Lining Up Shear Bolt Holes

[MikePA]

I've been using a hammer on the gearbox yoke on my post hole digger (only broke one pin today putting in 4 posts!) to align the shear pin holes in order to remove the broken bolt. Any of you know of a better method? I sure wouldn't want to break the yoke. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Talking about post holes...if I'd use pea gravel to backfill in the hole, would I still have to tamp?

 

[AndyF]

Try using a drift or other tapered punch to align the yoke with the shaft. As you slide in the punch the shaft and yoke will turn and align themselves to each other. Once the shaft and yoke are aligned it is real easy to slip the shear bolt in.

I wouldn't use pea gravel to back fill the post holes completely. Instead, I'd use a material that will compact and can lock the post in position. For most posts, I just back fill with the dirt I pulled out of the hole. I use a spud bar to tamp the dirt down as I fill the hole, tamping every time I put in ~6" of soil. If you're concerned about the post moving once you tension your fence wire, you could use a crusher run (sp?) gravel for the last 6-12" of fill.

 

[normde2001]

Mike, I have never had to change a shear bolt, but I would imagine a strap wrench on each end would work well to align the holes, then use a drift or tapered punch to knock the broken piece out of the middle. Replaced a lot of sheared taper pins on cash registers years ago, and also had to worry about lining up the "big end" and "small end" of the hole.

 

[MikePA]

I've been thinking about getting some strap wrenches anyway, sounds like a good idea, thanks! If the holes are off just a little, no problem getting them lined up, it's when the inner one is no where in sight that it's a problem. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[pajoube]

Andy,
Interesting that you use the term "spud" bar. That is what we call it but have not seen that term for some time.
PJ

 

[looch]

This is a little after the fact, but depending on the size of the bolt, I like to modify mine slightly before inserting them. I use a file and notch a small groove all the way around the bolt right between the mating surface of the yoke and the shaft. This prevents that "smearing" effect when a shear bolt is ripped apart and makes it much easier to remove the pieces. In fact, most of the time the halves end up falling out on their own.

 

[gordon]

Here is a picture of a couple of tools I always keep on the tractor. They come in handy not only for shear bolts but lining up three point implements as well. When digging postholes I also have a pipe wrench handy as well.

Also what I did on my auger head shaft was take magic marker and draw lines where the shear bolt is to help figure the general area the auger needs to be in. I put the magic marker on because my auger spins hard on the head and it sure was getting old quick looking for the magic hole.

Hope this is of some help
Gordon

 

[AndyF]

Maybe "spud bar" is just a local term (Ohio and NY). Its what I've always used and I'd be hard pressed to think of anything else to call it. Whatever its called there are many times it has been worth its weight in gold.

 

[JimC]

Interesting how the same tooks are called the same all over the country, I know they are called that in Okla, Texas & California.
I am using the spud wrench (I think the term comes from putting rivets (spuds) in steel construction).
anyway I also have a stright one and I carry them in a piece of fiber optic PVC clamped to the ROP. If they are putting in any fiber optic cable in your area, it comes in all colors so you can match almost any tractor color.
They throw away a lot of pieces up to 4-10 feet.
Photo attached

 

[centex]

With the tractor engine stopped, my PTO shaft will freely rotate in one direction only so I use grasp the flighting on the auger and rotate the auger in the opposite direction to line the holes up and use a drift pin to knock the shear pin out. I break a lot of them digging post holes in very rocky soil. Something else I have noticed is that some people have talked about augers screwing themselves into the ground and having to use a pipe wrench to back them out. I have had auger appear to be stuck in a holes. What has happened is that as the auger digs into the ground the vertical angle of the auger changes because of the geometry of the three point attachment. If you move the tractor forward or back a small distance the auger will lift out of the ground without you having to leave the tractor seat. This can be important when a shear pin breaks with the auger deep in the ground.