I appreciate your effort to make a video about this great mod to snow blower impellers. Might I suggest a much quicker and easier way to do the same thing. I've done 5-6 for neighbors and on each one I learn a little more and want to work a little less. First I measure and cut the rubber pieces. I use a truck mud flap that I found in the street. I then bevel the leading edge of the rubber on my belt sander to help the wear in and avoid catching on the uneven sheet metal. Then I locate the rubber piece on the impeller blade and hold it with a small clamp. I then secure it to the impeller blade with a single 5/16" X1" hex self tapping screw through a 1 1/4" dia. fender washer in the middle of the rubber. I've never had one come loose or off because the force of the snow keeps the rubber against the impeller blade and holds it there. No extra separate drilling of holes and the whole job takes less than an hour. You could use two self tapping screws w/fender washers if it makes you feel more secure. Hope this saves some labor.
I have done this with about 40 snowblowers and yes it works very well. I do a couple things differently The place where the impeller is closest to the tunnel is at the bottom so that is where I put the paddle tight to the tunnel to do the gap measurements at the bottom. Next I use 3 bolts 3/16 or 1/4, yours were bigger......doesn't matter though. Next I make my paddles longer going right around the curve to the end of the metal paddle and that is where I put my 3rd bolt. You will notice there is a ridge or lip there so I cut a notch in the paddle to fit that ridge. To make this easier I first make a template of cardboard. Then when I first try the machine I spray a little lubricant on the inside of the tunnel so there is less friction and strain as the paddles get settled into the tunnel. Just thought I would add some suggestions . Good video, thanks
Good thorough video. Having done this mod on several snowblowers, I learned that it is a good idea to run the auger after installing each paddle. This will trim each paddle, one at a time. I have had machines that were not able to spin all four untrimmed paddles after installation. Saves your auger belt.
@@JustaKarenDiscoveredTheIntrnet interesting I have never heard this before. On the latest models you should be able to attach it no problem. Thanks for sharing!
I'd like to make a recommendation using a red hot metal 1/4" rod to put you holes through the rubber with. Kinda smelly but easier than drilling. But both ways will work just fine.
“Attaching one paddle at a time”!? But surely any rotating wheel has to be in balance or it'll shake the devil out of the whole machine won't it? 😊 Or is this controlled sufficiently by the impeller housing not allowing throw out? Would this physics even compute? Lol.
Give all the inside surfaces and discharge chute a good spray of silicon. It will make a big difference, especially with wet snow. This also works good on your snow shovel to keep snow/slush from sticking. I did mine today and it worked very well.
This just shows that it is never a bad idea to scan through RUclips and check things out. Look what I found. A great channel about sonething that will really affect your life. First video I watched was how to summerize your snowblower and now this one. I just had to subscribe. My problem with my snowblower is we can get so much snow from a storm that I have to pause and let the blower clear it's self and catch up. Which can add time to do the job and when it is below zero, time on the job is not what you want. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post these tips and tricks.
Happy New Year from Russia! I am always interested to look at the snow clearing equipment used in the U.S., particularly some of the tricks to make snowblowers throw further, especially wet snow. I made an impeller kit out of the side wall of an old car tyre, it is very effective and has become indispensible to me. We don't have the same snowblowers as you, most of our popular brands (Hüter, Champion, Interskol, Varyag, etc.) are all probably made in the same factory in China, they all look the same and function basically the same. We are always looking for ways to improve them. All the best to you, good health, happiness and success for 2020!
Hey Alex, I noticed that some snowblowers are made differently in other countries as well. Not exactly sure why. Glad your impeller kit is working well for you! Happy new year to you! Thank you, JB
@@johnpoole8321 We're not getting cold yet, the -20C frosts are late this year, but thanks for the thought, all the same. I hear you Americans are getting a lot of snow this year in places. I hope the cleanup goes well.
Not bad yet in the NE 1 big storm and had 4 " last night . We even had 2 days at 67 F in a row which were record warmth. Feb. and March will probably be hash.
@@johnpoole8321 Unbelievable. That is 19C in the middle of winter! We've just had nearly a week of between 0C and 3C, almost all the snow has melted as if it was spring. Someone should tell the politicians to stop talking so much, all of their hot air is affecting the weather.
I've been doing this to all my snowblowers for years and you're right, it makes a tremendous difference in snowblower performance. Years ago they only made single stage snow blowers for garden tractors and I even made rubber flaps for single stage units. They would blow even the heaviest, wet snow with ease! Good video!
This is one of the first things I do to all the snowblowers that come thru my shop (I fix them and re-sell them) and is by far the best mod you can do. I have been using old conveyor belting or you can use belting from a farms supply store made for round bailers. It's about 1/4" thick so it's perfect for an impeller kit. I mount my tight against the metal chute and run the machine till it wears down (like piston rings in an engine) so it's tight against the housing and keeps it from plugging. A little silicone spray helps lube the impeller housing so the belting slides easier.
OMG !!! I'm hear to tell you the impeller kits work. Been using a kit for years, I'm throwing snow like I'm at the airport. It's like a rooster tail. The neighbors laugh and can't believe it is that good. You are missing out, you'll thank me and wonder why you didn't do it earlier. Cheers !!!
Hahahhahahahahaha! What do you think I was doing when I was filming this video! Lol! That’s so funny that you mentioned this because that’s exactly what I was doing at that time! So funny! Thanks for watching! You’re Awesome Random!
It’s a relatively simple project that takes no time at all and provides crazy results lol! Everyone that I have met that has done this is very happy that they did this modification! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
Did this mod about 5 years ago on my Ariens 8526. Works great as described, BUT, be sure to leave that 1mm to .020' gap between the rubber and the sidewall. If you don't leave that tiny gap, when you're done snowblowing and park that mean machine back in your garage, the remaining snow in the housing and chute melts and then re-freezes at the rubber/sidewall junction (even after coating the area with Sno-Jet). When you go to re-start the snowblower impeller you'll get belt slip. Had to shut off the snowblower and manually rotate the impeller through a revolution or two to free it up. Even though I started rotating the impeller before engaging, I was going through a belt a season (that's only been about six blowings) until I removed a little rubber off the ends. While the rubber removal improved belt wear, I added a dual belt pulley as I was still getting a bit more premature belt wear than I think I should.
When I did mine, I noticed the same freezing problem, my solution was to make sure none of the paddles were at the bottom for the first half season, no problems and still the same belt I had when I modified it. It's been 8 years!!! 😁👌
Danny J. Rumbles Hey Danny, I’m a teacher by day and a RUclipsr by night. I actually didn’t realize how much I say it until I started editing videos. Guess it’s just part of my repertoire lol!
I did this years ago. Works like a champ. I used stainless steel self tapping screws. Mine would actually throw the watery slop along the curb. The rubber wears down quickly to where there is no noise. The video I saw about this suggested making a slight bevel on the rubber. Great video...
Great idea! I'm going to do this on mine. I have one suggestion for easier install. I used to work for a coal mine and worked on conveyor belts, which looks like what you are using. Drilling out the rubber can be difficult and even harder to get bolt thru, purchase a set of hole punches, i believe we purchased from harbour frieght. Works great!
We just had a wet slushy snow storm and I did this modification over the fall using pressurized hose. Worked great. No clogging. Definitely would have clogged before hand. Was even throwing ice water. I installed rubber on each impeller blade.
I used some pickup box bed liner material, the drop in kind. It was pretty quick to install 2 of these impeller enhancements with self tapping bolts on the '70s vintage 8 HP Ariens. Made the paddles over sized and they quickly wore themselves in for a close fit. The old dude blows snow much better with the enhanced impellers. BTW, had to replace the bearing on the impeller shaft and removal of the "V" pulley required making holes in the pulley so a hub puller can grab the pulley hub itself, even then the puller drive bolt had to be hit with a 10 pound mall to get it off. What a PITA!!!!! A friend repairs blowers and says many of those with stuck pulleys end up on his scrap pile, not worth the labor. Happy blowing.
I ran into the same thing with the stuck pully. Drilled the holes in the pully but instead of using a puller (the one I had did not fit) I got some regular bolts, a few nuts/washers, a socket for a spacer, a piece of scrap wood across, and pulled it out by screwing the nuts up (hope my description is not too vague). The pully came right off. The (egg) bearing was so worn the guts of it were gouged out and the shaft was flopping around with so much clearance. I did not want to beat on the pully as I thought that would F up the auger gears on the other end.
I did this modification on my Craftsman 26" machine last weekend, but I haven't had any snow yet to see how well it works. I was able to drill through my impeller with my cordless Dewalt drill and good Dewalt bits. The key with drilling through metal is slow drill speed with a lot of downward force, and a little oil lubricant helps, too. Each hole took less than 30 seconds, and then I used a slightly larger self-tapping screw with a #12 washer to compress the rubber evenly. Let's hope it works well.
