Chain on thrower
Bryan -- Thanks for the hint. I did find a work around after looking things over a bit. This is a new unit for me, having purchased from my brothers who had it on their farm for 20+ years, so I'm not intimately familiar with it yet (but now I consider I'm on second base).
Anyway what I did was take the top bolt off the tensioner, and loosen the bottom bolt and pivot the drive sprocket out into the open, so to speak. I slipped the chain off the front sprocket on the thrower auger, and this gave me enough room to put the chain over the drive, pivot it back forward, then lift the chain onto the front spocket, all without breaking the chain at a link, readjust tension, and my tension was gone, too.
By the way, is there an "official" recommended chain lubricant? Will snowmobile low temperature grease work OK? Years ago a product called LPS had a #4 that was almost waxy and a very good perservative. I need to get something on my chain. Thinking about it, it probably transmits up to 15 hp through it to the blower when she's really working and lugging down. Hope for good snow to throw tonight! Thanks for the help, and the picture was great.
Dale