I have a 1952 bike with cotters. When I replaced the cotters several years ago I had to hammer them out with a drift, not doing the BB any good. Just noticed one crank is slightly offset because I had great difficulty getting a pin with the correct chamfer. It had taken the angle grinder to it. Just ordered 2 pins with almost a full chamfer and saw your video. I have the same ball joint remover (well used) and will use this now. Thanks.
The dimple position of the dimple is very important. I copied the position of yours diligently, but the side with the dimple fouled the lock nut on the non-drive left side, so I made another dimple much closer to the edge, and that worked fine. I did up the 3/4" AF bolt quite tightly, but the cotter pin wasn't budging, so I wolluped it with a 2 pound hammer, and out it came. I dread to think of the battle I would have had without this tool and its correctly positioned dimple.
I got a Twenty a couple months ago. It has a 1980 hub date. Looks low miles, but has been stored in a grotty garage. I dripped some engine oil in the cranks, then refitted the cotter nuts. Left it for a week or 2. I had a brainwave of using a G clamp to push the cotter pins out. With a big nut over the plain end of the cotter, to allow it to move. I got the non drive side cotter pin out. The drive side pin. Not moving, surely after turning the handle so many times. I looked at the G clamp, it snapped in 2. I thought, well its a 2" clamp, maybe a 3" clamp is stronger. Not really. It bent into a pretzl shape. I'll see if the ball joint splitter works
Thanks so much for sharing RD , I have been looking for a simple tool for a long time to tackle cotter pins. That's the one at last . One specialised park tool sold for over £50 upon bidding as there were so much interest in that .
To protect the thread on the pin....just slacken the nut about 1/8''' and proceed! No need to be drilling the ball splitter jaw. If the pin doesn't entirely release, but moves that 1/8'', then simply slacken the nut incrementally until the pin does loosen enough to pull it out. Sometimes the pins need to be pushed all the way out; just cover the threaded end with a nut a tad smaller than the pin and push on that, again with the splitter. Never resort to hammers on any shaft running on bearings.
Followed your advice and purchased the car ball joint splitter and applied it to 3 1970's shoppers, using my own advice on how to use it. Total success, no damaged threads. Just came over the Pennines to Bury to collect 7 bicycles bought off ebay. Pick of that crop is a mint 1978 Raleigh 'Shopper', plus BSA and Triumph versions, a later U-framed '20', 2 Dawes KP-18'S and a Raleigh kiddies bike not unlike a scaled down 'Twenty'. All in very good condition. One of the KP-18's has already been sacrificed, giving me most of what I need to build my next project, a mono wheeled trailer. So the new tool came just in time to work on all of my bikes; thanks for the tip. I didn't have to modify it in any way, yet perfect for the job....a sound investment.
I use the same tool! Before it was a large G Clamp with a socket spanner attachment cupping the end that needs to come out, ended up bending the G Clamp on a Raleigh Traveller crank. There’s a guy in America that makes a reproduction on a Cotter Pin Press but they are around $70 if I remember right.
I didn’t have much problem removing old pins but after installing new ones I run into the problem of arms not being 100% opposite to each other. I’ve ordered more than 10 pins and I guess will have to try again. Any tips regarding alignment? Any help appreciated. My bike is old 80’s Raleigh 3 speed similar to Chiltern.
Try directional juxtaposing first - In from the other side of the crank arm. Then different pins as they are not always the same size to a "T". Last resort different left crank.
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I have a 1952 bike with cotters. When I replaced the cotters several years ago I had to hammer them out with a drift, not doing the BB any good. Just noticed one crank is slightly offset because I had great difficulty getting a pin with the correct chamfer. It had taken the angle grinder to it. Just ordered 2 pins with almost a full chamfer and saw your video. I have the same ball joint remover (well used) and will use this now. Thanks.
The dimple position of the dimple is very important. I copied the position of yours diligently, but the side with the dimple fouled the lock nut on the non-drive left side, so I made another dimple much closer to the edge, and that worked fine. I did up the 3/4" AF bolt quite tightly, but the cotter pin wasn't budging, so I wolluped it with a 2 pound hammer, and out it came. I dread to think of the battle I would have had without this tool and its correctly positioned dimple.
I got a Twenty a couple months ago. It has a 1980 hub date. Looks low miles, but has been stored in a grotty garage. I dripped some engine oil in the cranks, then refitted the cotter nuts. Left it for a week or 2. I had a brainwave of using a G clamp to push the cotter pins out. With a big nut over the plain end of the cotter, to allow it to move. I got the non drive side cotter pin out. The drive side pin. Not moving, surely after turning the handle so many times. I looked at the G clamp, it snapped in 2. I thought, well its a 2" clamp, maybe a 3" clamp is stronger. Not really. It bent into a pretzl shape. I'll see if the ball joint splitter works
Thanks so much for sharing RD , I have been looking for a simple tool for a long time to tackle cotter pins. That's the one at last . One specialised park tool sold for over £50 upon bidding as there were so much interest in that .
To protect the thread on the pin....just slacken the nut about 1/8''' and proceed!
No need to be drilling the ball splitter jaw.
If the pin doesn't entirely release, but moves that 1/8'', then simply slacken the nut incrementally until the pin does loosen enough to pull it out.
Sometimes the pins need to be pushed all the way out; just cover the threaded end with a nut a tad smaller than the pin and push on that, again with the splitter.
Never resort to hammers on any shaft running on bearings.
Followed your advice and purchased the car ball joint splitter and applied it to 3 1970's shoppers, using my own advice on how to use it. Total success, no damaged threads. Just came over the Pennines to Bury to collect 7 bicycles bought off ebay. Pick of that crop is a mint 1978 Raleigh 'Shopper', plus BSA and Triumph versions, a later U-framed '20', 2 Dawes KP-18'S and a Raleigh kiddies bike not unlike a scaled down 'Twenty'.
All in very good condition. One of the KP-18's has already been sacrificed, giving me most of what I need to build my next project, a mono wheeled trailer.
So the new tool came just in time to work on all of my bikes; thanks for the tip. I didn't have to modify it in any way, yet perfect for the job....a sound investment.
Wow - I have this tool already. I don’t think the modification will invalidate it’s intended use at all. Thanks for the tip!
I’m trying to remove my Humber crank today ,watching this handy video with the car ball joint splitter.
Thanks for this! I think I can pick one of these up at the local tool store fairly cheap tomorrow and have the pin out the same day.
Just what I have been looking for. Thank you.
Absolutely wonderful tool!
Hi Rowan, I don't know if you monitor these old blogs, but thank you. I just purchased one of these for 17 quid, posted to Canada.
Every comment gives me a notification, so i try never to miss one. Well done!
Simply brilliant!
I use the same tool! Before it was a large G Clamp with a socket spanner attachment cupping the end that needs to come out, ended up bending the G Clamp on a Raleigh Traveller crank. There’s a guy in America that makes a reproduction on a Cotter Pin Press but they are around $70 if I remember right.
That’s the Bikesmith tool, which is really excellent.
Very helpful I'm gonna go online and get one
thank you I will give this a try
Pedahe kok apik apik boooss kuu,,, keren abis.. Jooos.. Sukses..
I didn’t have much problem removing old pins but after installing new ones I run into the problem of arms not being 100% opposite to each other. I’ve ordered more than 10 pins and I guess will have to try again. Any tips regarding alignment? Any help appreciated. My bike is old 80’s Raleigh 3 speed similar to Chiltern.
Try directional juxtaposing first - In from the other side of the crank arm. Then different pins as they are not always the same size to a "T". Last resort different left crank.