finally found a video to address my 1996 Blower. and well explained..same issue..just had her tuned up after thanksgiving, but when i went to use it a few weeks ago..it would not go forward or in reverse..i wasnt sure what the issue was..i had a feeling it was the cable..too much play..stretched out..lack of maintenance on my part. just put new belts on, cleaned the plate and friction wheel, and buying two new cables tomorrow. My brother bought it new in New Hampshire, used it a few years then gave it to my Dad in Connecticut who took care of it..he passed in 2016 and i havent done much to it..last year for it though..ready for the boneyard in spring after i salvage a few parts because i have my eyes on a newer model of same blower. MTD did pretty good with this model..i have used it in some big storms in CT..and my Brother who gets three times the snow in New Hampshire sure as heck used it up there..
Great video! Saved me from buying a new snowblower. My problem was different,but because of this video I was able to see the inside and figure it out before tearing in to it. I bought new wheels and the offset hubs were shorter which allowed the shaft to move and drop the key way out of the main drive gear. Replaced the key way and made some spacers for the new wheels and bam, good as new! Saved me from having to retire this old beast. I've had it for 16 years now and still going strong! Tune ups and oil changes is all I've ever had to do to it until now. Thanks again!
Very informative, well explained and very meticulously repaired. One good thing I like about your personality is that nowhere in the videos you ever mention to subscribe or hit the like button. Insecure and greediness is the sign of asking for such. Your expertise is above and beyond the call of duty. Two thumbs up.
I have seen so many of your videos over the past few years and was able to do maintenance with confidence on everything I own. Thanks so much for sharing.
As most Americans' are financially "wanting" or even broke today....those of us over 50...have learned how (as kids in the 60's) to be self-sufficient and well-rounded. And yes,...we know how to "speak and spell" correctly as well. We're not all "computer programmers" who get paid to do nothing but write "boring code"...but we know how to do almost everything else. To me...this is routine maintenance...to a "newbie" under 35 years old (statistically speaking)...."good luck". Even after watching this video...they'll pay someone $250 to do this small repair/maintenance. Sooner or later...there will NOT be anyone making an "upper middle class salary" any longer. This is the last generation to possibly do so, without inheriting wealth from their' families. Another great video.
Great i just bought a cub cadet brand new and it does that problem, i didnt want to take it all the way back and wait for them to repair it while the snow falls big time !!! So you helped me really much to understand how it works, thank you very much !!! Keep going !!!
Thank you very much for these vid's,you save people lots of money from costly repairs.I just picked up my Dad's snow blower today to get it ready for sale and he hasn't changed anything on it in 24 yrs including the oil,but that's Dad. All the belts are shot,friction wheel rubber is so bad,5th&6th gears don't work anymore,but they will when I replace the rubber.I just don't know size of rubber until I remove it. Thank you and I do subscribe to you. My small engine repair man hates you!! I wish you fixed ATV's!! Thanks again!!
Thank you sir - learned many good points! Never thought to turn the blower on the auger like that to work on it. I'm attempting to fix a drive problem in a blower that is almost 40 years old, and surprisingly, it is virtually the same setup underneath. Wish me luck!
thanks for all the videos you have made over the years i have learned many things including installing led lights on my toro snowblower thay work great
nice three part video. ive had to replace a lot of those brass gears in the gearbox. the handles are annoying when they get loose. i had a guy bring one in cause the handles fell off lol. i like friction disc work especially when someone brings one in and they say they blew the trany and it only ends up needing a good cleaning. the disc is still good lol.
Great thank again! I'm ready to kick butt and take names when comes to sorting out my blower. Almost. Will tightening the drive cable do anything for syncing the "gear shift" - low gear reverse wants to creep forward, not go backwards. 2nd gear in reverse does work. Also, 1st gear forward feels a lot like it's really running at 2nd.
On this machine it's a rod from the shift handle to the bits that actually push the friction wheel left and right. Anyway, I pulled the cover, scrubbed the disk with brake cleaner and 00 steel wool (vacuumed everything out afterwards), wiped the wheel with alcohol, lubed the shaft and gear train, buttoned up, and... I'd forgotten how well this thing worked when it was new! The problem with reverse was a grotty disk. A virtual case of your favorite brew or a jug of screech (pick one LOL) as a thank you!
