How to replace the auger belt and ground drive belt in a snowblower

How to remove and install new auger and drive belts

Wear work gloves to protect your hands during this repair.

Drain all fuel from the engine’s gas tank to fuel doesn’t spill when you tip the snowblower over to access the belts.

Reposition the drift cutters if necessary so that you can tip the snowblower over to rest on its auger housing when replacing the belts.

1. Remove the belt cover mounting screws and pull off the belt cover.

2. Roll the auger belt off the engine pulley.

3. Use a wrench to pivot the ground drive belt idler pulley outward to release drive belt tension. Lift the ground drive belt off the engine pulley.

4. Carefully tip the snowblower over onto its auger housing.

5. Remove the frame cover from the underside of the snowblower.

6. Loosen and remove the shoulder screw which acts as a belt keeper for the auger pulley.

7. Unhook the auger brake bracket spring from the frame.

8. Depress the ground drive lever and use a clamp to hold the lever to the handle bar.

9. Remove the auger belt.

10. Remove the clamp holding the ground drive lever to the handle bar.

11. Remove the stop bolt to allow the drive plate support bracket to pivot down and increase clearance between the drive plate and the friction wheel.

12. Slip the ground drive belt off the drive plate and work it out of the snowblower.

13. Slide the new ground drive belt under the friction wheel and around the drive plate and through the auger housing.

14. Reposition the drive plate support bracket to its proper position and reinstall the stop bolt.

15. Depress the ground drive lever and clamp it to the handle bar.

16. Install the new auger belt around the auger pulley. Push the other end of the belt through the auger housing.

17. Reinstall the shoulder screw.

18. Reconnect the brake bracket spring to the frame and brake bracket.

19. Reinstall the frame cover and secure it with its mounting screws.

20. Carefully tip the snowblower back onto its wheels.

21. Use a wrench to pivot the ground drive belt idler pulley outward and install the new ground drive belt on the engine pulley. Slowly release the idler pulley to exert tension on the drive belt.

22. Roll the new auger belt onto the engine pulley.

23. Reinstall the belt cover and secure it with its mounting screws.

Test snowblower operation

After installing new belts, it’s important to test the drive and auger systems. New belts typically sit tighter than worn ones, so you may need to adjust the ground drive control cable or the auger control cable to ensure both systems engage and disengage properly.

Check Ground Drive Operation

Use our How to adjust the snowblower drive control cable video article to guide you through this process.

When you engage the ground drive lever, the ground drive cable pulls the drive wheel upward so it presses against the friction disc. The friction disc rotates the hex drive shaft, which in turn spins the gears and axles that move the tires.

You can test ground drive cable tension with the snowblower shut down:

• With the ground drive lever disengaged, lift the auger housing slightly and push the snowblower forward. It should roll freely because the drive wheel is not touching the friction disc.

  • If it does not roll freely, loosen the ground drive cable tension. This allows the drive wheel to move away from the friction disc so the snowblower does not creep forward when the engine is running.

• Next, engage the ground drive lever and test again. The wheels should be locked because the drive wheel should be fully pressed against the friction disc.

  • If the wheels still spin freely, tighten the ground drive cable tension so the drive wheel engages properly.

Start the snowblower and test the drive system under power. Continue adjusting the cable until the ground drive operates smoothly.

Shut off the snowblower engine and move on to checking the auger control system.

Check auger control operation

Use our How to Adjust a Snowblower Auger Control Video as a guide while checking and adjusting the auger control cable.

Follow these steps to make sure the auger engages and disengages correctly:

1. With the auger control lever disengaged, check the auger control cable tension. The cable should have enough slack so it is not pulling the idler pulley.

2. Start the snowblower and confirm that the auger does not move with the auger control lever disengaged. The auger should remain still in this position.

3. Engage the auger and let it run for about 10 seconds, then disengage it.

4. Cycle the auger on and off several times in the same way.

5. After cycling, check that the auger stops completely each time the auger control lever is disengaged.

6. Finally, confirm that the auger spins properly when the auger control lever is engaged.

Shut off the snowblower and adjust the auger control cable if needed.

Adjust the auger cable

If the auger spins when the auger control lever is disengaged, increase the auger cable slack. If the auger does not move when the auger control lever is engaged, increase the cable tension.

Follow these steps to adjust auger cable tension:

1. Loosen, but do not remove, the upper hex bolt on the rear auger drive cable bracket.

2. Loosen, but do not remove, the lower hex bolt on the rear auger drive cable bracket if needed so the bracket can slide up or down.

3. Move the bracket upward to create more cable slack or downward to add more cable tension.

4. Hold the bracket in position and tighten both hex bolts.

After adjusting the bracket, test the auger control system and continue making small adjustments if needed until the auger engages and disengages properly.

Replacing the belts regularly keeps your snowblower running smoothly throughout the season. It also helps prevent mid-winter breakdowns when replacement parts may be harder to get.

Remember to tune up the engine and lubricate key moving parts as part of your routine maintenance. Our How to tune up a snowblower video walks you through the full process. For additional troubleshooting guidance, explore our full library of snowblower DIY repair help.

If you prefer to have a technician handle the maintenance for you, you can schedule a Sears Home Services Snowblower Maintenance Service.