Ariens shear bolt precautions

Ariens SHO shear pin maintenance

[@floobertuber]

My dude, you are a treasure-trove of excellent details. I didn't know that thing about only the Professionals having a full-length auger shaft nowadays. Thanks for pointing that out.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey flubertuber…. Did a little more research on the auger shaft thing. Most ever manufacturer went to a stubby shaft on the auger a number of years ago including Ariens, Honda, Simplicity, Snapper, JD. That’s one of the reasons for the support brace on the upper part of the bucket. I think the Toro still has the full length shaft as they don’t have the support above the gear box. I’m guessing it has something to do with their anti- clog system with creates a hole/ cavity on the upper right hand side of the bucket. From what I’ve read there is cost savings involved as they can use one size shaft for a 24” that also fits a 28”, 30” etc. It’s also thought that a shorter shaft is less likely to rust weld in place, so if the grease is neglected you have less likelihood of a frozen shaft.

[@floobertuber]

@@blowingsnow4fun As suspicious as I am of any engineering change that even remotely feels like a penny-shaving cheapening-out (AKA "engineering by the bean counters"), you make a good point about preventing a rust-frozen auger! That's happened to me in the past (when I didn't yet know enough to keep 'em greased) and no doubt it's a real pain to fix sometimes. Thanks for the follow-up message!

[@Greg-fs8np]

This is the best video on shear pins I have seen on YT! You offer tons of good information. Thank you.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi Greg…. Thanks for the positive comment, as it always makes me feel good when people say my videos are useful to them, and give them info that they can use keeping up their machine. If you like what you see with the channel, please consider subscribing if you haven’t already. If you ever have questions on snow blowers, feel free to reach out, and I’ll try my best to help. Happy new year!

[@SuperShifty22]

I'm embarrassed to say this, but I have used grease guns more than a few times in my life and I never knew about adjusting the grip to the zerk. Thank you I always learn something watching your videos.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

I have to come clean SuperShifty. I learned that myself at one point. Growing up, I just grabbed the grease gun where dad had it set and I used it. (I didn’t have a clue it was adjustable). I was working on greasing a zerk with a friend, and I was struggling to get the piston style grease gun off the fitting. He told me about it, and I was wondering why I didn’t know that. Felt a little “Shop Shame” myself for not knowing that. Told my buddy that I learned something new from him that night. He laughed and told me I owed him a beer for that scrap of knowledge. I’ve shared it since with quite a few that didn’t know about it either, and some were pretty good mechanics. I’m glad you found the video useful…. Thanks for the comment!

[@rmac2592]

@@blowingsnow4fun So thankful for the tip. Your reply just goes to show - we aren't born with this knowledge. Thanks for sharing!!!!

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi R Mac. Thanks for the positive comment. I watch a lot of good mechanics in person and on KZbin. When you watch them do something they do all the time, it looks so easy, and they do it so fast. You have to remind yourself they had a first time for each of these repairs that they stumbled through that you didn’t see on camera. I learn new things every day, and I’m always grateful to anyone who shares their knowledge with me, and when able I try to pass on tips/tricks. It’s nice to have a KZbin channel that allows me to pass on some of the things I know to help others. I know I’ve taken advantage of KZbin as a resource many times. 3 weeks ago I was able to fix a dishwasher that wouldn’t pump water out after a cycle watching someone else share their knowledge. If you like what you see on the channel, please consider subscribing if you haven’t already. If you have snowblower troubles, feel free to reach out on my channel, and I’ll do my best to help you!

[@FixItWithMe]

I just found ur channel after watching a lot of other KZbin videos on snowblower maintenance. I think u are very thorough and clear and give good tips for people who have never done any mechanical work before. I also like when u stop and show a closeup of the exact grease/product that u use. It helps give me confidence that I can buy the appropriate product and do this myself. I also like that u explain simple things like how to use the grease gun for beginners who never used one before. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos and I hope you do many more!!! :) Also, If u have any videos working on older machines, it would be super helpful too!! I inherited a Ariens 1128 from the previous owners and there’s not many KZbin videos on older machines.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

By the way….thx for the nice compliment as it’s great to hear that my videos are useful, as I try to make them to be helpful for owners with all skill levels.

