# Deere snowblower auger removal hassle GX0422



## rokosz

Hi folks, 'tis the the season for ice cold metal and kneeling on the ground.

The GX0422 is a 42" snowblower attachment for Deere 17hp lawn tractors. 
Yesterday I managed to suck some clothes line into the far right edge of the auger (between the auger and shaft end cup on the housing). The shearbolt did not shear: It wound so tightly around the auger tube that it forced the auger shaft to rotate out of the cup. (a cup about 1" deep). 

I removed the cord & cup. The cup normally sits on the inside of the auger housing. With out a 42"+ jaws of life or massive biceps I can't pull the housing _out_ enough to slip the cup back in and let the shaft seat itself. 

So, time to remove the auger assembly. I've done many things, some good, some unneeded. I'm down to an auger assembly that wiggles loosely & happily: the other end cup is unscrewed, the center support bolt for the assembly removed and the fan pulley and bearing housing on the rear of the auger housing removed. 

Though it wiggles happily it will not pull forward. I can push it backwards enough (about 1/2 to 1") for the bearing/shaft to slip down and get caught on the sheetmetal/auger housing. 

I'd wanted to remove the roll pins holding the impeller on the drive shaft -- but can't get at them with a punch -- unless I get the entire auger assembly out of the housing. A lot of vids/help I find talk about keys or allen set screws -- neither nor anything similar are visible or feelable

I'd try banging harder on the drive shaft from the pulley end -- but can't get enough swing -- and frankly am afraid of doing more damage if I could. 

Though there seems to be a gap on the shaft between the auger housing and the back of the impeller I can't see whats there (if anything). 

Does anyone know what could be holding this puppy in? 

Thanks! I hope someone has some insight, Bryan

Here's the driveshaft/bearing poking through the rear of the auger housing:









The Deere diagram doesn't show any keys and no parts really that I'm not aware of. The bearing (#33) is whats wiggly with the shaft through it. #32 is the bearing housing and currently removed. 









and the frontward impeller side:


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## Cublover

Welcome to the forum.. May you answer be swift and simple.


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## pogobill

Instead of those biceps, what about a jackall or maybe some lumber and the scissors jack out of your vehicle. Hopefully won't bend your blower housing, but may give you that little extra umph to get the auger back in. Just watch it doesn't fly out at you!!


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## rokosz

Aha! that's thinking! I think I've got a 3'+ length of 2x6 or maybe even a long enough 5x5 chunk of porch post. I only need a an inch or two max. You've got me full circle. What's that rule called if the most complex solutions don't work -- it must be the simplest that will? The housing does have some flex and I'd think enough for an inch or two Even it were to distort a bit I think drawing the cup bolts through will pull it back in true on reassembly. Thanks Pogo!

I've been suspecting those bolts on the back (one of which I sheared off via a unrealized seized nut) might be holding some sort of bracket behind the impeller and are seized in place (and my rag-doll shaking isn't enuf, maybe they're banging points for knocking the assembly loose. 

I looked at the JD diagrams for the gx0420 and gx0421 to see if possibly the GX0422 is incorrect or my unit is bastardized. No leads there. 

The diagram does seem to be lacking: doesn't even show the three bolts to hold the bearing housing (and those locations on the diagram look like holes for unremarked bolts. The diagram is missing one or both of the bolts which hold the belt cover (#31) they exist above the 4 bolts (2 each side) for the idler bracket (#25)


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## pogobill

I have to keep tidbits like that in the back of my mind there, rokosz! You never know when something like that could come in handy....
Like today.... I read your post and replied, wondering how you got that far up the side of the house to snag the close line!:lmao::lmao: Then I went out, fired up my tractor with the blower on it and started to clear the driveway.... picked up my 75' #12 contractor grade extention cord with the blower, which then took the last 8" off of it that had the three plug receptical on the end of it! Never knew I caught it until the wife handed the piece to me and asked me what it was off of.  Luckily, all I had to do was unwrap the cord. !


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## rokosz

Ouch! jaws that can tear woven copper... I think the auger was pulled out of the cup because the other end of the clothes line was attached securely to a hoist post above a loft door. Maybe I shouldn't be amazed the hoist won. both ends of the shear bolt (cap and nut) are missing in action. Haven't seen that before. 

Glad to hear it wasn't your situation -- though let it be known for the future: Unless you know exactly how to get the auger assembly out of the housing (and maybe want to re-lube the gear box and paint the housing), The simplest is to rib spread the housing and pop the cup back in -- maybe with a little help from a rubber mallet. 

Tricky part doing this (I used a scissor lift from a Mazda and a ~38" length of 3"d pvc pipe. A little trial and error to find the best spot for bracing -- the auger's diameter limits straight paths between sides of the housing. Once the lift is engaged and getting to the magic point the bracing wants to pop out -- solid pvc or wood might be better, steel even more so. I used a length of 2x4 between the housing and the scissor lift -- with my foot behind it I was able to keep it perpendicular to the auger and square in the braced position. 

Still not sure how performance will be going forward 000 since I never removed the auger assembly and so couldn't address that sheared bolt from the bearing housing. I also dremeled one end of each of the roll pins holding the impeller (not taken off, but cut in the diameter). I couldn't knock those ends off with a hammer and chisel even after cutting. Glad I couldn't get an angle that would've allowed flush end cutting... Learn some, lose some.

cudos again to you pogobill. Whatever cudos are, I hope you enjoy them.


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## Cublover

I was doing a shifter on a vehicle where a roll pin had sheared. The book said to remove the transmission. I studied it for a bit and determined that I could drill a 1/4 inch hole in the tin and reach it with the trans in place! I would rather drill a 1/4 inch hole than pull a transmission any day. A dab of bondo filled the hole and the vehicle was back in service.. Work smarter, not harder.


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## rokosz

huh. so drill through the housing portion covering the impeller, after confirming the pins will line up on a straight line with the hole and no part of the impeller blocking the view. I gotta go look at it again -- can't tell from the pic above if that'll happen. Not that I'd do it, but if my dremeling proves and "undoing"... . Your bondo reference threw me for a sec: bondo instead of new roll pins....? 

I like the tractor -- the blower really is only effective on the most level of surfaces. my d'way does not fit that bill, it's a half-pipe you can see a little garage though the trees:








you can only blow downhill, take the chains off, climb the hill, [put chains on again], blow down etc. Useful in the valley and by the garage -- but there's 50" wide swath that _always_ needs to be hand dug (the slope with the truck on it) so the tractor/blower can get up -- and then blow down.

So, if the blower goes bad or takes hundreds to repair -- I think I'll cut my losses and go for something like this Honda HS1336 -- though not without a 100% guarantee (esp. for 8 grand.) that the tracks won't slip on my slopes.

btw, I named this photo How to Hire a Contractor. This was only the first of bizarre events in a 10 month odyssey.


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## Cublover

I'm sure you jest. REPLACE the roll pin, then seal the hole!! (Is that better?)


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