fabiodriven
11-25-2018, 10:50 PM
Time to shake things up around here guys, and no better way to do that than with a vintage snowthrower thread! Lmfao. Seriously though, of all my hobbies, this one is the most obscure. I've never met any other people into vintage snowblowers and throwers, I'm the only one I know. I do realize how boring of a subject this is, but this particular machine is pretty interesting mechanically, very interesting I should say. When people come by they enjoy looking at them, and I do as well, so I figured I'd share.
My history with old snowblowers has roots right back to my early years. My best friend's father growing up owned a small engine repair business and he was always giving me whole machines as well as parts. What a great guy. Not just snowblowers, but tillers, mowers, etc... I always loved looking at the older machines which came through there and many times the old machines were there because nobody wanted them anymore. Most times there was very little if anything wrong with them. I always got a kick out of the old snow machines with all kinds of belts and chains going everywhere. In the 60's and 70's there were multiple kinds of augers, impellers, and discharges, and it wasn't until probably the early 80's that almost all snowblowers took up the most common auger/impeller arrangement we see now. Before that time different companies had different takes on how their own respective auger situation would work, and there were a lot of interesting machines made. My favorite to look at were the Snow Birds. Those are some crazy machines, and honestly didn't move snow all that well, but they were engineered in a very interesting way, even if it wasn't that effective. They looked really cool though. The Simplicity machines were odd looking as well and had an uncommon forward rotating impeller as opposed to the transverse impeller most of us are used to seeing on most modern snowblowers. The Simplicity machines worked really, really well though, unlike the Snow Birds.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/324ff8cb061ee05260432b0be39e8618.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/65d41db5908b62aecf0730210ed94c07.jpg
Speaking of the forward rotating impeller, my Bob-caT machines have the same layout. There is one inherent advantage to the forward rotating impeller which the transverse impeller does not have, and that is that this machine will shoot snow the same distance regardless of which way the chute is aimed, and if you aim it forward, it will shoot snow really far. Growing up I used an Ariens. They are great machines, always have been, but it threw snow further to one side than it did the other because of the transverse impeller.
The Bob-caT snowthrower is built like a brick shite house. It uses oil cups throughout. There are oil cups on the transmission shafts, the auger shaft, and the auger jack shaft. Oil cups! I love it. One of my favorite features. The best feature of this machine however, is the fact that it has no shear pins. In place of shear pins, it has a slipper clutch. If the auger gets stopped for any reason, the clutch slips, you shut the machine down, remove obstruction, and continue on your way. There is nothing to fix or reset. There is no other snow removal machine that I am aware of which has this feature, and my machines are roughly 40 years old or thereabouts. It's shameful to me that such an ingenious improvement has gone overlooked for some reason. It can also go from forward to reverse back and forth without clutching. You simply swap the lever and the wheels change direction. It's made to do that as well. I have to work on my #2 7hp unit soon and I think it needs transmission work, so in the future I'll post pictures of that.
Transmission oil cups.
255712
Jackshaft oil cup.
255714
Oil cup for the auger.
255715
This machine will pick up rocks or even a full brick and toss it right out without hurting itself, it happens all the time. It's the only snowthrower I've ever used that sends sparks out the chute while you work, so that's pretty cool. One downfall to these machines is the transmission was not geared low enough to the drive wheels. Because of this, I am on and off the clutch as I go up the driveway taking bites of snow, either that or I can only take a half pass at a time. A modern snowblower likely works much more efficiently and likely takes less maintenance and effort, but that shite's boring. This thing is cool.
255718
I was given my first Bob-caT probably 12 or 13 years ago when I bought my first house. Since then, I have hunted them from time to time. Currently I have two 7hp 24" units and two 5hp 20". I've never run or used the 5hp models, but I might this year. I have a brand new Briggs sitting on the shelf out there.
Speaking of Briggs and Stratton, there were very few snow removal machines built with Briggs engines. Most used Tecumseh. The Bob-caT came with Briggs and Stratton engines, and these have the old updraft carburetors which many people dread. They do have their inherent issues, but they work just fine for me. My main machine will start within two pulls anytime ever, no matter how long you let it sit or what the weather is. If it doesn't start within two pulls, there is an issue.