@@frankendoll1455, it worked out great. I didn't have a single clog all winter long. I used a mud flap I got at the local auto parts store and cut it with my shears to fit. It made a huge difference over the factory impeller.
I did the same about 5 years ago and it works like magic. I drilled the holes through the rubber first and used the rubber as a guide for the holes in the impeller. I would have to be a Contortionist to do it your way, the marking part. Lol
Great idea . Makes perfect sense . Can't understand why so many negative comments re throwing rocks . Rocks in-rocks out . Look forward to trying this with my new blower .
Perhaps use a shim when marking holes / installing rubber to create a small space between the rubber and wall. Shim could be made out of a piece cut from a plastic jug. Also a good tip...spray some silicone on the gathering impellers, interior walks, chute impeller and chute. Prevents snow from sticking. In the spring I clean and wash out these areas a d after drying spray liberally with a rust inhibitor such as Rust Check or Fluid Film. Helps prevent corrosion from forming while stored. I spray it again in the fall when prepping the blower for winter use.
The rubber can be easily trimmed with a utility knife to match the contour of the housing, also I clean the inside of the unit and spray floor wax with a refillable spray bottle on all surfaces. When done you can rinse out the sprayer with warm water so that it will not harden. I also do this on my trucks 8’ plow. Lasts a long time.
Great video. I need to do that to my Simplicity snowblower. I bought the snowblower because the salesman said it had a very far throw but once I tried it out during the first big snow fall I was a bit disapointed. Thanks again for the video and have to mention you have a lovely wife...great photobomb.
Hey Ron, throw on an impeller kit and I promise you that you will not be disappointed. The garage gal still laughs every time she sees that clip! Lol! Thanks for watching!
I did this two years ago, use selftapping hex screws and you're done in 15 minute. It works great, I can go through slush easy. I just picked up a 18 hp 30 inch cub cadet it doesn't need the paddles it feels like I could go through the side of a building with it
I've done about 8 of these machines already. Use a set down bit then follow up with self tapping acres with washers. So much easier and will hold just as well! Also I used my cordless drill driver. Fast and simple
Great video. Thank you for addressing your audience as “ladies and gentlemen” since i am a woman who will attempt to fix just about everything around my house. And yes, as the other comment pointed out, I will be working on my snow thrower in boots and winter clothes. No flip flops!!🙂
Elena YOU ROCK! I have a good number of female subscribers/viewers and I never like being rude! I’m also a school teacher so it’s everyday language for me I guess 🤷♂️. I actually do quite a bit of work on snowblowers in the summer time! Might as well be comfortable while I’m working lol! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I take exception to your sensitivity to being a woman who gets triggered if a video is directed towards men. Men and women are not the same and most of the video viewers and those who make the mods will be men. So just get over it.
I just use sheet-metal with washer self drilling screws it was fast. I have to say it does work , I was really happy with snowblowing specially with heavy wet snow. I even put it on my sons riding snow blower. Truck mudflap picked up at a truck dealership cut it out by using my Dremel and put them on snowblower propeller.
Ok, I installed mine . Made from the sidewall of an old boat trailer tire. Got some wet snow yesterday and gave it a try. It picked a rock and threw it so far, it barely missed my neighbors big picture window. Really, so turn that chute deflector down some more. Thanks for the idea. good video. No clogs and clearing the driveway goes much faster.
Additional tip -- before the season starts, give the chamber and especially the tubes a good coating of silicone spray, do it several times to get a good coating on. The snow will slide right out and prevent it clogging up. repeat between snow storms unless you live in Buffalo, NY which is pretty much everyday . Ps: A bottle of rumchatta and hot chocolate usually helps keep the snow blower work better also!
@@GarageGear My son is down in Corning, had 24 inches last week but I think it's all washed out. I wanted to get him a snowblower for Christmas but he doesn't want to keep any gas around his 1892 House on the hill. I had to get him an electric mower last year when he moved in. Covis has kept him home, and the school up the street is closed otherwise he would have to make sure the walk is shoveled in the morning. I have a big 27" Troy Built and I will look into your idea. I have some 1/8 Derlan strips 4 inches wide I will try. They use that for the skid plates underneath.
@@Squarekn0t ah he’s about 2 hours away! Does he have a shed he can keep his gas in? Have fun putting the impellers on! You won’t be disappointed! Let me know how it works out for you!
@@GarageGear I guess the architect back in 1892 didn't plan on that, they had servants for everything. He does have some of the most beautiful interior woodwork ,that nobody over the years covered up with paint. It was in the same family for over 100 years. Before my son bought it, the landscaper would come when it snowed. I live in Delaware on the coast, it never snowed the first ten years I was here, then I bought an awning for my deck and we had three blizzards in a row. The family from Buffalo moved in last winter and it snowed and we helped dig him out. He said he left his snow blower back home. But overall because were so close to the ocean, it does not snow until late January, or February. The only problem we have here is a tsunami of tourist and now because of our new president , that lives about a mile and a half from me, we have a storm of reporters and poparatzy.
Where you bolted the rubber to the impeller, you can see a bit of rubbing on the chute wall, causing a bit of tightness. Simple fix, use a dremel to round off the corner. No more strain on the belts. Great video, thank you
Hello from Iowa! Followed all your great advice! I know it will pay off, no heat in garage put small electric facing blower, had can of cooking spray I was cold but blower was dry, clean, and blades shiny. Getting ready to change oil in my cub cadet rider brand new last year. Fingers crossed. Thank you for your help ☮️
Excellent video with great explanations. Now I know what my problem is. The only thing I would suggest would be that it would have been cool if at the end there when you started the blower, it zooms in & out. On the zoom out instead of summer, it would now be winter & you could actually now demonstrate the improvements. That would have been cool. Thanks.
I'm using an old Peterbilt mudflap. Ariens 70s machine I bought for $75. Cutting an extra pair for future use (using first one as a template), coating in armorall, and sealing inside plastic baggie. Impeller has 4 blades, but only modifying two, opposite each other. Mine has between 1/8" to 1/4" gap. Hard to see whether that would help. Impeller blade curves, so I'll only have a slight improvement. Drilling through impeller, I'll paint it before attaching rubber. Great project to have some time away from the wife and new puppy, lol.
I did this and I also sprayed the inside of the blower area and chute with ceramic car spray and it made the blower run with much less drag. It also worked on my John Deere tractor grass mower the spray makes the contact areas of the grass very slick and stopped clogging.
After I drill the holes in the impeller I put double stick tape on the rubber pieces, stick it on the impeller, rotate the impeller up so I can, using a red or yellow Sharpie, mark through the impeller holes the drill holes on the rubbers. No guessing work, always spot-on. You can also rivet it using the right size washers and have the right riveting tool.
Impeller wipers are fantastic to increase throw and reduce clogging under wet conditions, but they significantly increase auger belt wear and increase strain on the auger shaft bearing and increase wear on the auger housing, especially if you live in an area where they sand road surfaces. I've used tire sidewall material that has held up great after initial wearing down to fit the least diameter of the auger housing and after 5 years of use in this manner, the improvement in performance has been significant, but after chewing through auger belts (even Kevlar ones) I've come to realize I had to be much gentler going through snowbanks and because of the increased wear on the auger housing, I'll have to line it with new sheet metal come next summer as it has developped perforations from the metal wearing thin from friction over time.
I used Silicone rubber, 1/4" thick. It stays flexible at cold temperatures so there is less load on the motor and nothing sticks to it. I cut a radius on one edge similar to the snow thrower discharge chute radius. I also used stainless steel screws with a door of Loctite to attach them to the impeller blades. Works like a champ!
Excellent video, I have a couple of comments, I appreciate you!! My first comment is I have never run my snowblower wearing shorts and flip-flops, and also with the leaves still on the trees! My other comment is I appreciate you saying ladies and gentlemen, you won’t hear that from Disney World anymore, I have a 17-year-old craftsman snowblower, never changed the oil, it’s surging now, last year we got 38 inches, but I’m definitely thinking about upgrading it and thank you so much for the video good job Sir!!!