Thanks Don. I have a toro I’m sure they are almost the same with the cable. My drive is on the left. It was so hard to push down I adjusted the nuts on a threaded rod and that took away the extreme stiffness of the push down handle. My question is I recently checked the Aguer grease it was full of some yellow or mustard color grease. I tried to add more grease and it just came out. Should u just leave it all alone?
Question do all MTD or yard works snowblowers have a spring for the brake as mine doesn't have a spring like this one in this video has, or do some not have one ?
As a New Englander, I like your accent as well as your expertise. Upper Mid-west, Minnesota? Maybe Ontario or Saskatchewan? Just curious. Great video, very well organized, filmed and explained.
Hi Don I have an mtd blower with the same rubber wheel setup, snowblower speed is not very controllable, if I grab the rubber wheel I can slide it side to side freely about 2 inches, linkages are tight up to housing but problem is inside transmission area I can not figure it out very puzzling
Hi Dony. I like your videos. Could you tell me how to remove and replace the aluminum friction disc drive plate on a MTD 10 Hp snowblower that the rubber friction disc is driven by. My aluminum drive plate is gauged very badly and needs replacement. Do I remove the rubber friction disc and just lift off the aluminum plate or is it fastened on a shaft somehow under the plate?? Thanks
Do you have a video that addresses the adjustment of the gear selector? I have an older Craftsman track drive and it's slow in 6th gear and slow in r2 gear. I tried adjusting according to the manual but it doesn't seem to reach the outsides of the friction disc to get the best speed in forward and reverse gears
Hi Don Your video is amazing and very helpful to all of us. Last year I followed your video instruction and was able to fix my cab. I have a Mastercraft 8.5hp 27". I was blowing the snow the other day and I heard a pop sound.. then my auger level is loose.. I visually check the cable and I did not see it snap... of course the auger is not working .. the drive is still working. I could not find the manual anywhere and I am wondering what should I do to fix it. Thanks a lot.
donyboy73 Don. Thanks very much for your quick reply. Yes, I will open the belt cover to verify this... it is too cold for me right now.. but I will do it as soon as the weather warm up a little bit. I am wondering where can I find replacement parts or the manual. Once again thanks very much for your help.
Hi donyboy73 can you tell me please which is the part number for the woodruff key for the axle wheel shaft mine is a mastercraft 8 hp 26 inch cut i haved looked around and cant fine the perfect part but in your video its the same machine except for the brand .thanks for your great work over youtube !!!! your video help me a lot!!!
Thanks for all your vids they are awesome. I have an MTD snowblower that the friction wheel wore out but it is not the kind that you can just undo the two side plates around the friction rubber and replace the rubber you have to replace the whole thing. Can I buy a friction wheel that has the compression plates for other MTD’s and it would fit or do you have the wheel I could buy from you.
Thanks for getting back to me. I’m sorry I’m such a tool but I can’t figure out how to attach pictures and I can’t find your email from your channel to send pictures. I can’t find the part number.
I enjoy your videos. Well done and informative! Need to replace the rubber on the friction wheel on a snowblower I just bought. Unfortunately the plate that drives is is badly scraped as it was down to metal on metal. Any suggestions on resurfacing this? Don't really want to spend $100 for a part on a $250 snowblower. Thanks
Thank you so much for your quick response. It is an old Mastercraft, which I think is MTD. I tried using a random orbital sander on it, and it did take off the roughness, so now it is slightly pitted as opposed to rough like it was before. Really enjoy your videos. You have helped me through more than one job! Keep up the good work!
real good video on cleaning the drive I see this is part 3 so I will check out parts 1 & 2 for more useful info. one question you greased the gear I was always told never grease gears because it would hold dirt and grit causing wear to the teeth I just coat them with some light oil like DW-40. I defer to you as you seem to know a bit more than I do have I been doing it wrong all these year is it better to use grease?
Not much dirt gets in there, but this should be annual maintenance anyway. He used low temp grease, I use white lithium grease. Wd 40 will not work as well.
hi don happy new year! I know it is a hard time for you with your loss. I have the same blower i just replaced all belts and friction wheel cleaned the friction disk off etc.. i am stumped? i have adjusted the cables numerous times and i cant get the machine to drive? i had to adjust the pully on the drive belt to get it to engage, could i have adjusted that too much?? when i put the machine down on the flat it just locks up when i engage the drive?