I had to take this machine apart to fix an issue that nearly all of them have, and that is the drive sprocket for the auger. It is a tiny sprocket and when picking up a Bob-caT machine, most times this is the reason they are being let go. It appears to be a difficult part to obtain and replace, and obviously this company stopped making snowthrowers years ago, so there is nowhere to look for parts. I found out about two years ago that McMaster Carr sells a tiny little #35 sprocket with only one more tooth than the Bob-caT sprocket and a slightly smaller diameter hole in the middle of it. The old sprocket must be ground and hammered off and the new sprocket must be drilled to 1/2" and then welded on to the shaft. This process alone is enough to deter most Bob-caT owners from repairing the machine when it breaks. Not only must the sprocket be replaced, but both #35 chains should be replaced as well. I just did this process for both of my 7hp machines
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/895cbdb07e963c60b86459c7e10882d6.jpg
255716
My main machine was leaking oil, even just sitting there, and I was getting sick of looking at it for the last few years. I'd just make sure it was full before I used it but it was going through a lot of oil.There was only one place it could have been coming from; the side cover. Other than the crank seals it's the only potential spot to leak on the engine, and the crank seals are above the oil line when it's not running. It still leaked even when it wasn't running, so the seals were not the culprit.
These come with a gear reduction box on the engine which is filled with gear oil. Mine was full of milk shake. There is no crank seal in the side cover, it's in the gear reduction unit instead. It seals the reduction box as well as the crank case. Upon disassembly, I was losing oil from the side cover seal to the engine block (as I knew) and was also losing a little bit from the gear reduction to side cover gasket. All the gaskets were still good (I think, time will tell) so I just disassembled everything, cleaned, three-bonded, and reassembled. If it turns out I need new gaskets after all, it's not difficult to tear down and replace them in the future. They should be fine though.
255717
255719
255720
255721
255722
255723
255724
Don't get your rag pinched in between the block and the side cover.
255725
255727
255728
I like how this pulley goes on. You can put it anywhere you need on the shaft, then tighten the two bolts until it's snug. To remove, you completely remove the two bolts from the retaining holes, then move them to the two extraction holes which are threaded. As you tighten the bolts into the piece, it pulls itself out of the pulley.
255730
255731
255732
The spring there is the slipper clutch.
255733
255734
255735
255736
255737
I just find this quirky machine to be fun to look at and mess with. I get a kick out of running it for some reason. It is dangerous, there are no safety provisions whatsoever. If you start the auger and put it in gear, off it goes. If you fall or if it gets away from you it's on it's own, it doesn't need you. I realize this is not the most exciting subject, as I've said, but it's a cool machine and I figured I'd share.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/09c0d9a45072056f960a13a0c1b4bf6c.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/7d40acfe628585421fe7a86795658f03.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/4ec90ce25c0101cb4dde18657558a477.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/20101c4c458fa3549bff34e81cb5b88d.jpg
My history with old snowblowers has roots right back to my early years. My best friend's father growing up owned a small engine repair business and he was always giving me whole machines as well as parts. What a great guy. Not just snowblowers, but tillers, mowers, etc... I always loved looking at the older machines which came through there and many times the old machines were there because nobody wanted them anymore. Most times there was very little if anything wrong with them. I always got a kick out of the old snow machines with all kinds of belts and chains going everywhere. In the 60's and 70's there were multiple kinds of augers, impellers, and discharges, and it wasn't until probably the early 80's that almost all snowblowers took up the most common auger/impeller arrangement we see now. Before that time different companies had different takes on how their own respective auger situation would work, and there were a lot of interesting machines made. My favorite to look at were the Snow Birds. Those are some crazy machines, and honestly didn't move snow all that well, but they were engineered in a very interesting way, even if it wasn't that effective. They looked really cool though. The Simplicity machines were odd looking as well and had an uncommon forward rotating impeller as opposed to the transverse impeller most of us are used to seeing on most modern snowblowers. The Simplicity machines worked really, really well though, unlike the Snow Birds.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/324ff8cb061ee05260432b0be39e8618.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/65d41db5908b62aecf0730210ed94c07.jpg
Speaking of the forward rotating impeller, my Bob-caT machines have the same layout. There is one inherent advantage to the forward rotating impeller which the transverse impeller does not have, and that is that this machine will shoot snow the same distance regardless of which way the chute is aimed, and if you aim it forward, it will shoot snow really far. Growing up I used an Ariens. They are great machines, always have been, but it threw snow further to one side than it did the other because of the transverse impeller.
The Bob-caT snowthrower is built like a brick shite house. It uses oil cups throughout. There are oil cups on the transmission shafts, the auger shaft, and the auger jack shaft. Oil cups! I love it. One of my favorite features. The best feature of this machine however, is the fact that it has no shear pins. In place of shear pins, it has a slipper clutch. If the auger gets stopped for any reason, the clutch slips, you shut the machine down, remove obstruction, and continue on your way. There is nothing to fix or reset. There is no other snow removal machine that I am aware of which has this feature, and my machines are roughly 40 years old or thereabouts. It's shameful to me that such an ingenious improvement has gone overlooked for some reason. It can also go from forward to reverse back and forth without clutching. You simply swap the lever and the wheels change direction. It's made to do that as well. I have to work on my #2 7hp unit soon and I think it needs transmission work, so in the future I'll post pictures of that.
