Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Hi everyone! I've been lurking on this forum for a while, and I have not been able to find the answer for the problem I have.

I own a brand new Ariens 1130DLE sno-thro. This model comes equipped with the new fancy lever-operated chute rotation mechanism instead of the traditional crank. After the very first use, the control cable froze, so the discharge chute was locked into place and could not rotate. To temporarily resolve the problem, I removed the cover from the rotation mechanism, and disassembled the small locking lever that locks the chute in place. This allows me to operate the chute, but now it cannot be locked in place, so I have to hold the lever with my right hand while I keep the left hand on the traction clutch lever.

I brought the frozen control cable inside to let it thaw, and after that, I tried to put everything back together. The problem came when I tried to reassemble the small locking lever with its spring. For some reason, I did not notice how the spring was setup to hold the lever properly against the chute mechanism to lock it in place, and I am unable to figure out how to make it work! No matter what I tried, the spring is just not putting enough tension on the lever for it to lock the chute in place, so for sure I'm doing something wrong.

Would someone here be kind enough to take a picture of that locking lever with its spring and post it here? I would really appreciate! This mechanism is found on the Ariens 1130DLE and other recent models from Ariens. All you need to do is to remove the bolt from the top of the plastic cover that protects the mechanism, and you will see the lever I'm talking about. If someone is able to take a picture, make a drawing, anything... I just can't figure it out! Help!

Snowmann wrote:

Sorry... Crappy camera. It's got a date with a ball peen hammer in about 5 minutes...

Thanks MacLorry! That is EXACTLY what I was looking for!

What was probably throwing me off is the fact that one of the "hands" of the spring is sticking out from the top of the lever by about 1/8 inch, which does not really look right, but according to your picture, that's just how it is.

Also, I found a way to prevent the cables from freezing. While trying to free up the cable, I actually boke the chute deflector control cable... Oops! The machine sleeps outside, in an non-heated shed, so frost is always an issue.

Instead of buying a new cable from Ariens directly, I bought a $2 bicycle brake cable from a local bicycle repair shop. That cable is of MUCH better quality than the one used by Ariens. I greased the cable with water repellent gear grease (again from the bicycle repair shop) and inserted it in the original sleeve. (The one from Ariens). Also, I sprayed the inside of the sleeve with a silicone based lubricant before inserting the replacement cable in the sleeve.

That kind of cable normally has 2 types of "hook", one at each end, so you need to cut the one you don't need. For the chute deflector control, there is one of the ends of the cable that matches exactly what you need for the end of the cable that goes on the chute deflector itself. The other end on the original Ariens cable is actually a ring, so I just tied a knot in the steel cable, and locked it in place by "sandwiching" the cable between 2 washers held together by a nut and bolt. Not pretty, but functional!

Of course, I DO NOT recommend that you start cutting away your original Ariens cable to replace it! It's just that if you accidentally break yours, you can make a repair that will cost you less than $5, and will actually work better than the original part! The thing is that the replacement cable I used is made with better quality steel, and the threads that make up the cable are more tightly woven together, which makes the cable slide better inside the sleeve. Also, the grease prevents water from getting into the sleeve, and the silicone lubricant will keep everything slick in case ice crystals do form inside the cable sleeve.

Oh, and that little rubber thingy that covers the cable on the end of the cable that is connected to the deflector? I filled it with grease also!

Again, thanks for your help, and I hope this little piece of information can help others in return!