Hey Don, What would cause 1st gear to not work but the remaining gears do??? would the cable being too loose do that aswell?? Thanks very informative video :)
is it safe for the engine to have it tipped on its front that far with respect to the carb and oil going where you wouldnt want it to? or should the oil / fuel be drained first for this fix? I currently am working on a Craftsman model 536.886260 blower and cannot get it to drive. Thanks. great videos !!
I have a snowblower (MTD Yard Machines) that I have tipped up and waiting for new belts to arrive and I notice that oil is dripping out of the filler tube. Would that indicate it was overfilled or nothing to worry about? Thanks. BTW, love your videos - very well done!
donyboy73 I have a similar blower, a Snapper that is around 10 years old. The problem with mine is it won't reverse, or I have to sometimes help it by pulling it backwards. Mine also has the removable cover on the bottom, very similar to the one in your video. Any ideas why problems only in reverse? Thanks.
If it goes foward then it is not a belt problem.Either drain half the gas from the tank or all of it then tip it up like he did here remove the plate on the bottom and inspect the rubber wheel ,the friction plate and clean them .Also when you say it wont reverse does that mean the shifter wont go there ?because if it wont go there the hex shaft the rubber wheel slides back and forth on is probably gummed up with old grease or rust .just clean it up and then the shifter will move freely as it should.If the shifter goes to the reverse postion but the blower doesnt move then you can adjust the cable so it is a bit tighter.I would only be adjusting the cable after you clean everything up and then i would only turn that nut so it moves 1/8" to !/4 inch from where you began up or down the threads whichever way tightens it..Good luck merry xmas and have a happy new year.
PIGLETTWTERRETS Thanks for the reply. The shift lever does go into reverse, it's just the machine doesn't want move. I have to pull it (help it) go backwards. It's just strange that it goes forward ok, there are 3 forward speeds which work ok. I'll have to check the rubber drive wheel and metal flywheel, it looked good last year but maybe the rubber is dried out.
I have buddies with older 2 stage snowblowers that have no batteries or stator. wanting to fab. auto electric window motor to chute. How do we do this? External stator?
My blower..a Crafstman doesn’t have drive cables. It has rods. There is one nut on the rod. Do you adjust the same way? What would replace first if the drive is slipping? Th friction wheel or the belt?
i have a snowblower it has a tecumseh motor the belt is ok tension linker is ok i lift the snow blower up and the wheels are turning good but when you put it back down it goes backwards no problem but when you shift to go forward you have to push it for it to go forward, when i shift it i feel how it changes speed but it doesnt have the fastest speed which is 6...what could the problem be
I really enjoy watching all your videos!! Very detailed and informative. Thanks for all the help!!
here's an updated HD version of this video here;
ua-cam.com/video/l6V2bVKqUSY/v-deo.html
finally found a video to address my 1996 Blower. and well explained..same issue..just had her tuned up after thanksgiving, but when i went to use it a few weeks ago..it would not go forward or in reverse..i wasnt sure what the issue was..i had a feeling it was the cable..too much play..stretched out..lack of maintenance on my part. just put new belts on, cleaned the plate and friction wheel, and buying two new cables tomorrow. My brother bought it new in New Hampshire, used it a few years then gave it to my Dad in Connecticut who took care of it..he passed in 2016 and i havent done much to it..last year for it though..ready for the boneyard in spring after i salvage a few parts because i have my eyes on a newer model of same blower. MTD did pretty good with this model..i have used it in some big storms in CT..and my Brother who gets three times the snow in New Hampshire sure as heck used it up there..
Great video! Saved me from buying a new snowblower. My problem was different,but because of this video I was able to see the inside and figure it out before tearing in to it. I bought new wheels and the offset hubs were shorter which allowed the shaft to move and drop the key way out of the main drive gear. Replaced the key way and made some spacers for the new wheels and bam, good as new! Saved me from having to retire this old beast. I've had it for 16 years now and still going strong! Tune ups and oil changes is all I've ever had to do to it until now. Thanks again!
I just went crazy trying to figure out why my wheels spin but no drive. I dropped the keyway and found it after I read this article
Very informative, well explained and very meticulously repaired.
One good thing I like about your personality is that nowhere in the videos you ever mention to subscribe or hit the like button. Insecure and greediness is the sign of asking for such. Your expertise is above and beyond the call of duty. Two thumbs up.