[@l337pwnage]

The whole stub axle thing isn't my favorite thing, but even Honda does it. As long they add that brace, it's usually fine. Some makers _do not._ You were talking about breaking shear bolts in a wooded area. I had a friend who just loved Husqvarna products, and some of their products are great. Well, he bought one of their blowers not realizing they were, basically, a rebadged third party item. They used a stub axle design w/o a brace. What would happen is he would hit a branch, it would wedge under the auger, twist the auger against the axle, binding it, and that would not let the shear pin break because the axle is now direct driving the tube. This would cause the gear box to explode. It happened twice, and it took him a while to figure out what was actually happening. He sold it and bought an Ariens. 😁 Related to the full width axle design, the old Ariens used to also bolt that axle through the sides of the bucket, which also helped to reinforce the bucket. I see the modern scraper bars are serving that role now, which is a good addition. The old buckets would tear on the corners down there. I know some Ariens have some extra shear bolt storage on the chute gearbox housing, but, that was one of the things they often skimped on. I ended up getting one of those little bicycle pouches to store 2 bolts and 2 wrenches to keep on my machine. I guess it's something many blowers skip, tho. There was this cheap brand that had a small tool box molded into the belt housing I saw once, you could fit bolts and a couple tools in there. I guess it's one of those things most people didn't demand. (edit. I just ran across a video of a Husqvarna with a tool box on the belt housing. I guess that makes it 2 brands I've seen. I want to guess that other one was some MTD, but I don't remember) I never looked into those grease gun tips to see if that is an intentional adjustment or just an accident of design. It is a high pressure hydraulic connection with moving parts, so it has to be pretty stout. It always seemed to me that it was the cheaper guns that had the problem, tho. The dog chain story reminded me of an old incident I was told about. Let just say of you see someone's dog on a chain, make sure you find out where that chain goes before you start blowing. ;) Oh, just a thought, but could that stiff auger be getting pinched due to not enough side play?

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey l337….. I wasn’t too hot on the shortie auger shaft design either, but I guess sometimes things are designed to be cheaper & it all works out. I was talking with a mechanic, and he said this design makes his life easier. He told me he usually sees machines that have never had the auger shaft greased, and when it’s a full shaft they get rust welded on so when they hit an obstruction, the pins don’t help, & the gear box is destroyed on impact. I never thought of that, as I believe ever year the new crop of first time blower owners becomes less likely to do routine maintenance. I caught a sharp edged rock in my impeller that got wedged between the auger & impeller. That was my Toro 824. The engine stoped dead on impact, with no damage to my gear box that I’ve ever been able to detect. It did bend the tip of the impeller blade enough so it hit the impeller housing when I engaged it. It was like 5 degrees, I locked a vice grip on the end of the impeller blade and I was heating that blade with a torch while laying in the snow. When I got it hot enough I’d hit the handle of the vice grip with the end of a piece of hard maple. At that temp, and a small torch, I couldn’t get it hot enough to bend it without impact. Eventually I got it squared away , and finished blowing snow. Those vice grips are tough mothers. I still use that one. Not sure about the design of the grease gun intention, all I can tell you it works without screwing up the zerk especially with the pressed in zerks on the auger shaft. Thanks for the +comment, & II enjoyed the story about the guy with the husky.

[@tjordan8146]

Thanks Bruce. Nice content. It really helps. Looking for that big storm Thursday/Friday this week in Michigan too. Cheers!

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi Tim.. the hype is building here, there talking about possible blizzard warnings Thursday & Friday with 10+” of snow and sustained winds over 40 mph. The SHO is ready to go!

