I've had exactly this problem with my Ariens. Thinking it was beyond my ability, twice i had it fixed by the place where I bought. Yesterday, it happened again--after 10" of snow covered my tenth of a mile drive. After an hour of trying to fix it myself (with half-frozen hands), I discovered your video. I have to tell you, this is the absolute best video I've ever seen on how to repair something. You were clear and to the point, with no theatrics or wasted words; you walked through all the necessary steps; and even told me how to prevent the problem from happening again. And my drive is open! Thank you.
My drive belt on my Ariien professional snowblower kept falling off. I watched this video and added this nut yesterday. We got 12 inches of snow last night into today and just went out and cleaned up. The drive belt did not come off, and I got everything cleaned up. Thank you so much for this fantastic fix!! Recommend watching this video!!
I used to sell Ariens and Toro snowblowers years ago. Both companies have us training in the use and maintenance of their machines. I learn way more from this channel than I ever did from them.
Don, Just wanted to let you know you have the best repair channel on youtube. The amount of detail you take explaining every step needed , your knowledge just is amazing. I dabble a little with chainsaws and mowers and I wish I had half the knowledge you have. Take care and keep up the great work.
Thank you for this post. This year my 5 year old Ariens Deluxe 24 was throwing the drive belt so often I left the bottom plate off to save time getting the belt back on. Today I tried your fix and it worked great. Just finished the end of my driveway where the snow was more than 2 feet deep and packed after our recent snow storm. Belt stayed on with no problems. Great fix!
Outstanding way to correct the drive belt from jumping the pulleys. I just installed the castle nut and could tell right away the belt alignment is much better. My brand new Ariens snowthrower has thrown the belt since day one. The only thing I noticed is that the drive doesn't completely disengage. The nut I used has a very large flange, perhaps too much. Will correct this but not having the belt fall off the pulleys with every use is priceless. Thanks. I don't like Ariens just because of this design flaw and have warned others to avoid them. We shouldn't have to modify a thousand dollar machine to get rid of this annoying problem.
I have a two year old Platinum 30 that your video helped with. This year it threw the drive belt every time I stopped and started movement, very time consuming and frustrating. I did exactly what you suggest in this video and just did my driveway, 2 hours with heavy wet snow, not once did it come off. That little lock nut saved an expensive service call, thanks so very much.
Someone told me last year another quick fix for that. Use a one inch piece of thick walled fuel line and push on the threads. I guess you can add the nut to ensure the fuel line doesn't come off or as a backup if it dryrots. Love your channel Don! I learn a lot!
Hi Dony never thought I see a Ariens snow blower video from you. I am a Honda Mini Trail Restorer and have watch a few interesting videos from you. But after looking at some of the issues of these snow blowers ours being a 2020 model I started seeing issues for the go with electric starter not engaging rite out of the box, as well steel cables snapped on both cut wheel lever as well as lever to drive wheels, both chains snapped where steel lifts bars to engage. Fixed that. alignment issues when dealer did not properly set up at dealership. I saw a water issue on a video, where the gentleman did not want comments. my newer one same issues, Living in N. Idaho this is a tool we need as we can get some snow. I now after use open up blower area and I use my Air Force 1 blaster to quickly dry out araea. I bought the Air Force 1 blower years ago to blow off my Muscle cars after rinsing and cleaning, my motor cycles including the Mini Trails. Please I have not yet started to look at the electric start starter issues, But will soon in my shop. Thank You
Hey all, had a similar issue on a brand new (2023) Deluxe 30, discovered the nut fix didn't solve the problem as machine took off and would not stop in high gear, or would creep in low even. My fix, reverse the drive pulley on the front of the motor, moves the belt out about 1/8" reducing the angle and solved the issue...I can see where the nut fix, could work on a machine with some friction wheel wear on it and may add that at a later date after the machine gets some "break in" mileage on it. Messed around with a piece of that fancy yellow 3/16th fuel line hose, in lieu of the nut, machine still had creep in high gear, so then went after the pulley and finally solved it. Beauty of the hose, easy to put on with a long needle nose plier, just pushed it on so might be a solution as well for a broken in friction wheel machine!
