Sheer pin

So, for some dumb reason I thought changing my prop in the water was a good idea today and the sheer pin disapeared. Where can I pick up another one (I think it was brass) and how much should I expect to pay. 94 MC PS 205

Do you mean cotter pin?

he means sheer pin... try you local dlr -- they have had them before...

your local dealer or a prop dealer/repair shop will have them I keep a spare Sheer pin (key), nut and cotter pin. I think about $2-$5 at the most should cover it.

I've never seen a shear pin on an inboard. They have a 1/4" square key, nut, and cotter pin. Key, and nut should be brass. I just bought a nut and it was $7.50, Cotter pins should be stainless and cost about a $1.00, my prop repair shop gave me a new key after repairing my prop.

Well here is a cotter pin:


now can someone explain to me what a sheer pin is? The cotter pin is 79 cents at Ace Hardware.

my fault, it's the key, it's in the water

a sheer pin is on the shaft between the prop and the shaft, brass and just a little under half the size of a pencil.
It is ment to sheer (brass) in extreme case of prop vs shaft vs trans vs motor.

almost like a dowel.

Kenny - I don't want to argue but the 1/4" square brass in the prop and shaft is a "key" it will not shear before major damage to the prop and drive. Older Outboards and I/O's have a shear pin -it is a small round dowel shape the goes completely throuh the prop and shaft. I believe most newer I/O's and outboards have swithced to rubber couplers. The brass key is to prevent any possibity of the prop spinning on the shaft. Brass is used to prevent corrosion between the shaft, key, and prop.

And the brass in the prop, key, and nut will also break/warp under trauma in order to keep the tranny/engine from being dammaged. Coorosion resistance is a secondary charachteristic of them being brass. Otherwise it would all be stainless steel becasue stainless would be stronger.

I was replacing a shaft, strut, and prop on a Centurion Enzo with an 8.1 in it a few weeks ago and the Key was sheered right in two at the coupler end of the shaft, thats a lot of torque.

george you are probably correct about I/O's since I don't know much about them, but the key is also a sheer pin (or atleast I 've heard many people call it that also)cause my wife hit an underwater concrete block (don't know where it came from)and along with tearing up the prop it sheer the pin/key leaving no damage to anything else.

So I am not trying to argue, just trying to help if I can.

I always thought its a sheer pin also but it makes since about the prop spin also.