Hydraulic chute build

[awesome]

I've seen a few threads around here about people adding hydro chute rotation on their snowblower. Last year I did it with a car seat motor. But as many have mentioned, it's not a reliable solution. So I'm back to the drawing board this year.

I decided to get a hydraulic motor at princess auto. This should be fairly simple. But to avoid breaking everything when reaching one of the far ends of the chute, I'm thinking I'll just make it turn 360 degrees.

So I'm planning on adding 18 teeth to thr base of the chute. I made a template out of cardboard. I'll probably make another with wood of even steel. All I have for cutting is an anglr grinder. But I'm looking around to see if I could get this done by a professional.

Can anyone think of anything stupid I might be doing? My plan looks solid in my head, but I always fail somewhere in the process.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I've seen a few threads around here about people adding hydro chute rotation on their snowblower. Last year I did it with a car seat motor. But as many have mentioned, it's not a reliable solution. So I'm back to the drawing board this year.

I decided to get a hydraulic motor at princess auto. This should be fairly simple. But to avoid breaking everything when reaching one of the far ends of the chute, I'm thinking I'll just make it turn 360 degrees.

So I'm planning on adding 18 teeth to thr base of the chute. I made a template out of cardboard. I'll probably make another with wood of even steel. All I have for cutting is an anglr grinder. But I'm looking around to see if I could get this done by a professional.

Can anyone think of anything stupid I might be doing? My plan looks solid in my head, but I always fail somewhere in the process. View attachment 90943 View attachment 90942

Unless you are using a huge ass motor you are not going to break anything. Just let it stall when it hits the end.

Dan

 

[awesome]

Unless you are using a huge ass motor you are not going to break anything. Just let it stall when it hits the end.

Dan

That's interesting. That certainly simplifies things then. I'm planning on adding a sproket to drive it directly, as opposed to drive the manual auger because it sounds like the most robust approach.

From what I read, it sounds like I need a motor rated for a much higher GPM that what my tractor can provide in order to make it go slower. I think this one https://www.princessauto.com/en/50-...pool-valve-geroler-motor/product/PA0008489981 might work
Rated 16gpm. My tractor is half that.

 

[TheOldHokie]

That's interesting. That certainly simplifies things then. I'm planning on adding a sproket to drive it directly, as opposed to drive the manual auger because it sounds like the most robust approach.

From what I read, it sounds like I need a motor rated for a much higher GPM that what my tractor can provide in order to make it go slower. I think this one https://www.princessauto.com/en/50-...pool-valve-geroler-motor/product/PA0008489981 might work
Rated 16gpm. My tractor is half that.

That is a 5 cubic inch. 22hp motor with 100+ lb-ft of torque. That is massive over kill and can break things!!!

Use a smaller motor and your control valve and chain drive to control speed. At 1/2 throttle your flow rate is 4 GPM. At idle around 2 GPM.

Dan

 

[DustyRusty]

Unless you are using a huge ass motor you are not going to break anything. Just let it stall when it hits the end.

Dan

Hydraulic motors don't usually stall, they break something. I built a hydraulic turning for my original BX snowblower, and it took a while to perfect it. By the time it was perfected, I was so tired of dealing with it that I never bolted it to the mount that I made. I just used a vise grip to hold it in place. When I sold it 15 years later, I told the buyer never to remove the vice grip or drill the holes to mount it permanently first.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Hydraulic motors don't usually stall, they break something. I built a hydraulic turning for my original BX snowblower, and it took a while to perfect it. By the time it was perfected, I was so tired of dealing with it that I never bolted it to the mount that I made. I just used a vise grip to hold it in place. When I sold it 15 years later, I told the buyer never to remove the vice grip or drill the holes to mount it permanently first.

Of course they stall. That's why they come in different sizes.

Dam

 

[awesome]

Hydraulic motors don't usually stall, they break something. I built a hydraulic turning for my original BX snowblower, and it took a while to perfect it. By the time it was perfected, I was so tired of dealing with it that I never bolted it to the mount that I made. I just used a vise grip to hold it in place. When I sold it 15 years later, I told the buyer never to remove the vice grip or drill the holes to mount it permanently first.

Well the funny thing is that when I look at the hydro kit for the chute rotation for another kubota snowblower, it doesnt seem to include any stoppers or anything like that. So I'm guessing they rely on motor stalling.