Outstanding! I was thinking the belt misalignment might be due to a reversed traction sheave (it's not) or perhaps my engine needed to be slid forward a bit (that is still possible, but unlikely as the attachment/auger sheave appears to be nicely aligned with the attachment/auger pulley). I tried tightening the clutch lever as a temporary fix, but the belt still jumped off. Your suggested solution is simple and insightful. I knew the bolt you suggest putting the nut on was the stop for the swing assembly plate, but somehow didn't think to try a nut to adjust the plate. Thanks for posting this solution. I hope it works. I'm a bit disappointed with Ariens for allowing a design flaw like this to cause my 2 year old blower to start slipping the belt after every 15 minutes of use. From the looks of the blower in your video, this problem has been around for decades. The blower you repair in the video is the one that I replaced. I wish I had kept the old one.
I want to say thank you so much for all the videos you put out. The wife got me a PowerSmart snowblower wow they suck. So bad I’ve only had it like 3 months have had the drive belt come off had to fad so missing part when I got it customer service suck they even sent the wrong one. I live in Maine couldn’t send back because snow was coming and very time I need to find out about something I come to your videos and I find the answer so thank you
Thanks so much for the video. The drive belt on my 3-year-old Ariens Deluxe 28 slipped off the pulleys last night and I followed your instructions for putting it back on. I'm going to get one of those lock nuts today and install that to keep the belt from slipping off again. You're the best!
My back thanks you. Amazingly, I happened to have that exact lock bolt on hand thanks to years of hording random fasteners. I didn't have much hope, but I thought giving the fix a try would beat the hell out of shoveling. I was able to clear my whole driveway and a neighbor's after the fix.
I was having this exact problem with drive belt coming off. Adjusting the clutch cable helped but would not fix the problem. Your video helped me see the problem an the 1/4-20 nyloc nut fixed the alignment problem. Thank you! 👍
Have a very similar machine and it had this issue. The good people of the internet suggested using a piece of fuel line over the bolt you showed and it fixed the issue. Still has issues with the chute control- they made a kit that fixes the issue.. I've yet to buy it. Would also blow through belts with wet heavy snow. Another kit- dual auger belt kit fixes the issue. Not sure why they force people to buy stuff to fix their crappy designs.
Thank you for the video. My Ariens snowblower wouldn't move and couldn't quite understand what happened until I found this video. Simple enough the way it should be.
Very well done tutorial, but, I've got everything off and ready to put on the new drive belt, but it won't slip over all of the mechanisms for the auger belts. I thought it might be the wrong belt but I double checked and it is correct. What is the magic getting it back on? Thank you
Another great one Don. My problem is with the auger belt on my Craftsman 28. Like one of your other commenters mentioned: every time I start up cold, within a few seconds of the auger turning, the belt comes off. Once I put it back on it's good to go - until the next morning. Warming the engine doesn't help.
Just got a new 28” Ariens unit so I will check this out. Just put heated handgrips and run tested today ( no snow) . Bought because of the easy turn transmission, will see. I’ll install a nut should it need it after inspection . Can’t believe this video showed up today. Thanks
it is designed to be misaligned until you pull the lever and the drive disk swings into the rubber drive wheel. My noma is aligned and the who disc slides on a hex shaft into the rubber wheel why Arien's designed it this way is strange to me.
Wow, that's an easy fix, but I bet it wasn't easy to figure out that was one way to fix the problem! I have intermittent drive issues on my Snapper but I think it's mostly related to drive lever tension (since I can sometimes push it easier if I slightly depress the lever)
My brand new Husqvarna has this same belt angle problem. The belt came off after the 2nd week of use. I'll need to check and see if the same bolt stud is present for your easy fix.
Thanks Don ... I really appreciate it and let me tell you something bro ... I never tried to fix my personal stuff at home basically I just purchased new one BUT after you shared with us your amazing / real experience abt how to fix things ( I enjoyed fixed all my stuff because of you man ...).. Thanks again Mr Don ... Wish you the best bro....✌️
Hello Donny Boy, I wished I would have watched your video about an hour ago. I'm not sure if you ever had one come from the factory installed in the furthest set back holes mounting the engine to the machine. They are called bolt straps, which are riveted in place to hold it for engine installation, my guess. I noticed the misaligned pulley when I was called by a customer to replace the drive belts. So after a repeat call just after the belt was replaced by me, it was a head scratcher. So, I noticed that there were more engine mounting holes, probably for different engines and configurations. So, after a bit of critical thinking and a few choice words, I removed the engine, finding those bolt straps and being riveted in place. I removed the rivets and moved them to the next closest holes forward of the original. That took some of the miss alignment out. But I think I'm going to try your trick before returning it to the customer. Thanks for the help.
