Snowblower Chute Won't Turn Repair Hack For Less Than $2 - Save Money!

[@donyboy73]

Looking to buy a snowblower? Watch this video to make sure to avoid this one! kzbin.info/www/bejne/nIiqenaorbGNeK8

[@kmartin227]

Man, you just saved me around 400 bucks!! The guy at the shop told me it was a bad gear box and control unit in my Cub Cadet which would cost $300 CDN just for parts. I tried this hack and it worked 100% !!! Thanks for this!

[@robertweir9034]

Being that it’s plastic which will wear down against medal, I would add a flat washer to both ends and a nylon lock nut to that mix.

[@donyboy73]

good idea

[@patriotjones5705]

Very very good observation 👌 This is why community information is 🔑 🗝

[@josephmartino7354]

or add some thread lock

[@LetUsRepair]

Having lots of these money-saving tricks up your sleeve is crucial in running a business. You can give the customer the option of doing a "factory repair" or you can tell them you can fix it for a fraction, but it won't be a factory repair. 99/100 customers will opt for the money saving option. Love the video Don ❤️

[@davevee4930]

Thanks Donyboy73...you've saved me hundreds of dollars in repair costs, with all the snowblowers I've owned. I'm also a proud Canadian, and happy to support your efforts !

[@bobmcl2406]

That certainly qualifies as a permanent repair in my books. Thank for this tip.

[@Rev-D1963]

A "cheap and dirty" repair, and works 100%. Can't beat that! Proof it doesn't take a fortune to fix stuff, just some thought and effort. Thanks again Don for another great vid. God bless. Rev. D.

[@pablodiablo6666]

Thank you very much! Just did your fix on my Craftsman C459-52832 and it works perfectly. Ended up using a 1 1/2" x 1/4" bolt I already had with flat washers on each side. Total cost: $0 and about 15 minute of my time (mostly to grab the required tools and watch your excellent video!).

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

You’d think the engineers would use a stiffer plastic or design internal ribbing to stiffen the part up! Just another example of designed obsolescence! Just like when your car breaks the day after the warranty expires! Thanks for the tip Don!

[@TheOzthewiz]

It is NOT the engineer's fault. Blame the 'bean counters' , they are the one's controlling the purse strings for increased profits!

[@KensSmallEngineRepair]

@@TheOzthewiz To a point, yes, but good functional design can be had with limited resources as well. There are cheap designs that work well and expensive designs that don’t!

[@byronwoolfrey1039]

Good man Most shops would replace the whole thing for high cost, but it is easy to see you are a honest mechanic who is going to save your customers money when possible. Sure gives people piece of mind and ofcourse makes them want to come back. There is an auto mechanic in this area that does that, he sure has a lot of dedicated customers.

[@dj5752]

I know I commented before on this tip. But again, I have to say outstanding. I was at my friends house the other day and he mentioned that his chute on his Craftsman 27'' (MTD) wasn't working. I showed him this fix. We did it together and it's now working again. Thank you. Merry Christmas.

[@cabletech66681]

I took it apart and used a piece of old credit card inside againt the plastic that spins inside and it worked great

[@semco72057]

That is a great tip and many who own those brands of snowblowers will appreciate it and know they can fix that problem themselves.

[@albertgingras9940]

Many thanks for sharing this as this save my Club Cadet and buying a new one as the labor in Canada is very costly with our mega taxes. I tried 3 times to follow your instruction and was not successful until I remove the assembly and realize I was not drilling through at the correct location. I tried again and it work. The other problem I have is the freezing of the cable when they get wet from the snow.

[@rangerbandit911]

Excellent solution! I have been trying to come up with an answer for this problem for a few days now. I will try this in the am. Thank you.

[@pfmcdermott1]

Your videos are pure gold. They’re all substance and no fluff. A real rarity these days. Thank you!

[@donyboy73]

thanks Paul

[@demoderbydave]

I have had this issue with my Troy bilt 8526 for years. I just dealt with it and turned it manually. I plan to do this tonight as soon as I get home. I CAN’T believe that fixing it would be THAT SIMPLE! 😳😁

[@mcallahan9060]

I just used this fix to repair my snowblower and it worked perfectly. Thanks!

