Dk50C with Woodmaxx Blower

[Sierraau]

I live near Lake Tahoe where the snow is heavy and deep. I keep breaking the 5/16" grade 3 shear bolts literally every 10 minutes. First I have to lift the blower up to an elevation where it is in direct line with the pto shaft, and even with no snow in the blower box, it is a 50/50 proposition that the shear bolt will break when I turn on the pto at idle (and yes, the augers turn easily as I install a new shear bolt). Then when I am blowing I can usually get 30 minutes in blowing before I break it again. I'm not hitting obstacles, the bolts just easily break. I bought a grade 5 and attached it to the pto ujoint and it then broke the 5/16" shear bolt that drives the rotors. Any ideas on how to stop breaking bolts, or shall I just buy a box of 50 Grade 3's and grin and bear it?

 

[TractorTYMe]

If there is no apparent drag or slack on augers and rotor? That's one baffling problem for sure.

 

[sd455dan]

Sounds more like the PTO engagement is to violent if it breaks the shear bolt at idle with no snow on application of the PTO.


Is that tractor equipped with a switch type PTO engagement?
There are times a foot operated PTO clutch is an advantage.

 

[Sierraau]

Sounds more like the PTO engagement is to violent if it breaks the shear bolt at idle with no snow on application of the PTO.


Is that tractor equipped with a switch type PTO engagement?
There are times a foot operated PTO clutch is an advantage.

actually a button. I just got back from the hardware store, no snow in the auger box, blower raised so pto and blower u joints are in direct alignment, put the new shear pin in, tractor at idle. Push the button and SNAP! three times in a row. I don't get it.

 

[Sierraau]

Ok, if this thread sounds familiar, I opened the same thread in 2019 and with your help figured out the problem. In the last four years, we haven't had enough snow to warrant using the blower, so when I went to hook it up this season, it appears I forgot my own lesson. I just re-read the thread, and I will take my own forgetful advice the last time around and hopefully will resolve the problem. Since I didn't remember the previous session, I referred to the operator's manual for Woodmaxx and they called for a grade 2 bolt, but in the thread from 2019 on a tech call, woodmaxx told me that was a typo and it should be a grade 5. Back to the hardware store and I guess I will reposition the blower on the tractor and see what happens.

 

[DK35vince]

Good luck
Hope it works

 

[Beaver Cove Deere]

Ya. Grade 5 minimum. Make sure the shoulder is smooth for both sides and that sometimes requires longer bolts.

I haven’t broken a sheer bolt in a few years now. My PTO is hydro and it has a slow and smooth engagement.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Also, is your blower adjusted to be level when setting on the ground? Should be about dead level when working. I assume your pto shaft is cut to the right length?

I've been fortunate not to break a shear pin yet on mine. But I only got it this past November, so it's only had one winter on it so far.

 

[Sierraau]

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.

 

[07wingnut]

I don't quite know what your snowblower looks like, and my suggestion probably won't help the shear bolt failure on pto engagement, but here goes. I have a front mounted snowblower on a bx23 that worked flawlessly until it didn't and started shearing bolts in the fan. Just for info, the fan uses a grade 8. Went from no shear bolt failures for most of the winter to 6 failures in just one session. It turns out the culprit was a worn out drive chain that drives the fan and auger. Apparently it caused a vibration that made the shear bolt fatigue. From the sound of it, you do not have a chain driving the fan, but a vibration from the pto shaft ujoint close to failure may give the same result.

 

[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.