[@tjordan8146]

@@blowingsnow4fun Yep, same here.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Good luck with the snow. Remember, fear no blizzard with an Ariens in your garage!

[@anth-5951]

Thanks for making these videos. Even though I know most of this stuff I always learn a trick or two.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi Anth… i try to make these videos so if this is your first snow blower, or you’ve been doing this for years, there’s something here for you. Even if that something is just a review. Thank you for the positive comment, and if you like what you see on the channel, please consider subscribing if you haven’t already.

[@paulmysliborski4832]

Another great vid, Bruce! Agree with everything you did/said. There is no such thing as "too much maintenance". But...... not enough maintenance will come back to bite you in ass every time. Always have ANY extra part you could ever think of for a snowblower on hand. If you break a part on your riding mower in July, you can just take a ride to the parts store with your windows down and enjoy the drive. If you break a part on your snowblower in the middle of digging out your vehicles, you're screwed. Good luck shoveling........

[@blowingsnow4fun]

I agree Paul… it’s always nice to have a supply of the basics. Spark plugs, shear pins, friction disc, fuel line, spare belts. It’s not a bad idea to have some S hocks for a quick cable repair. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2bbg4uqe7CCZpI Thanks for the positive comment.

[@dewarner12]

This video was helpful. My worst story of hitting something with my snow blower happened when the guy who delivers our Sunday paper threw the paper on the driveway instead of putting it in the paper box. When I ran over it, it was covered with 8" of snow. The result looked like paper mache hardened all over the auger housing, the auger, and the shaft. It took a couple hours to get it all off.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey Dudley… lots of stories about hitting stuff out there. A couple of weeks ago, I was blowing snow out of my yard to clear an area for my 3 dogs, and I heard something start to get sucked in. I immediately released the grips, and went around front to have a look. I had walked the back yard the night before that snow and picked up all the dog toys. Well I must have missed one, as there was a stuffed frozen donkey missing an ear wrapped around my gear box. It was pretty easy to clear with the clean out tool, but you never know what’s under that snow! Thanks for the + comment… I’ll try and keep the videos coming!

[@michaelt1349]

Happened to me as well last year. I had only done two rows when I hit the flyer roll and the machine stalled. I took it into the garage and it did take about two hours to release everything as I had to take the entire auger assembly out of the housing. That paper lodged between the impeller and the housing was wet and compressed like pressures at the bottom of the ocean and started drying like concrete! I wanted to slap that flyer delivery kid.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

@michaelt1349 Hi Michael. It’s amazing how much pressure there can be on an object gobbled up by a snow blower. Turning the machine off, and pulling the key out is sufficient for minor clogs. When having to stop and surgically remove something, I always have to remind myself to pull that plug wire off. I done know why that’s hard for me to remember??? Maybe because I’m pissed off at that point…LOL Thanks for the positive comment, and please consider subscribing to the channel if you haven’t already. Forecast is for 1-2” of snow here tomorrow. Early for southeastern Wi if it actually happens?

[@greentjmtl]

Did not know about the half shaft! I was wondering why there's only one zerk near the gear case, and no grease ever comes out of the far end.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Just a cost saving measure on their part, but something that’s important to know that is not really explained in the manual. Glad you found it helpful/interesting.

[@billfleming8281]

That’s interesting you mentioned the one side didn’t spin as freely as the other , I just did this project getting my machine ready for winter . When I spun my augers once I removed the shear pins , my “left side” didn’t spin anywhere near as freely as the right side ( I had my machine in the same Maint position as you did ) . I just bought the machine last year brand new and I thought maybe I had an issue going on the “ left side “ . Why would the right spin easier than the right ?

