guy]

If you don't find a problem with an unbalance caused by ice, check the universal joints. If it previously vibrated when you raised the snow blower that may have been an indication of a universal problem or the vibration may have damaged the universal joint. There is a limit to how far you can angle a universal, you may be raising the snow blower to high.

I'm glad it was a simple problem, but I'm pretty sure the manual doesn't caution users about raising it too high. I rise it as high as it goes to back up and correct my steering or to take out a big drift from the top to bottom.

Is there a way to check to make sure the universal is working optimally?

 

[Grouse Feathers]

I just raise mine high enough to get it off the ground when engaged. If I do raise it high I can notice a little vibration, but nothing like you have described. When cutting drifts with my old "Bolens Garden Tractor snow blower" I just left the blower down, pushed into the drift, backed up, and waited for the snow to cave in. Just one drift up here in the woods for the last three years and I did the same with the Kubota.
The output shaft on a universal at an angle speeds up and slows down twice per revolution. If the universal is in good shape the vibration is the rotating elements in the snowblower slowing down and speeding up. The snow blower on your B tractor may be larger then the blower on my BX so more rotating weight equals more vibration. Overtime the vibrations could break the shear pins and cause damage to universal joints.

 

[NEPA Guy]

I see. Thanks for the explanation, I'll be more careful.