Very interesting. This is not a problem that I have had....... yet! I could not see from the video: what is the nut pushing against? Thanks as always, Dony.
I saw the position of the pulley, it's mounting plate, and the belt angle as the cause of the problem. Didn't think to put a nut on the bolt as a resolution. (insert imogee of inflicting a flat forehead here) Thanks for the simple fix !!!! Appears to work but blower was trying to drive even with handle released. Tried adjusting cable, no fix. Adjusted nut to contact plate on the flat rather than a corner, voila !!!! That's a rch of a difference !!!!!!!!! ... That's a design flaw, apparently suffered by many. I'd think Ariens would come out with a recall/factory fix/notification. ... This is the start of the 3rd Winter for the blower.
@@donyboy73 I'll keep that in mind should the thing start wanting to drive all the time, again. With the dawn today we got to try the drive under load finishing what we tried to start yesterday. Your simple fix functioned well all day. Accolades to you, my friend ! Thanks again !!
Thank you for the post very helpful. I couldn’t get the belt to seat into the bottom of the of the pulley. I put a piece of duct tape on the top section to hold the belt in then turned the pulley around and it seated the belt.
My drive belt only jumps between shut down and start up. Not sure if this alignment issue causes that, but going to try this. The belt jumping gets frustrating.
Thanks im going to try this, I had to completely takeout the gear box assembly. purchased a new one and it came with the shaft going back to the engine 2" too short. no problem cut it in half cut out 2" from old shaft. I have a jug I use for welding to perfectly align pieces like this and it worked grate. put it back together, the pulleys line up real well but for some reason the belt seems too bug now. q=what happened I dont know. Its getting to be may right ow been screwing around with this for months, Runs great its a 24: 30 year old MTD, im retired so I cant afford a new one. Going to get LITTLE SHORTER BELT AND TRY AGAIN.
Ariens runs advertisements on a video they shows how crappy their snowblower is. They should send out the locknut and make a better snow blower. Thanks for this video. Ariens should be embarrassed.
Hi dony boy a faster fix is put a piece rubber hose about 1 to 1 1/2 long over the bolt. That's the update fix from the factory. ... auto transmission hose is about right size.
Hi Donyboy, nice to see you still fixing stuff. Here in Toulouse weather is about 5-10 degrees centigrade. I even had my mower out for a spin a week or two ago. Have a great Christmas.
At 3:15 of this video you attach the new lock nut onto the "bolt". Is that bolt that you're attaching it to the same as the "stop bolt" that the Ariens manual refers to? I suspect so but figured I'd ask. Thanks.
Don... first thanks! Your video's have helped me quite a bit. I have this problem but the belt is rolling off the front (auger side) of the lower pulley. Mine is a Craftsman. It is similar to this but the belts are closer together...I'm sure you know the style. Any ideas ? Can I move the lower pulley forward to align it, or is there a way to move the top pulley back a little ? THANKS !
I have a stupid question I noticed the auger belt is always rubbing on the engine pulley when engine is running and auger not engaged. Will this cause the auger strap to wear prematurely?
Good fix Don! Now, I have a 19yo Murray blower that has the same problem except the shaft doesn't move back and forth like it does on your Ariens. It looks like the drive pulley is about 7mm too far forward on the crank shaft with the misalignment being enough to throw the belt off. Any ideas?
@@tegrof245 Nope, I never got a reply. What I can say is I was going through a full tune up at that point, belts, drive roller, lube, tensions etc and I think it has only thrown the belt once since then. Maybe the new belt had a slightly different geometry or something?
@@tegrof245 Actually, I just popped the cover off to try and refresh my memory and it looks pretty well aligned. I recall taking the pulleys off the crankshaft. I think I may have played around with spacers on the shaft to bring the pulleys into better alignment.
