SnowBlowerImpellerKit .com™
FAQs 1/2
Q- What is the purpose
of the
Snow Blower Impeller Kit ™?
A- This kit reduces the
existing “gap” between the snow blower's impeller blades and the impeller
chamber wall. The smaller the gap, the greater your machine's operational
efficiency and snow throwing capability will be, and the less likely that your
machine will clog up with snow.
Q- Why would I want to install this?
A- If the existing “gap” on your machine is between 1/4” & 5/8”
or greater, then your machine is losing a significant amount of efficiency and
power in throwing snow. This loss in efficiency results in
more clogging in your discharge chute, and less throwing distance. As
with any impeller device (snow blower, water pump, etc.), simple physics proves
that maximum efficiency is achieved when there is no gap between the impeller's
blades and the impeller chamber's walls. Some newer, more powerful snow blowers
might have a significant gap but still work fine, so the bottom line is this...Are
you happy with your snow blower's performance? For any excellent
explanation on this subject, watch Ari
P's.
Excellent YouTube video on our website (thanks for allowing us to share this Ari!)
Q- Why don't the
manufacturers eliminate this gap from their machines?
A-The reason is that on
machines with straight shaft mounted impellers (which most are) the impeller’s
bearing wears over time and this wear causes some degree of “wobble” in the
impeller’s rotation. If the metal impeller blade was made to fit
"flush" against the metal cylinder walls with no gap, there would be
no tolerance for "rotational wobble". They leave this gap to
accommodate this “wobble” if/when it happens and avoid
a situation where you have metal scraping on metal. That could cause
significant damage to the impeller and the cylinder walls in which it rotates
requiring very expensive repairs. Since this modification uses rubber paddles
which wear down evenly as they come in contact with the cylinder walls, any
possible future “wobble” in the impeller’s rotation is negated without
compromising the snow blower’s operational integrity or efficiency at moving
snow and slush.
Q- If I install your Snow
Blower Impeller Kit ™, will it eliminate all clogging?
A- Theoretically, yes, but
the reality is that it depends on a number of things. Snow conditions, engine
displacement, torque output, etc. For example, snow that has a water
consistency of 40% or more (slush) can turn into ice in your snow blower's
discharge chute and clog the chute regardless of your machine's output
capability. This kit reduces the likelihood of that happening but nothing
can prevent that completely.
Q- Does engine size
really matter?
A- In most cases, Yes, however don't confuse engine size (whether rated in HP
or CCs) with the ability to move snow efficiently. Sure, a 10HP or 305CC engine
has more potential power than a 5HP or 271 CC engine, but the power output and
ability to move snow is much more dependent on impeller revolutions and torque
than just engine size. The faster your impeller spins and the larger your
machine's “foot pounds of torque” performance specification is, the greater
its' ability to power through snow of any consistency. Where the engine size is
most important is in it's ability
to handle an increasing “load” without stalling. It is a misconception that all
10HP or 305CC machines are the same, because they might have different torque
ratings or revolutions per minute.
Here's
an approximate conversion chart courtesy of MovingSnow.com
|
123 cc = 4 hp |
305 cc = 13.5 to 14.5 Gross Torque = 9 to 10 hp |
Q- What exactly is a Snow Blower Impeller Kit ™?
A- This kit contains all
of the materials necessary to modify ONE snow blower impeller blade.
Q- Where are the
materials in the kit made?
A-Each Snow
Blower Impeller Kit™ contains Top Quality, "Made in the USA" materials. See Durometer Specs
Q- What type of rubber
paddles do you use?
A- Our paddles have oval
mounting holes and are made of Styrene Butadiene Skirtboard
Rubber (SBR) Shore-A rubber with a durometer of 65 ± 5, Temp Range: -20° F to +170° F and minimum tensile strength of 725 PSI (5 MPA).
Q- Why would I ever order a single-blade kit?
A-
You might want a spare kit, or maybe you previously ordered a Three-Blade kit
and later realized you really needed a Four-Blade kit.
Q- I need to modify all of my snow blower's impeller blades, do I need to buy a single blade kit for each of my
machine's blades?
A- No, we offer a Three, Four, Five and Six Blade kits in
both 1/4" thick and 3/8" thick rubber paddle configurations as well.