I read on another thread that adding a pressure relief valve wont solve anything. I can't say I understnad why. Intuitively, it sounds like it should work. But then again... The kubota kit doesnt include one.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Well the funny thing is that when I look at the hydro kit for the chute rotation for another kubota snowblower, it doesnt seem to include any stoppers or anything like that. So I'm guessing they rely on motor stalling.

I read on another thread that adding a pressure relief valve wont solve anything. I can't say I understnad why. Intuitively, it sounds like it should work. But then again... The kubota kit doesnt include one.

Here's a ,5 CID hydraulic motor. It produces 11 lb-ft of torque at 2000 PSI. You could stall it with a wrench on the shaft. If you limit inlet pressure to 1000 PSI it will stall at half that.

Dan

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[Yooper]

If you want to keep it really simple, you can install your own version of a shear bolt in the drive coupler. Machine screw size and not hard.

 

[TheOldHokie]

If you want to keep it really simple, you can install your own version of a shear bolt in the drive coupler. Machine screw size and not hard.

Thinking man there !!!

Dan

 

[awesome]

If you want to keep it really simple, you can install your own version of a shear bolt in the drive coupler. Machine screw size and not hard.

That's a great idea. I was trying to figure out a way to do it with a slip clutch but your idea is easier.

But I found a local shop that will add teeth all around for 40$. That might be the safest solution. Specially considering that the smallest motor I can find around here is 2.2cu. I think I'll also add a shear pin. Or that idea, above, about holding the motor with a pair of vice-grips is a very good safety mechanism. Haha. I might do that for the first runs

 

[torch]

Can anyone think of anything stupid I might be doing? My plan looks solid in my head, but I always fail somewhere in the process.

Not exactly stupid, no. But you do introduce the possibility of blowing the snow directly back in your face if you accidentally move the control the wrong way when you are already blowing over your shoulder. A positive stop precludes that possibility.

 

[awesome]

Not exactly stupid, no. But you do introduce the possibility of blowing the snow directly back in your face if you accidentally move the control the wrong way when you are already blowing over your shoulder. A positive stop precludes that possibility.

That's an acceptable risk. Of all the ways I can injure myself with the tractor, this comes low in the list. At least I won't break the chute.

I just got off the phone with the dealer. If I buy the kit it's 963$. That's too much. If my plan works, I'll build it for about 300. I wanted to see what kind of motor they're using in the kit, he said the kit was "bl6389" But I can't find this anywhere

 

[Thunder chicken]

The old blower I have uses a cylinder, pushing an arm, that pulls a cable that’s wrapped around the chute. It’s pretty simple but it sounds like you’re on your way with the motor and gearing, looks like a fun project!

 

[awesome]

The old blower I have uses a cylinder, pushing an arm, that pulls a cable that’s wrapped around the chute. It’s pretty simple but it sounds like you’re on your way with the motor and gearing, looks like a fun project!

I though about doing it this way. But where I'm at, the motor is cheaper than a cylinder. It also requires lot less welding and brackets. But the cylinder is plan B.

 

[Old_Paint]

I've seen a few threads around here about people adding hydro chute rotation on their snowblower. Last year I did it with a car seat motor. But as many have mentioned, it's not a reliable solution. So I'm back to the drawing board this year.

I decided to get a hydraulic motor at princess auto. This should be fairly simple. But to avoid breaking everything when reaching one of the far ends of the chute, I'm thinking I'll just make it turn 360 degrees.

So I'm planning on adding 18 teeth to thr base of the chute. I made a template out of cardboard. I'll probably make another with wood of even steel. All I have for cutting is an anglr grinder. But I'm looking around to see if I could get this done by a professional.

Can anyone think of anything stupid I might be doing? My plan looks solid in my head, but I always fail somewhere in the process. View attachment 90943 View attachment 90942

I fortunately live where I would NEVER need a snow blower. But one thing comes to mind that might be on the "stupid" side. You used the term, so I did to so there's no doubt about what we're talking about.

Without fail, rocks and chunky bits get picked up in snow, and get hurled (via that chute) at fairly high velocity, and on a fairly frequent basis, right? Would you REALLY want that chute pointed at you when this happens? Why would you want that chute to EVER rotate where it can be pointed at you? Anytime you're changing a design of a discharge from any machine that can let it point back at you, just remember two names. Murphy, and Darwin. They're both VERY right, and more oft than not, at the least opportune moment.