[@archierockey]

I prefer the older ones with the crank handle to change the direction of the discharge chute

[@robertasleson5856]

The cables will get moisture in them and then rust. Not a good design. Crank with gears at chute are better!

[@rokdog97]

Thanks so much! I bought a used machine, and the only problem was the chute control. Glad I saw this before tearing the control apart!

[@nbpt1000]

Nice video!!!! Very cleaver and practical. I like Fluid film on the chute. It seems to last longer. It can also help prevent clogging. In the States we use #10 machine screws which are almost the same diameter.

[@fitch8363]

Great Fix! A great application of the KISS principle.

[@bufford5483]

Thank you Danny Boy. I have the exact snowblower with the exact problem. Now show us how to adjust the chute flap.

[@thereallevel27]

There is no more permanent repair than a temporary repair that works. Also reminds me to order the speed cable on my cub cadet

[@mr1pearl]

Tony hands down this is one of my favorite hacks ! Thanks !!!

[@davidwertanen8302]

Thank you for this video! I couldn't figure out why my chute wouldn't rotate and I did your repair and it worked!!

[@lovestihlquality1369]

Never ceases to amaze me how you come up with these fixes!!

[@mattb9664]

Thanks for the carburetor jet drill out tip! My snowblower stopped surging!

[@CALVINLNIKONT]

Great fix! I would have used a hex-head bolt and washer on one end and a washer, lock washer, and nut on the other end. You want to spread the stress on plastic parts with washers.

[@michaelh3427]

Thanks DonyBoy for this video. My older Troy Bilt 30" snowblower with a similar chute design never worked correctly from day one. It always threw snow in random directions whenever it hit a large patch of snow. Only worked well at full 90° right or left. What a dumb design mixing plastic with metal. I had a hard time removing the long control bolt whose nut had stripped the plastic. The nut inside the casing just spinned. I had to spray it with WD-40 overnight and then remove the cable control arm bolt and pin so I could gain tight access to jam a small flat head screwdriver to seize the nut and remove the bolt. The rest was easy but I would suggest to remove the arm like I did before drilling so that you can start the drill hole at the exact spot since there's not much room for error. Now the chute moves where I want it to go. Also I followed some other comment suggestions and added washers to both sides and used a nylon lock nut. To fill the open top hole I found that a large plastic self drilling Drywall Anchor screwed snugly to fill the space. Colored it with black Sharpie. Thanks again for all your informative videos for my snowblower that's needed frequent repair over the years

[@GJ-movies]

Wow , had this repair on my to do list for some time . The plastic hexagonal bolt was worn and the chute just nearly turned , but not quite. I left the metal pivot bolt in place and used a small tap screw thru one side to act as a pin. Less than a minute to repair. Thanks 🙏.

[@41chickenman]

Great tip. Just saved me a bunch of cash. Thanks

[@loum7008]

Thanks!!! Great easy fix! I splurged and used stainless hardware 👍

[@peterdoherty7282]

I’m watching as research for the winter Dony!!! I’m all ready for snow… says nobody ever!!!!

[@carlmiller1034]

Awesome repair. That was super neat!!! Thanks Don!!!

[@YukonHawk1]

You're videos are outstanding. Unfortunately for MTD this is a testament to the crap they produce. If they made quality stuff you should not have to do this for a machine that costs close to a grand if not over to buy.

[@MCgangsta11]

Great video, simple and took me 2 mins to do! Great stuff

[@frankieg9585]

Outstanding instruction donyboy73! Thank you for all the content you provide for us DIY mechanics!

[@dinos1911s]

MTD Snowblower hack of the year

[@elizabethvillalobos8927]

Wow! Thank you you are a great teacher!

[@billdollar6155]

That is a very good money saving repair thank you very much and have a wonderful day sir.

[@gerrymcisaac1625]

Great videos, your detailed information is a huge help for any of your repairs. Thanks and please continue!

[@JoeMac1983]

Thanks for the trick!

[@robertwilliams6288]

Thank you donyboy for saving us some money on this repair.