Transmission oil cups.
255712
Jackshaft oil cup.
255714
Oil cup for the auger.
255715
This machine will pick up rocks or even a full brick and toss it right out without hurting itself, it happens all the time. It's the only snowthrower I've ever used that sends sparks out the chute while you work, so that's pretty cool. One downfall to these machines is the transmission was not geared low enough to the drive wheels. Because of this, I am on and off the clutch as I go up the driveway taking bites of snow, either that or I can only take a half pass at a time. A modern snowblower likely works much more efficiently and likely takes less maintenance and effort, but that shite's boring. This thing is cool.
255718
I was given my first Bob-caT probably 12 or 13 years ago when I bought my first house. Since then, I have hunted them from time to time. Currently I have two 7hp 24" units and two 5hp 20". I've never run or used the 5hp models, but I might this year. I have a brand new Briggs sitting on the shelf out there.
Speaking of Briggs and Stratton, there were very few snow removal machines built with Briggs engines. Most used Tecumseh. The Bob-caT came with Briggs and Stratton engines, and these have the old updraft carburetors which many people dread. They do have their inherent issues, but they work just fine for me. My main machine will start within two pulls anytime ever, no matter how long you let it sit or what the weather is. If it doesn't start within two pulls, there is an issue.
I had to take this machine apart to fix an issue that nearly all of them have, and that is the drive sprocket for the auger. It is a tiny sprocket and when picking up a Bob-caT machine, most times this is the reason they are being let go. It appears to be a difficult part to obtain and replace, and obviously this company stopped making snowthrowers years ago, so there is nowhere to look for parts. I found out about two years ago that McMaster Carr sells a tiny little #35 sprocket with only one more tooth than the Bob-caT sprocket and a slightly smaller diameter hole in the middle of it. The old sprocket must be ground and hammered off and the new sprocket must be drilled to 1/2" and then welded on to the shaft. This process alone is enough to deter most Bob-caT owners from repairing the machine when it breaks. Not only must the sprocket be replaced, but both #35 chains should be replaced as well. I just did this process for both of my 7hp machines
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/895cbdb07e963c60b86459c7e10882d6.jpg
255716
My main machine was leaking oil, even just sitting there, and I was getting sick of looking at it for the last few years. I'd just make sure it was full before I used it but it was going through a lot of oil.There was only one place it could have been coming from; the side cover. Other than the crank seals it's the only potential spot to leak on the engine, and the crank seals are above the oil line when it's not running. It still leaked even when it wasn't running, so the seals were not the culprit.
These come with a gear reduction box on the engine which is filled with gear oil. Mine was full of milk shake. There is no crank seal in the side cover, it's in the gear reduction unit instead. It seals the reduction box as well as the crank case. Upon disassembly, I was losing oil from the side cover seal to the engine block (as I knew) and was also losing a little bit from the gear reduction to side cover gasket. All the gaskets were still good (I think, time will tell) so I just disassembled everything, cleaned, three-bonded, and reassembled. If it turns out I need new gaskets after all, it's not difficult to tear down and replace them in the future. They should be fine though.
255717
255719
255720
255721
255722
255723
255724
Don't get your rag pinched in between the block and the side cover.
255725
255727
255728
I like how this pulley goes on. You can put it anywhere you need on the shaft, then tighten the two bolts until it's snug. To remove, you completely remove the two bolts from the retaining holes, then move them to the two extraction holes which are threaded. As you tighten the bolts into the piece, it pulls itself out of the pulley.
255730
255731
255732
The spring there is the slipper clutch.
255733
255734
255735
255736
255737
I just find this quirky machine to be fun to look at and mess with. I get a kick out of running it for some reason. It is dangerous, there are no safety provisions whatsoever. If you start the auger and put it in gear, off it goes. If you fall or if it gets away from you it's on it's own, it doesn't need you. I realize this is not the most exciting subject, as I've said, but it's a cool machine and I figured I'd share.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/09c0d9a45072056f960a13a0c1b4bf6c.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/7d40acfe628585421fe7a86795658f03.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/4ec90ce25c0101cb4dde18657558a477.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20181126/20101c4c458fa3549bff34e81cb5b88d.jpg