Thank Heaven I don't have that pulley problem. I couldn't see the true Problem Here, but if you added a bunch of flat round washers wouldn't that line the pulley up even more?. The top pulley looks like maybe a movable type, but I guess not or you would just move it into position. Thanks friend for being out here. Cheers !!***.
Don to the rescue, once again ! My old John Deere (an Ariens in disguise) just started to jump a belt and thanks to you, I know what's the fix. Merci beaucoup !
Hello donyboy73. I'm trying to replace the drive PLATE and shaft on my 8526, but can't get the pulley off of the other end. NOBODY has videos for that. Can you help?? Thanks!
Thanks for the tip Great channel. No doubt I will use in the future as we have 3 of these machines .Any place from London to Woodstock you know where I can get a belly pan for a Areins 1332LE
Hi wondering where you are located please and whether you can assist with this repair? Also wanted to know how the nut fixes the problem? Isn't is just a nut on a bolt? Thanks!
This repair did stop my drive belt from coming off but it also kept the friction drive plate in constant contact with the friction disc, which kept me from being able to easily move the machine around when the motor is not driving the machine. So now I still have to solve the belt coming off problem. Any suggestions?
I had a similar problem. I was able to improve it by very fine adjustments to the drive cable. Very fine. Just enough to get slippage when moving with engine off yet enough to engage properly. Not sure if this will help your issue.
Hi and thanks once again. It's not clear to me how the nut fixed it. Adjuster? Spacer? (also, any tips on how to keep Ariens wheels from freezing overnight in cold weather, or how to keep that easy-turn feature working on a 2011?) Take care.
I have a craftsman blower with the exact same problem. Model 944 520661. It's a 27"/9hp Model. Is there is a similar fix I can do? That nut doesn’t touch the friction plate pulley I assume? Also is there only one spring for the drive idler? Mine came off with the belt, I found one but wanted to make sure there ain’t another one missing as I looks like there is a spot for another on the drive belt idler pulley.
OK, I did this fix. Now i have a run away snow blower.. The disk is too close now. does not disengage. Will have to remove the nut. This was installed on a delux 24 Ariens model. Did not work on this model. Any ideas?
Watch my video on how to replace auger belts on an ARIENS snowblower here;
ruclips.net/video/EI2862xC-aA/видео.html
I've had exactly this problem with my Ariens. Thinking it was beyond my ability, twice i had it fixed by the place where I bought. Yesterday, it happened again--after 10" of snow covered my tenth of a mile drive. After an hour of trying to fix it myself (with half-frozen hands), I discovered your video. I have to tell you, this is the absolute best video I've ever seen on how to repair something. You were clear and to the point, with no theatrics or wasted words; you walked through all the necessary steps; and even told me how to prevent the problem from happening again. And my drive is open! Thank you.
My drive belt on my Ariien professional snowblower kept falling off. I watched this video and added this nut yesterday. We got 12 inches of snow last night into today and just went out and cleaned up. The drive belt did not come off, and I got everything cleaned up. Thank you so much for this fantastic fix!! Recommend watching this video!!
I used to sell Ariens and Toro snowblowers years ago. Both companies have us training in the use and maintenance of their machines.
I learn way more from this channel than I ever did from them.
Don, Just wanted to let you know you have the best repair channel on youtube. The amount of detail you take explaining every step needed , your knowledge just is amazing. I dabble a little with chainsaws and mowers and I wish I had half the knowledge you have. Take care and keep up the great work.
thanks David
Thank you! I’ve been fighting with that stupid drive belt for 3 seasons I couldn’t figure out a solution. Can’t wait for the next storm. Be blessed.
Thank you for this post. This year my 5 year old Ariens Deluxe 24 was throwing the drive belt so often I left the bottom plate off to save time getting the belt back on. Today I tried your fix and it worked great. Just finished the end of my driveway where the snow was more than 2 feet deep and packed after our recent snow storm. Belt stayed on with no problems. Great fix!
Outstanding way to correct the drive belt from jumping the pulleys. I just installed the castle nut and could tell right away the belt alignment is much better. My brand new Ariens snowthrower has thrown the belt since day one. The only thing I noticed is that the drive doesn't completely disengage. The nut I used has a very large flange, perhaps too much. Will correct this but not having the belt fall off the pulleys with every use is priceless. Thanks. I don't like Ariens just because of this design flaw and have warned others to avoid them. We shouldn't have to modify a thousand dollar machine to get rid of this annoying problem.
