My new blower came with an extra set, but I was wondering if shear bolts are made of some special metal or are they similar to a grade 3 bolt ?
I can assume that there are grade 2 bolts. I can also assume there are greade 1 bolts. That is NOT the issue.
In an emergency, one would use anything for a short period of time.
Question is >>> are shear bolts made of some "special" metal or just "low grade" steel ???
TIA
Yes, they are special metal. Think of them as mechanical fuses, they are designed to break, BEFORE the more expensive parts.
If your worried go and get yourself an extra set NOW, while you have the ones to compare as an example.
Another very common application is outboard motors. Without an extra shear pin, you are dead in the water if you hit something, and break the pin.
Generally, I've found them to be brass or an alloy, and not tool steel. You should be able find generic ones (same dia and length) at a good hardware store, or go to your service dealer.
I've been using regular hardware store zinc plated 1/4-20s as replacements on my 40 year old Airens since I purchased it. I go through one or two a year when "The Widowmaker"* finds something like the daily newspaper under the snow in my driveway.
Those bolts are the same diameter as the "tailor made" ones, and as far as I can tell the only ones with less shear strength than those would be nylon ones.
I also make sure to lube things every year so the shear bolts aren't bypassed by the augers rusting onto the drive shaft. I drilled and tapped the auger tubes and screwed in Zerk fittings, so a quick pass with a grease gun does the job.
HTH,
Jeff
*So named because it's design predates every snowblower safety feature known to man. Given it's head, it'll keep going without my control until it falls off a cliff or runs out of gas.On 07 Nov 2004 13:03:18 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com.mado (Conase) wrote (with possible editing):
While I'm sure many would disagree, I have used 20d common nails for years in my 10 hp White. I go through one or two each year.
The purpose of a "shear bolt" is to provide a mechanical "fuse" that fails first thus protecting more expensive/hard to repair/replace components.
Larry chooses to use 20d common nails that work just fine. He has potentially replaced the shear bolts with something slightly weaker. His snowblower is still protected & he only has to replace them once or twice per year. Sounds like a pretty good solution; cheaper & faster than hunting down the "right bolt".
Shear bolts are not some special metal just consist low strength steel.
Bob
| >While I'm sure many would disagree, I have used 20d common nails for | >years in my 10 hp White. I go through one or two each year. | >-- | >
| >Larry | | The purpose of a "shear bolt" is to provide a mechanical "fuse" that fails | first thus protecting more expensive/hard to repair/replace components. | | Larry chooses to use 20d common nails that work just fine. He has potentially | replaced the shear bolts with something slightly weaker. His snowblower is | still protected & he only has to replace them once or twice per year. Sounds | like a pretty good solution; cheaper & faster than hunting down the "right | bolt". | | Shear bolts are not some special metal just consist low strength steel. | | Bob
Umm, shear bolts are indeed a variant of the steel alloys you find in bolts. They're made to be on the brittle side (tempering?) so they'll break rather than bend under load.
Using nails is possible but shouldn't be done long term: They don't fit the shaft properly and will shear for no reason after awhile and eventually a bit of the steel will sheer inside, between the shaft and the impeller caseing, setting up a situation where you either won't need a shear pin at all, or, more likely, will give you a real bitch of a time getting the holes to line up again. I get $100 when I have to pull an auger apart to get at the shrapnel and usually the shear pin hole is non-round by then.
Pop
Which poses a question please. As I put our 8HP 28 inch snowblower away last spring it stopped driving. So first task recently was to find out why and then replace the very basic quarter inch soft/mild steel bolt that I had used to attach the chain pinion to the wheel axle. Sure enough it had sheared. Although I had Class 3 bolts available a local dealer said it was necessary to use a Class 5 bolt, otherwise "it would break every time". I believe typical non speciality bolts go up to around Class 8 so it sounds like a Class 5 is 'middle of the road'. Any comments/advice?
I guess I have been lucky. In the 23+ years that I have used a snowblower. I never had to replace the shear pins or bolts.
Best of luck...
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Just took a look at mine preparing it for winter. Half the rotor would not move because of a rock stuck in the blades. Had to replace the shear bolt. I bought a dozen when I bought the machine 10 years ago. Only have used about three of them. I have neighbors that use river rocks for landscaping and they get on the walks.
Yes sounds very lucky. But I wonder how much snow and it's consistency? Here it usually doesn't get that cold so snow tends to be dense/heavy. We find the best way is to blow as soon as it stops snowing, when sow is still fairly light, otherwise it 'packs' down. For example the snow on our wooden deck had a three inch layer of ice (compacted snow) on the bottom stuck to the wooden surface. This spring I gradually cleared deck as it got warmer using a steel shovel etc. Other winters we've had snow that only lasted a few hours or a couple of days and was gone washed away by rain or mild temps. One winter only used blower three times and one of those wasn't relly necessary! Again we've had winters with continual drifting and the use of D8s to clear highways! And one year, 11 inches of snow on June 6th. Didn't last long though but we were worried about getting home that night! Have fun shovelling!
soon as it stops snowing, when >snow is still fairly light, otherwise it
I must say that I don't use it as much as when I used to live in Buffalo, N.Y. Back in the late 70's. When we moved here in CO. My dad did buy another unit. Which he still has. It's about 20 years old. I know that he never broke one. He would have asked me to replace it (his are still sealed in the bag). But he did burn up a belt since he had a small piece of wood stuck in the impller blade. I have used mine a few days after some storms. I will say that I was really surprized how well it worked in very heavy wet snow. But it was going very slow. So I thought about installing a bigger engine on it. It's a toro 3521. I sold it to a gal at work since she wanted one that she could use, and bought a toro 521 and changed the engine to a B&S OHV 7 3/4 hp. This was done this summer. If that does not help then I have a B&S OHV 11 hp to install on it :)
Can't wait to use it now... lol Remove NoSpam to reply, Thanks
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