I don't like it when acorns ricochet off trees when I pick them up with my mower, or when hickory nuts come out from under the brush mower and hit me in the shins. They hurt. A LOT. Can't imagine a rock coming out of a snow blower, but if it's anything like chips coming out of a wood chipper, I'm pretty sure I'd NEVER want it possible for it to be pointed at me.

Some have suggested using a small hydraulic motor that will stall when it gets to the endstops of the travel. If you want to make sure it does, a couple pieces of steel block welded in the right places WILL stop it. And maybe save an 8-pound rock or chunk of ice hitting you. Worst case, you take out a brass worm gear that is probably a high wear item anyway. If you do it electrically, there's always limit switches that will be your friend. Not sure why the electric drive didn't work, unless it was just a wrong application completely. A car WINDOW motor would probably fare better than the seat motor because they're typically sealed and are geared down for some pretty impressive torque. Rather than a mechanical limit switch, you could always use an overload activated stop. Window drive motors are designed to take a lot of abuse as well as suffer wet conditions.

 

[Snowman7]

I fortunately live where I would NEVER need a snow blower. But one thing comes to mind that might be on the "stupid" side. You used the term, so I did to so there's no doubt about what we're talking about.

Without fail, rocks and chunky bits get picked up in snow, and get hurled (via that chute) at fairly high velocity, and on a fairly frequent basis, right? Would you REALLY want that chute pointed at you when this happens? Why would you want that chute to EVER rotate where it can be pointed at you? Anytime you're changing a design of a discharge from any machine that can let it point back at you, just remember two names. Murphy, and Darwin. They're both VERY right, and more oft than not, at the least opportune moment.

I don't like it when acorns ricochet off trees when I pick them up with my mower, or when hickory nuts come out from under the brush mower and hit me in the shins. They hurt. A LOT. Can't imagine a rock coming out of a snow blower, but if it's anything like chips coming out of a wood chipper, I'm pretty sure I'd NEVER want it possible for it to be pointed at me.

Some have suggested using a small hydraulic motor that will stall when it gets to the endstops of the travel. If you want to make sure it does, a couple pieces of steel block welded in the right places WILL stop it. And maybe save an 8-pound rock or chunk of ice hitting you. Worst case, you take out a brass worm gear that is probably a high wear item anyway. If you do it electrically, there's always limit switches that will be your friend. Not sure why the electric drive didn't work, unless it was just a wrong application completely. A car WINDOW motor would probably fare better than the seat motor because they're typically sealed and are geared down for some pretty impressive torque. Rather than a mechanical limit switch, you could always use an overload activated stop. Window drive motors are designed to take a lot of abuse as well as suffer wet conditions.

Could not agree more!

 

[awesome]

Very true. It is dangerous. But I'm not planning on ever shooting snow in my face . I'm gonna stop rotating before it happens. FWIW, I'm wearing eye protection because you still get lots of snow in your face even when facing the opposite side.

As for the electric motor, the reason I dont like it is not a matter of torque. It's simply the fact that it's electric. Electric wires and motors don't like salty snow. In my last build, the wires got comoletely corroded. Making the whole thing water resistant and using quality parts would end up costing about the same as going hydraulic. Plus, hydraulics is fun.

 

[awesome]

I just got my chute back

So now it has teeth all around. I bought a 2.2ci motor. The motor in the original kit (https://www.messicks.com/ku/125567?sectionId=273776&diagramId=927035) is 50cc (3ci?) So my motor is not overkill. The diagram for the kit doesn't show any stoppers and teeth all around..

The only piece I'm missing now is the gear. That part is 100$ cad. So I need to find out the shape or specs of that gear and find an alternative. I have a sproket that seems like it could work so I'll try it out

 

[TheOldHokie]

I just got my chute back
View attachment 91061

So now it has teeth all around. I bought a 2.2ci motor. The motor in the original kit (https://www.messicks.com/ku/125567?sectionId=273776&diagramId=927035) is 50cc (3ci?) So my motor is not overkill. The diagram for the kit doesn't show any stoppers and teeth all around..

The only piece I'm missing now is the gear. That part is 100$ cad. So I need to find out the shape or specs of that gear and find an alternative. I have a sproket that seems like it could work so I'll try it out

That looks good. Those are not spur gear teeth. They have straight sides and no root radius. Sprokets have a large root radius.

Dan