Same problem with mine,ate 2 belts already.poor design but has quality parts.
I have a two year old Platinum 30 that your video helped with. This year it threw the drive belt every time I stopped and started movement, very time consuming and frustrating. I did exactly what you suggest in this video and just did my driveway, 2 hours with heavy wet snow, not once did it come off. That little lock nut saved an expensive service call, thanks so very much.
Someone told me last year another quick fix for that.
Use a one inch piece of thick walled fuel line and push on the threads. I guess you can add the nut to ensure the fuel line doesn't come off or as a backup if it dryrots.
Love your channel Don! I learn a lot!
Hi Dony never thought I see a Ariens snow blower video from you. I am a Honda Mini Trail Restorer and have watch a few interesting videos from you. But after looking at some of the issues of these snow blowers ours being a 2020 model I started seeing issues for the go with electric starter not engaging rite out of the box, as well steel cables snapped on both cut wheel lever as well as lever to drive wheels, both chains snapped where steel lifts bars to engage. Fixed that. alignment issues when dealer did not properly set up at dealership. I saw a water issue on a video, where the gentleman did not want comments. my newer one same issues, Living in N. Idaho this is a tool we need as we can get some snow. I now after use open up blower area and I use my Air Force 1 blaster to quickly dry out araea. I bought the Air Force 1 blower years ago to blow off my Muscle cars after rinsing and cleaning, my motor cycles including the Mini Trails. Please I have not yet started to look at the electric start starter issues, But will soon in my shop. Thank You
Hey all, had a similar issue on a brand new (2023) Deluxe 30, discovered the nut fix didn't solve the problem as machine took off and would not stop in high gear, or would creep in low even. My fix, reverse the drive pulley on the front of the motor, moves the belt out about 1/8" reducing the angle and solved the issue...I can see where the nut fix, could work on a machine with some friction wheel wear on it and may add that at a later date after the machine gets some "break in" mileage on it.
Messed around with a piece of that fancy yellow 3/16th fuel line hose, in lieu of the nut, machine still had creep in high gear, so then went after the pulley and finally solved it. Beauty of the hose, easy to put on with a long needle nose plier, just pushed it on so might be a solution as well for a broken in friction wheel machine!
Outstanding! I was thinking the belt misalignment might be due to a reversed traction sheave (it's not) or perhaps my engine needed to be slid forward a bit (that is still possible, but unlikely as the attachment/auger sheave appears to be nicely aligned with the attachment/auger pulley). I tried tightening the clutch lever as a temporary fix, but the belt still jumped off. Your suggested solution is simple and insightful. I knew the bolt you suggest putting the nut on was the stop for the swing assembly plate, but somehow didn't think to try a nut to adjust the plate. Thanks for posting this solution. I hope it works. I'm a bit disappointed with Ariens for allowing a design flaw like this to cause my 2 year old blower to start slipping the belt after every 15 minutes of use. From the looks of the blower in your video, this problem has been around for decades. The blower you repair in the video is the one that I replaced. I wish I had kept the old one.
I want to say thank you so much for all the videos you put out. The wife got me a PowerSmart snowblower wow they suck. So bad I’ve only had it like 3 months have had the drive belt come off had to fad so missing part when I got it customer service suck they even sent the wrong one. I live in Maine couldn’t send back because snow was coming and very time I need to find out about something I come to your videos and I find the answer so thank you
Many thanks for all the time you put into these videos.
Got over a foot of snow coming tomorrow…this video saved the day for me. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the video. The drive belt on my 3-year-old Ariens Deluxe 28 slipped off the pulleys last night and I followed your instructions for putting it back on. I'm going to get one of those lock nuts today and install that to keep the belt from slipping off again. You're the best!
What a great video. Quick , straight to the point and very useful.
Thank you Don. 👍👍👍
My back thanks you. Amazingly, I happened to have that exact lock bolt on hand thanks to years of hording random fasteners. I didn't have much hope, but I thought giving the fix a try would beat the hell out of shoveling. I was able to clear my whole driveway and a neighbor's after the fix.
