Cotter pin removal. Any tips?

[Westfailure]

My 8 year old has a mid 80's Raleigh Boxer. The bottom bracket has now become knackered and the first phase in trying tomsort this is removal of the crank arms.

My first experience of dealing with Raleigh cotter pins. Tried the hammer time solution but that's just mashed up the thread.

Anyone got any secret solution or mind blowing tip in getting these out?

Thanks

Mark

 

[sylus]

have you tried heat things up to loosen it a bit? something like a blow torch but watch the paint

 

[gerryattrick]

Whenever I get a particularly difficult cotter pin to release I use a vice.

Get a large nut, that's wide enough for the unthreaded end of the pin to fit through loosely, and deeper than the length of the unthreaded end. Fit this loosely over the unthreaded end, get someone to hold the frame steady and close the vice over the cotter pin, crank and nut so that the pressure pushes the cotter pin through.

Obviously if the cotter pin is too badly bent you're in trouble and this method may not work. Next stage is to take it to your LBS.

good luck

 

[Koupe]

^^^ This, it worked on a Raleigh 20 that had sat in a garden for 10 years . I used a short length of copper pipe instead of a nut, but exactly the same principle.

 

[Westfailure]

Many thanks fellas. I will give it a try tomorrow.

Mark.

 

[jamabikes]

the great sheldon recommends using a length of copper tube to support the underside of the crank, and a bolt loosely on the thread. then wail on it with a hammer.

 

[captaincosmic]

We used a blowtorch in the bike shop I worked in and then a hammer the owners dad then in his seventies used to encourage us by telling us that we were as thick as fcuking pigshit as he was all charm and such a lovely old boy mind you if you were christened Noel I guess it would harden you up

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Thread revival! Thanks all, I'll have a go at these. I like the nut and vice method. I will have a go later.

 

[velomaniac]

There is a bit of utube vid on the vice method.

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

Just reporting back. The vice put that much pressure on the pin that it buckled. The threads all compressed! It still let go in the end though.

Genius method!