Each of these contains all of the materials necessary to modify that number of
impeller blades in your machine. For example, if your two-stage snow blower has
three impeller blades, you can order either the Three-Blade kit,
or the Four Blade kit and keep the extra set as a spare.
Q- Why do you offer
kits with rubber paddles in both 1/4" and 3/8" thick configurations?
A- We offer these two
configurations so you can choose which kit best fits your particular needs. Generally,
the heavier, wetter and deeper the snow, the thicker the rubber paddle for
greater performance.
Q- Can I install this
kit on a snow blower with plastic impeller blades?
A- These kits are intended
to be mounted on metal impeller blades however some people with plastic
impeller blades have successfully mounted an impeller kit on their plastic
impeller blades. Plastic is not as hard as metal and not all plastic impeller
blades are the same thickness or made out of the same composite materials.
Since plastic blades may be damaged during installation, we do not recommend it
so you should check with the manufacturer of your snow blower before proceeding
with the installation. It's your call! If the impeller blades did crack or
break, you'd have to replace the entire impeller unit!
Q- How do I know
whether your standard Snow Blower Impeller Kit™ will fit my impeller blades?
A- Each kit contains 1
3/8”W x 3 3/4”L metal straps and 2”W x 5”L rubber paddles. To determine if the
standard kit will fit, measure the flat
part of the TOP surface of your
impeller blade, before it curls up. That determines the length of the metal
strap and rubber paddle you will need. You can install these so that they wrap
up on the curl as well, but we've found that the benefit is not worth the
increase in difficulty you will have in modifying the kit to fit, and then
installing it. Most of the work done in moving snow is done by the flat part of
the impeller blade.
Q- If necessary, how do
I modify the metal straps and/or rubber paddles to fit?
A- You can cut the metal
straps with a hacksaw and you can easily trim the rubber paddles to fit with a
sharp utility knife.
Q: If I can't, or don't
want to do it myself, can you customize my kit
for me?
A- Yes. Just measure the
impeller blades as described previously and let us know what you want before
you order. We will modify the kit to your specifications for your approval
before shipping it out to you. A separate customization charge may apply.
Q- Should the rubber
paddles in your Snow Blower Impeller Kit™ be mounted so they are pressing tightly
against the impeller chamber wall?
A- No, they should be installed
so they are barely touching the impeller chamber wall. Remember, ANY decrease
in the gap between the impeller blades and the chamber wall will result in a
significant improvement in operational efficiency and throwing distance! See Critical
Install Tips
SnowBlowerImpellerKit .com™
FAQs 2/2
Q- Should I be
concerned about the metal brace on the underside of the impeller blade?
A- Yes. In some instances,
the position of the metal brace might interfere with the bolt holes and
installation of the bolts w/lock-nuts used to secure the kit to the impeller
blade. You need to make sure that there is room to screw on the lock nuts on
the underside of the impeller blade, otherwise, you might be able to use a
self-tapping screw included in the kit. You
need to have a minimum of 1/8” space between the underside brace and the lock
nut in order to tighten the lock nut with a wrench. If you don't, you will
need to use a self-tapping screw in THAT particular spot.
Q- What about
obstructions in the impeller chamber walls?
A-On some machines, there
are round-headed carriage bolts that protrude into the impeller chamber wall.
These bolt heads might interfere with the rubber paddles as they rotate by
causing damage to the paddles. It is
very important to inspect your impeller chamber walls to see if this situation exists! If
it does, you can still install the kit but you have to leave a gap large enough
so that the paddles will not come into contact with the protruding bolt heads.
Remember, the idea of this kit is ideally to eliminate the gap,
however ANY reduction of the gap WILL improve the efficiency and snow throwing
capability of your machine! See Critical
Install Tips
Q- What else should I
consider when “fitting” my rubber paddles to my impeller blades?
A- You want to eliminate
the existing gap as much as possible in all respects, so when you trim the
rubber paddles for final fit, try to match the curvature of the impeller
chamber walls' sides and top as much as possible. NOTE: if the gap varies around the chamber wall, you MUST install the
rubber to fit the spot where the gap is the smallest, otherwise, the rubber
will fail!! Also, don't install the rubber paddles with more than 5/8”
of rubber overhanging the leading edge of the impeller blade because that
seems to be the stress point for these paddles and they might break off under
heavy load conditions (eg; heavy snow, slush, etc.) The most important thing is to make sure the
rubber barely
scrapes the side-wall of
the impeller chamber wall if at all.