I was having this exact problem with drive belt coming off. Adjusting the clutch cable helped but would not fix the problem. Your video helped me see the problem an the 1/4-20 nyloc nut fixed the alignment problem. Thank you! 👍
Just had that problem with deluxe 28” blower thanks belt was off pulley now I know why and will fix.
Have a very similar machine and it had this issue. The good people of the internet suggested using a piece of fuel line over the bolt you showed and it fixed the issue. Still has issues with the chute control- they made a kit that fixes the issue.. I've yet to buy it. Would also blow through belts with wet heavy snow. Another kit- dual auger belt kit fixes the issue. Not sure why they force people to buy stuff to fix their crappy designs.
Thank you for the video. My Ariens snowblower wouldn't move and couldn't quite understand what happened until I found this video. Simple enough the way it should be.
Thanks for reply. How does a nut in bolt change alignment?
Thanks for the step by step instructions to hooking up the drive belt, saved me time figuring out routing and operation of that belt.
you explained it so much better than some other videos I watched. They would have me taking the whole front end off to put the belt back on.
Great video! Clearly filmed and to the point. Thanks, Don!
Very well done tutorial, but, I've got everything off and ready to put on the new drive belt, but it won't slip over all of the mechanisms for the auger belts. I thought it might be the wrong belt but I double checked and it is correct. What is the magic getting it back on? Thank you
Another great one Don. My problem is with the auger belt on my Craftsman 28. Like one of your other commenters mentioned: every time I start up cold, within a few seconds of the auger turning, the belt comes off. Once I put it back on it's good to go - until the next morning. Warming the engine doesn't help.
That was a quick fix and you are so great at fixing two cycle equipment.
Just got a new 28” Ariens unit so I will check this out. Just put heated handgrips and run tested today ( no snow) . Bought because of the easy turn transmission, will see. I’ll install a nut should it need it after inspection . Can’t believe this video showed up today. Thanks
Always a Pleasure watching you work , smart and honest man.
A good work around. There seems to be still some misalignment but at least the belt is staying on!!!
if I make too straight the blower will always be in drive
@@donyboy73 Seems like the top pulley should be reversed, thick side toward the motor. what do you think?
it is designed to be misaligned until you pull the lever and the drive disk swings into the rubber drive wheel. My noma is aligned and the who disc slides on a hex shaft into the rubber wheel why Arien's designed it this way is strange to me.
Wow, that's an easy fix, but I bet it wasn't easy to figure out that was one way to fix the problem! I have intermittent drive issues on my Snapper but I think it's mostly related to drive lever tension (since I can sometimes push it easier if I slightly depress the lever)
My brand new Husqvarna has this same belt angle problem. The belt came off after the 2nd week of use. I'll need to check and see if the same bolt stud is present for your easy fix.
Installing this nut really does the trick .....total back saver! thanks
Worked awesome thanks again for sharing
This video was the exact fix I did. I thank you for this video. I’m still shaking my head!😎
Thanks Don ... I really appreciate it and let me tell you something bro ... I never tried to fix my personal stuff at home basically I just purchased new one BUT after you shared with us your amazing / real experience abt how to fix things ( I enjoyed fixed all my stuff because of you man ...)..
Thanks again Mr Don ... Wish you the best bro....✌️
Hello Donny Boy, I wished I would have watched your video about an hour ago. I'm not sure if you ever had one come from the factory installed in the furthest set back holes mounting the engine to the machine. They are called bolt straps, which are riveted in place to hold it for engine installation, my guess. I noticed the misaligned pulley when I was called by a customer to replace the drive belts. So after a repeat call just after the belt was replaced by me, it was a head scratcher. So, I noticed that there were more engine mounting holes, probably for different engines and configurations. So, after a bit of critical thinking and a few choice words, I removed the engine, finding those bolt straps and being riveted in place. I removed the rivets and moved them to the next closest holes forward of the original. That took some of the miss alignment out. But I think I'm going to try your trick before returning it to the customer. Thanks for the help.
Don - Thank you SO very much for this video. Snowblower is back in action!
This guy is great and so are his videos.
Very interesting. This is not a problem that I have had....... yet! I could not see from the video: what is the nut pushing against? Thanks as always, Dony.
