Spring pins - argh!

[bobfeather]

buy yourself a set of pin punches ( cheap ) they are made to be the exact size of the hole use too small a punch & it usually ends up going in the hole in the middle
bob

A recent repair job that caused me to drop my oil pan introduced me to the world of spring pins. I had to undo the propeller shaft to get the oil pan off.

Much of the headache with said shaft were the three spring pins that needed to be tapped out and back in again when removing / reinstalling. It does not help that I did not have the right tool for the job. I ended up using the combination of a large punch and a hex key.

I replaced one of the pins because it had come damaged with my effort to remove it.

I reused the other two. One went in fine. I am having a HECK of a time getting the last one - which holds one end of the propeller shaft cover in place. The other end (front axle end) is held in place with a bolt which secures the cover to the oil pan.

I suspect that the pin that is giving me a grief (driven in half way) was probably damaged - one of its ends might be flared - which is why it giving me trouble coming out the other side.

Thought I'd ask those of you who have been around equipment how you deal with spring pins:

- What do you use to tap them out?
- Do you re-use them or buy new?
- Any other general tips for tapping them out and re-installing them?

For the one that I can't get in, I'm going to invest my efforts in getting it out now and picking up a new one when the dealer opens tomorrow.

 

[Scooby074]

I use Roll pin punches like these. They have a "bump" on the face to help keep the punch centered

PPR10, Punch, Roll Pin, 5/16" point, 6 1/8"

You can reuse a roll pin if its in good condition, I would for something non critical. Ensure that you can pass your punch through the hole to be certain everything is aligned. Slightly chamfering the pin will help in assembly.

 

[canoetrpr]

I picked up some cheap pin punches at Princess Auto - our local version of Harbor Freight. One fit perfectly and drove the pin out far enough. I'll probably keep an eye out for another set as it wasn't long enough for this stubborn pin. I was able to coax it out with a pair of pliers.

It took me a while but I figured out why I had the problem in the first place. I'm not used to how much muscling around equipment requires and I didn't quite apply enough pressure to ensure that the shaft cover was seated properly. I had pushed it as far as I thought it could go but there was that extra half an inch that it needed to be muscled in. Now I'm fairly confident that my next pin will drive through just fine.

 

[banjodunn]

G'daa spot on the money RickB always use a starter drift the hardest part of removing roll pins is the initial movement then a good quality pin punch (Cheap ones will work a couple of times but in the end you will wish you had spent the money ) if you want to reuse the pin again thats usually ok provided there is no damage to the pin obviously I have reused them more than once with no probs

 

[firemanpat2910]

when driving out pins I always try and make the first hit a good hard one, tapping only flairs it out and makes it harder to move get a good punch of the correct size and smack it like it owes you money!

 

[Donman]

You should have picked up a set of these Harbor Freight Tools
while you were there. I got a set a while back for centering a series of holes that I needed to drill in a project. They also work super sweet for removing roll pins.

 

[canoetrpr]

Wow! That's a heck of a deal. Wish we had a harbor freight up here.

 

[Scooby074]

Canoe, Busy bee got em on for $11.48. I got a PAuto set, and use them a fair bit. ITs one of those things you didn't realize you would use till you have them.

Busy Bee Tools Product Detail

PAuto gets them on sale once and a while for 8.00. Reg 17.00. Item 2924785

 

[Sackett2]

To help on installing them, I have a 1-1.5 inch piece of tubing around the end of the punch, slide the pin into the overhanging tubing; this holds the pin in place and makes it easier to drive in.