I have seen so many of your videos over the past few years and was able to do maintenance with confidence on everything I own. Thanks so much for sharing.
you're welcome
As most Americans' are financially "wanting" or even broke today....those of us over 50...have learned how (as kids in the 60's) to be self-sufficient and well-rounded. And yes,...we know how to "speak and spell" correctly as well.
We're not all "computer programmers" who get paid to do nothing but write "boring code"...but we know how to do almost everything else. To me...this is routine maintenance...to a "newbie" under 35 years old (statistically speaking)...."good luck". Even after watching this video...they'll pay someone $250 to do this small repair/maintenance. Sooner or later...there will NOT be anyone making an "upper middle class salary" any longer. This is the last generation to possibly do so, without inheriting wealth from their' families.
Another great video.
Just replaced my belts , a cable and the friction wheel with the assistance of your videos. Thanks your vids are clear and easy to follow.
those thin metaled mtd machines will keep you in business forever.
Another good one, DB!
All your videos are great thank you so much JEZ
just fixed my snowblower with this video. thankx
Thank you so much for this. Great video.
Great i just bought a cub cadet brand new and it does that problem, i didnt want to take it all the way back and wait for them to repair it while the snow falls big time !!! So you helped me really much to understand how it works, thank you very much !!!
Keep going !!!
Thks for video I have an old 10hp track mtd that's
Doing the same intermittently I am going to try that😊
Excellent video, thank you. This is exactly the procedure I needed to watch to do this work on my Murray snowblower.
Thank you very much for these vid's,you save people lots of money from costly repairs.I just picked up my Dad's snow blower today to get it ready for sale and he hasn't changed anything on it in 24 yrs including the oil,but that's Dad. All the belts are shot,friction wheel rubber is so bad,5th&6th gears don't work anymore,but they will when I replace the rubber.I just don't know size of rubber until I remove it. Thank you and I do subscribe to you. My small engine repair man hates you!! I wish you fixed ATV's!! Thanks again!!
lol, thanks, does your repair man really know me?
No Bro,he don't know you, except when I share you on my Facebook page,and tell him how much money you saved me today!!! Thanks friend
Your videos help me out a lot thank you
Thank you sir - learned many good points! Never thought to turn the blower on the auger like that to work on it. I'm attempting to fix a drive problem in a blower that is almost 40 years old, and surprisingly, it is virtually the same setup underneath. Wish me luck!
for sure, thanks for subscribing
Very good vs thank you for the education keep up the good work
thanks for all the videos you have made over the years i have learned many things including installing led lights on my toro snowblower thay work great
Thank you showing. You save money's. I just fix it work great 😊
nice three part video. ive had to replace a lot of those brass gears in the gearbox. the handles are annoying when they get loose. i had a guy bring one in cause the handles fell off lol. i like friction disc work especially when someone brings one in and they say they blew the trany and it only ends up needing a good cleaning. the disc is still good lol.
Great thank again! I'm ready to kick butt and take names when comes to sorting out my blower. Almost. Will tightening the drive cable do anything for syncing the "gear shift" - low gear reverse wants to creep forward, not go backwards. 2nd gear in reverse does work. Also, 1st gear forward feels a lot like it's really running at 2nd.
you need to adjust shift linkage. on some blowers it's a shift cable
On this machine it's a rod from the shift handle to the bits that actually push the friction wheel left and right. Anyway, I pulled the cover, scrubbed the disk with brake cleaner and 00 steel wool (vacuumed everything out afterwards), wiped the wheel with alcohol, lubed the shaft and gear train, buttoned up, and... I'd forgotten how well this thing worked when it was new! The problem with reverse was a grotty disk.
A virtual case of your favorite brew or a jug of screech (pick one LOL) as a thank you!
Thanks Don. I have a toro I’m sure they are almost the same with the cable. My drive is on the left. It was so hard to push down I adjusted the nuts on a threaded rod and that took away the extreme stiffness of the push down handle. My question is I recently checked the Aguer grease it was full of some yellow or mustard color grease. I tried to add more grease and it just came out.
Should u just leave it all alone?
Question do all MTD or yard works snowblowers have a spring for the brake as mine doesn't have a spring like this one in this video has, or do some not have one ?
