I swear, these cotter pins are just out to get me... any thoughts/comments/ideas on how to get these little devils out? I've PB blasted everything down there... but they're still really trying my patience...

Thanks y'all,
Santi

Get a big set of plairs, straighten the "legs" outm hold on to the legs with plairs, tap with hammer, and they should start to work out. After they start coming out just grab the "head" and pull. They can be a real PITA!!!!

Iluvmud,

'Preciate it! Its all really rusty down there, but I got done with them a few hours ago... my pop showed me the trick on one, and then I finished the other...

The trick, like you said, is not only to obviously straighten them out... but you need to hold them (both ends) as close as you can to the castle nut, and then tap with a hammer, or they will always bend and stay "stuck" everytime you try to tap them out!


Thanks again, and to anyone else in the future who gets seriously stuck like I did, I hope this post helps!
Santi

If they are just too buggered to pull easily, they are fairly soft metal and can be hacksawed through pretty easily. Cut off the legs, not the looped head, and then you can drive them out from the cut off side with a small punch... and pull them the rest of the way out with pliers.

Randii

I've also stuck a nail in the looped end and then could use the nail to better pull the bugger out.
After straightening it first.

I know your finished but the easiest way I found was to take some strong needle nose pilars and put them through the loup of the cotter pin. Then holding the pilars up and down HIT the side of the pliars with a hammer. Works very quickly but it is a little hard on the pliars.

Kevin

COTTER PINS COTTER PINS, I found the easiest way for me to remove them is to FIRST straighten out the legs, then grab the looped end with a pair of side cuts(like electricians use)I believe some people call them dikes. Sqeeze the loop like you are going to cut them in half, but SQUEEZE just enough to hold the loop, and use the nose of the pair of side cuts as leverage(squeeze and pry) the cotter pin will pull part way out. Release and BITE pin again and repeat process until pin comes out(SQUEEZE TO HARD AND YOU MIGHT CUT COTTER PIN IN HALF) HAVE FUN