I have a Spirit 8hp 2 stage snowthrower. Menards special. I think it is an MTD but can't find any info on the MTD website. I picked up a newspaper in it that was under the snow on my neighbors sidewalk. It is now jammed between the second stage impellar and the feed chute. What I need to know is how do I take the cowling loose so I can get the impellars unjambed? Looks to me like I need to take the bolts out of the ends of the auger and then I should be able to turn the cowl. Any thoughts?
tia
I'm usually able to get the damned things out without disassembling the machine. Try grabbing the paper with big vice grips or channel locks and pulling it back out the front. Work it from side to side and yank it back. Or try poking at it from the top of the impeller chute with a pry bar. See if you can work the auger and/or impeller back and forth a little to loosen the paper. Spray the paper with windshield deicer spray; it will often melt a little and soften up so you can tear chunks off. I even sawed a piece off once with a coping saw. (Be sure to disconnect the spark wire first).
Then when you are through, if it's a free shopper paper like the "Suburbanite" that goes through my snow blower because the dumb shit who throws it always puts it right in the center of the public sidewalk instead of on the lawn, be sure to drive over to the newspaper office and drop the frozen, wet, chewed paper off on the desk of the editor in chief or, better, the director of circulation.
By the way, this problem is why I stopped doing my neighbors' front walks. This, and because with one exception they never even noticed when I did them.
Thanks. I think I'll stop doing the neighbors too. And I think I'll take your advice and gather the Pennysaver (our version of your "Suburbanite", I guess, which is now basically wet confetti, and drop it off in their office. Sometimes the easiest answers are the most obvious yet most obscure. I am posting this in hopes that it may help another "poor soul". 8-) I simply took a sawzall, put and old, very course blade in it and ran it between the impellar and the cowl and zip, out it came. Man that paper sure packs hard. The cowl was actually bulging a bit with it in there.
Hey, good idea and way to go!
i used to burn them out with a torch, paint is cheap. Chip
Actually, I had a local small engine repairman suggest that. If the sawzall didn't work, that was going to be my next step.
Peace Spook
Is there some way to put a stick in there and pry the impeller backwards? Or maybe tap the back of the stick with a hammer, use the wood dowel as a "drift".
Failing that, the torch idea sounds good. I'm thinking to myself if there's anything that dissolves news paper, but only sulphuric acid comes to mind, and that's a bit extreme for a snow thrower.
I'm very surpirsed that a NEWSPAPER actually jammed a snowblower!!! man, my old girl launches rocks and unsuspecting children 15 feet or more!! good luck with that one!! I once picked up a shard of 2x4 and it jammed up good....LOTS of sawing and f-ing around to get it out....
bHomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.