How to Fix a Broken Shear Pin on a MTD Snow Blower

MTD Snow blowers were designed to provide excellent service under the worst of operating conditions. If your snow blower starts, but the augers fail to rotate when the auger control bail is activated, chances are that you have broken the shear pins. They are designed to "shear" or break when the augers hit an immovable object such as a curb or tree root, to prevent major engine damage. This repair is easy to do, and may be accomplished in just minutes with a few hand tools. It's always a good idea to have a few extra sets of shear pins handy, if you spend much time throwing snow.

Hex head box wrench (1/4 inch depending on model)
Hex head socket with ratchet (1/4 inch depending on model)
Clean rag

Instructions

- 1
  Park the snow blower on a flat surface with the engine off. Locate the two shear pins which run directly through the auger shaft. Each pin will be located approximately eight inches from the outside edge auger housing. You may need to wipe down the auger shaft to see the pins clearly.
- 2
  Manually rotate the auger blades slowly so that you have easy access to the head of each shear pin. Attach a box end wrench to the hex head nut affixed to the first shear pin. The shear pin head should be facing you; the hex head nut will be located on the far side of the auger shaft.
- 3
  Place the socket and ratchet onto the head of the same shear pin you have grasped with the wrench. Hold the wrench firmly, and turn the socket counterclockwise to remove the hex head nut. Once the nut is free, firmly pull the head of the shear pin and remove the broken pin from the auger shaft.
- 4
  Insert a new shear pin into the hole on the auger shaft without moving the auger shaft or auger blade. Attach a new hex head nut to the rear of the shear pin and tighten firmly. If you accidentally bump the auger shaft or auger blade, simply rotate the auger blade until the hole is in alignment again and will accept the shear pin.
- 5
  Repeat the process on the remaining shear pin. Be sure to adequately tighten both shear pins before starting the machine.

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