I saw the position of the pulley, it's mounting plate, and the belt angle as the cause of the problem. Didn't think to put a nut on the bolt as a resolution. (insert imogee of inflicting a flat forehead here) Thanks for the simple fix !!!! Appears to work but blower was trying to drive even with handle released. Tried adjusting cable, no fix. Adjusted nut to contact plate on the flat rather than a corner, voila !!!! That's a rch of a difference !!!!!!!!! ... That's a design flaw, apparently suffered by many. I'd think Ariens would come out with a recall/factory fix/notification. ... This is the start of the 3rd Winter for the blower.
also a large washer installed on crankshaft between drive pulley and engine works too
@@donyboy73 I'll keep that in mind should the thing start wanting to drive all the time, again. With the dawn today we got to try the drive under load finishing what we tried to start yesterday. Your simple fix functioned well all day. Accolades to you, my friend ! Thanks again !!
Thanks for that cheap fix!
It really works. I had this problem and the 10c repair works .teested my snowblower today with 18 inch of snow
Thankyou
Thank you for the post very helpful. I couldn’t get the belt to seat into the bottom of the of the pulley. I put a piece of duct tape on the top section to hold the belt in then turned the pulley around and it seated the belt.
My drive belt only jumps between shut down and start up. Not sure if this alignment issue causes that, but going to try this. The belt jumping gets frustrating.
Great video thank you for walking me through this fix.
Great video,Thanks for sharing your knowledge from experience,the best kind.
Thanks im going to try this, I had to completely takeout the gear box assembly. purchased a new one and it came with the shaft going back to the engine 2" too short. no problem cut it in half cut out 2" from old shaft. I have a jug I use for welding to perfectly align pieces like this and it worked grate. put it back together, the pulleys line up real well but for some reason the belt seems too bug now. q=what happened I dont know. Its getting to be may right ow been screwing around with this for months, Runs great its a 24: 30 year old MTD, im retired so I cant afford a new one. Going to get LITTLE SHORTER BELT AND TRY AGAIN.
How simple. Thanks Don!!
Ariens runs advertisements on a video they shows how crappy their snowblower is.
They should send out the locknut and make a better snow blower.
Thanks for this video.
Ariens should be embarrassed.
Great video, made it so easy and simple, Thank You! You made my DAY!!!!
Hi dony boy a faster fix is put a piece rubber hose about 1 to 1 1/2 long over the bolt. That's the update fix from the factory. ... auto transmission hose is about right size.
I did the same.
Hey Don good job, My brother is having the same issue and I am going to look at it and see if it is the same and I will let you know.
I have noticed on mine the offset and will add the lock nut before it comes off. Thanks
been doing that fix for few years now, plus some pulley realignment
Cheers Donny !
Hi Donyboy, nice to see you still fixing stuff. Here in Toulouse weather is about 5-10 degrees centigrade. I even had my mower out for a spin a week or two ago. Have a great Christmas.
Brilliant. Thanks Don!!
Worked like a charm! Thank you so much!! From snowy Erie, PA.
I love your snowblower videos, another quick fix tip
Brilliant! Thank you so much Donyboy!
At 3:15 of this video you attach the new lock nut onto the "bolt". Is that bolt that you're attaching it to the same as the "stop bolt" that the Ariens manual refers to? I suspect so but figured I'd ask. Thanks.
Once again thank you for clear information.
the tip of the year thanks don
Good job
Thanks my guy
Thanks Don,
Happy New Year to you and your family.
That system looks just like my 1032 JD blower, I like it, easy to change belts. My tensioner pulley arm needed to be oiled where it pivots.
Don... first thanks! Your video's have helped me quite a bit. I have this problem but the belt is rolling off the front (auger side) of the lower pulley. Mine is a Craftsman. It is similar to this but the belts are closer together...I'm sure you know the style. Any ideas ? Can I move the lower pulley forward to align it, or is there a way to move the top pulley back a little ? THANKS !
Thanks don I,m sure I will see one of those problems come in the shop soon.
That's a brilliant fix Dony!!
Thats why our Don is the best!!!
mastermind! thank you !!!
Awe man don't you know you're supposed to buy a new 1300 dollar machine 😁
Good to know, mine isnt throwing belts yet so might as well do this before it does.
also adding a washer behind engine pulley works too, it's a new update
I have a stupid question I noticed the auger belt is always rubbing on the engine pulley when engine is running and auger not engaged. Will this cause the auger strap to wear prematurely?