This helped a lot thanks don
As a New Englander, I like your accent as well as your expertise. Upper Mid-west, Minnesota? Maybe Ontario or Saskatchewan? Just curious. Great video, very well organized, filmed and explained.
greetings, I'm from Ontario canada
Great videos,thanks a million donyboy73
Hi Don I have an mtd blower with the same rubber wheel setup, snowblower speed is not very controllable, if I grab the rubber wheel I can slide it side to side freely about 2 inches, linkages are tight up to housing but problem is inside transmission area I can not figure it out very puzzling
Hi Dony. I like your videos. Could you tell me how to remove and replace the aluminum friction disc drive plate on a MTD 10 Hp snowblower that the rubber friction disc is driven by. My aluminum drive plate is gauged very badly and needs replacement. Do I remove the rubber friction disc and just lift off the aluminum plate or is it fastened on a shaft somehow under the plate??
Thanks
Do you have a video that addresses the adjustment of the gear selector? I have an older Craftsman track drive and it's slow in 6th gear and slow in r2 gear. I tried adjusting according to the manual but it doesn't seem to reach the outsides of the friction disc to get the best speed in forward and reverse gears
Hi Don
Your video is amazing and very helpful to all of us. Last year I followed your video instruction and was able to fix my cab. I have a Mastercraft 8.5hp 27". I was blowing the snow the other day and I heard a pop sound.. then my auger level is loose.. I visually check the cable and I did not see it snap... of course the auger is not working .. the drive is still working. I could not find the manual anywhere and I am wondering what should I do to fix it. Thanks a lot.
follow the cable to the auger system, you may have to remove the belt cover to verify it is not broken, you may also have broken belts
donyboy73 Don. Thanks very much for your quick reply. Yes, I will open the belt cover to verify this... it is too cold for me right now.. but I will do it as soon as the weather warm up a little bit. I am wondering where can I find replacement parts or the manual. Once again thanks very much for your help.
THANK YOU SIR, EASY PEASY AFTER YOU SEE HOW.
Hi donyboy73 can you tell me please which is the part number for the woodruff key for the axle wheel shaft mine is a mastercraft 8 hp 26 inch cut i haved looked around and cant fine the perfect part but in your video its the same machine except for the brand .thanks for your great work over youtube !!!! your video help me a lot!!!
@renoflipper thanks for watching
Thanks for all your vids they are awesome. I have an MTD snowblower that the friction wheel wore out but it is not the kind that you can just undo the two side plates around the friction rubber and replace the rubber you have to replace the whole thing. Can I buy a friction wheel that has the compression plates for other MTD’s and it would fit or do you have the wheel I could buy from you.
do you have a part number or pic? yes I can get them or I already have in stock
Thanks for getting back to me. I’m sorry I’m such a tool but I can’t figure out how to attach pictures and I can’t find your email from your channel to send pictures. I can’t find the part number.
I enjoy your videos. Well done and informative! Need to replace the rubber on the friction wheel on a snowblower I just bought. Unfortunately the plate that drives is is badly scraped as it was down to metal on metal. Any suggestions on resurfacing this? Don't really want to spend $100 for a part on a $250 snowblower. Thanks
try getting a used one online, what make of blower do you have?
Thank you so much for your quick response. It is an old Mastercraft, which I think is MTD. I tried using a random orbital sander on it, and it did take off the roughness, so now it is slightly pitted as opposed to rough like it was before. Really enjoy your videos. You have helped me through more than one job! Keep up the good work!
Thank you--a big help
real good video on cleaning the drive I see this is part 3 so I will check out parts 1 & 2 for more useful info. one question you greased the gear I was always told never grease gears because it would hold dirt and grit causing wear to the teeth I just coat them with some light oil like DW-40. I defer to you as you seem to know a bit more than I do have I been doing it wrong all these year is it better to use grease?
Not much dirt gets in there, but this should be annual maintenance anyway. He used low temp grease, I use white lithium grease. Wd 40 will not work as well.
Good videos. If anything, I've learned why the MTD-built units sell so cheap.
5 stars and favorited !!!
Have a mtd 8hp 24” drives fine until under a load then stop but will reverse....thoughts ?
