Toro Powerlite Snow Thrower Blower
Pull-Cord Replacement / Belt Repair
I've had this snow blower for about 10 years. I call it a snow blower, Toro calls it a thrower. I guess their description is more accurate, but I've never shaken the habit.
After all these years the pull cord has frayed. It didn't break. I didn't want the cord to fall into the unit because then I'd have to figure out the tension on the spring. Seemed like a better idea to fix it before that happened. So I don't know how to correctly set the tension if the cord has fallen in.
It doesn't looks so bad here. The cord is worn almost all the way through about an inch from handle. There is a braided jacket over the actual cord which obscures the view.
Let's open it up. I've circled the screws you need to remove. One is not shown on the left side of the handle.
To remove the screws on each side the upper shell you'll need to hold the nut in the impeller area. See below.
To remove this screw I used my cordless drill and an socket wrench holding the nut. Considering this Powerlite is at least 10 years old I'm surprised I could unscrew any of the fasteners.
With the screws out the upper shell slides back toward the handle and then up. Be careful not to try and remove the shell. The gas tank is in there along with the ignition key wires. I didn't want to mess with draining the gas tank and stinking up my basement. I just twisted the shell to the side carefully. I was able to work without spilling a drop.
The bolts and nuts circled will be coming out next.
The motor is attached to the same bracket supporting the wheels. I removed this nut to free the side of the motor from the bracket.