Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): Snowblower will not move., friction wheel, penetrating oil

Question
It is a Ariens ST724.  Starts okay and runs. Auger propels but not as far as I am concerned, but it does work.  The problem is that it will not move in gears 1,2, or 3.  And only slightly in gear 4.  I suspect that it needs a new belt or tightening of the old one, which I know nothing about.  So, before it goes to the repair shop which I am not too happy about paying for, thought I would ask an expert his/her opinion and whether the job is something that can be done by a layman??  Thanks, Bob.

Answer
There is a very specific DRIVE cable adjustment procedure to adjust the cable.  

The friction wheel tends to wear and needs to be adjusted as a normal part of maintenance.

Another thing i see a lot is the drive wheel does not slide back and forth.  If you remove the bolts on the cover on the bottom of the snowblower and move the shift lever you will see what i mean.  If the drive wheel does not move back and forth it has most likely rusted from the road salt.  It should move back and forth at least 2 inches both ways.

Using a little penetrating oil you can handle this repair yourself!

Let me know how this works for you...