Old Toro 2 stage not throwing snow well

I have an old Toro snow blower. I gave the engine a tune up and it starts and runs well but when I engage the auger the barrel or what I'm guessing is the 1st stage takes a long time to get to speed and even when it does the blower gets clogged easily and doesn’t throw snow very far.

Is there a "tune up" for the front end/auger portion of the snow blower or something I should look into or is it just old and junk?

 

Please post the model number.
First, I would check the belt and the pulley that applies presure to the belt. If that isn't it, then you may be in for hours of repairs to the auger. Bushings most likely need replacing along with the main bearing on the impeller.
It's only junk if you don't want to invest the time & $$ into it.

 

Sorry, indypower

The model information I can see is 824.

Could you point me to some good detailed instructions on the belt and bushing repair?

 

The actual model number is located on the back panel, between the wheels. When you find that number, you can go to Toro.com and click on "homeowners parts", then type in the number. Snowblower numbers start with 38. 38xxx.

 

Thanks Indypower

it is a 38080, Found the parts on the toro sight too - thanks! Do you know where I could find some instructions on how to repalce the belts?

 

You will have to "split" the snowblower. There should be 2-3 bolts per side that hold the auger to the "tractor". You will need to find a way to hold the handle bars up. When you take out the bolts, the handle bars will fall to the floor if not held up. When you get it split, you will see the belts. When installing new belts, make sure you get them in the pulley. For the auger belt, you need to pull back the brake and install the belt under the brake. ( When the brake is on, it is in the pulley groove). You may have to take the bolt out of the engine pulley. Many of these use a split pulley( 2 piece), which makes it easy to change the blet.

 

Thanks Indypower - I'll let you know how I make out.

 

This was so easy! There was a cover on the top (2 bolts) and once that was off it took 5 minutes to get the auger belt off and maybe another 5 minutes to put the new one on. It now runs the best it has in the 3 years I have owned it!

 

Glad to hear that!! I bet you tried it out today. Hopefully it is shooting snow the way it should.

 

Clogged chutes and augers are fairly common to all older two-stage snow blowers. If you look at your impeller blades, you will probably notice that there is a gap between the blades and the side of the discharge chute. The greater this gap, the less distance your snow blower will throw snow and the more it will clog up with heavy wet snow. Whether it's a water pump or snow blower, the closer the blade is to the chute wall, the more powerful and efficient the impeller will be. A quick and easy fix is available in kit form that really works!

These impeller modification kits are available for sale on EBay. Do a search for "snow blower impeller kit" and you will see kits for three/four & five blade snow blowers. The kits range from $25-$35. Here is a link to the three/four blade kit and a picture of it but the other two kits are there also:

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I installed a four blade kit on my two-stage 1994 Ariens and it works as advertised! It's an inexpensive fix that gives new life to older snow blowers and is fairly easy to install. The kit comes with instructions that are clear and easy to follow.

Of course, you also need to make sure your belts are good because a bad belt will reduce your snow blowers power and efficiency as well.