Cotterpin Removal....

Cotterpins....hmmmm..don't you just love them....You will usually find they are stuck in the chainset due to thirty years of abuse , here you will find a step by step on how to get the stubborn blighters out....

Firstly spray the area vigorously with maintenance oil to lube it up..A vice is also a must.

Next line up the frame so the vice can clamp the protruding cotter pin ( that's probably bashed near flat from hammering away and getting nowhere !! ) and a sufficient size socket over the other side to allow the pin to push through...

A more close up shot...see socket on left covering the cotter pin allowing it under pressure to push through the left hand side.

A birds eye view of the action , should be nice and tight in the vice allowing you to freely move the frame side to side without affecting movement of the chainset in the vice.

Now tighten up the vice slowly , allowing the pressure to do the hard work , pushing the jammed cotter pin through the socket.

Once the cotter pin has had enough pressure the cotterpin will easily push through and the bearings can be saved and the frame can now be put to one side.

Now the chainset is out of the way , catch all the ball bearings and you can now free the axle.

Now this cotterpin had been hammered near flat and would either have to be drilled out or improvised with the method shown...a socket on one side to allow the pin to push through and the other offending cotterpin ( which couldn't be re-used ) was jammed in the other side to push it through. ( might need two sets of hands for this one.. )

After tightening the vice the pin should push through quite easy after applying enough pressure.

Two cotterpins now free......and no need to hammer them for hours on end and getting nowhere!........

Click Yoda to go to Make kickstand removal tool