How Do You Fix a Broken Shear Pin?

Most two-stage snow blowers are equipped with a fail-safe mechanism that will protect your drive shaft and the motor from becoming damaged due to excessive torque.

This occurs when something other than snow, such as a chunk of ice, gets into the blade of the auger. This is where the shear pins come into play.

A snow blower's shear pins are designed to break off to prevent damage to the auger shaft and gear case.

Here are a few helpful tips for replacing a broken shear pin:

1. Pull the wire off of the spark plug to ensure the snow blower cannot start while you're working on dislodging the foreign object from the auger. 
2. Remove any debris that could be jammed in the auger. Never remove the debris by hand - jammed objects can cause the auger to spring forward. Use a pair of pliers if possible to pull the debris loose.
3. If you notice the shear pin is stuck, line up the holes on the axle and the auger, then just lightly tap out the pin.
4. Align the drive shaft holes and slide the manufacture specified shear pin into the hole and tighten the nut onto the threaded end.
5. Reconnect the spark plug and you're ready to go. 

For more information on shear pins including how to select the correct style and where to buy, check out this article titled, "Shear Coincidence."