My problem is the other belt come of the one that drives the blades you got a trick for that one
The nut tip is great, thanks!
Good fix Don! Now, I have a 19yo Murray blower that has the same problem except the shaft doesn't move back and forth like it does on your Ariens. It looks like the drive pulley is about 7mm too far forward on the crank shaft with the misalignment being enough to throw the belt off. Any ideas?
Did you ever get a reply. Same thing for my Murray
@@tegrof245 Nope, I never got a reply. What I can say is I was going through a full tune up at that point, belts, drive roller, lube, tensions etc and I think it has only thrown the belt once since then. Maybe the new belt had a slightly different geometry or something?
@@tegrof245 Actually, I just popped the cover off to try and refresh my memory and it looks pretty well aligned. I recall taking the pulleys off the crankshaft. I think I may have played around with spacers on the shaft to bring the pulleys into better alignment.
Added some washers behind pulley and belt is staying in place 👍
Thank Heaven I don't have that pulley problem. I couldn't see the true Problem Here, but if you added a bunch of flat round washers wouldn't that line the pulley up even more?. The top pulley looks like maybe a movable type, but I guess not or you would just move it into position. Thanks friend for being out here. Cheers !!***.
I didn't want to straight or the drive will always be engaged
Don to the rescue, once again ! My old John Deere (an Ariens in disguise) just started to jump a belt and thanks to you, I know what's the fix. Merci beaucoup !
@@donyboy73 I understand, I guess if it works, it works !!. I need to watch this repair again. Ok, Thank you My Friend.
Can't believe Ariensco did that
Could you, instead, take up the slack in the drive cable to align the pulleys?
Hello donyboy73. I'm trying to replace the drive PLATE and shaft on my 8526, but can't get the pulley off of the other end. NOBODY has videos for that. Can you help?? Thanks!
Thanks Don you did it again, Great video thanks again.
You bloody brilliant mate =) Thanks again! Woulda been kicking and swearing so much if I didnt have your advice
Glad I could help
I wonder if this will work on the Ariens zero turn mowers. I'm having the same issue.
Thanks for the tip Great channel. No doubt I will use in the future as we have 3 of these machines .Any place from London to Woodstock you know where I can get a belly pan for a Areins 1332LE
Hi wondering where you are located please and whether you can assist with this repair? Also wanted to know how the nut fixes the problem? Isn't is just a nut on a bolt? Thanks!
Yes I just added a nut on bolt, you can also add a washer behind pulley to move it more in line with belt.
Very helpful, thank you
This repair did stop my drive belt from coming off but it also kept the friction drive plate in constant contact with the friction disc, which kept me from being able to easily move the machine around when the motor is not driving the machine. So now I still have to solve the belt coming off problem. Any suggestions?
I had a similar problem. I was able to improve it by very fine adjustments to the drive cable. Very fine. Just enough to get slippage when moving with engine off yet enough to engage properly. Not sure if this will help your issue.
Ooow that does look like a dodgy design, that nut is a nice fix :-D
Hi and thanks once again. It's not clear to me how the nut fixed it. Adjuster? Spacer?
(also, any tips on how to keep Ariens wheels from freezing overnight in cold weather, or how to keep that easy-turn feature working on a 2011?) Take care.
i don't get upset by words so you are wasting your time.
Have a happy xmas :-D
I have a craftsman blower with the exact same problem. Model 944 520661. It's a 27"/9hp Model. Is there is a similar fix I can do? That nut doesn’t touch the friction plate pulley I assume?
Also is there only one spring for the drive idler? Mine came off with the belt, I found one but wanted to make sure there ain’t another one missing as I looks like there is a spot for another on the drive belt idler pulley.
I loved this one Don. Great work.
i'm sure you'll get the same issue come in to you too
OK, I did this fix. Now i have a run away snow blower.. The disk is too close now. does not disengage. Will have to remove the nut. This was installed on a delux 24 Ariens model. Did not work on this model. Any ideas?
Thanks
thanks ,very helpful
I have 27 inch craftsman snowblower .I have same problem and my drive belt comes off . I don't know how to fix it
Nice