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi Bill…. Not sure, but I’ve heard from a number of subscribers that one side spins easier than the other. When I started shopping for a new machine in 2019, I had two friends that were in the market as well. They don’t enjoy the research end of buying power equipment, so they both said if I could swing a deal for a discount they would buy the same machine as I did. We bought 3 24” Platinum SHO’s, and picked them up tge sane dealer together.Since then, both of my friends have had some health issues that prevented them from doing their yearly maintenance, so I did it for them. One machine spins really freely, the second, the auger on the second one, one side had a little resistance, but less than mine. I wish someone from Ariens would chime in and shed some light on this, as I’ve had a number of subscribers ask about this, and a number that have told me the same side as mine has some resistance. I’m guessing that as long as it spins, with the pin out that’s the important thing, and how freely isn’t an issue, but I’d love to know the “Why”????

[@billfleming8281]

@@blowingsnow4fun - I truly appreciate you getting back to me ! I really enjoyed the upload . You got me as a subscriber.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

@billfleming8281 Thanks for subscribing Bill ….. anytime you have a question reach out, and I’ll try to answer as quickly as possible.which model/size do you have?

[@billfleming8281]

@@blowingsnow4funI’ve got the deluxe 28/sho . Wished I bought the top of the line model now that I know the differences. ( I have a long driveway , but I have a quad with a plow as well that I use ) when there’s a lot to not beat up the machine . It’s still a very good snowblower though !

[@blowingsnow4fun]

@billfleming8281 Best bang for the buck in snow blowers IMHO. Excellent machine that will last 20+ years with regular maintenance….fine choice!

[@lemonbris]

Would be nice to have a video about adjusting the skidshoes on the blower. Got my self a deluxe 28 rapidtrak editition and my driveway is mostly very small pieces of gravel. Had some snow a few weeks ago and had to try it bit didnt adjust the skidshoes beforehand and got some big pieces gravel stuck in the impeller housing so i got a paint job todo in the summer. Right now i just put the skidshoes at max height to be sure but if you got some experience with gravel i would like to hear it :)

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey Lemonbris…. I can for sure do a video on skid shoes when I get a chance. This might help you in the meantime. I have had lots of experience with my vintage machines at my cabin in Northern Wi. My driveway up there is long, on a slight grade upward, and consists of all sand and gravel. Usually it’s important to make sure your tire pressure is set the same on each tire, but you’ve got tracks, so that’s not an issue. When setting the height of my shoes at my home (SHO with concrete drive) I use two paint stir sticks laying flat on a level piece of concrete under my scraper bar. On the gravel/sand surface UN, I use a half inch piece of wood under each corner if the scraper bar, and then lower my skid shoes to a level piece of concrete on each side and tighten. If the grave/ sand drive doesn’t freeze before removing snow it can throw everything off, as the skid shoes can sink lowering the scraper bar. I’ve read on the snow blower forums where a larger surface area on s different brand of skids shoes can help if the skid shoes are digging in. Guys swear by ArmourSkids. If you adjust your stock skid shoes up to 1/2” and the front is still riding too low, they might be worth a try. You can get them at HD, here’s a link, but you’ll have to order the size specific to your machine. Your friend has shared a link to a Home Depot product they think you would be interested in seeing. www.homedepot.com/p/ARMORskids-Heavy-Duty-Snow-Blower-Skid-Shoes-Fits-2-5-in-and-5-in-Slot-Spacing-Set-of-2-ASE2505/300355081 Ariens also has a video on setting up skid shoes that might help you. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iWO9f56ie9xqeq8 Lastly, no matter where you have your shoes set, you should have the expectation that the first couple of snow falls that you clear each year will have some gravel mix with the snow from freezing thawing/foot traffic/tire traffic. It’s just the nature of the beast with gravel. Once it freezes good and stops expanding and contracting with temp fluctuations, it should dissipate. (just my experience from my cabin over the years) Also, I’d use the dig in mode sparingly on that gravel. Lastly, careful where you blow that snow as the gravel sometimes flies further than the snow if you hit it just right. Put a nice ding in the door of my Silverado about 15 years ago that way.thanks for the comment, and let me know how it turns out.

