Stainless Tohatsu Shear Pins--finally!

Jeff Reardon

Jeff Reardon

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So updating this thread. It seems to be every year in early November I start having shear pin problems on my little 3.5 HP Tohatsu. The brass shear pins literally break if you shift from neutral into gear at any speed over the lowest idle.

I think the reason I find this problem every November is that as it gets colder, it gets harder to have the motor run on a low idle, especially when first starting up on cold mornings. So I run it a little high, shift into gear, and break the pin.

Anyway, after years of searching, I have finally found a source for the stainless shear pins. (In the past, I've ordered pins that were labeled as stainless, only to have brass ones arrive at my door.)

They are sold as "stainless dowel pins". A package of 10 just arrived, and seems to fit perfectly. I'll try running the motor with one this weekend.

For anyone else who is continually breaking brass, they are here:

http://www.grainger.com/product/RICHARD-MANNO-CO-Dowel-Pin-1TY64?s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/1NE84_AW99?$smthumb$

I suppose the downside of this is that if I hit a rock, I may break my plastic prop instead of having the pin break. I can live with that--and anyway my understanding is that Tohatsu now ships a stainless pin standard with these motors.

By the way, if anyone wants one to try, I have 10. I'll keep a few spares, but don't need the whole box, so give me a shout.
 
Jeff -
Keep us posted. I've always just cut pieces from a brass "dowel" but I swear if you look at my prop wrong they break. Changing a pin on the river in 0* weather sucks....
 
Jeff,
Thanks for posting this. I have been considering one of these motors. I have a horse and a half that I am using but in one case I need a motor with controls on the tiller so I can run an extension. I am toying around with other option on the 1.5 but if I can't figure it out I may be upgrading so this is helpful.
 
Brandon, FYI, mine is an older 2 stroke, and the controls are not on the tiller. I don't know whether the newer motors still use the brass shear pin/plastic propeller combo that I have.
 


Now I have a several lifetime supply--unless they break like the brass, which seems unlikely. I considered just cutting a nail, but I hunt the salt enough I really wanted stainless.
 
Brandon:

Found this on the web from Tohatsu:

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[/url]I have a Tohatsu 2.5hp (or 3.5hp) outboard. What size shear pin do I need to use?
For the 2-stroke models and 4-stroke 2, 2.5 and 3.5, any 5/32" x 1" (4mm x 24mm) shear pin will work just fine. There are two types of shear pins available; brass and stainless steel. Brass shear pins are available through aftermarket companies and will "give" if you strike an underwater object. However, brass shear pins may also break more easily if shifting or accelerating too quickly. Stainless steel shear pins are much harder than brass shear pins and won't "give" if striking an object which could cause damage to the prop. However, stainless steel shear pins won't break as easily as brass shear pins when accelerating quickly or when shifting gears. Stainless steel shear pins are standard with new motors, along with the resin prop.
 
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