# Toro Power Max 724 OE Augur driven into Gear box?



## msully (Jan 17, 2019)

Hi Folks - 

Snow Blower: Toro Power Max 724 OE

At the end of last winter I broke a shear pin (or a 'not a shear pin' if you believe Toro's advertising) after hitting a chunk of concrete. Regardless the 'might not be a shear pin' sheared off and that side of the augur stopped spinning. I ordered some replacements and since mother nature didn't see fit to send any more snow that season, I let it all sit until this winter like a good little procrastinator. 

I went to replace the shear pin and at first it looked like the remains of the old one was stuck in there. After not being able to bang out the old one (and trying again with heat and WD 40) I took a better look. The 'good' augur paddle has a couple of millimeters of visible access between augur paddle and gear box. The 'bad' one has none. Likewise there is about twice as much visible axle on the outside of the bad augur as the good. So I was probably banging axle. Yikes.

Also, I removed the shear pin from the good paddle and realized that paddle will not spin freely over the axle. Shouldn't it be able to? Neither paddle spins freely actually, and when I try to turn one with no shear pins both paddles move a bit, indicating something is still holding them to the axle.

Unless this sounds like a common, easily fixable issue I'm going to try to get it serviced and shovel the next couple of snow storms as penance until I get it back.

Thanks for any advice!
Mike


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## 1132le (Feb 23, 2017)

This is why i said in another thread its silly to not have shear pins that can take the hit
yada yada toros don't need shear pins they are so stout

until they do then you are shoveling so silly
toro without shear pins equals don't buy


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## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

What's probably holding the auger rakes to the shaft is rust.

Part of my routine maintenance each year is to remove and inspect shear bolts/pins. I usually find one of both somewhat bent from the struggles over the winter. I replace them. While they are out, I spin the rakes to make sure they are free to move. My machine has a grease fitting on each half of the rakes so I pump in low temperature grease until it starts to ooze out someplace else. Then, spin the rakes again to distribute that new grease around the inner drive shaft. When you put the shear bolts back in, grease them too so that if they do break, they come out easier than they would if all rusted in.

When your reinstall your shear bolts, do NOT overtighten them, Some are designed that you cannot really over tighten them as they are equipped with a larger hole on one side of the rake, and the bolt has a thick washer that fits into that hole and actually makes contact with the inner drive shaft. Some others do not have that item and tightening them too much can pinch the hollow rake shaft tight against the inner drive shaft, and prevent the shear bolt from doing it's thing. 

Shear bolts usually have either a nylock nut or a compression nut that locks onto the bolt. Just tighten them enough that you can still spin the bolt in the hole.

Another good rule to live by is if you break something fix it as soon as its warm enough to do it, don't leave stuff until spring, because spring becomes summer, then fall, then winter. Rust waits for nobody...


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## 351beno (Oct 12, 2017)

Don't listen to the hate. You can always get a weaker bolt if you want them to shear easier. Toro uses common size grade 5 bolts so its no problem to find at the hardware store. Just make sure once a year you take the bolts out spray some wd thru the hole give them a spin. That way you wont have the rusted auger problem that any machine can have if not maintained. As a side note grease the rims on the axles also that's another spot people over look that can cost time and money in the future.


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## msully (Jan 17, 2019)

Turns out that the Augur paddles were rusted so tightly to the axle that they worked without shearpins! But by the end, one of them had loosened up, so now that we've got a 50 degree tomorrow I'll go back out and try to knock out the broken pin and replace it.


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## KennyW in CT (Feb 24, 2015)

Do NOT use Grade 5 or Grade 8 standard hex head bolts/screws as shear pins. The factories turn grooves in the Grade 5 and Grade 8 bolts in precise locations relative to the diameter of the auger shaft so that they line up correctly and will shear under the right overloading conditions. A standard bolt/screw without these grooves will surely mess up your bronze auger gearbox gears. In a pinch, Grade 2 bolts (no markings on head) with nylok nuts work just fine without any grooves in them. And don't tighten snug, let them float.


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## 132619 (Nov 20, 2018)

KennyW in CT said:


> Do NOT use Grade 5 or Grade 8 standard hex head bolts/screws as shear pins. The factories turn grooves in the Grade 5 and Grade 8 bolts in precise locations relative to the diameter of the auger shaft so that they line up correctly and will shear under the right overloading conditions. A standard bolt/screw without these grooves will surely mess up your bronze auger gearbox gears. In a pinch, Grade 2 bolts (no markings on head) with nylok nuts work just fine without any grooves in them. And don't tighten snug, let them float.


sorry kenny
toro does not use that type of bolt! they use a normal grade 5 everyday bolt for the auger,impeller "as attached which is a real toro bolt " and a grade 8 on the wheel to axle if not a hard snap clip ring it is very rare to find one broken off as the belt normally fails or slips before something else does 

biggest issue is as the op found RUST! and hitting something very hard


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## KennyW in CT (Feb 24, 2015)

All I am saying is that grade 2 will definitely shear if an obstruction is encountered. I do see the marks on the head as I have some genuine Toro shear bolts but with all the stuff coming out of China is it really grade 5, or really steel for that matter? We got in trouble here at work one time when one of our hardware suppliers sent us in Korean substitute grade 8 bolts with all the markings and they failed in the field under normal loading. They were weaker than grade 5 when all the testing was done. Not trying to cause waves, just from my experience and not wanting a call back from a customer with shredded auger gears. Thanks for the clarification.


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## 132619 (Nov 20, 2018)

agree with you on whats coming from china and korea, JUNK. being a toro/exmark dealer, all i use, even though i can buy close to the same, is OEM parts which have never let me or my customers down .


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## Dave L (Jan 18, 2020)

Do the shear pins align with each other? I have a Toro 724 and one is sheared off and I always have trouble seeing the sheared off pin to tap it out. Do they align in the same position on the axle as the pin on the opposite side? 
Or if I have the sheared pin alligned to the same position as the good pin on the opposite side and I same to put in a punch and pound aware to tap out the sheared pin?


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## captainmorgan018 (Dec 17, 2020)

After reading all these posts I am still confused. When my Toro 724 is sitting both augers turn, but when I try to clear snow one side stops turning. Do they have shear pins or not?


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## 140278 (Aug 27, 2020)

welcome to the SBF captianmorgan018 

toro uses a grade 5 bolt in place of brass shear pins ,but they do still break or shear off, causing the same issues in removing and realigning the holes
some models used a bolt spacer nut arrangement some like yours just a bolt and locking nut,


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