I’m in upstate New York,,, I think I have 14 severe Snowstorms,,, my craftsman snow blower has never let me down even though I have not treated it well,,,just guessing, ,,,but excellent video thank you
Hey Startover! You should try running your machine in shorts and flip flops lol! It’s world changing lol. I’m a school teacher and I say it daily. It’s good for teens to hear it. Its not said enough. Appreciate the positive feedback my friend. thanks for watching
The only thing I would do differently is to weigh each flap and bolt assembly so they are all the same weight. This way there should be minimal balance issues
The addition of rubber belt flaps on the impeller blades made a HUGE difference for my 30 year-old Ariens 7HP SnoThro! I helped a buddy do the same modification on his 8HP Yardman blower and he was very pleased as well! BUT I would highly recommend 2 revisions to what was shown here though... 1) I learned the hard way that the gap between the impeller housing wall and the impeller blade edges is NOT uniform! To save yourself significant rework (and a jammed impeller), initially clamp the rubber flap to the vane and manually rotate the impeller through a full rotation inside the housing to determine where there is minimum clearance and THEN mark it for final positioning 1mm away from the housing at that point. Then do the same for each additional blade you're planning to modify. 2) Also, if you have a 4 blade impeller, adding the flaps to just two opposing blades is ALL you need to do to make your machine a snow-n-slush-hurling BEAST! The Yardman had a 3-blade impeller, so we needed to do all three. NOTE: You can skip adding rubber flaps to any Ariens model 926000 series altogether because they have very little clearance between the impeller blades and the housing wall. Although I STRONGLY ENDORSE spending ~$65 to upgrade your Ariens 926000 series machine from the original single belt drive to their new dual belt kit - It made a remarkable difference! (For 11HP models and below use kit 72600700) See ruclips.net/video/sxiq_8cLfKw/видео.html .
Greetings from Russia! I think that politics should not be confused with the ordinary life of ordinary people. People all over the world should remain kind and responsive to each other on all continents. Thank you for the video. A great idea, I will definitely do it on my snowplow as well. Subscribed to your channel. I'm waiting for new videos on garden equipment!
Little hard to show the proof in August when it is 85 degrees outside lol. Check out this video to see the difference! Thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/WR-n6QE-hSw/видео.html
I did this about 15 years ago by clamping 1/8" thick strips of steel to extend the impellar blades and mark off the slight amount of clearance to prevent nuisance scraping of the impellar against the inside. I ended up balancing the impellar though just in case it should vibrate. It's definitely worth the effort as long as you do this in warm weather or a heated garage or shed. I also welded the extesions instead of bolts because I was afraid of a bolt coming loose or breaking and launching from the chute. This 9hp Sears Craftsman snowblower now throws heavy snow, slush, and sizeable chunks of ice which can be dangerous, but really beats having to shut the thing off to unclog it.
I have done this and it works great. We currently have just over 3 feet of the white stuff. We had a system stall over us and it dumped 2 feet of wet shit. Handled it no problem.
At 08:13 you could have placed the rubber in position below the metal impeller blade and marked from the top with your marker so as to be more precise. After the holes are drilled in the rubber they will match when installed on the correct side of the impeller. Thanks for sharing the upgrade to your snowblower 👍 I will be sending this video to my son so he can use the idea on his Ariens.
Had an idea! Before I retired I designed production line equipment for a major manufacturing company. When we required conveyors or chutes to have a slick hard-wearing surface, we would use UHMW TAPE. What if it were applied to in the area that the impeller kit contacts. Also to the back and sides of the discharge chute. Your thoughts?
thanks,also @1:07 of video; when snow blowing, turn the chute 180 degrees ,snow will be thrown farther, And on the rubber pieces ,cut slotted holes, easier to keep close clearance as rubber wears out.
Thanks J.B. Clogging has been a major problem with my Yardworks 357 cc snowblower, so much so that I have thought about replacing it with a fairly expensive three stage snowblower but your fix might help me solve the problem. It's worth a try before I lay out the big bucks.
Mr. Gear, the first thing is you make very good quality videos, sound great, dialogue great, staging great. Do you do a lot of editing? What video equipment do you use. Second, why do the manufactures leave that gap? Some commentors said some newer machines do not have that gap? Third, the comments on cleaning the rust and repainting the impeller housing and impeller seem valid, seems odd you would do the rubber mod and not do cleaning rust and repainting. Fourth, will the mod work on a gravel driveway?
Hey Tom! Appreciate the positive feedback! I do about 5 hours of editing on each video. My guess is the gap is there for the ease of the manufacturing process. This video was focusing on the flap install. Not on painting a snowblower. This video would be very long if I did that too. This mod will work on just about any 2 stage snowblower no matter then driveway. Thanks for watching
easy for you. I have a John deere 47 inch blower attachment and it has cables running to the chute controled by the hydraulic lever on the dash. Not so sure I want to take off the cables and not get them attached the right way just to get at the impeller. But a great video.
Have seen on another site where he added a piece of UHMW to the face of the discharge chute. The purpose was to force as much snow as possible out the tip of the chute & not blow back at the machine or operator. He did leave an opening near the chute at the housing to clear any blockage. I do like the “ no blow back” but worth it or just don’t blow into the wind?
I don't have anything to do with snowblowers but maybe waxing up the inside of the impeller tube and the chute might help? It makes a difference on skis and snowboards, so ...
yes it help, but very hard to apply in winter (cold temperature) and it doesnt last long. the snow is basically hard ice particulate scrapping at high speed the wax coating off. i found riveting a sheet of crazy-carpet inside help alot. its a plastic sheet used by children to slide down snow slope. its about 2$ and its very good slippery plastic that's better than the average rusted steel.
I did this and it works great, just one caution check to see if the impellers are not frozen from melting snow between using, or you’ll burn up your belt.
When marking the rubber, place it on the back side and mark it, makes the job easy. This is after you make the holes in the metal.😄I wonder why some of these snowblower company's don't make a kit for this or do this from the factory.
Try spraying furniture polish wax in the chute and on the impeller rubber. Lived in the Hartford Ct ares for 20 years. Had an electric start Craftsman blower that came with the house. In 20 years I only replaced one belt. It rattled and shook but threw snow about 25 ft. Nice video. In about 1998 we hav over 100 inches of snow. All in about 4 close storms. Power out, I was in Myrtle Beach playing golf. Wife was pissed off. Generator broke (plastic gas tank). No shop open to repair. Son In-law saved her. He lived near by. Nice video. JoeB JoeB
Cool idea!...however just to add to the video maybe a run in the snow (before and after) just to show the difference at how much farther it would throw....just my opinion!!
Honda Dude Hey bud, I’ve had a lot of people asking me to do this for them ever since I posted this video. It’s been crazy lol. If you’re interested in having me install an impeller kit on your snowblower, email me at garagegearjb@gmail.com and we’ll go from there. Thank you for reaching out Honda Dude! JB
Great video! I am going to do this tomorrow to my 24" blower. One question: what can I use for the rubber flaps? I have a large truck mud flap...would that work..or does it have to be a certain thickness to be effective? Thanks!
@@GarageGear Working on it now..question....I see some who do this go right around the curve of each of the impeller blades..and some including yourself go cut the flap to right to where the blade starts to bend up...does it matter to cover that little extra inch of so?
Had the same idea while watching this. Also thinking to use pieces of old paddle from a single stage blower. Did you notice much of a difference after installing?
Did my Troy Bilt 28" 9.5hp track drive in winter of 2018-2019. It throws snow and especially slush much better. I have a 400" driveway with 1.5" minus gravel so rocks getting jammed in the impeller area was a concern....but the more I thought about the more I felt that the gravel actually now has less places to get jammed into with the new wipers and overall performs better even in the gravel :) Lee
I did this a few years ago with my blower, however I did not use bolts. I used self tapping screws and it works just fine. A little less work to get the rubber on.
I had to do this to my 1971 Ariens sno-thro, the machine is awesome except in heavy wet snow. I bought a truck mud flap at NAPA Auto parts store for $12 and made 2"x4" paddles, for the top piece of metal I went to Lowes and bought some Simpson Strong-Tie A21Z 2"x1" Angles for 0.78 cents each and hammered them flat, 1/4"x1" SS bolts with washers and Lock nuts. I was surprised that I was able to drill the holes with a cordless drill and inexpensive ryobi 1/4" drill bit.
Being paranoid about vibrations and out of balance metal spinning around in front of me, I would suggest making a jig to locate mounting holes as close to identical as possiblla.
Fred Baumberger maybe but it you put the rubber piece exactly where you want it and then mark it there is no question about the fit. It’s not that hard to draw the dots.
@@davebl9645 I drilled the rubber first then drilled threw the metal with pad in place. Screwed pad in with 1 self taping screw then drilled the 2nd hole. I tried car tire side wall.. wasnt very, good started curling and I replaced with mud flap..much better. Make sure each time you go to use blower you check if propeller is not frozen because there is not the same clearance anymore. I did burn out a belt once.
love the video! i have a very old 8hp 26" snow blower i will try this on. The video was clear, the lighting was perfect, and the audio was great. Thanks for the tip.. going to try to referbish this old ARIENS snow blower. first got to get some tubes got the old tractor style tires.. thanks for sharing.....
thomas engle glad you found this helpful! Be sure to subscribe to the channel! I have a handful of other impeller kit install videos. One throwing snow 73 feet! Check them out! Thanks for watching!
did mine 5 years ago !Used stainless steel nut and bolts and lock tight. u can use old tire the sidewall, or bailer belt from TSC etc ... and did all blades/impeller and used a piece of cardboard as gauge to keep the same space at each blade at the tunnel. And just make a templet to mark the rubber and the blade, center punch it drill it assemble & be done. HAVE ONLY HAD 1 STORM EVER SINCE LOL . But I was flinging snow 3X Further ,Wet Heavy Snow; Puddles of Water....FOR SALE :Craftsman TURBO CHARGED SNOW BLOWER !!
