[DieselDood]

OK... So I have a 318 with the 49 blower. I haven't done any mods to it and it works pretty well other than the wet heavy snow.

I picked up a 420, and tonight I'm picking up at 46 blower. I was thinking being they are both single stage they would be virtually the same. So... I hopped on Tractor data and it says the 49 blower is 200lbs and the 46 is 310lbs.

Ok.. that's a HUGE difference. Can anyone tell me what is so different on them? Are the 49 mods (gear and flap) the same on the 46? OR is there other mods that can/should be done on the 46?

Thanks a ton guys!

 

[DieselDood]

Thats what I thought too!

I'll try the flap mod first, and go from there. We get some hefty snowfalls here, so im not sure speeding up the auger is the best plan.

In the past ive been able to drag my 318 to its knees if I wasn't careful.

I dont plan to get rid of the 318 till I can fully test the 420. Since I have a 20hp in the 318, I may be able to do a side by side of the flap mod.

Could be kinda fun!

 

[DieselDood]

I have both. If the 46 weight includes the quick hitch I would think that's about right.

Ahh! That would make sense. This one has the hitch built in like the 49 does. The hitch does seem heavier, but I'm going to guess it's about 30lbs different. The 318 has the belt drive to the gearbox, then a shaft to the chain drive. This 46 has the shaft drive to a gearbox, then another what looks like a pto shaft to the chain drive.

The gearbox has a little leak, I'm going to have to clean things up, top it off and see if I can find where it is coming from. Hopefully I can get the seals needed.

 

[DieselDood]

Well first time hooking the blower to the 420.
I'm used to the belt drive so I hooked up the bracket then realized the PTO shaft didn't have enough play to go on. Which... does make sense. You don't want it flying off during operation.
So... drop it off the spring pins and try to hook the PTO shaft. Wowza. Not the worst thing I've done, but that stupid thing has to be at one exact spot to have enough slop to make the turn, yet enough to start to slide on. It's like an elephant trying to fine tune something.
Once I got that... boom. Super easy.

I do like the kickstand on the bracket. That is a nice touch as compared to the 300 series blower. Sure makes the initial hook up easier.

I kicked it on... oof. Noisy. Sounds like a good amount of chain slop and at least one dry bearing. It's going to be warmer this weekend, so I'll dig into it then.

Is there anything beyond the obvious that I should be checking and looking for?
In the parts film I don't see a chain tensioner, what adjusts to take up the slack?

 

[DieselDood]

I have an after market frankenstein blower on my 420, shaft drive of course. Be mindful of how much you raise the blower when it is running. I ended up destroying my right angle gear box by putting too much lateral stress on it. The universal joint will accommodate some movement, but in my case, not full up. Also, remember that the 420 has a float position on one of the levers. It's a forward detent type thing. Make sure you have those connectors on your up and down cylinder. Apologies if you know this from the 318, I'm not familiar with them.

Thats good to know, although with the integrated bracket (not quick hitch) I dont think it moves the gearbox much. Ill definitely check that!

I was aware of the detent/float valve, but thats a good reminder. I threw it on quick, and didn't check. Ill be pulling it off this weekend im sure when I go through it.

 

[DieselDood]

Every time I hooked up the blower to my 420, connecting the drive shaft took the most time. The first time was a real learning experience. Maybe there is a way I did not know about but in the case of my installation, there just wasn't any room to get hands down there to line up the shaft with the spline. After the first year of trial and error, I came up with a way that worked easy. I'd remove the grille and loop a thin rope around the driveshaft yoke and thread the rope straight up into the area near the engine clutch (behind where the grille normally sits). I'd raise the rope and driveshaft with one hand and use my other hand to align the drive shaft on the spline or lift the blower mount upwards to slide the yoke on the spline.

If I recall correctly, look for the small idler gear. I believe it is adjustable up and down or back and forth and allows you to tension the chain.

Yup! That's exactly what took the most time! I ended up pulling the grill. I found a 1x2, and put it under the corner of the blower housing. That lifted it just enough to make it line up, but it wouldn't stay there without support. So I ended up getting frustrated and just He-Man'ed it. I lined it up with my right hand, then grabbed the blower housing and pulled hard with my left till it clicked into place.

Next time I plan to put it on a more flat surface than where I was doing it and hopefully things line up a little better.

That's what I thought it had when I pulled apart the blower for my 318 it had that system. I'm guessing this one hasn't been touched... or judging by the screech when it kicked it on, the bearing has failed... or at a minimum is totally dry.

That's why I was looking at the parts film. I was trying to see what bearings it does have, and the nice thing is, you can see local dealer inventory. My local dealer shows that they have both auger bearings on hand, but I was looking for that idler and didn't see it in there. I'll have to look some more!

 

[DieselDood]

So... For those that may wonder.. or for future reference.
The 46 blower for the 420 chain tension is done by loosening 2 bolts where the PTO drive comes in, then there is a bolt and nut, loosen the nut and tighten the bolt. It will move the whole "housing" where the pto comes in and ties to the smaller gear. VERY simple. While you are in there, lube the chain and grease the bearings!