I have a new Honda HS928TCD blower.  Apparently a change was made in the past for the shear pins for the HS928 so now there are two types available, depending on the frame serial number. The older style pins have a P/N of  95701-06016-00 and the newer style is 92101-06016-0A. Since I have a bunch of the older style shear pins, I am wondering what the nature of the change was and if the older type of shear pins will work for the newer model.  If the old style is used on the new frame type, is there a danger to the gearcase because the shearing point is different?  See  http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Honda/Snow%20Blower/0/HS928%20WAS%20SNOW%20BLOWER%2C%20JPN%2C%20VIN%23%20SZAS-1100001%20TO%20SZAS-1129999/AUGER/parts.html for the illustrations.  Any ideas out there?

The old number is a flange head bolt the new isn't they are the same grade bolt. You can use either one.

AJ

Thanks for that AJ!  This place is amazing - only took 19 minutes to get an answer to my question!!

Good to know.  I bought a few spares last year and they were the newer kind. 

If anybody needs more of these I see they are on Ebay now - 15 bux gets 2 dozen with free shipping (in Canada).

Auger shear pins are on Ebay Canada site at:  http://cgi.ebay.ca/24-honda-2stage-snowblower-auger-shear-pins-aftermrket-/300493510285?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item45f6cf168d

When I went to my dealer yesterday, they told me to buy Grade 5 bolts and matching locking nuts.  It was very refreshing to hear dealer that I don't need to buy Honda shear bolts/nut combination for $2.99.  It ended up costing me around $0.70 for both bolt and nut.  So I bought 5 extra sets in addition to the three that came with the snowblower.  My dealers are very reasonable here.

Are you sure he said grade 5? Those are the ones with the 3 lines on the bolt head. Those will outlast your gearbox!  He should have said grade 2 (no lines on the head).

I would not risk using an ordinary hardware bolt for this application - even a grade 2.  Shear pins are designed to sacrificially break when your auger locks up on something hard.  Rather than the aluminum gearbox breaking.  Cost out replacing a gearbox and you will see why.

Woof,

the shear pins you are recommending via eBay are after-market bolts/nuts as they are not the OEM replacement.  my dealer stands by the Grade 5 so I am totally okay with it.   Again if you feel better buying the original Honda then go for it. 

MN_Runner wrote:
If your dealer "stands by" them, as in he'll rebuild your gearbox for free if it fails, then that's a great dealer.

I know that people have used grade 5 without any issues but it worries me.  I'd use grade 2 in a pinch but my preference would be for the shear pins specified for the machine.  Most shear pins are either grooved or pre-stressed to insure that they will fail when the proper amount of force is applied.  Also true shear pins may be easier to remove compared to regular bolts. 

Just my two cents.

The after market shear pins designed for the Honda only cost 66 cents for the pin and the nut.  Why take a chance?

The Canadian Ebay seller responded to my question regarding the "grade" or hardness of these replacement pins;

 " Hello these will fit the Hs 624. The grade is the exact replacement grade as specified by honda for this application. They would be commonly known as grade 8.8 metric."

Can anyone tell what a "metric grade" might be?

 

Underdog,

Yes.  My bolts are in metric and say they are 8.8.  The 8.8 is written on the head bolt.

I did order some of these - still in the mail - should be here in a few days.  I'll let post here what they look like when I get them.

The spare spare shear pins that came with my new Honda 928 are hex head flange bolts.  On the cap, there is an "8" in a circle with an underline.  The nuts are self locking type.  I'll see how they compare to the new ones.

 

Left bolt is from my Honda dealer ($0.36) and Right bolt came with the blower.

The one on the right is the type that came with my blower too.  But I haven't taught them to play the piano yet.

Only Yamaha thing we have at our home is the piano.

Not an option fpor the Honda.  But does it blow snow too?  Would be nice to listen to a little Mozart while following the Yamaha  LOL.  Comment from Mr. Rubinew??

Is there such thing as a "metric" grading system for bolts that is different from a non-metric "grading system" for bolts.

Or is a grade "8" all there is.  I am not familiar with the grading system for bolts.  "8" sounds pretty hard (or strong) to me.

I would think that we would be looking for a softer bolt to protect our auger gear box.

There are grading systems for bolt strength in both SAE and metric. SAE are tested in PSI, metric in MPa.