Think about a jet pump - same concept. You take the impeller on a jet pump and shim it to minimize the gap and it reduces cavitation and increases water flow
The impellers are rarely centered in the housing so each wiper must be installed at the point of it's closest point. If you don't it won't turn. If a bit tight they will wear in.
Good morning from northern MN snowy. Thank you for your kindness response. My husband was having hard times dealing with his machine. I was doing research and came up on your show. I was sending him your link. Keep up good job!👍🙏🌲
@@angelavanhorn2325 hey Angela, thanks for sharing my video with him. I recently did this procedure on another snowblower using some options that make it a little easier. Be sure to check it out. BEFORE YOU INSTALL AN IMPELLER KIT ON A SNOWBLOWER, WATCH THIS! ruclips.net/video/qraAEDRKA9Y/видео.html Thanks again for checking out my channel!
I'm back checking your video again. I need to make a trip to the hardware store because my girlfriend did something with the bolts and nuts I needed to hold the rubber. I'm not surprised that the shute didn't come off the way I hoped that it would. I changed my oil after the first time running it. It ran for 50 minutes on less than a half a tank of gas. I drained my oil and started to take the the 4 bolts off. They were 7/16 not 10mm like I thought they would be. Couldn't use a socket wrench on them. Had to use my regular wrench. Now I can't figure out how to get the rest of the shute off. There's several cotter pins and bolts holding the upper mechanism of the shute. I'm going to call it a day and put everything in the garage and start fresh tomorrow morning. I will get this done! I want it to be ready for the first snow fall next year. This is a brand new craftsman snowblower never used.
Sounds like you hit a few speed bumps here but trust me, this will be well WORTH IT. Next winter you’ll be laughing at how far that machine will throw! Once you get them on run the machine for a couple of minutes to break the rubber in. It will wear right in to where it needs to be. Good luck and if you have anymore questions check my videos and message me! You Da MAN!
@@GarageGear thank you JB. I'll get it. I'm not trying to be a negative Nancy. I just reread my comment. I have a shit ton of nuts and bolts so I will figure out something. I got the shute off after learning how to remove the pin that I've never seen. It almost looks like an 8. I didn't want to break it because I've never seen one before. It's a cotter pin but when it's on it looks like an 8. No open end on one side like the pin on the shute rod. After my coffee and AM BM I will go back out and finish it up. Hopefully! Thanks for your time and help.
I always unplug the spark plug before cleaning any snow out after use. And u mentioning that reminds me that I think I forgot to plug it back in after I used it tonight
I appreciate your effort to make a video about this great mod to snow blower impellers. Might I suggest a much quicker and easier way to do the same thing. I've done 5-6 for neighbors and on each one I learn a little more and want to work a little less. First I measure and cut the rubber pieces. I use a truck mud flap that I found in the street. I then bevel the leading edge of the rubber on my belt sander to help the wear in and avoid catching on the uneven sheet metal. Then I locate the rubber piece on the impeller blade and hold it with a small clamp. I then secure it to the impeller blade with a single 5/16" X1" hex self tapping screw through a 1 1/4" dia. fender washer in the middle of the rubber. I've never had one come loose or off because the force of the snow keeps the rubber against the impeller blade and holds it there. No extra separate drilling of holes and the whole job takes less than an hour. You could use two self tapping screws w/fender washers if it makes you feel more secure. Hope this saves some labor.
All good tips here! Thanks for sharing mtcman! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I have done this with about 40 snowblowers and yes it works very well.
I do a couple things differently
The place where the impeller is closest to the tunnel is at the bottom so that is where I put the paddle tight to the tunnel to do the gap measurements at the bottom. Next I use 3 bolts 3/16 or 1/4, yours were bigger......doesn't matter though. Next I make my paddles longer going right around the curve to the end of the metal paddle and that is where I put my 3rd bolt. You will notice there is a ridge or lip there so I cut a notch in the paddle to fit that ridge. To make this easier I first make a template of cardboard.
Then when I first try the machine I spray a little lubricant on the inside of the tunnel so there is less friction and strain as the paddles get settled into the tunnel.
Just thought I would add some suggestions .
Good video, thanks
All good suggestions here Byron! Thanks for sharing! Thanks for checking out my channel!
You definitely don’t
i heard wont work on Toros because they have a metal piece inside u cant attach the paddle too
@@JustaKarenDiscoveredTheIntrnet never done a Toro, but I think you may be right, only way to know for sure is to try to do it
Good thorough video. Having done this mod on several snowblowers, I learned that it is a good idea to run the auger after installing each paddle. This will trim each paddle, one at a time. I have had machines that were not able to spin all four untrimmed paddles after installation. Saves your auger belt.
Thanks for sharing this tip Bob! Good thinking! 👍
i heard wont work on Toros because they have a metal piece inside u cant attach the paddle too
@@JustaKarenDiscoveredTheIntrnet interesting I have never heard this before. On the latest models you should be able to attach it no problem. Thanks for sharing!
I'd like to make a recommendation using a red hot metal 1/4" rod to put you holes through the rubber with. Kinda smelly but easier than drilling. But both ways will work just fine.
“Attaching one paddle at a time”!?
But surely any rotating wheel has to be in balance or it'll shake the devil out of the whole machine won't it? 😊
Or is this controlled sufficiently by the impeller housing not allowing throw out? Would this physics even compute? Lol.
Give all the inside surfaces and discharge chute a good spray of silicon. It will make a big difference, especially with wet snow. This also works good on your snow shovel to keep snow/slush from sticking. I did mine today and it worked very well.
Good tip! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Absolutely love this tutorial
This just shows that it is never a bad idea to scan through RUclips and check things out. Look what I found. A great channel about sonething that will really affect your life. First video I watched was how to summerize your snowblower and now this one. I just had to subscribe. My problem with my snowblower is we can get so much snow from a storm that I have to pause and let the blower clear it's self and catch up. Which can add time to do the job and when it is below zero, time on the job is not what you want. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to post these tips and tricks.
Melvin you are AWESOME bud! Thanks so much for the positive feedback and for subscribing. You are cool Fan! Thanks for checking out my channel!!!
Happy New Year from Russia! I am always interested to look at the snow clearing equipment used in the U.S., particularly some of the tricks to make snowblowers throw further, especially wet snow. I made an impeller kit out of the side wall of an old car tyre, it is very effective and has become indispensible to me. We don't have the same snowblowers as you, most of our popular brands (Hüter, Champion, Interskol, Varyag, etc.) are all probably made in the same factory in China, they all look the same and function basically the same. We are always looking for ways to improve them.
All the best to you, good health, happiness and success for 2020!
Hey Alex, I noticed that some snowblowers are made differently in other countries as well. Not exactly sure why. Glad your impeller kit is working well for you! Happy new year to you! Thank you, JB
You also Alex try to stay warm :)
@@johnpoole8321 We're not getting cold yet, the -20C frosts are late this year, but thanks for the thought, all the same.
I hear you Americans are getting a lot of snow this year in places. I hope the cleanup goes well.
Not bad yet in the NE 1 big storm and had 4 " last night . We even had 2 days at 67 F in a row which were record warmth. Feb. and March will probably be hash.
@@johnpoole8321 Unbelievable. That is 19C in the middle of winter! We've just had nearly a week of between 0C and 3C, almost all the snow has melted as if it was spring.
Someone should tell the politicians to stop talking so much, all of their hot air is affecting the weather.
I've been doing this to all my snowblowers for years and you're right, it makes a tremendous difference in snowblower performance. Years ago they only made single stage snow blowers for garden tractors and I even made rubber flaps for single stage units. They would blow even the heaviest, wet snow with ease! Good video!
Mark Loomis thank you! It’s a great modification that can only benefit your machine.
Can we add something to make my wife blow better?
@@chrisreynolds2410 proper training! I'll help her out, send her over! 😂🤣😂🤣😂
This is one of the first things I do to all the snowblowers that come thru my shop (I fix them and re-sell them) and is by far the best mod you can do. I have been using old conveyor belting or you can use belting from a farms supply store made for round bailers. It's about 1/4" thick so it's perfect for an impeller kit. I mount my tight against the metal chute and run the machine till it wears down (like piston rings in an engine) so it's tight against the housing and keeps it from plugging. A little silicone spray helps lube the impeller housing so the belting slides easier.