[@lemonbris]

Shopping at Home Depot would be kinda hard for me since i live in Norway. But i've been talking to a local Ariens dealer here and if they had a machine that was moving to much from side to side or was used on gravel they would take off the skidshoes and weld a piece of metal on it to make it wider. Considering getting that done if i start having problems with it. Looking forward to the videos this winter :)

[@blowingsnow4fun]

I like the idea of welding a wider flat piece on the skid shoe if it’s an issue ( I would use stainless if you have the option). Yah, I’m not sure if HD delivers to your location LOL. Don’t know if Amazon is an option for you either, but it might be worth showing the pic to your welder, and see what he thinks. ARMORskids Heavy-Duty Snowblower Skid Shoes 2.75 inch Slot spacing a.co/d/6jVFRIN Looks like I might get a chance to make more videos here. There calling for a blizzard here Thursday & Friday, and 10+” of snow with sustained Winds over 40 mph. I better put the drift cutters up!

[@norm92.4u]

If you grease it before, and after the snow season, won’t have any rust or crap in the sheer pinhole That’s what I do when I take the sheer pins out ,to grease it spins real easy not like yours does

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi Nathan…. What brand/model of snow thrower do you have? Your comment is interesting, as I’ve had sever respond that they had Platinum SHO’s that had a tight auger shaft on one side like mine. I grease my axel shaft every year, but only remove my shear pins every other year. Since I’ve gone to that schedule, I’ve never had an issue getting a shear pin out when broken, or for routine maintenance. The old Simplicity SnowAway you see in some of my videos had a shear pin that was rust welded in place, and I had to actually drill it out. The other side was fine, but was obviously greased at some time.

[@midas617]

@@blowingsnow4fun have a 2003 1124 Pro. and the augers react the same as yours on each side and on the same side. I'm kind of relieved, to be honest. 😁

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey Midas…. Thanks for the info. I have two friends that have the same machine as mine ( we bought them together in 2019.). One has a tight auger shaft like mine & yours, the other dosen’t. I can’t imagine it would affect anything as long as it spins when & if the pin breaks. As long we keep them lubed (like we’re supposed to) no problem. From what I’ve been told, the Pro models are the only ones made with a full auger shaft. All other Ariens have a shortened shaft, not sure how long it is. Maybe some of the SHO’s have a full auger shaft, I’m not sure. That would make sense. A full shaft would create more friction, and that means it would spin as freely? I appreciate the + comment. If you enjoy videos like these, and haven’t already, please consider subscribing to the channel.

[@Broken_Arrow58]

Related issue is auger gear box oil. My ST624E is 16 years old. Manual states oil should only be checked. Am thinking after all this time, might be wiser to swap with L-3 synthetic than just topoff. Then there's the issue of mixing fluids since existing oil is likely L-2. What are your thoughts? Thank you.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey Broken arrow. For years I’ve been taught never mix fluids, and once you run something on a specific lubricant for a long time, stick with it because of problems with seals. Example: I had a Honda generator that I ran penzoil 10W-30 in for 8 years without an issue. I was using it in a cold environment so I switched to synthetic ….seals leaked. Went back to regular 10-30…seals stoped leaking. IMHO feel free to change fluid, but stick with what you’ve been using …if it an’t broke philosophy

[@mitch1348]

Fingers crossed for Thursday-Saturday storm!

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Here’s to hoping for a white Christmas that brings new snow blower videos!

[@Broken_Arrow58]

Most aftermarket shear pins cost less than Ariens OEM. Since they're presumably designed the same, are they worth the risk?

