Shear bolt breakage ???

[sunnyside360]

It all depend on the kind of snow or driveway your doing. Last year in December, we received some snow followed by rain and then -15 C. Perfect cocktail to have chunk of ice in your driveway when the city plow decide to widen the street 6 days later. But this is not the issue, what is, is that your shear bolt do what there suppose to do, break before the gear pinion does. If in 5 yrs you never blow any hard icy snow or if your driveway is all pave no rock, then all is well, but if this is not the case, I would have a look at the grade of those shear bolt. Better be safe than sorry.

Sal 64, the recommended grade is very important. I always feel good when I catch something hard, and the bolt brakes. I know it did its job.

I understand now -- large ice chunks can/will create havoc in a snow blower. I guess if you have no choice then you have to do it. I saw how my neighbor destroyed his snow blower on his long driveway so I use a snow blade (plow) to clear ice pieces and the snow blower to clear snow from the driveway. On occasion, I've even resorted to using a dozer when necessary. And, yes my driveway is paved so near zero risk of catching a rock.

 

[Henri88]

Add some Loctite to those set screw also when you replace them.

Darn! Never thought of that one. Thanks Kennyd.

 

[mjncad]

Just wondering, I bought 47" blower used this fall and so far I have replaced 15-20 grade 5 bolts.

Does that blower really use Grade 5 shear bolts? That's a tough bolt.

Are you using bolts that are threaded all the way, or just part way? Make sure to use partially threaded bolts unless the manual states otherwise as they are stronger since the bolt shank is the full nominal diameter.

 

[etcallhome]

Thanks Kennyd I had thought of using Loctite .

mjncad Are you using bolts that are threaded all the way, or just part way? Make sure to use partially threaded bolts unless the manual states otherwise as they are stronger since the bolt shank is the full nominal diameter.

I have been using threaded all the way....But I will change to the partially threaded bolts ,,,I hadn't thought about them being stronger.

 

[turbo36]

The vibration from the poorly designed driveline is causing the shear bolts to loosen and break. I'm sure that's the reason for the other fastener issues also. I ran my 47" on the 455 for years without a problem but when it went on the 2305 I would constantly break shear bolts for no reason. I got in the habit of checking the tightness of all the bolts on the blower before and after every use; this solved the problem but what a pain in the butt.
My love affair with the 2305 faded after a couple of years of this and I replaced it with a X749 to do the mowing and blowing and a 2520 to do everything else. The blower was so smooth on the X749 you could hardly tell it was working; no broken or loose bolts either. I switched this year to the new 54" and that is very smooth also.

 

[radman1]

Add some Loctite to those set screw also when you replace them.

The shear bolts on my 3pt blower use lock nuts. Could use lock nuts if don't have Loctite.

 

[kennyd]

The shear bolts on my 3pt blower use lock nuts. Could use lock nuts if don't have Loctite.

Read again...He was talking about set screws...no nuts on them

 

[etcallhome]

Kennyd I did put loctite on the set screws today. I also changed the all thread and put in partial thread with nylon lock watchers.
Now just need to wait for some snow to give everything a try.

 

[kennyd]

Kennyd I did put loctite on the set screws today. I also changed the all thread and put in partial thread with nylon lock watchers.
Now just need to wait for some snow to give everything a try.

Good. I hope you have a long wait...

 

[Wildbill34]

Ocassional shear bolt breakage is normal. However, I too went through a lot of shear bolts last year. Found I had some excessive vibration with the shaft and I also used loctite on the shear bolts and the problem disappeared. But mine was with the impleller fan and not the auger. Although I have lost auger shear bolts, it was due to trying to move mounded snow and I shouldn't really have attempted it or I picked up some ice when I didn't snow blow the driveway originally after a snow.