@@PainterD54 thanks for sharing painter
OMG !!! I'm hear to tell you the impeller kits work. Been using a kit for years, I'm throwing snow like I'm at the airport. It's like a rooster tail. The neighbors laugh and can't believe it is that good. You are missing out, you'll thank me and wonder why you didn't do it earlier. Cheers !!!
Awesome to hear! It really does work very well! Thanks for checking out my channel!
4 hour project to hide from the wife out in the garage. I'll save this for next time my in-laws visit.
Hahahhahahahahaha! What do you think I was doing when I was filming this video! Lol! That’s so funny that you mentioned this because that’s exactly what I was doing at that time! So funny! Thanks for watching! You’re Awesome Random!
lol!
Yessa!!
I thought the same thing
LoL
I did this was the best thing i could have done, my neighbours have more snow in their yard than i do now
!! lol love it thx!
It’s a relatively simple project that takes no time at all and provides crazy results lol! Everyone that I have met that has done this is very happy that they did this modification! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
Did this mod about 5 years ago on my Ariens 8526. Works great as described, BUT, be sure to leave that 1mm to .020' gap between the rubber and the sidewall. If you don't leave that tiny gap, when you're done snowblowing and park that mean machine back in your garage, the remaining snow in the housing and chute melts and then re-freezes at the rubber/sidewall junction (even after coating the area with Sno-Jet).
When you go to re-start the snowblower impeller you'll get belt slip. Had to shut off the snowblower and manually rotate the impeller through a revolution or two to free it up. Even though I started rotating the impeller before engaging, I was going through a belt a season (that's only been about six blowings) until I removed a little rubber off the ends. While the rubber removal improved belt wear, I added a dual belt pulley as I was still getting a bit more premature belt wear than I think I should.
hunter548 helpful tips here! Thank you hunter!
When I did mine, I noticed the same freezing problem, my solution was to make sure none of the paddles were at the bottom for the first half season, no problems and still the same belt I had when I modified it.
It's been 8 years!!! 😁👌
I like how you address everyone as “ladies and gentlemen” outstanding manners not seen much these days. Just wanted to give you props for that.
Danny J. Rumbles Hey Danny, I’m a teacher by day and a RUclipsr by night. I actually didn’t realize how much I say it until I started editing videos. Guess it’s just part of my repertoire lol!
Shows respect. Very unusual this from the mellinal generation.
Well done.
From a Vietnam combat Veteran.
@@Thebowzer221 Semper Fi (KMCAS was as close as I got to Nam)
@@Thebowzer221 Thank you for your service
Vince, much appreciated.
I did this years ago. Works like a champ. I used stainless steel self tapping screws. Mine would actually throw the watery slop along the curb. The rubber wears down quickly to where there is no noise. The video I saw about this suggested making a slight bevel on the rubber. Great video...
The new Ariens machines have tighter clearances for the impellor thus no need to do this mod.
Stainless self-tapping screws? Not for the impeller blade, right?
Great idea! I'm going to do this on mine. I have one suggestion for easier install. I used to work for a coal mine and worked on conveyor belts, which looks like what you are using. Drilling out the rubber can be difficult and even harder to get bolt thru, purchase a set of hole punches, i believe we purchased from harbour frieght. Works great!
Great idea! May have to give that a shot on the next impeller kit install! Thanks for watching!
We just had a wet slushy snow storm and I did this modification over the fall using pressurized hose. Worked great. No clogging. Definitely would have clogged before hand. Was even throwing ice water. I installed rubber on each impeller blade.
Another satisfied customer lol!!! It definitely works very well on the slush at the end of the driveway!!!
I used some pickup box bed liner material, the drop in kind. It was pretty quick to install 2 of these impeller enhancements with self tapping bolts on the '70s vintage 8 HP Ariens. Made the paddles over sized and they quickly wore themselves in for a close fit. The old dude blows snow much better with the enhanced impellers. BTW, had to replace the bearing on the impeller shaft and removal of the "V" pulley required making holes in the pulley so a hub puller can grab the pulley hub itself, even then the puller drive bolt had to be hit with a 10 pound mall to get it off. What a PITA!!!!! A friend repairs blowers and says many of those with stuck pulleys end up on his scrap pile, not worth the labor. Happy blowing.
Timothy Carvelli glad this modification worked well for you! Also glad to hear your snowblower can live on!
I ran into the same thing with the stuck pully. Drilled the holes in the pully but instead of using a puller (the one I had did not fit) I got some regular bolts, a few nuts/washers, a socket for a spacer, a piece of scrap wood across, and pulled it out by screwing the nuts up (hope my description is not too vague). The pully came right off. The (egg) bearing was so worn the guts of it were gouged out and the shaft was flopping around with so much clearance. I did not want to beat on the pully as I thought that would F up the auger gears on the other end.
I love this idea, can't wait to do this to mine. Genius. Totally solves the problem of not getting everything out of the blower
@@leonardburton7826 you won’t be disappointed
I did this modification on my Craftsman 26" machine last weekend, but I haven't had any snow yet to see how well it works. I was able to drill through my impeller with my cordless Dewalt drill and good Dewalt bits. The key with drilling through metal is slow drill speed with a lot of downward force, and a little oil lubricant helps, too. Each hole took less than 30 seconds, and then I used a slightly larger self-tapping screw with a #12 washer to compress the rubber evenly. Let's hope it works well.
John Cahill sounds like it will work just fine! Fun project with great results!
@John Cahill....So how did it work out???
I'm thinking of doing this to my craftsman and looking for any input!
@@frankendoll1455, it worked out great. I didn't have a single clog all winter long. I used a mud flap I got at the local auto parts store and cut it with my shears to fit. It made a huge difference over the factory impeller.
My dad and I did this with Kevlar a few years ago... it works amazing same exact thing! So cool you thought to share this!
It’s too cool of a mod to not share! Thanks for watching Rsigler!
see this guys smart..doing this in August..not like me, 20 minutes before a blizzard,.
Hahaha I like to be proactive rather than reactive lol!!! 😂👍 thanks for watching!
Cool
@@kenrhynold2003 very cool! You gonna try it?
@@GarageGear Yes. I will try when it warms up a bit
I did the same about 5 years ago and it works like magic. I drilled the holes through the rubber first and used the rubber as a guide for the holes in the impeller. I would have to be a Contortionist to do it your way, the marking part. Lol
Thanks for sharing Bill!
Great idea . Makes perfect sense . Can't understand why so many negative comments re throwing rocks . Rocks in-rocks out . Look forward to trying this with my new blower .
Terry you won’t be disappointed! Have fun!
Perhaps use a shim when marking holes / installing rubber to create a small space between the rubber and wall. Shim could be made out of a piece cut from a plastic jug. Also a good tip...spray some silicone on the gathering impellers, interior walks, chute impeller and chute. Prevents snow from sticking. In the spring I clean and wash out these areas a d after drying spray liberally with a rust inhibitor such as Rust Check or Fluid Film. Helps prevent corrosion from forming while stored. I spray it again in the fall when prepping the blower for winter use.
All good tips here! Thanks for checking out my channel!
The rubber can be easily trimmed with a utility knife to match the contour of the housing, also I clean the inside of the unit and spray floor wax with a refillable spray bottle on all surfaces.
When done you can rinse out the sprayer with warm water so that it will not harden.
I also do this on my trucks 8’ plow.
Lasts a long time.
Awesome my friend! Thanks for sharing these tips!
Great video. I need to do that to my Simplicity snowblower. I bought the snowblower because the salesman said it had a very far throw but once I tried it out during the first big snow fall I was a bit disapointed. Thanks again for the video and have to mention you have a lovely wife...great photobomb.
Hey Ron, throw on an impeller kit and I promise you that you will not be disappointed. The garage gal still laughs every time she sees that clip! Lol! Thanks for watching!
A salesman will tell u anything to sell the product!!
I did this two years ago, use selftapping hex screws and you're done in 15 minute. It works great, I can go through slush easy. I just picked up a 18 hp 30 inch cub cadet it doesn't need the paddles it feels like I could go through the side of a building with it
Very cool my friend! Thanks for checking out my channel!
I cut 4 pieces of an old 1/4 in. thick combine belt and screwed it to the impellers with 3/4 in stainless self tapping screws . Worked perfect .
Awesome Dan thanks for sharing!
I've done about 8 of these machines already. Use a set down bit then follow up with self tapping acres with washers. So much easier and will hold just as well! Also I used my cordless drill driver. Fast and simple
Good plan of attack!
This is my next project for the weekend! Already rcvd 6cm of wet snow in Lanaudiere region QC. Tks for the video
You got it my friend!