Q- Why are self-tapping
screws included?
A- First and foremost, drilling
a hole through the metal impeller blades can be very difficult, so the included
instruction sheet explains that you can use them to make a pilot hole where the
bolt will go first, then drill out the pilot hole for the bolt which is so much
easier. You certainly don't have to do this but I've found it makes the job
easier. Secondly, in those instances where the brace on the underside of
the impeller blade is in the way of where you would drill a bolt hole, a
self-tapper screwed down next to, but not in to, the underside brace works well
as an emergency substitute to the bolt & nut for that one location.
The instruction sheet explains the risk/benefit scenario between self-tappers
and bolts and specifically counsels this as an emergency measure, and the use
of bolts in the other hole(s) securing the kit to the impeller blade to insure
the integrity and strength of the attachment. Hence, there are self-tappers
included to meet either scenario. If you don't need them, don't use them!
Q- How much should I
tighten the bolts?
A- The recommended
maximum torque for them is 13 lb-ft., however the best way to install them is to make them as
tight as possible without deforming the metal plate and the rubber paddles. The
nylon-insert lock washers will secure them so there is no reason to over
tighten them.
Q- Why do you use
zinc-coated steel instead of stainless steel components?
A- The metal
components included in these kits are zinc plated grade 5 steel which is used
because, while slightly less corrosion resistant than stainless steel, zinc
plated grade 5 steel is harder and more durable, and is the most common bolt
found in automotive applications. Stainless steel is an alloy of low carbon
steel and chromium. It is a common misconception that stainless steel is stronger
than regular steel. In fact, due to the low carbon content, stainless steel
cannot be hardened. Therefore when compared with regular steel it is slightly
stronger than an un-hardened (grade 2) steel fastener but significantly weaker
than hardened (grades 5 & 8 and alloy steel) steel fasteners. Stainless
steel is more corrosion resistant than zinc-plated steel because the
anti-corrosive properties are inherent to the metal, it will not lose this
resistance if scratched during installation or use, while zinc-plated and
galvanized steel are, to some degree, more susceptible to corrosion over time
when the surface coating is scratched. In this application, it was decided that
the difference in corrosion resistance was negligible over the typical useful
life of a snow blower, and that the hardness and overall durability of zinc
plated grade 5 steel was a superior choice for the hardware used in this kit.
Q- What is your Lifetime Moneyback
Guarantee!
A- If you are ever dissatisfied with this product,
you can return it for a full refund of your purchase price provided the kit is
undamaged and unmodified! (not including shipping
cost). To expedite processing, please provide us with the email address you
use with PayPal.
Q- What if I damaged a
rubber paddle(s) and need a replacement rubber paddle(s), not a whole kit?
A- First, try to determine
exactly what caused the rubber paddle to fail if you can and let us know that
when you contact us for a replacement(s). Please include any pictures of the
damage and provide us as much detail as to the circumstances surrounding the
event as you can. (eg;
snow/weather conditions, etc.) If we determine that the cause of the damage WAS due to a defect in the rubber,
we will replace the damaged rubber paddles at no cost to you. If we determine
that the cause of the damage WAS NOT
due to a defect in the rubber, you can purchase replacement 1/4” and 3/8” thick
rubber paddles (no H/W) from us as replacements or spares.
Q. What “Proof Of Purchase” do I need for Warranty Service or the Lifetime Moneyback Guarantee ?
A- You will need to
provide us with the original packing list that accompanied your order as
“Proof Of
Purchase” so DO NOT LOSE IT!
Q- Why should I buy from
SnowBlowerImpellerKits.com?
A- We
are the industry leader and stand behind our products 100% with a Lifetime Moneyback Guarantee! All components included in our Snow Blower Impeller Kits™ are made
in the USA of the highest possible quality materials and are clearly specified
in our listing, so you know exactly what you are buying. Simply put, "We
are not satisfied until you are satisfied”.