Broken Shear Pin LX2980 Snowblower

[Ottertail]

Good morning! It appears that I broke a shear pin yesterday finding a rock while blowing snow. I cannot get the shaft to rotate to align for a new pin install. When I put the blower gear watching the chain the whole auger unit goes into rotation?

Any thoughts on how to align the shear pin hole???

Thanks for your guidance. Joel

 

[RMS]

Maybe try disconnecting the k connection or put the pto lever to the rear position to allow the shaft to move freely.

 

[RCW]

I might try a large pair of Channel Locks or C-clamp on the flanges to re-orient. The auger side should be moveable. Looks like its one-piece.

Is there part of the shear pin stuck in there restricting movement on the auger side, or are the two sides jammed together? When you hit the stone did it bend the snowblower housing?

PS - - I misread the parts diagram. Shear is not where I thought it was. Still might try a C-clamp...Auger side should rotate freely.

?

 

[Ottertail]

Thanks for your reply's! No damage to housing that is visable. I will try the channel lock this afternoon.

I'll also try playing with the PTO.

Very helpful!

 

[Ottertail]

You guys are the best Forum on the Internet! I put in the rear PTO position so the auger could turn, grabbed hold with a channel lock and was able to push the holes into alignment. Mind you it didn't turn freely but it did turn enough to align. I hope I didn't bend something in the auger. Time will tell.

Damn 6" landscaping rocks! I hate them for so many reasons.

Thanks again!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

That size always breaks the shear pin in my rototiller.....2-3 a season......seems rocks are easy to grow....
You don't want to see what happens to a snowblower when you catch the corner of a hidden skid....

 

[Ottertail]

Yikes! I'm clumbsy with eqiupment but have never hit the skidsteer. Sounds nasty!

 

[RCW]

You guys are the best Forum on the Internet! I put in the rear PTO position so the auger could turn, grabbed hold with a channel lock and was able to push the holes into alignment.

Super!

By the looks of the parts diagram, you shouldn't need to move the PTO gear on the tractor to move the auger side of the flanges.

Absent the shear pin, the auger should rotate freely, but understand there's two sprockets with a chain drive on a 64" auger.....might not move without some effort...

If you didn't do so, I would run the blower again, just to make sure all is free.

 

[Ottertail]

Thank you RCW. Waiting for a shipment of shear pins from Messick's that should arrive tomorrow. I will report how things go later in the week!

Joel

 

[ctfjr]

Rocks! That's why I 'grow' a whole line of those fiberglass orange / white 4' sticks along my gravel driveway. Near the edges there are bad things that I don't want my blower to find. My son thought I was crazy putting 80 of them in a 400' stretch. Last year I spaced them out more and managed to wander too far towards the edges. . .

 

[200mph]

If the auger was difficult to move with the shear pin removed and not the cause of binding, there might be corrosion inside of the auger shaft. Typically there are grease points (zerk fittings) along the shaft. Grease will help pump out water that accumulates on the inside.

The auger should rotate freely without the shear pin in place.

There might be grease points on the fan assembly for the same reason.

 

[Ottertail]

Thanks 200! Blower is one year old. Replaced shear pin and greased it up and we are now working perfect. I think you're correct that even though its fairly new, it still needed the grease. Manual says every four hours of use it needs to be greased.

Thanks for your reply!

 

[DustyRusty]

If the auger was difficult to move with the shear pin removed and not the cause of binding, there might be corrosion inside of the auger shaft. Typically there are grease points (zerk fittings) along the shaft. Grease will help pump out water that accumulates on the inside.

The auger should rotate freely without the shear pin in place.

There might be grease points on the fan assembly for the same reason.

While I am not familiar with every snowblower that Kubota has manufactured for their tractors, those that fit the BX series tractors I am familiar with, and never have I seen a grease fitting on the fan of any of them. I have drilled, tapped, and installed grease fittings on the fans if I have a reason to remove them for a service issue. I figure that an additional grease fitting can't hurt even though the manufacturer didn't see a need for one. The fan on my blower has a bronze bushing at each end of it, so it really doesn't come in direct contact with most of the shaft, only at the ends. Once you fill the cavity with grease, it shouldn't need additional greasing for the rest of its life. Not sure if it would be wise to just drill, tap, and install a grease fitting directly into the bronze bushing. I am open to others thoughts and suggestions.

 

[RCW]

While I am not familiar with every snowblower that Kubota has manufactured for their tractors, those that fit the BX series tractors I am familiar with, and never have I seen a grease fitting on the fan of any of them. I have drilled, tapped, and installed grease fittings on the fans if I have a reason to remove them for a service issue. I figure that an additional grease fitting can't hurt even though the manufacturer didn't see a need for one. The fan on my blower has a bronze bushing at each end of it, so it really doesn't come in direct contact with most of the shaft, only at the ends. Once you fill the cavity with grease, it shouldn't need additional greasing for the rest of its life. Not sure if it would be wise to just drill, tap, and install a grease fitting directly into the bronze bushing. I am open to others thoughts and suggestions.

DustyRusty - - I have an older BX2750D blower and have wondered about lack or zerk between the fan/shaft.....

I haven't had to pull the fan, so haven't dealt with it.

Can see the bushings on each end - - part #4.

Bet it could be hassle to pull the fan if there was corrosion in there....

Hard to tell from the parts diagram, but there is a hole in that shaft, just forward of the snap ring.

Not sure if shaft is hollow or hole threaded? Might be a place to thread a zerk in?

I've painted the second stage housing several times over the years.

If there were threads in the shaft, they're covered by paint.

As you said - - I'm not sure tapping a new zerk on the fan, nor using the existing hole on the shaft would gain much.

With a foot coming over next few days, I'm not investigating further today....

 

[DustyRusty]

The good news is that replacement bushings are available so you could just put some heat onto the bushing end and knock it loose with a hammer. The last time that I had the fan off was when the blower picked up a large rock and bent the fan. A replacement fan wasn't immediately available so I heated it up and hammered it back into shape. I had a vibration but never got around to replacing it. Still have the new replacement in the garage. That happened about 15 years ago and I have since sold that snowblower. The fan itself has gone up in price about 2 1/2 times. Like money in the bank!

 

[RCW]

Yeah this is the existing hole in the shaft as I edited my first post.

Even if a zerk were there, don’t think it helps much either., for the reasons you mentioned.

PS - - looks like there might be another hole in shaft to allow grease to get between bushings and fan/shaft.

Still not sure of great benefit, as bushings are only contact point as you pointed out. Probably easier to drive off....Might be reason zerk was eliminated.

 

[DustyRusty]

We are discussing 2 different animals here. The fan on your tractor is pinned directly through the shaft, and on the BX2750 there are 2 flanges that line up like on the auger ends on your snowblower. It appears from the hole in front of the clip that keeps the fan from moving forward when the shear bolt breaks that the shaft is used for more than one model snowblower.

 

[Snowman7]

That size always breaks the shear pin in my rototiller.....2-3 a season......seems rocks are easy to grow....
You don't want to see what happens to a snowblower when you catch the corner of a hidden skid....

I put a hidden snowmobile cover thru an auger once, I had to burn it out!