Great video. Thank you for addressing your audience as “ladies and gentlemen” since i am a woman who will attempt to fix just about everything around my house. And yes, as the other comment pointed out, I will be working on my snow thrower in boots and winter clothes. No flip flops!!🙂
Elena YOU ROCK! I have a good number of female subscribers/viewers and I never like being rude! I’m also a school teacher so it’s everyday language for me I guess 🤷♂️. I actually do quite a bit of work on snowblowers in the summer time! Might as well be comfortable while I’m working lol! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Same! Will be doing this with my elderly father.
@@Hashbitnitwit Awesome! You’ll both have some fun!
Hung up on the male/female thing huh? smh
I take exception to your sensitivity to being a woman who gets triggered if a video is directed towards men. Men and women are not the same and most of the video viewers and those who make the mods will be men. So just get over it.
I think you could get good sweeping with your rubber on the impeller tactic with one or two pieces.
Best two keep things balanced on the impeller. You’ll want at least two. One on each side. Thanks for watching
I did that mud to my snowblower, Two years ago, and to my surprise you are absolutely right, Water/ slush Slings it like nothing
Works like a charm! Thanks for watching Matt!
Clever idea; I'm going to try that. I use Lucas Marine Grease for everything...it's an outstanding product.
That grease works great in many applications!👍
I just use sheet-metal with washer self drilling screws it was fast.
I have to say it does work , I was really happy with snowblowing specially with heavy wet snow.
I even put it on my sons riding snow blower.
Truck mudflap picked up at a truck dealership cut it out by using my Dremel and put them on snowblower propeller.
I wow I never used sheet metal before? Does that beat up the impeller housing?
@@GarageGear
No does not damage self drilling hillman fastener.
The size 10-16 3/4
H#561025
@@tiger.6509 awesome to hear! Great thinking!
Ok, I installed mine . Made from the sidewall of an old boat trailer tire. Got some wet snow yesterday and gave it a try. It picked a rock and threw it so far, it barely missed my neighbors big picture window. Really, so turn that chute deflector down some more. Thanks for the idea. good video. No clogs and clearing the driveway goes much faster.
dufus Glad to heat it worked out for you. It’s such a simple modification with amazing results.
Additional tip -- before the season starts, give the chamber and especially the tubes a good coating of silicone spray, do it several times to get a good coating on. The snow will slide right out and prevent it clogging up. repeat between snow storms unless you live in Buffalo, NY which is pretty much everyday . Ps: A bottle of rumchatta and hot chocolate usually helps keep the snow blower work better also!
Good tips here! I’m in Buffalo so yes this would be an everyday thing! Lol! Thanks for checking out my channel!
@@GarageGear My son is down in Corning, had 24 inches last week but I think it's all washed out. I wanted to get him a snowblower for Christmas but he doesn't want to keep any gas around his 1892 House on the hill. I had to get him an electric mower last year when he moved in. Covis has kept him home, and the school up the street is closed otherwise he would have to make sure the walk is shoveled in the morning. I have a big 27" Troy Built and I will look into your idea. I have some 1/8 Derlan strips 4 inches wide I will try. They use that for the skid plates underneath.
@@Squarekn0t ah he’s about 2 hours away! Does he have a shed he can keep his gas in? Have fun putting the impellers on! You won’t be disappointed! Let me know how it works out for you!
@@GarageGear I guess the architect back in 1892 didn't plan on that, they had servants for everything. He does have some of the most beautiful interior woodwork ,that nobody over the years covered up with paint. It was in the same family for over 100 years. Before my son bought it, the landscaper would come when it snowed. I live in Delaware on the coast, it never snowed the first ten years I was here, then I bought an awning for my deck and we had three blizzards in a row. The family from Buffalo moved in last winter and it snowed and we helped dig him out. He said he left his snow blower back home. But overall because were so close to the ocean, it does not snow until late January, or February. The only problem we have here is a tsunami of tourist and now because of our new president , that lives about a mile and a half from me, we have a storm of reporters and poparatzy.
@@Squarekn0t that’s gotta be Murphy’s law or something lol! You should get the reporters to shoot videos of your home lol! Thanks for sharing!
Now have to buy snow-making maching so I can try-out my Impeller mod kit!!
There’s an idea yale!
Where you bolted the rubber to the impeller, you can see a bit of rubbing on the chute wall, causing a bit of tightness. Simple fix, use a dremel to round off the corner. No more strain on the belts. Great video, thank you
If the rubber is a little snug it will wear itself really quick to the correct length in most cases. Thanks for watching Gel!
Hello from Iowa! Followed all your great advice! I know it will pay off, no heat in garage put small electric facing blower, had can of cooking spray I was cold but blower was dry, clean, and blades shiny. Getting ready to change oil in my cub cadet rider brand new last year. Fingers crossed. Thank you for your help ☮️
Awesome Trudy! You’ll be all set to go! Thanks for watching!
Excellent video with great explanations. Now I know what my problem is. The only thing I would suggest would be that it would have been cool if at the end there when you started the blower, it zooms in & out. On the zoom out instead of summer, it would now be winter & you could actually now demonstrate the improvements. That would have been cool. Thanks.
Yeah next time around. Might be doing another in the future so stay tuned! Thanks for watching!
I'm using an old Peterbilt mudflap. Ariens 70s machine I bought for $75. Cutting an extra pair for future use (using first one as a template), coating in armorall, and sealing inside plastic baggie. Impeller has 4 blades, but only modifying two, opposite each other. Mine has between 1/8" to 1/4" gap. Hard to see whether that would help. Impeller blade curves, so I'll only have a slight improvement. Drilling through impeller, I'll paint it before attaching rubber.
Great project to have some time away from the wife and new puppy, lol.
Haha it’s funny because I filmed this to escape some craziness in my household too lol!
@@GarageGear excellent video. I'm certain at least 10 views are from me. I try to let commercials run, but not always successful on all views. ;p
I believe mudflaps are cheap and very effective to use as the impeller flap extension.
Definitely! Those work great too.
I got mine for free truck mudflap. Just had to cut it to fit.
The sidewall of an old tire works too.
I did this and I also sprayed the inside of the blower area and chute with ceramic car spray and it made the blower run with much less drag. It also worked on my John Deere tractor grass mower the spray makes the contact areas of the grass very slick and stopped clogging.
Thanks for sharing El robo!
After I drill the holes in the impeller I put double stick tape on the rubber pieces, stick it on the impeller, rotate the impeller up so I can, using a red or yellow Sharpie, mark through the impeller holes the drill holes on the rubbers. No guessing work, always spot-on. You can also rivet it using the right size washers and have the right riveting tool.
Perfect! Like the idea!
Impeller wipers are fantastic to increase throw and reduce clogging under wet conditions, but they significantly increase auger belt wear and increase strain on the auger shaft bearing and increase wear on the auger housing, especially if you live in an area where they sand road surfaces. I've used tire sidewall material that has held up great after initial wearing down to fit the least diameter of the auger housing and after 5 years of use in this manner, the improvement in performance has been significant, but after chewing through auger belts (even Kevlar ones) I've come to realize I had to be much gentler going through snowbanks and because of the increased wear on the auger housing, I'll have to line it with new sheet metal come next summer as it has developped perforations from the metal wearing thin from friction over time.
Hey John no issues on my snowblower. On set has been on for ten years now! Still rocking! Thanks for sharing! 👍
@@GarageGear thanks! Mind you my snowblower dates from the 80s so I'm not too surprised with the wear 😆
I used Silicone rubber, 1/4" thick. It stays flexible at cold temperatures so there is less load on the motor and nothing sticks to it. I cut a radius on one edge similar to the snow thrower discharge chute radius. I also used stainless steel screws with a door of Loctite to attach them to the impeller blades. Works like a champ!
Great tips here! Thanks for sharing! Happy snowblowing season!
Where did you get the silicon rubber?
Excellent video, I have a couple of comments, I appreciate you!! My first comment is I have never run my snowblower wearing shorts and flip-flops, and also with the leaves still on the trees! My other comment is I appreciate you saying ladies and gentlemen, you won’t hear that from Disney World anymore, I have a 17-year-old craftsman snowblower, never changed the oil, it’s surging now, last year we got 38 inches, but I’m definitely thinking about upgrading it and thank you so much for the video good job Sir!!!
I’m in upstate New York,,, I think I have 14 severe Snowstorms,,, my craftsman snow blower has never let me down even though I have not treated it well,,,just guessing, ,,,but excellent video thank you
Hey Startover! You should try running your machine in shorts and flip flops lol! It’s world changing lol. I’m a school teacher and I say it daily. It’s good for teens to hear it. Its not said enough. Appreciate the positive feedback my friend. thanks for watching
Great idea, would like to see it performing. That's the ultimate test
Be sure to check out the other videos here on the channel about this! Thanks for watching!
