How to Remove Broken Shear Pins

Shear pins hold two pieces of stronger metal together.

A shear pin breaks so that the pieces it holds together don't. Shear pins are made of softer metals so that the metal will shear off when a machine binds up. You can usually tell when a pin breaks, because a part of the machine will stop working or the machine as a whole will stop. Garden tillers and farm implements are common pieces of machinery that make good use of shear pins. The old shear pin has to be removed before the new one can be installed. Sometimes the pin falls out on its own, but occasionally you'll get one that gets jammed in the hole.

Things You'll Need

• Vise-grip pliers
• Steel center punch
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Realign the two pieces of metal that the shear pin was holding together. You can sometimes do this manually, but you might have to do it by turning on the machine. Have someone watch the machine from a safe distance and then have that person tell you when the holes realign. Turn the machine off when they do.

2. Grip the stuck shear pin with a pair of vice-grip pliers and try pulling it out of the hole. Twist it back and forth, if possible. If it won't budge, go to the next step.

3. Hold a center punch in your left hand and a hammer in your right; reverse the order if you are left-handed. Set the end of the punch in the hole on the opposite side of the broken shear pin. Strike the head of the punch until the shear pin is tapped out of the hole. Locate and pick up the broken piece of the shear pin to ensure it doesn't do any damage to the machine.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid touching the broken shear pin with your fingers because the broken end may have sharp edges.

References

• Abby's Guide: Removing Broken Shear Pins