Sears snow blower 247.889571 oil filler tube broke


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Old 04-17-17, 04:27 PM
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Sears snow blower 247.889571 oil filler tube broke

I use my neighbors snow blower and after the last time we used it, it seemed fine. It was thick ice we had to go through- 22 inches of ice boulders from the plows. When he went to run it out of gas, the plastic oil fill tube assembly seemed to have cracked so the cap popped off. Could this have been caused by the snow blades having too much pressure and caused internal damage and cracked where the oil fill screws into, to crack? We also noticed the blades seem to be scraping on one side against the frame? the part from sears is 951-12482. It seems real strange that the plastic part the cap screws down on would be missing pieces from tightening too hard.
 
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Old 04-18-17, 04:04 AM
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It sounds like some of the "ice boulders" bent the auger blades to cause the scraping . . . . but the auger shaft should have been equipped with shear pins that would have broken BEFORE that bending occurred. Does your Neighbor have actual "shear pins" installed, or has he replaced them with harder bolts which allows more serious damage to occur when blowing unknown debris within the snow. Some Owners do this to avoid the tedious replacement of the sacrificial shear pins . . . . but then experience the cost of repairing much more expensive components, like the Auger Differential.

Coincidentally, I think the Oil Cap was just mis-threaded, or over tightened, to crack the fill tube.
 
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Old 04-18-17, 05:03 AM
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The short answer is no. Sounds like you're conflating two independent issues and there can be no connection between the auger or impellers and the oil cap or tube. I think most likely culprits of the cracked tube are 1. overtightening (mentioned earlier), 2. ice forming on tube or 3. a small crack worsening.

In the case of ice forming, it's quite possible for water or ice to accumulate at almost anyplace on the snow blower. If the snow blower isn't cleaned off after use and stored in a cold location, ice can harden and can crack the stem when pressure is applied. Is it stored outdoors?

On the small crack, over time the stress of temperature changes can cause it to fail.
 
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Old 04-18-17, 06:04 AM
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Thank you Vermont and Tony T. for your feedback. My neighbor probably did over tighten since the snow blower was stored in the attached garage. I will get some shear pins when I pick up the new filler piece since he is not home for me to see if the shear pins are broken. Funny, the sears parts web site said they sold six of these parts which I thought would never have to be replaced.
 
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Old 05-04-17, 07:55 PM
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Thank you Tony and Vermont.
There was no O ring inside the oil cap. The new one came with one and maybe this caused him to over tighten it. Knowing him, he probably constantly tightened it, but it isn't a screw type. Maybe the o ring fell out. That part is done.
The auger is really bent bad and the shear pin is gone. I may have done it. I am so glad I borrowed it. Is it hard to put a new auger blade in? I tried bending it back, but was hard to budge and didn't bend much without any leverage. If I used leverage against the sides, I would surely bend the frame.
 
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Old 05-05-17, 04:00 AM
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Originally Posted by willkeeptrying
". . . Is it hard to put a new auger blade in? . . ."
No; but you may not have the tools necessary, because you have to split the machine and remove the Belts in order to pull the Auger Shaft out from the front.

The hardest aspect of the job is probably detaching the Impeller Bearing at the rear of the Impeller Shaft (so that you can pull the Auger assembly out from the front); and that often requires a small Puller. Here's a schematic for your machine, and the Bearing I'm referring to shows as Part #23 in this drawing:

https://www.partstree.com/parts/mtd/...sing-assembly/

If your Neighbor's machine is a 2010 and stored inside, it may be easy; but I have found that a Bearing Puller similar to this has been necessary:

I don't have a clue as to what a shop would charge to perform this change; but it would surely exceed $100; maybe $200 ?

There are probably some videos that you could (should) watch on the procedure BEFORE opting to do it yourself or electing to have someone else take responsibility for it. Watching a few videos will give you confidence, and you'll know what tools you'll need and what you're getting yourself into before even starting.

If you choose to do it yourself, I'd recommend taking a few photos along the way as you dis assemble it, so that you can be sure to put it back together the same way, or explain why you have left over parts when you think you're finished.

I only do these things for myself because I'm so far away from civilized mechanics that the transportation costs to and from such a shop would far exceed the actual repair cost.

Good luck !

.
 
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Old 05-05-17, 04:24 AM
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As Vermont noted, this is not a difficult fix for someone with a bit of mechanical experience and the proper tools. Allow 3-4 hours. I have a different Craftsman model, but mine is similar to yours and I believe the fix is the same.

The auger drive is attached through the body so the auger cannot just be removed; it has to be detached. Doing this means separating the auger housing from the rest of the snow blower. There are videos and you should have a look. Also, as was mentioned, take pictures of each piece as you remove it so you know how to reassemble it.

You should know that the auger is not cheap. Beyond that, you mentioned earlier that the auger blade is scraping against the "frame" (auger housing). This may mean the auger axle is bent, which is also an expensive part. It's also a good idea to inspect/replace the belts while you're at it if the snow blower is fairly old.

Finally, I wouldn't start the project unless I was confident I could finish. Let your neighbor know what's going on and make sure he's OK with what you're doing. If I were him, I'd help you.
 

Last edited by Tony P.; 05-05-17 at 06:53 AM.
 

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