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Lever arm dampers - tips to remove cotter pins?
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greenbeam



Joined: 10 Jun 2015
Posts: 85
Location: Adelaide, Australia

PostPosted: Sat Jun 17, 2017 9:01 am    Post subject: Lever arm dampers - tips to remove cotter pins? Reply with quote

Hello all,
I am trying to remove the cotter pins from a set of lever arm dampers (Luvax brand), in order to replace the shaft seals.

The dampers are off the car, I have removed the nut and washers from the cotter pins and soaked the little recess around the top of the cotter pins in penetrating oil for several days, put the nuts back on the cotter pins, set the arm op top of a vice and given the cotter pins a few decent whacks with an engineers hammer. None of them have budged at all.

I am think of applying a propane torch to the arm to see if I can get it to expand slightly and free the cotter pin, but am a little concerned that doing so might affect the innards of the dampers. I'd like to avoid opening up the dampers if I can.

Lastly, I know there is a place in the UK that rebuilds these dampers, but freight to/from Australia will be prohibitive, so if I can just replace the shaft seal and bushes myself, that would be a cost-effective solution.

Any tips for removing 80+ year old cotter pins?
Cheers,
Paul.
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1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series 3
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Sports Saloon
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Coachbuilt Saloon
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petelang



Joined: 21 May 2009
Posts: 442
Location: Nottingham

PostPosted: Sat Jun 17, 2017 10:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I tried in vain and eventually drilled the centres out of them and was then able to drift the remnants out. They have probably been drifted in with some force and deformed in the process making it impossible to get them out again.
Peter
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MikeG



Joined: 16 Sep 2013
Posts: 56
Location: Cheshire/Staffordshire Border

PostPosted: Sun Jun 18, 2017 10:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had problems . I sent them away to find that the aluminium housing was cracked and I had to buy replacments.
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jp928



Joined: 07 Jun 2016
Posts: 249
Location: Australia

PostPosted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 12:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Best penetrating oil I have seen is 50/50 ATF and acetone. Try that for a few days, with maybe light heating. Failing that, drilling sounds like a good solution - IIRC cotter pins are usually soft.
jp 26 Rover 9
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greenbeam



Joined: 10 Jun 2015
Posts: 85
Location: Adelaide, Australia

PostPosted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 12:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm using 'Penetrene', which I think is an Aussie thing. Tip passed on to me by my ol' Grandpa (RIP). Has worked wonders on rusty bolts/nuts so far.

Light heating is probably next, followed by snapping off the threaded end of the cotter pin and using a drift and 'the BIG HAMMER' (also Grandpa's).

I won't get back to this until the weekend, so progress report (or not) after the weekend.

Cheers,
Paul.
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1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series 3
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Sports Saloon
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Coachbuilt Saloon
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PAUL BEAUMONT



Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 1281
Location: Barnsley S. Yorks

PostPosted: Wed Jun 21, 2017 12:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have similar problems with king-pin cotters. The problem is that the threaded part prefers to become a rivet rather than a drift. I tend to try to get this to break off, then attack the rest much as you have done with a stout punch and a heavy hammer
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greenbeam



Joined: 10 Jun 2015
Posts: 85
Location: Adelaide, Australia

PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 1:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

OK, so a week or two of soaking in Penetrene, snapped the threaded part of the cotter pin off, and have applied propane heat to the crank arm, and used a club hammer and drift, all to no avail.

I can't believe how tight a 7/16" cotter pin is in this thing. I suppose it's been there for 80 years, but it doesn't look corroded.

My next step is a press. After that I'm going to drill down the centre and try to break the cotter pin into pieces. Standby for updates...
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1963 Sunbeam Alpine Series 3
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Sports Saloon
1935 Armstrong Siddeley 17HP Coachbuilt Saloon
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