SS snowblower auger to scraper gap?

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So the gap between the scraper and the auger paddle on mineis 5/8" on both sides. That's way too much right??? Snow is not getting thrown at all...
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Originally Posted by knerml
Check paddles for marks showing max wear indicator.

already did, they're blank. Maybe aftermarket?
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Belt slipping?

Negative. Runs like a top, keeps on spinning through snow, just pushes instead of throwing. What is a normal gap on a single stage unit?
 
I've read that 1/2" is a good max gap for a SS. How's the gap between the paddles and the rest of the housing? How many hours are on the machine? If it's old, probably a good idea just to replace it. At 5/8" I would imagine that you should still be throwing snow though, so I'm wondering if there's something else wrong. You may be able to reuse your old paddles if you just remove them, drill new mounting holes 3/8-1/2" further out and re-install.
 
Makes no sense. The machine is like new. Just won't throw anything. Just snowplows ahead and the snow simply gathers in front of it, powder, wet, whatever.
 
Did it ever work? I've seen augers (mostly on 2 stage blowers) installed backwards so that they were pushing the snow outwards instead of towards the impeller in the middle.

Also, what's the model number? Is it completely brand new? Any pics of it further out? Videos possibly?
 
Is there a choke on the single stage snow blower? Any online manual for troubleshooting?

Never had that issue with my Ariens SS. sold it because it wouldn't push the heavy stuff and I live on a main Street that gets plowed and gets all the slushy stuff.
 
more background, make, model, history, picture of machine not just zoomed in.

Theroretically there should be no gap at the ground.. since the paddles pull it forward.

did someone replace the scraper bar and leave super old worn paddles on it?

install paddles wrong?

who knows.
 
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I don't know, maybe we're all missing something? We can visually check if the paddles are the right way? We're just trying to help. I may not be a snowblower expert, but at least my snowblowers blow snow.
 
It might be worn to the point it can't get the snow to the chute anymore. Hard to say. I've got one of these too. The two piece molded rubber augers on these Ariens units used to be designed such that you can't get the mounting wrong, Not sure on newer ones.

I've got an older Ariens SS stage unit I bought at a yard sale some years back. Mine had a similar gap that I thought was too much and the plastic scraper was worn so I bought a new ~$75 rubber auger assembly and I forget how much the replacement scraper was for it. The original was worn just past the max wear indicator. Anyway.. It didn't throw snow substantially better with the new parts. I put too much $ into it thinking it would be great. Put new wheels on it even, because they were all wallowed out. The auger shaft bearings roll OK, but could also use replacing. Didn't work near as well as the 2-stroke Toro SS I had for awhile, so I tossed this Ariens in the storage loft in my garage.
 
Originally Posted by JTK
It might be worn to the point it can't get the snow to the chute anymore. Hard to say. I've got one of these too. The two piece molded rubber augers on these Ariens units used to be designed such that you can't get the mounting wrong, Not sure on newer ones.

I've got an older Ariens SS stage unit I bought at a yard sale some years back. Mine had a similar gap that I thought was too much and the plastic scraper was worn so I bought a new ~$75 rubber auger assembly and I forget how much the replacement scraper was for it. The original was worn just past the max wear indicator. Anyway.. It didn't throw snow substantially better with the new parts. I put too much $ into it thinking it would be great. Put new wheels on it even, because they were all wallowed out. The auger shaft bearings roll OK, but could also use replacing. Didn't work near as well as the 2-stroke Toro SS I had for awhile, so I tossed this Ariens in the storage loft in my garage.

See that's the thing. This has plastic paddles on it now and EVERYTHING I've read says it should have hard rubber ones with wear indicator marks. Either a hole or a T mark. It has neither. I stopped into a local place that sells SS snowblowers and every paddle on their units [censored] near rubs the scraper with no gap at all. This 5/8" gap has to be what the problem is. I ordered new OEM paddles off of Amazon yesterday for $72 shipped. Fingers crossed they do the job otherwise they are going back and I'm selling this POS off.
 
I have everything. The manual, the original purchase receipt, all documentation. Owner was meticulous.
 
Can you swap a sprocket on the auger drive to speed up the impeller? The John Deere 36" single stage tractor blowers benefitted from this mod. Never looked at the drive on that particular blower so don't know the feasibility of it.
 
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