auger damaged when shear pin sheared on front mounted blower for Cub Cadet 3235

[gmelectrician]

I could use some advice about my Cub Cadet front mounted snow blower (353 45" Snow Thrower, 190-353-100) on my Cub Cadet 3235 tractor.

A shear pin on the left auger (looking from front) broke yesterday while I was doing several drives. I drove back to the barn to change the shear bolt. I have only sheared 1 other bolt and that was last year. I bought it as almost new 2 years ago. The guy I got it from said he never used it and the dealer he got it from only used it a couple of times as a floor model. It shows very little use. I got the auger freed up and rotated it so I could put the new bolt in. I could see the bolt was still in the shaft, so I got my punches out. However, the shear pin must not have broken the way it should. On one side, the pin is actually bent over the shaft about 1/16" and a little less on the other side. The holes on the auger for the shear bolt are now both damaged. It looks like the bolt made both holes a bit oval...one is worse than the other.

I know I can get the broken bolt out, but I am wondering if I should just drill a new hole for the shear bolt. I was using the shear bolt that came from my local cub dealer.. part # is 710-0891 (5/16-18 x 1.75). I put 2 new shear bolts in when I got the blower just to make sure the right ones are installed. So now I would like some advice. Should I get the old bolt out and clean up the holes on the auger with a round file? Or should I make new holes on the auger (90 degrees from the original holes) and use the same hole in the shaft? Or should I make new holes on auger and shaft? I am leaning towards removing the broken bolt and cleaning up the holes, but I don't want to be shearing bolts all the time due to a messed up hole on the auger.

I took the blower off and put the blade back on so I could get drives done....

Thanks in advance for your advice!!!!!

 

[HEC]

If it wasn't to bad I would clean up the holes and give that a try before drilling new hole . The auger only turns one way so when pressure is applied to the shear bolt it isn't as though it will work back and forth . I have found that putting a load on the blower slowly at first prevents me from breaking a shear bolt .

 

[s219]

Avoid drilling more holes if you can -- they will potential weaken the shaft(s). I would not be worried about a mildly wallowed out hole for a shear pin.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I would drive out the old pin, and install the new one... If the new pin goes right in, I wouldn't do any "cleaning up".

SR

 

[mfreund]

The oval will not hurt anything. Put a new bolt in and quit overthinking it.

 

[jel1988]

Welcome from coastal SC, some pic's would be helpful