[@f.p.4557]

Mine is a MTD bolens 500 series with the same chute without the bolt on top. Actually tried the trick but put the joystick and chute to the left before drilling. Did not work at all, the chute was blocked....I tried again but with the joystick and the chute to the right. Drilled again in the same hole I did, put the 3/16 bolt and it worked. Have no clue why it does work now....I suggest you guys put the chute and joystick to the right before drilling. Can't wait to see if it holds all winter. will be updating this comment. UPDATE : chute worked flawlessly all winter ! great trick !!

[@randybarnhart6976]

Question: how did you determine where to drill the hole? I am concerned about drilling through the gear that is contained inside. If you drilled too high up on it, you’ll drill through the gear and if you drill too low, I guess you will lose the advantage of the hack itself? My understanding of the heck is that the bolt with a nut compresses the plastic and reduces the play inside the gear mechanism?

[@jerrystark3587]

Killer tip. Thanks! 👍👍

[@unclet8840]

Hey that a great fix, I wonder if you know the part number for the cable, I’ve had mine since new in 2009 a craftsman and I love it, the cable just broke today and I can’t seem to find one anywhere,

[@Tommyr]

That's a great, easy fix! Very clever Dony! Thanks.

[@MegaFranceschini]

THANKS FOR THAT TIP. VERY NICE.HAVE A NICE DAY

[@clintonpalmer6447]

Donny have you done a video on making the tracks turn or why they stop turning left and right. Troy bilt machine

[@andrewzarins9739]

Thanks!!! Your fix worked for me!

[@ronaldm457]

Your video is pure gold .You saved me a lot of headaches and money. What brand of snow blower is good these days?

[@donyboy73]

honda, ariens, toro

[@TheOzthewiz]

Hi! I enjoy watching your repair videos. I recently purchased a Honda HS55 (probably built in mid-80s), which has a sealed auger transmission. I would like to add a drain/fill plug to make life a LOT easier. Would you recommend a zerk fitting or a drain plug? What weight gear oil or grease should I use and how high up from the bottom of the case should I drill the hole for the tap? THANK YOU!

[@bobwelch5056]

Thanks for sharing

[@donyboy73]

have a good weekend Bob!

[@anthonyguenther6008]

Thanks for the repair tip.May have to fix mine at some time.

[@hphillips7425]

Good fix. That is better than original

[@gilpicard6024]

Awesome fix

[@Matt_justlikethat]

Great job, thanks for the repair tip.👍👍👍

[@vetterfellow]

Great repair DB73, I don't have this particular blower, and I'm glad I don't !!!!.. 😊

[@winstonclarke9221]

A Valuable piece of information Don👍.

[@whocares0692]

Thank You very much. You are a master at your craft !! 👍

[@josephrich6014]

Great repair tip. Thanks Don

[@mattb9664]

I have the Craftsman version with this style chute control and it's pretty obvious they (Murray/TroyBilt) were trying to save on costs with the chute. It's adequate for a paved driveway, and that's it. If there is any type of variable terrain or gravel, you need a snowblower with a metal chute and a hand-crank style chute control. That all said, I beat on that Craftsman (and now on purpose so I can ask the wife for a new one!) and it still works- I just put some heavy duty zip ties on that neck to reinforce it each year and its been fine each season. Definitely wouldn't recommend any brand or level of snowblower that uses a plastic chute, as the chute is equally important as the impeller housing and overall drive system!

[@jerryrosas5704]

I have a Sears Craftsman snowblower and I have the same issue with my machine.

[@CFProton]

Good money saver. Thanks!!

[@grantw.whitwam9948]

I don't have a new model like that, but what a great video, thanks.

[@robertgwalsh5878]

Thanks

[@mdruryscs]

Awesome hack! Thanks for sharing!

[@robll75]

This guy is too smart.

[@rk22cc]

Great fix, you should work for MTD

[@annierenard5954]

excellent, thank you

[@gordbaker896]

Great Fix Dony.