Unmarked: minimum yield strength is 57,000 PSI, metric unmarked is 640 MPa. Minimum tensile strength for these are 74,000 psi or 800 MPa.

Unmarked bolts are untreated low or medium carbon steel. Grade 5 and metric 8.8 are medium carbon steel, heat treated and tempered. Grade 8 and metric 10.9 and 12.9 are heat treated and tempered alloy steel.

The higher the grade, the stronger the bolt. You want shear pins to be weak. They're supposed to break. The stronger they are, the more stress you apply to parts that are not designed for it.  Repeated stresses will cause failure.

Its easy for me to find unmarked metric bolts.  They are cheap too.  Based on the information outlined here I'm understanding that an unmarked metric bolt would be easier to shear than a bolt marked 8.8.   Does this logic seem misguided?  Sometimes ingorance carries a price.

Could be, misguided that is.  I have seen comments where the "unmarked" bolts are simply rejects from lots of higher grades that didn't meet specs.  If so, then they could be anything.  Dunno if this is so or not.  One would think that if it is, they would have to grind off the markings on the cap to make them unmarked,  unless they put those markings on after they make and test the bolts.  Or maybe they make the bolt stock first, test it before completing the bolt making process. and just make the stock that doesn't meet specs into unmarked bolts.

Underdog wrote:
Correct.

Dr_Woof wrote: Not the common hardware-store-grade ones. Not every bolt is tested, as the test itself destroys the bolt. The same logic that applies to fuses is used here, they're never tested, rather a select amount from each lot are. If a lot does not meet specs, it's usually recycled.
During the manufacture of common bolts, the markings are stamped in when the heads are formed. It's based on knowing the type of steel that is being used - and there are hundreds of types - and the heat-treating process that will be followed. This must be done before treatment while the steel is still (relatively) soft.

Sorry to digress but speaking of a fuse - the thermal fuse on my Kitchenaid dishwashwer went last night - it was an easy fix once you figure out it is a fuse issue.  Dodged another bullet this week as my gas dryer was giving me a burning smell a week before.  These forums are great for narrowing down issues. 

As far as I am concerned, I don't have any issue using 8.8 Metric grade shear bolts on my Honda if I ever have to replace it or them.

Dr_Woof wrote:
Hmmmm, I might be more likely to listen to AC / DC !!!!

I will have my son play  "Back in Black" on his Yamaha piano.  It is an interesting thought although AD/DC's motif is consistent and so similar.

MN_Runner wrote:
The bolts (shear pins) I bought on Ebay for my Honda HS928 arrived today.  The  OE replacements that came with the Honda are exactly like that shown by Mn_runner on the Right.  The Ebay bolts are marked P  M  and 8.8, similar to the ones on the Left.  Thet are slightly longer than the OE bolts from Honda.  They are supplied with Nyloc locking nuts.

The bolts pictured by the seller on Ebay appear to be the same as the ones he sent.  But the picture there is somewhat misleading as it shows them in a plastic bag with the Honda part number and "made in Japan" on the bag.  Ones he shipped were just in a plastic bag with no markings.

Checking on Google, looks like a metric 8.8 bolt is equivalent to an SAE grade 5 bolt.  Don't know what the "P  M" refers to - perhaps the manufacturer?  MN_runner's bolts appear to be grade 8.8 but I can't quite make out the top letters.  Looks like these will probably work as shear pins for the Honda.  Been blowing lots of snow lately - old hard stuff on a gravel drive - and haven't had to repalce a shear pin yet.

My 8.8 bolts has "CHS" which is the name of the manufacturer.  So "PM" is the manufacturer of your 8.8 bolts.  I called all three Honda dealers and they told me to use Grade 5 or Metric 8.8 bolts.  Metric 8.8 is slightly weaker than Grade 5 if you convert MPa to PSI.

Can you show me a picture of your bolt?

Here's some shear pin pictures.  The bottom picture shows the relative lengths of the two bolts (Ebay is the longer one, OE Honda the shorter).  The top picture shows  the OE Honda bolt (right) and both top and bottom views of the Ebay bolts with a Nyloc nut in place (left).  The really long and dark bolt is the Honda OE shearpin for the auger gearbox drive shaft; these hardly ever break but there are lots on sale with Ebay just listed as Honda shear pins so if you need regular shearpins don't get these.