Did this years ago it works great, make sure rubber is the same width as impeller blades
Definitely an awesome modification! Thanks for checking out my channel! 👍
The only thing I would do differently is to weigh each flap and bolt assembly so they are all the same weight. This way there should be minimal balance issues
Not a bad idea thanks for watching!!!
This was awesome! Thank you n I live in tahoe so I need that extra bump from my blower in winter.
Can’t go wrong with this mod! Thanks for watching!
The addition of rubber belt flaps on the impeller blades made a HUGE difference for my 30 year-old Ariens 7HP SnoThro! I helped a buddy do the same modification on his 8HP Yardman blower and he was very pleased as well!
BUT I would highly recommend 2 revisions to what was shown here though...
1) I learned the hard way that the gap between the impeller housing wall and the impeller blade edges is NOT uniform! To save yourself significant rework (and a jammed impeller), initially clamp the rubber flap to the vane and manually rotate the impeller through a full rotation inside the housing to determine where there is minimum clearance and THEN mark it for final positioning 1mm away from the housing at that point. Then do the same for each additional blade you're planning to modify.
2) Also, if you have a 4 blade impeller, adding the flaps to just two opposing blades is ALL you need to do to make your machine a snow-n-slush-hurling BEAST! The Yardman had a 3-blade impeller, so we needed to do all three.
NOTE: You can skip adding rubber flaps to any Ariens model 926000 series altogether because they have very little clearance between the impeller blades and the housing wall. Although I STRONGLY ENDORSE spending ~$65 to upgrade your Ariens 926000 series machine from the original single belt drive to their new dual belt kit - It made a remarkable difference!
(For 11HP models and below use kit 72600700) See ruclips.net/video/sxiq_8cLfKw/видео.html .
All good tips! Thank you!
Looks 2 me like a 4 to 6 minimum beer job (on a warm day)!! Nice job JB!!
Hahaha funny thing is I shot this clip while my mother in law was in town! Had to find something to do lol 😉
Greetings from Russia! I think that politics should not be confused with the ordinary life of ordinary people. People all over the world should remain kind and responsive to each other on all continents. Thank you for the video. A great idea, I will definitely do it on my snowplow as well. Subscribed to your channel. I'm waiting for new videos on garden equipment!
Give it a shot Pomah! 👍 I’ll have a more lawn content coming up this season!
@@GarageGear I look forward to the summer season and your very informative and professional videos on garden equipment.
First thing i'm going to do in the spring time... 👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks for sharing hammerman
I like to see the throwing of snow after the modification ....... I believe it would work, I just like to see it in action!
Little hard to show the proof in August when it is 85 degrees outside lol. Check out this video to see the difference! Thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/WR-n6QE-hSw/видео.html
OMG Just as I took a drink you said "round the outside". At the same time, I was thinking the song as you started sing it. I almost spit out my drink!
Hahaha that’s awesome thingimajig! Perfect timing lol! Thanks for watching!
I did this about 15 years ago by clamping 1/8" thick strips of steel to extend the impellar blades and mark off the slight amount of clearance to prevent nuisance scraping of the impellar against the inside. I ended up balancing the impellar though just in case it should vibrate. It's definitely worth the effort as long as you do this in warm weather or a heated garage or shed. I also welded the extesions instead of bolts because I was afraid of a bolt coming loose or breaking and launching from the chute. This 9hp Sears Craftsman snowblower now throws heavy snow, slush, and sizeable chunks of ice which can be dangerous, but really beats having to shut the thing off to unclog it.
Agreed well worth the time and effort! An hour or so of work goes a long way!
I have done this and it works great. We currently have just over 3 feet of the white stuff. We had a system stall over us and it dumped 2 feet of wet shit. Handled it no problem.
Glad to hear this worked out great for you Larry! Enjoy dominating the neighbors!
At 08:13 you could have placed the rubber in position below the metal impeller blade and marked from the top with your marker so as to be more precise. After the holes are drilled in the rubber they will match when installed on the correct side of the impeller. Thanks for sharing the upgrade to your snowblower 👍 I will be sending this video to my son so he can use the idea on his Ariens.
Thanks for sharing! Can’t go wrong with this mod!
Had an idea! Before I retired I designed production line equipment for a major manufacturing company. When we required conveyors or chutes to have a slick hard-wearing surface, we would use UHMW TAPE. What if it were applied to in the area that the impeller kit contacts. Also to the back and sides of the discharge chute. Your thoughts?
I imagine that would work well! Might give it a shot too!
I used self tapping SS screws instead of bolts. Worked great.
Steve Andrusko That method works well too!
thanks,also @1:07 of video; when snow blowing, turn the chute 180 degrees ,snow will be thrown farther,
And on the rubber pieces ,cut slotted holes, easier to keep close clearance as rubber wears out.
Great tips bud! Thank you!
Thanks J.B. Clogging has been a major problem with my Yardworks 357 cc snowblower, so much so that I have thought about replacing it with a fairly expensive three stage snowblower but your fix might help me solve the problem. It's worth a try before I lay out the big bucks.
Mfanawemkosi Fakudze no problem! Worth a shot. This modification costs nearly nothing and takes about an hour to do. You won’t be disappointed.
Mr. Gear, the first thing is you make very good quality videos, sound great, dialogue great, staging great. Do you do a lot of editing? What video equipment do you use. Second, why do the manufactures leave that gap? Some commentors said some newer machines do not have that gap? Third, the comments on cleaning the rust and repainting the impeller housing and impeller seem valid, seems odd you would do the rubber mod and not do cleaning rust and repainting. Fourth, will the mod work on a gravel driveway?
Hey Tom! Appreciate the positive feedback! I do about 5 hours of editing on each video. My guess is the gap is there for the ease of the manufacturing process. This video was focusing on the flap install. Not on painting a snowblower. This video would be very long if I did that too. This mod will work on just about any 2 stage snowblower no matter then driveway. Thanks for watching
Would be nice seeing it in action, throwing snow in comparison to how it did before the modification. But good idea there. Thanks
grassroot011 would love to do a comparison but it was 85 degrees in August when I filmed this.
easy for you. I have a John deere 47 inch blower attachment and it has cables running to the chute controled by the hydraulic lever on the dash. Not so sure I want to take off the cables and not get them attached the right way just to get at the impeller. But a great video.
Thanks a lot Gerald! Sounds like you’d have some extra steps! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Looks very good
Works well! You gonna give it a shot?
Have seen on another site where he added a piece of UHMW to the face of the discharge chute. The purpose was to force as much snow as possible out the tip of the chute & not blow back at the machine or operator. He did leave an opening near the chute at the housing to clear any blockage. I do like the “ no blow back” but worth it or just don’t blow into the wind?
Thanks for sharing Rick!
I don't have anything to do with snowblowers but maybe waxing up the inside of the impeller tube and the chute might help? It makes a difference on skis and snowboards, so ...
yes it help, but very hard to apply in winter (cold temperature) and it doesnt last long. the snow is basically hard ice particulate scrapping at high speed the wax coating off. i found riveting a sheet of crazy-carpet inside help alot. its a plastic sheet used by children to slide down snow slope. its about 2$ and its very good slippery plastic that's better than the average rusted steel.
I think Honda puts a plastic liner on some of their models.
Interesting idea.
I do that too plus the impeller kits. Throws snow like an animal.
I did this and it works great, just one caution check to see if the impellers are not frozen from melting snow between using, or you’ll burn up your belt.
j MARBURY yep always a good idea! Thanks for watching!
When marking the rubber, place it on the back side and mark it, makes the job easy. This is after you make the holes in the metal.😄I wonder why some of these snowblower company's don't make a kit for this or do this from the factory.
I would love to know why as well! Thanks for the tips.
Try spraying furniture polish wax in the chute and on the impeller rubber. Lived in the Hartford Ct ares for 20 years. Had an electric start Craftsman blower that came with the house. In 20 years I only replaced one belt. It rattled and shook but threw snow about 25 ft. Nice video. In about 1998 we hav over 100 inches of snow. All in about 4 close storms. Power out, I was in Myrtle Beach playing golf. Wife was pissed off. Generator broke (plastic gas tank). No shop open to repair. Son In-law saved her. He lived near by.
Nice video.
JoeB
JoeB
Great tip joe! Thanks for sharing your story! That’s a lot of snow! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Cool idea!...however just to add to the video maybe a run in the snow (before and after) just to show the difference at how much farther it would throw....just my opinion!!
Rob Jakala wanted to but it doesn’t snow much in Buffalo in August.
My thoughts exactly!!!!
@@GarageGear I'm in Lancaster NY. Come do mine!