[@justinwade7293]

Have a question.. I have the electric chute version that the chute won't spin. The control knob does spin the bar, but the chute just sits there. Can this bolt trick work for the electric version? Thank you in advance. Mainer here- close neighbors to Canada. 😁

[@willf5768]

Great tip 😁👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@keithkilps8250]

Nice tip Don

[@veritas4685]

Thank you Sir!

[@joegiglia5777]

Hi, can this repair also be done on a craftsman model # C349-52310? The chute has to be manually moved, the handle will not move it Thanks

[@eddieerickson5908]

I just bought a used Craftsman Snow blowers with a similar issue with the chute not rotating. But there's no bolt application as pictured in this video. Can I drill a locking pin to solve this issue?

[@dj5752]

Outstanding Tip!!!!

[@donyboy73]

Glad you liked it!

[@richardstrada212]

It is a great help. Thanks again.

[@robertmailhos8159]

The time is getting getting close for snow ❄️ blower season I use the wd silicone spray for lubricantcatig plastic and metal parts

[@LeNguyen-uo9wn]

Can you fixing this with the craftsman snowblower ? Thank you very much . Have a great Friday . 👍💪😆

[@richardjames3063]

i have the xp 3090 with the rod,, would this work ? and should i use a washer?

[@marshallborder9089]

GREAT TIP.

[@dhswede]

MTD should have used a metal insert where the chute bolts to the head. Plastic in the chute deforms quickly as a result of the twisting motion but using the bolt seems like a cheap and easy fix. However, I found the real problem to be related to water and snow collecting and freezing in between the chute and the chute collar at the bottom. When that happens, even if you break it free while trying to turn it, it still turns very hard which leads to damaging other components. I have a Cub Cadet model which has a 4 way control on the handle bar but it uses the same mechanism shown on the chute. After I fixed the issue Dony uncovered, it started breaking spring pins in the 4 way control unit all the time which isn't a big deal but they're hard to replace do to limited access. Besides who wants to frig with that in the middle of the cold. I researched the issue on the web and found a few people had commented about oiling and greasing the chute at the bottom where the issue is. I had tried using white lithium grease as well as silicon spay for a few years but it didn't seem to stay. This year I coated the chute sleeve at the bottom with marine grease and will see how that works. I ran across someone who suggested spraying antifreeze on it at that location which probably would work. If your concerned about using antifreeze because of pets maybe try some windshield washer fluid when starting out. I'm hoping the marine grease works. Clearly a poor design. You'd think MTD would come up with a simple fix.. you can swap out the plastic one for a metal chute at a substantial cost. Had snowblowers for years with much simpler chute control designs and never had an issue. This one's worked ok for about a year and than started having issues with chute.

[@CarlJohnson-ry3gc]

THANK you for sharing!!

[@nickgaidin]

Great solution! Thanks for sharing! I have an '09 Craftsman 247.88830 (31AH55TH799) and the friction disc is shot. It has the Wheel Steering so I'm having trouble removing the drive shaft assembly to get a new friction disc on there. The owners manual just says to take it to a repair shop. Any advice? Thanks!

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank s.

[@superrando837]

Excellent

[@bobmariano3731]

Awesome 👏 exactly what happened to mine too ! Thx u 👍👏

[@lsdave]

Do you ever fix the seized cables or do you just replace them?

[@donyboy73]

i replace

[@sly2599]

how much oil do you have to put in cub cadet stage 3 snowblower.. the manual doesnt mention how much to put in and should i start the snow blower in the fall before changing the oil i check and the oil is brown color i havent started it..thanks

[@rodneyerdmann1545]

Awesome fix!!!

[@deanmoore420]

Great fix I’d like that Great job 👍

[@sistakee1090]

Superb!

[@MrGeos2010]

Brand new Ariens 28 snowblower up and down part of Shute is rather stiff any help is appreciated.

[@IsshmanGarcia]

I watched you other videos, great stuff. Do you happen to know the length of the fuel line and primer line on Tecumseh Engine?

[@leadfootnick4x4]

Good video and HAVE A GOOD DAY

[@paullemay3218]

Thank you for sharing this information. ❤️🇨🇦

[@seanmcgillicuddy956]

Great fix!