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey Broken Arrow….I have only broken a shear pin on my SHO one time. I hit a dog toy buried in the snow in the back yard, and it jammed things up enough to break the pin. I break shear pins on my 80’s Simplicity frequently as there are often sticks buried in the snow I hit in my driveway at my cabin. Having a gear box replaced can be expensive as the parts are usually over $300. However the down time during the busy season can be weeks, which is unacceptable to me when you damage a gear, have a driveway 1/2 full of heavy snow to clear, and another storm coming later in the week. I’d defiantly do the labor myself, but your time is worth something, and the older I get the more I hate working with cold metal tools when it’s 10 degrees out. Sometimes when you damage a gear box, you can bend components which can make disassembly a PIA. For that little bit you save, IMO it’s just not worth the risk having the breaking point on an aftermarket part be off. Thanks for the + question. If you like videos like these, and haven’t already, please consider subscribing to the channel. Let me know if you have any other question.

[@Broken_Arrow58]

@@blowingsnow4fun You're probably right. The extra few bucks for OEM is probably worth it. Snow shoveling can be deadly of coarse which is why spending more for Ariens quality is also probably worth it; it's a kind of health insurance.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

@@Broken_Arrow58 Completely agree!

[@Broken_Arrow58]

@@blowingsnow4fun As a follow up on this model, is full choke, full throttle correct at cold engine startup? I believe it's a Tecumseh 6hp. Thank you.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

@@Broken_Arrow58 Every Techumse snowblower engine I’ve ever had/used has been full throttle, full choke on cold start.

[@nordic6379]

Bruce: I've got a 24 Platinum SHO from a few years back and it's auger's behave exactly like yours. The same side is stiff and the other spins loose. Maybe a thing straight from the factory. ?

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi Nordic.., that’s really interesting. I didn’t expect to hear that. I wonder if they pin in one side during assembly more tightly for some reason? I’m doing spring maintenance on one of the three machines we bought ( I had 2 friends who needed snowblowers at the same time I did, so we got a little $ break buying 3 at one time) as one of my friends has been doctoring, so I told him I’d take care of his SHO. So when I do that I’ll spin his auger shaft, remove his shear pins, and try to report back to you. I Wi see if anyone else out there has experienced the same??

[@jimpeds]

@@blowingsnow4fun I removed my shear pins today and I also found the same side (left side while looking at augers) stiff.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Thanks JM. There must be a reason…. Maybe I should throw it out there in the snowblower forum, and see if anyone has an answer.

[@BoostedFromFactory]

Is there a method grease the auger that doesn't have zerk fittings?

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi. My 1980’s Toro 824 does not have zerk fittings on the auger shaft, but it has a drum style auger. (Auger shaft is enclosed in drum. ) I’ve never done anything with the pins or shaft in that old gal. If I take off the plug wire, (always pull plug wire & take key out when working on auger/impeller) and grab the auger, and try to rotate it backwards and forwards, I can feel movement (rotation) on the shaft, and a soft clunk when the shear bolt catches, so I know it will spin if the shear bolt snaps. You can try that to check it. If you can’t get it to respond as I’m describing, you can pull the shear bolt, and try spinning the auger. If it spins, put anti seize on the shear and reassemble. If it won’t spin on the shaft at all, I’d try spraying some lubricant at both ends of the shaft ( maybe like a Wd40, super lube spray, or tri-flow, or a couple of drops of 5w30.) What type of machine do you have that doesn’t have zerks? Have you looked all the way around the shaft end to end? What does your owners manual say about shear pins/shear bolts? Make sure you pull the key out of the machine, and take the spark plug wire off before doing anything with the auger or impeller. Thanks for the comment .

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Just saw this today. Never thought of using fluid film. Here’s your answer to living auger shaft with no zerks. kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIamlK2Nm6qkpMU

[@michaelmaier2113]

Be careful pulling the grease gun off of the zerk. They are only pressed into the auger. The grease zerk on my 24 deluxe had been installed crooked at the factory,and came out and the hole was damaged so I could never get another grease zerk to stay in there. Long story short I had to buy a new auger and split the machine in half and pull the auger assembly out and replace it. Piece of shit grease gun that wouldn’t let go of the grease zerk went in the garbage. Buy a grease whip hose that has the release lever and you won’t pull your zerks out!

