All good advice, except that I feel pretty strongly at this point that what I really need the press for is to *insert* the pin properly. I don't have much trouble getting pins out, but I have one heck of a time getting them back in fully...I've had two cranks come loose on me now because I didn't properly set the pin on reassembly.
Charles
-------Original Message-------
From: henox <henox@icycle.net>
Sent: 08/22/03 05:33 AM
To: chasds@mindspring.com
Subject: Re: [CR]WTB or trade: good quality cotter-pin press
>
>
Subject: [CR]WTB or trade: good quality cotter-pin press
> Before I spend 80 bucks on a new cotter-pin press, I thought I'd ask the
list if anyone here has one they'd be willing to part with, VAR or
similar,
for cash or trade. Used, even battered is ok, as long as it still works
as
intended...I'd also trade something interesting for it, but I need one, so
hopefully cash works too.
Gratitious, heretical, and unsolicited comment follows....be ready to delete......
I worked at bike shops starting in the early '60's when there were LOTS of bikes using cottered cranks. I had available a VAR cotter pin press, a very expensive and fine (but unknown brand) press from Italy, and later a Park cotter pin press. I used all of these a LOT!
Almost any of these tools would occasionally smoosh (technical term) over the threaded ends of the cotters basically destroying them.
What I found MUCH better (and here comes the heresy) was to use a hammer with a brass drift (an automotive drift about 3/4" diameter by about 8" length). You put the brass drift against the hammer and then smack on the other end of the brass drift. You've seen a pool cue ball impart its kinetic energy into another ball and the cue ball then just stops. Well, its like that. No need to go into the physics of it, conservation of energy, etc etc.
Yeah, I used to hear "YOU MUST SUPPORT THE CRANK OR YOU WILL DAMAGE THE BEARINGS"!!!!!! I never saw any damaged bearings or damaged cups and I worked on the same customers bikes over and over again, year after year.
A couple of other equally unsolicited comments:
Use the right size cotter pins! They come in 1/2mm increments.
Do a trial fit with a mini smack to mark where the spindle and cotter pin "interface". You don't want a point contact and you will likely need to file the cotter so that it contacts over a maximum amount of surface area.
After finally "setting" a cotter pin (maxi smack), use a thread locking compound on the cotter pin nut.
So, I'd shine on the cotter pin press.
That's all - OK to delete now!
Hugh Enox