"Nick Hull" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote:

Should be nothing more than mild steel, Peter. Check with a magnet to
make
sure it's magnetic. If it is, anything that could be heat treated would
hardly act like a shear pin-----it would likely be too hard to function
properly. The whole idea behind shear pins is to let go to save other
components. You should be able to make the pin, but if it's a tapered
one,
please describe it---could be I have one.

On my farm equipment I use grade 8 bolts, they hold well and break
clean. Grade 2 and sometimes grade 5 smear at the break and are a real
dog to get out.

Chuckle!! And if the grade 8 holds and the gear doesn't, how hard and
expensive is it to change the gear(s)?

Shear pins are generally supposed to be the weak link in a
circuit-------intended to fail before expensive components do. If you've
been shearing grade 8 bolts and they're not undercut, you're one lucky man,
unless your equipment is designed around the concept. Does the
manufacturer recommend the grade 8 bolts?

Harold



Heehee... a neighbor (NOT very mechanically inclined) insisted on
using a "family" tractor (jointly owned by 2 or 3 others) to brushhog
a field around his place. As he was constantly going over boulders,
fence posts, etc., he kept shearing the pin in the driveshaft going
back to the cutter from the tractor PTO. Tired of changing out the
shearpin, he went to the hardware store, got grade 8's and went back
to work... for a little bit anyway.... BAM.... blew out the castings &
gears of the tranny and rear end. Then just left it sit for someone
else to fix. I also saw this guy remove the lugnuts from an old
pickup truck wheel and give it a jerk - watching the truck fall to the
ground because he never put a jack under it. Told my son "Stay the
hell away from that guy - he'll get you killed". sigh.... I don't
have much to do with him, or the entire family for that matter. I'm
just aware of these situations. BTW, a couple of the "other owners"
had to fix the tractor - and I haven't seen this jerk use it since..
imagine that !
Ken.