Help..Shear Pin..Minnkota Trolling motor 1/8th stock

Snapped the shear pin this morning. Then, I fished for five hours using my push pole and a kayak paddle in the wind. Not much fun. But, we did turn in a five-fish stringer, in spite of mostly getting blown all over.

Now i need to replace the 1/8th stock shear pin. I've tried three boat dealers; one hardware store; and two small engine repair shops in this small TN town.
No one has ANY shear pins?????

One shop did sell me a roll pin. Even this old codger knows that the roll pin won't
snap as easily as a shear pin.

Does anyone have a spare or two? Length is about 1 1/4 inches but a bit shorter or longer won't matter.

Thanks, richg99

A welder, on another fishing site, has already promised to mail me some aluminum TIG 1/8-th stock for my needs.

Looks like my problem is solved. thanks.. richg99

Not clear if this happened on the TM or OB. IF the TM is a MK, WM has shear pins, at least the local one does in the boating section.

Thanks TNt. It was the trolling motor. I will check that out. richg99

Our WM has them also

Just checked...my local Crossville TN WMT store doesn't carry the parts, but the next closest store (Rockwood) does.

Just think....I checked three boat /dealers/repair locations; two small engine repair shops and one hardware store..... None had ANY shear pins. But, Walmart does!!!

richg99

richg99 said:

Just checked...my local Crossville TN WMT store doesn't carry the parts, but the next closest store (Rockwood) does.

Just think....I checked three boat /dealers/repair locations; two small engine repair shops and one hardware store..... None had ANY shear pins. But, Walmart does!!!

richg99

Click to expand...

If you need parts in the future fish307. Com has everything minnkota related

Fishfreek said:

Our WM has them also

Click to expand...

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Metal shop. Ask for some stainless rod and cut your own

I bought a prop took the pin out of the package and returned the prop.

Would have bought the prop if they had the right one I needed for a spare. O well, new pin got me back on the water and all is smooth. All I have to do now is find time to get it wet.

Rich, if you can't find what you need my local ACE hardware has 18 different sizes I looked at them today. Just let me know and you will a couple in the mail.

Thanks, I've got some coming in the mail. My local ACE hardware said the same thing, but what they actually had were rolled pins. No way they were going to break when they should break.

I've learned a lot in the last few days reading up on shear pins. It seems that that the ideal shear pin (especially if used in salt water) is brass. But, not just any brass. Hardened brass. Many shear pins also have small grooves cut at exactly the width of the drive shaft of the TM ( or whatever power tool was using the pin).

On the two sites on which I posted the query, many guys said "just use a nail" or other piece of metal. Heck, if a shear pin doesn't break when it should, you can damage the shaft; the motor; and gears involved. The whole idea of a SHEAR pin is that it will SHEAR.

Sounds like you have a much better ACE hardware than they do in this little town.

regards, and thanks very much for the offer. richg99

Our ACE has a better boating and fishing section than most tackle stores. All the shear pins they had were Minn Kota replacements and a dozen different replacement props. They definitely stock this one to meet the needs of the locals.

Funny story, one time I busted a shear pin on my little 2 horse Evinrude, I was about 4 miles away from where I needed to be and had no spares, so I used my leatherman pliers to cut the shanks of 2 big offset bait hooks to the correct length and used those for the trip back! Worked!

Bass Pro shops has all the shear pins you need if you have one close by.

Thanks. Just went fishing for the first time since this happened.

With a "new to me" trolling motor. A guy in my local club had a 55 lb MK All Terrain that he no longer needed. I bought it since the shear pin is Still corroded in place. After two or three hours of drilling, pounding and exasperation... I decided that I might have to take the TM in . That will take a week or two...and...two 3 hour round trips.

This way I can fish and deal with the problem at my leisure. Great price. I installed it yesterday and just got off the water an hour ago. richg99

we pulled a nail out of a piling one night while cat fishing the james when the shear pin broke on the outboard. trimmed it down and away we went. it actually lasted a long time.

lovedr79 said:

we pulled a nail out of a piling one night while cat fishing the james when the shear pin broke on the outboard. trimmed it down and away we went. it actually lasted a long time.

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a nail will last, that's not the point

the point of a shear pin is it is made of metal soft enough so that it will break before damage is done to the motor.

that's why a actual shear pin designed for the motor is needed, not just some oddball rod that will fit the hole

of course you can use that in an emergency but replace it with the proper one asap

^^^^ why forums are a BAD place for technical information!!!


Nail for a shear pin [-X


In a pinch you could probably use the aluminum mandrel from a pop rivet

when you are on a tidal river a long way from home you do what you have to do. my buddy ran that nail for several years with the nail in it. he hit something and guess what it sheared....... worked just like a shear pin. my roto tiller uses shear pins on the tine sets, they are about $12 for 2. i use regular old steel rod with cotter pins on each end, guess what they shear like they are supposed to. living on a mountain with very rocky soil i wasnt about to spend that much on "shear" pins.