How To Repair An Auger When The Bit Will Not Turn
- Rated as REALLY EASY
- 3 step by step videos
Clutch
Because a large amount of torque is required from the engine to turn the auger, it is fairly common for the clutch to wear out at some point and lose its ability to engage the drive shaft. Over time, the heat created from the spinning drive shaft inside of the clutch can wear the clutch down and cause the clutch springs to lose their tension. In this case, the clutch will need to be replaced. Replacing the clutch is not an overly difficult repair, though will require some disassembly to access and remove the clutch from the drive shaft.
Drive Shaft
Most augers will have a drive shaft that connects the clutch to the gearbox. The driveshaft can snap, or the ends of the shaft can slip and become damaged, causing the driveshaft to lose its connection to either the clutch or gearbox (or both). In any case, a broken driveshaft will need to be replaced. This will often require removing the gearbox from the engine to access the end of the driveshaft.
Gearbox
Some augers will employ a gearbox. The gearbox consists of a series of reduction gears that both slow the high speed of the engine to a low speed for the auger and greatly increase the torque at the auger shaft. Gearboxes take quite a bit of abuse during the augers operation, especially when breaking up hard soil. A gearbox can be replaced with relative ease, whereas rebuilding or repairing one can be quite a bit more complicated. If attempting to repair a gearbox, keep in mind that there are many densely packed gears and spacers inside of the box which need to be reassembled perfectly in order for the unit to continue working.
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