Woof,

The length of my "CHS 8.8" was identical to the Honda shear bolts.   I also bought 5 Honda OE shaft shear pins/nuts from Oregon where they were selling the pack for less than $15 plus free shipping (http://cgi.ebay.com/5-Pack-Honda-Replacement-Shear-Pins-90102-732-010-/320634476673?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4aa74dd881).  Thanks for the pictures.

My dealer's price on the bolts were cheaper than the nuts.  WTF?  Next time I'm buying a bag of Stainless flange nuts (6mm) and getting for much less from another source.  Make sure the shear bolts you use are good for the job or the auger will self destruct.  I know a machinist and will ask what he thinks.  My dealer charges almost $4 the flange nuts and $1.50 for the bolts.  I didn't mind the bolt prices but the flange nuts were a total ripoff.

BTW I'd like to sell off my WAS 928 as we didn't get enough snow this year to warrant the purchase in Dec. was hoping to get work out of it.  Played with it in only 4" snow to see how it handles and it is great.  Just don't want to store it until next season while all the people around us got pounded.  Like to recoupe my investment.  Have the factory shop manual and owner's manual.  Not sure how to post contact info or if it's allowed.  I'm in Pittsburgh and will post on Craigslist soon.

For Honda bolt, nut, and general parts, the first five digits of the part number are the function and component code. The next five are the bolt or nut dimensions. The next digit is the ISO code and the last number is the chemical surface treatment code. I suspect Honda made a surface treatment change to the bolt; maybe they changed it from zinc to something else and changed it from a flange bolt to a regular hex bolt. 

If you do some cross referencing  with the Honda snowblower shear bolt number 95701-06016-00 you will find that bolt is used on thousands of Honda applications. Everything from Honda automobiles, Honda motorcycles, Honda outboard motors etc. It appears the shear bolt is not a specially treated or tempered bolt at all. It is just an ordinary metric grade 8.8 bolt. By the way, as mentioned in other responses, a metric grade 8.8 is roughly equivalent to a SAE grade 5 bolt. I wouldn't use a metric grade 10.9 or SAE grade 8 bolt as a shear bolt. Its shear strength may be too high for the auger gear box.

I also would not use a SAE grade 2 bolt as some people suggest. These bolts tend to bend and smear instead of shearing off cleanly. Just try to remove a smeared bolt and observe the damage it has done to the mating parts and you'll understand.

You can order the Honda flange bolt from numerous online Honda auto dealers for a lot less than you can from many Honda Powersports dealers.  Hondapartsnow.com sells them for $0.58 each. Locking hex nuts are extremely cheap when bought by the package. Or just buy any hex M6-1.00 x16 grade 8.8 bolt. If you want  it to be a flange bolt however, it may be very hard to find at a local hardware store. Just use a washer. You can also change from metric to SAE. Just use 1/4 - 28 x 5/8. They may be even cheaper.

This is all my two cents worth, based on a lot of research after I got sick of being ripped off when I had to pay $2 for a little bolt that was said to be something "special".  My HS1132TA gets lots of use up here in the mountains around Tahoe and eats up those shear pins left and right. Not a fault of the machine though, my 600' driveway is required by local ordinances to have a 1' x 2' gravel filled trench all around it. Those rocks tend to mysteriously find there way into the auger no matter how hard I try to stay away from the edge. Especially at night. 

By the way, it seems everyone around Lake Tahoe has a Honda snowblower and the local hardware stores sell thousands of ordinary metric 8.8 hex bolts. Guess what they are used for? They also have OEM Honda bolts if you want to pay 5 times as much. 

Thanks Skibum - this is good to know.  Best info on it I've seen.  Haven't had to replace a shearpin yet - but then my gravel drive was well prepared with a hard snow base already laid down when I got the Honda.  Next year it'll probably be different -  first few blows always see lotsa gravel thru the chute. 

Woof,

Would love to see some pictures of your 928TCD.  You are one of the few with the fancy HS928 model. 

Thanks SKIBUM!

I didn't know all that about the HS928 shear pins and it was GREAT info....

My dealer here is ONE BEYOND a GOUGE ARTIST and I want to order a bunch of shear pins for my parts drawer to have some on hand! 

I just bought my blower new this month so I am assuming it is the last number pin or the NEW pin for me!

Having said that I am asking you...

Do you know the HONDA "order part number" for the fancy nilock nut with built in washer flange?

I mean I went and saw & you are exactly right that the shear pin BOLT is a bolt you can readily get from Honda parts places...I'd like to get the "nut" too...

