Dk50C with Woodmaxx Blower

[leonz]

Well, we got 24" overnight and I adjusted the blower to the lower holes, and still snapped a grade 5 shear. Replaced it, started it up and it was running fine for about 20 minutes then all of the sudden with the tractor in low low range I was slowly pushing (and blowing) snow and all of the sudden the rear ujoint on the blower exploded..... or perhaps it was the yoke that did the breaking.... so now I have to replace a yoke and a u joint. Not sure what is going on.... but I'd sure like to figure out what is causing this. Could it be that my 2002 Kioti doesn't have some sort of "soft-start" for the pto? It would be nice to be able to ease the blower on rather than off or on at idle rpm.

Please check the drive chain for the cross auger.
If there is slack in the top flight of roller chain it
needs to be tightened up.


I sent you a PM.


Leon

 

[Jrob730]

It sounds like your drive shaft is binding or too long? In the down position the shaft is extended when it is raised up it telescopes inward and will bind up.
When I bought my Normand new, I needed to shorten the drive shaft a few inches. It would be totally collapsed before being raised completely. I suspect it to be this because now the yoke and U joint have gone out.
When it’s fully raised you still want about 1-2” of the driveshaft left before bottoming out.

 

[Sierraau]

It sounds like your drive shaft is binding or too long? In the down position the shaft is extended when it is raised up it telescopes inward and will bind up.
When I bought my Normand new, I needed to shorten the drive shaft a few inches. It would be totally collapsed before being raised completely. I suspect it to be this because now the yoke and U joint have gone out.
When it’s fully raised you still want about 1-2” of the driveshaft left before bottoming out.

Drive shaft is long enough that when I have the drive lines lined up I have a couple of inches to spare to put the "slide-ons" on the shaft, so when I put it down, it expands accordingly. Don't think that is the problem, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Sierraau]

Please check the drive chain for the cross auger.
If there is slack in the top flight of roller chain it
needs to be tightened up.


I sent you a PM.


Leon

Good suggestions, I will act accordingly.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

If you had the blower running for 20 minutes before the U-joint let go, it can't be the tractor not starting up the pto soft enough.

Some pics of your mounted blower? Maybe we can see what's going on? Have you called Woodmaxx? I had a simple question when I ordered mine, and they were very friendly and on the spot with the answer.

Are you maybe pushing it too hard into the snow banks? Are you pushing a big wall of snow in front of the blower as you drive backwards and clear snow?

 

[Sierraau]

So, I ended up getting a driveline clutch for the blower. Works like a charm. Perhaps part of the problem was the chain was a bit loose (I tightened) and now I am now aware of a new issue: A friend was over and we were shoveling my roof and I was blowing the snow, and when I started to pull away I lowered the rpm, and my friend noted that there was a sort of a clanging sound when the rpms were lowered. The clanging was coming from the fan.... and low and behold the four exterior bolts on the fan are loose- now they have lock washers which keep the bolts from unscrewing, but I can turn every one of them by hand. What I cannot figure out is how to get on the back side of them to be able to hold them to be tightened. I assumed they probably had a welded nut on the backside, but when I put a wrench on them they just spin. Does anyone have a clue what to do to tighten them?

 

[Cycledude]

You might get lucky tightening them with a air impact wrench

 

[DK35vince]

If you take that center cap off will the fan just slide of the shaft?

 

[Sierraau]

If you take that center cap off will the fan just slide of the shaft?

I vaguely think I remember fussing with it before, and I think I used a wheel puller to pull the fan out far enough to get a wrench behind it. The problem is I don't have a warm garage and it is non-stop snowing at 21F. It's probably frozen solid on the shaft. I just need some confirmation as to what to do. I tried calling Woodmaxx but all I got was voicemail. And even if I did tighten them once before, I wonder if it is a common thing for them to come undone. I assume they attach the fan to the flywheel, so having them loose probably isn't ideal.

 

[Sierraau]

All fixed. Pulled the fan out, tightened the bolts and reinstalled the fan, took it out for a spin and it works great. Problem solved. Thanks for the help.