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hey Michael… I had a friend with an SHO who pulled one off his auger with the grease gun, so I know just what you mean. They make a tool (I have one) that is essential to seating a new press in zerk. (Heard about the tool from my Ariens dealer)I suppose you could fabricate one, but it actually has to be driven into the hole. We got the replacement zerk from our Ariens dealer, and replaced the original. That was 3 years ago, and it’s still good. Maybe you know this, but the end of the grease gun (coupler) is adjustable. I learned about that from a car guy friend of mine. You simply turn the end of the coupler out to loosen its grip. If you turn it far enough out, it will literally fall right off a zerk. Whenever I use or buy a new grease gun, I take a pair of vice grips, or Chanel locks and turn the end of the coupler loose as they come pretty tight from the manufacturer sometimes.

[@michaelmaier2113]

@@blowingsnow4fun I am an automotive machinist by trade. I’m ashamed to say that I didn’t know that a grease gun tip was adjustable. Like I said the zerk on my machine was driven into the hole totally crooked, so the hole was way too big. I’m not the least bit intimidated about splitting a blower in half a pulling the auger impeller assembly. It’s fixed now and I’ll be very careful in the future! Thanks for the quick reply. Stay safe sir!

[@blowingsnow4fun]

@michaelmaier2113 Mike… I didn’t know either, and I was working with a friend on an old car. I was greasing the zerks, and I got stuck on one, and was cussing it. My buddy slid under & showed me… I never knew either. Had been working on machines since I was about 10, and no one ever showed me that trick. I felt like a DA! Live & learn

[@michaelmaier2113]

@@blowingsnow4fun It’s good info to know. Guess us old fellas still got things to learn. Have a good evening Bruce!

[@MrGeos2010]

Shear pin will not go back in,now what

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi George… I need some more info to try and help. Did you buy this machine used? Have you changed either shear pin before? Did you have a problem getting either shear pin out? Did you pull up a picture of the proper shear pin for your machine, and compare it to the shear pins that are in there?

[@blowingsnow4fun]

So George, let me give you a couple of possibles. (Without knowing the answers to my questions) in the order I’d approach it in: 1.Did you exchange the shear pins? One hole may have been drilled out to remove an earlier shear pin that was rusted in. Try switching them around. 2. You may have a bent shear pin. Pull the one you can’t get in, and put it against a straight edge to check it. If it’s bent replace it. 3. Is there corrosion on the one that won’t go in? If so take the corrosion off with a piece of emery paper. 4. Is there corrosion in the hole in the auger shaft? If so run a piece of tightly rolled emery cloth in and out of the hole to remove debris. 6. You may have two different size shear pins. If switching them didn’t work, buy 2 new ones from a dealer and see if they fit. 7. Check the two holes in the auger shaft to see if there the same size. Use a drill bit set (be careful not to get the bit stuck). Try a bit in the hole that the pin fits in. Find one that just fits, then try it in the other side. If it doesn’t fit in the hole the pin won’t go in, there’s either corrosion or debris in that hole that needs to be cleaned out. Let me know how it goes, or if your still having problems. Properly sized pins can be moved and rotated by hand in properly sized, non corroded holes.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

George…did you have any luck getting your shear bolts back in?

[@MrGeos2010]

Yes got it back in holes were tough to line up but a 1/4 punch helped .The ariens snowblower is one year old.

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Glad it worked out George😀

[@nestormolina3665]

Very good very useful thank you

[@blowingsnow4fun]

Hi nestormolina… I’m glad you found the video useful, even though it took me a while to figure out the ins and outs of this installation, I kind of enjoyed the journey. If you like this kind of video, please consider subscribing to the channel. I’ve been working on replacing the floor in a boat, and when that’s done, I plan on doing a video on skid shoes. Thanks for the + comment.