Kawaiikindpup Jamaa
Did you fix it? What was it
@c113344 low temperature snowmobile grease and any kind of oil in your oil can will do
do you have I video on adjusting the shifter my yard machine is all out of whack?
hi don happy new year! I know it is a hard time for you with your loss. I have the same blower i just replaced all belts and friction wheel cleaned the friction disk off etc.. i am stumped? i have adjusted the cables numerous times and i cant get the machine to drive? i had to adjust the pully on the drive belt to get it to engage, could i have adjusted that too much?? when i put the machine down on the flat it just locks up when i engage the drive?
Hello the shear bolt keeps breaking on the right axle / wheel . Do you know what might cause this?
Hey Don,
What would cause 1st gear to not work but the remaining gears do??? would the cable being too loose do that aswell?? Thanks very informative video :)
you need to adjust the linkage
Is that different than adjusting the cable? Where is the linkage located??
Thanks
a lot of information, thanks...
is it safe for the engine to have it tipped on its front that far with respect to the carb and oil going where you wouldnt want it to? or should the oil / fuel be drained first for this fix?
I currently am working on a Craftsman model 536.886260 blower and cannot get it to drive. Thanks. great videos !!
yes it's safe but you can drain the fuel first
I have a snowblower (MTD Yard Machines) that I have tipped up and waiting for new belts to arrive and I notice that oil is dripping out of the filler tube. Would that indicate it was overfilled or nothing to worry about? Thanks. BTW, love your videos - very well done!
Does it not affect the gas and oil to turn it up like this?
donyboy73 I have a similar blower, a Snapper that is around 10 years old. The problem with mine is it won't reverse, or I have to sometimes help it by pulling it backwards. Mine also has the removable cover on the bottom, very similar to the one in your video. Any ideas why problems only in reverse? Thanks.
If it goes foward then it is not a belt problem.Either drain half the gas from the tank or all of it then tip it up like he did here remove the plate on the bottom and inspect the rubber wheel ,the friction plate and clean them .Also when you say it wont reverse does that mean the shifter wont go there ?because if it wont go there the hex shaft the rubber wheel slides back and forth on is probably gummed up with old grease or rust .just clean it up and then the shifter will move freely as it should.If the shifter goes to the reverse postion but the blower doesnt move then you can adjust the cable so it is a bit tighter.I would only be adjusting the cable after you clean everything up and then i would only turn that nut so it moves 1/8" to !/4 inch from where you began up or down the threads whichever way tightens it..Good luck merry xmas and have a happy new year.
PIGLETTWTERRETS Thanks for the reply. The shift lever does go into reverse, it's just the machine doesn't want move. I have to pull it (help it) go backwards. It's just strange that it goes forward ok, there are 3 forward speeds which work ok. I'll have to check the rubber drive wheel and metal flywheel, it looked good last year but maybe the rubber is dried out.
you're welcome
I have buddies with older 2 stage snowblowers that have no batteries or stator. wanting to fab. auto electric window motor to chute. How do we do this? External stator?
My blower..a Crafstman doesn’t have drive cables. It has rods. There is one nut on the rod. Do you adjust the same way? What would replace first if the drive is slipping? Th friction wheel or the belt?
usually the drive disc or belt
I have to see a machine to know what to replace first
well done
i have a snowblower it has a tecumseh motor the belt is ok tension linker is ok i lift the snow blower up and the wheels are turning good but when you put it back down it goes backwards no problem but when you shift to go forward you have to push it for it to go forward, when i shift it i feel how it changes speed but it doesnt have the fastest speed which is 6...what could the problem be
wow thanks so much
Hello we have the same exact mtd snow blower could tel me model number an year thank you
@1972FordF150 thanks dude
@ mark l, did you pull the left wheel off the unit by any chance ???
@gd9704 very true!
DID YOU DRAIN THE OIL AND GAS BEFORE TILTING IT UP TO GET TO THE FRICTION WHEEL AND DISC?
no need to drain the oil, you can drain a bit of gas if it leaks out the cap
Do you know where I can get a new Friction Disk?
from your local small engine shop, if you're in Canada I can sell you one
for more grip sand the drive plate
Only if you want to speed up the wear of the rubber disc. They work as designed with the metal disc being smooth.
Did you find a fix for your porblem and if so what was it....
@donyboy73 No problem !
Did "Mark I " find a fix for his problem? and if so, what was it?
when engaging auger it vibrates
sorry wrong video i was trying to write to scotty but i ran out of time