Honda Dude Hey bud, I’ve had a lot of people asking me to do this for them ever since I posted this video. It’s been crazy lol. If you’re interested in having me install an impeller kit on your snowblower, email me at garagegearjb@gmail.com and we’ll go from there. Thank you for reaching out Honda Dude! JB
@@GarageGear Maybe just show how far it throws after doing this mod in a short video.
Great video! I am going to do this tomorrow to my 24" blower. One question: what can I use for the rubber flaps? I have a large truck mud flap...would that work..or does it have to be a certain thickness to be effective? Thanks!
Hi Randy! Thanks for following along. Use the flap. That will be perfect!
@@GarageGear Working on it now..question....I see some who do this go right around the curve of each of the impeller blades..and some including yourself go cut the flap to right to where the blade starts to bend up...does it matter to cover that little extra inch of so?
@@Randy-ul5hy it doesn’t matter. No need to worry about it.
Lol I was singing round the outside, round the outside immediately
Haha that’s awesome!!! 👍. Thanks for checking out my channel!
Did this last winter. Used self tapping screws. Worked great.
Had the same idea while watching this. Also thinking to use pieces of old paddle from a single stage blower. Did you notice much of a difference after installing?
Kingfisher yes made a big difference.👍
@@Leroy100 rock on
Glad this worked out well for you! Makes a BIG difference!
Nice video. Would be nice to see a before and after snow throwing.
Check out my other videos in the description. Thanks for checking out my channel!
PB Blasters makes a Teflon spray that will aid in making the rubber slick against the discharge tube and chute
Awesome! Thanks for sharing Timothy!
Did my Troy Bilt 28" 9.5hp track drive in winter of 2018-2019. It throws snow and especially slush much better. I have a 400" driveway with 1.5" minus gravel so rocks getting jammed in the impeller area was a concern....but the more I thought about the more I felt that the gravel actually now has less places to get jammed into with the new wipers and overall performs better even in the gravel :) Lee
Lee Windham glad to hear you had some good results with this modification. Even in gravel!
I did this a few years ago with my blower, however I did not use bolts. I used self tapping screws and it works just fine. A little less work to get the rubber on.
Bob Boyer That works well too!
I saw this years ago from 65ford's youtube video. Before and after. It works !!
Saw his video as well. Good video. He uses self tapping screws to get the job done. That method works well.
I had to do this to my 1971 Ariens sno-thro, the machine is awesome except in heavy wet snow. I bought a truck mud flap at NAPA Auto parts store for $12 and made 2"x4" paddles, for the top piece of metal I went to Lowes and bought some Simpson Strong-Tie A21Z 2"x1" Angles for 0.78 cents each and hammered them flat, 1/4"x1" SS bolts with washers and Lock nuts. I was surprised that I was able to drill the holes with a cordless drill and inexpensive ryobi 1/4" drill bit.
Impeller kits make those machines animals in the snow. Thanks for watching
Being paranoid about vibrations and out of balance metal spinning around in front of me, I would suggest making a jig to locate mounting holes as close to identical as possiblla.
No concerns so far but good tip here! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Good Day JB, Good Stuff!... I liked the snowblower impeller wipes retrofit... I may try that one... Ron
Can’t go wrong with it ron! 👍
Wouldn’t it be easier to mark the holes in the rubber pad by holding it under the impeller and mark from the top
Fred Baumberger maybe but it you put the rubber piece exactly where you want it and then mark it there is no question about the fit. It’s not that hard to draw the dots.
@@GarageGear maybe drill the rubber first then mark where to drill the impeller?
@@davebl9645 I drilled the rubber first then drilled threw the metal with pad in place. Screwed pad in with 1 self taping screw then drilled the 2nd hole. I tried car tire side wall.. wasnt very, good started curling and I replaced with mud flap..much better. Make sure each time you go to use blower you check if propeller is not frozen because there is not the same clearance anymore. I did burn out a belt once.
Be neat if you could do something like that on a mower to keep deck clean.
Sure would! 👍
love the video! i have a very old 8hp 26" snow blower i will try this on. The video was clear, the lighting was perfect, and the audio was great. Thanks for the tip.. going to try to referbish this old ARIENS snow blower. first got to get some tubes got the old tractor style tires.. thanks for sharing.....
thomas engle glad you found this helpful! Be sure to subscribe to the channel! I have a handful of other impeller kit install videos. One throwing snow 73 feet! Check them out! Thanks for watching!
did mine 5 years ago !Used stainless steel nut and bolts and lock tight. u can use old tire the sidewall, or bailer belt from TSC etc ... and did all blades/impeller and used a piece of cardboard as gauge to keep the same space at each blade at the tunnel. And just make a templet to mark the rubber and the blade, center punch it drill it assemble & be done. HAVE ONLY HAD 1 STORM EVER SINCE LOL . But I was flinging snow 3X Further ,Wet Heavy Snow; Puddles of Water....FOR SALE :Craftsman TURBO CHARGED SNOW BLOWER !!
Only one storm? Really? This really does work well on wet snow. Thanks for checking out my channel!
Drilling into metal, it's always beneficial for you (and your tools/bits) to predrill with a smaller hole/s first. Bet that forearm was burnin'!
Your right. Drilling around a 1/8 hole first will cut the time of the whole job considerably. ex machinist.
Sounds like a good plan! Thanks for checking out my channel!
Think about a jet pump - same concept. You take the impeller on a jet pump and shim it to minimize the gap and it reduces cavitation and increases water flow
Thanks for sharing Chuck!
The impellers are rarely centered in the housing so each wiper must be installed at the point of it's closest point. If you don't it won't turn. If a bit tight they will wear in.
All good points here! Thanks for watching Mrreadandlearn!
i did the same to my snowblower and the results were amazing... my only suggestion would be to put two nuts on each bolt to lock them in...
Awesome! The results of this modification are definitely worthwhile! Thanks for watching!
My thoughts too, they dont go ANYWHERE
@@skaterboizjoe I like that idea!
Thank you for this great info...👍
You got Angela! Let me know how well it works out for you if you install it! Thanks for watching!
Good morning from northern MN snowy. Thank you for your kindness response. My husband was having hard times dealing with his machine. I was doing research and came up on your show. I was sending him your link. Keep up good job!👍🙏🌲
@@angelavanhorn2325 hey Angela, thanks for sharing my video with him. I recently did this procedure on another snowblower using some options that make it a little easier. Be sure to check it out. BEFORE YOU INSTALL AN IMPELLER KIT ON A SNOWBLOWER, WATCH THIS!
ruclips.net/video/qraAEDRKA9Y/видео.html Thanks again for checking out my channel!
I'm back checking your video again. I need to make a trip to the hardware store because my girlfriend did something with the bolts and nuts I needed to hold the rubber. I'm not surprised that the shute didn't come off the way I hoped that it would.
I changed my oil after the first time running it. It ran for 50 minutes on less than a half a tank of gas. I drained my oil and started to take the the 4 bolts off. They were 7/16 not 10mm like I thought they would be. Couldn't use a socket wrench on them. Had to use my regular wrench. Now I can't figure out how to get the rest of the shute off. There's several cotter pins and bolts holding the upper mechanism of the shute. I'm going to call it a day and put everything in the garage and start fresh tomorrow morning. I will get this done! I want it to be ready for the first snow fall next year. This is a brand new craftsman snowblower never used.
Sounds like you hit a few speed bumps here but trust me, this will be well WORTH IT. Next winter you’ll be laughing at how far that machine will throw! Once you get them on run the machine for a couple of minutes to break the rubber in. It will wear right in to where it needs to be. Good luck and if you have anymore questions check my videos and message me! You Da MAN!
@@GarageGear thank you JB. I'll get it. I'm not trying to be a negative Nancy. I just reread my comment. I have a shit ton of nuts and bolts so I will figure out something. I got the shute off after learning how to remove the pin that I've never seen. It almost looks like an 8. I didn't want to break it because I've never seen one before. It's a cotter pin but when it's on it looks like an 8. No open end on one side like the pin on the shute rod.
After my coffee and AM BM I will go back out and finish it up. Hopefully! Thanks for your time and help.
Great explanation.....easy to follow!
Phil Grillo thanks bud!
I just ceramic coated everything in the summer so its ready to go.
Lasted 2 seasons then l re applied
Throws farther and no clogs.
Hey D! Great work! Imagine if you did the impeller kit too? Thanks for watching!
I did this but used stainless steel self tapping screws. Been there 4 years with heavy snows
splibb Awesome!
I always unplug the spark plug before cleaning any snow out after use.
And u mentioning that reminds me that I think I forgot to plug it back in after I used it tonight
Smart to do so! I have personally never had a machine start up on me but I’ve heard horror stories! Happy snowblowing!
Un plugging a sparkplug won't do nothing. If anything take the spark plug out so there's less compression. If it's plugged
@@dzlf2504 yeah, I suppose, but its better that than nothing