May as well as I am ordering it anyway....so I can order them at the same time!

Thanks for the great info!

BEERZ

Hi guys, I am new to the forum but have been lurking for a while... I have a HS928 shear bolt question as well... I bought a HS928TCD (Canadian model) used and got to use this afternoon for the first time. 2 issues : I broke a bolt on one of the augers. Problem is the bolt that broke is not the one that I think is supposed to shear. If you look at this parts diagram : http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Honda/Snow%20Blower/0/HS928%20WAS%20SNOW%20BLOWER%2C%20JPN%2C%20VIN%23%20SZAS-1100001%20TO%20SZAS-1129999/AUGER/parts.html The bolt that broke is #9. Isn't bolt #13 the one that is supposed to sacrifice itself? Either way, the effect is the same: the auger is now loose and spins freely. I've checked the bolts #13 and they are Grade 8.8 metric bolts, which I think is the proper grade for these. Is it normal for bolt #9 to break? Something leads me to believe that the previous owner changed out the #9 with a random bolt that wasn't necessarily the proper strength. Should the #9 bolt be a softer bolt just like the #13 or can it be a higher grade bolt? I will need to replace it so curious what I need to buy. Also, I broke a track shear pin while trying to dig out the fire hydrant in front of my yard. Is there a non-Honda replacement to those or do I need to buy the Honda pin? Thanks so much guys! Jeff NB, Canada

Thanks - Just still not sure if that "pin" needs to be a stronger steel than the actual shear bolt (#13)? My Honda dealer is far away and if I can get away with it I will replace the "pin" with something else - unless there is a value to having it there...?

nvestr wrote:

One thing to note is that Honda shear bolts are sensitive to overtorque.  It will stretch the bolt and cause premature shearing.  I've done this and was about to get stronger shear bolts so I don't have to replace them so often.  Don't do this.  The shear bolt is held on by a Nyloc type nut.  This prevents the nut from spinning off the bolt.    Just tighten the nut until it is snug up against the plastic block, no more than that.

I don't know of aftermarket shear bolts are made to the same specs as the Honda original parts, they might be.  I just want don't want to experiment and risk an expensive gearbox.  I don't break shear bolts as often now so cost isn't an issue, and when I do break one, it is because I went over something hard, and the shear bolts function as it should. 

I totally agree with AA335. You just can't be "penny wise and pound foolish".  Why take a chance on $5 bolt and damage $500 auger.

aa335 wrote:

Thanks everyone! Great discussion. My #13 shear bolts are 8.8 Metric shear bolts, same size as the Honda OE's. My local Honda dealer doesn't even sell the Honda ones - They sell a generic bolt of the same size labeled CH 8.8 I think. I have ordered the #9 pins from Honda at $7 each. In the interim I will use an 8.8 bolt if any snow falls down before I get them. Thanks for the help!

jrtrebor wrote:
So what exactly is the function of the pins, as opposed to the shear bolts?  Is it just a secondary protection in case the shear bolt doesnt work?  Or what?  7 bux for a pin sounds really excessive.

MN_Runner wrote:
Just to clarify, I don't like spending $5 for a $0.25 bolt any more than anyone else.  However, since I don't snap these bolts that often, I'm not putting my snowblower at risk by trying out other cheaper alternatives that may or may not work as designed.

If I live in Lake Tahoe and witnessed someone used an off the shelf bolt on their Honda snowblower and it sheared as designed, I'll be convinced to use the same.  

jrtrebor wrote:
Are there Nyloc flange nuts?  I've never seen one.  I've seen flange nuts with serrations though.

Good tip on the nylock nut and washer.  I would get the flat washer instead of the split lockwasher.  These are cheaper than a rare nylock flange nuts, which you can't find to reuse after the shear bolts have been broken.

aa335 wrote:

So no one has has brought up the A-2 70 stainless bolt option yet anywhere on the internet that I have found. An A-2 70 stainless is 12 % weaker then then the same 8.8 bolt. This may make some of you who don't seem to want to try the 8.8 vs the OEM Honda bolts. I have not tied these yet. But I have a couple for this up coming winter for my 2011 928.  If you find some stainless A4-80 they a just a hair under 8.8. I bought my A2 70s at Menard's.




http://home.jtan.com/~joe/KIAT/kiat_2.htm

http://www.volksbolts.com/faq/basics.htm

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