TNDave

I'm restoring a 1974 Lady Sports for my wife and I have everything I need..... EXCEPT when I went to douse the cotter pins on the crank arms with penetrating oil in preperation for removing them this weekend I found that I was missing the Raleigh R nut on one of the pins. I have looked online and can't find them anywhere, and I understand they are a 26tpi thread that is pretty much impossible to find.

Has anyone had any luck finding these anywhere? I would like to keep as much original as possible, but if I have to order new cotter pins that is not the end of the world.....

Thanks!

lostarchitect 

If you have to order new pins, I get them here: https://bikesmithdesign.com/CotterPress/cotters.html

Hope you can find a matching one, though.

Grand Bois

They're not cotter pins. They're cotters. (Unless you live in the UK)

marley mission

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Rale...#ht_1121wt_952

3alarmer 

They show up on and off at the bike coop,
where I work a shift as mechanic tomorrow.

I'll check and let you know what I find, but
honestly speaking, I'm not doing you any favors
enabling your OCD.

gmt13

Wow, 35 bucks for a set of cotters and nuts - crazy. I understand the desire to keep things original; however it is not uncommon for Sports to have replacement cotters with generic nuts so you would not be that far from original. I think that I may have a couple of R-nuts that I may be tempted to trade for other Sports stuff.

26 tpi cotters can be bought here: https://harmonywaterrestoration.com/cotterPin_pg.html


-G

TNDave

Thanks for the link - I may order a couple tomorrow to have just in case.

TNDave

Ha! I find that the older I get the more OCD I get! I appreciate you checking and enabling my OCD!!!!

TNDave

Thanks for the link - I had not run into that site yet in my searching. If you have any to trade drop me an email or PM - I am just getting started in this hobby (and it has a FIRM grip on me) and don't have a lot to trade (YET!). But hopefully we could work something out. Thanks!

lostarchitect 

Eh, whatever. That's like those gun nuts who flip anytime someone calls a magazine a "clip." Yes, it's not the right term. No, it doesn't really matter.

TNDave

Well I have spent the ENTIRE day hammering, drilling, torching, cussing, hammering some more, drilled some more, torched some more. Sawed, broken 4 bits, dulled 5 bits, gone through who knows how much cutting oil, and the STUPID COTTER IS STILL FROZEN SOLID!!!

The first cotter almost fell out with the lightest tap and I thought "this will be easy" - BOY was I wrong! The other one is frozen hard and I am starting to think I will never get it out. Finally gave up for the day and am going to buy some new high-speed drill bits tomorrow to try again.

So based on the results of today I won't need that R nut anymore, as the frozen cotter is basically destroyed.

Fenway

That's why the BikeSmith cotter press is worth its weight in gold. Be sure to order one with the new cotters and save yourself endless grief.

gmt13

Welcome to the club. I have found that my bench vise is the most effective tool. Find a socket that fits over the head of the cotter (away from the threaded part). Do what you can to arrange to clamp cotter and socket in the jaws and then tighten. Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mybfNsm1XwM

3alarmer 

I checked and found nothing, but it looks like it matters not.

There are a number of tricks to dealing with cotters, the most
essential one being not to hammer them. But you know that now.

They can be pressed in and out with a purpose built tool,
like that Bikesmith one, or with a bench vise or even a smal
drill press vise, using the appropriately sized socket to provide
a negative space for the head end to slide into as it breaks free.

Liberal use of Kroil or PB Blaster also usually helps.

Once you've started drilling, it's usually easiest to drill
out the whole end until you're just below the crank arm
lip, then use a drift of the appropriate size to punch it
out.........at least that usually works for me.

Vincit omnia veritas.

brianinc-ville

If you don't want to pay up for the original "R" nuts, you can sometimes buy reproduction "R" decals from a guy on UK eBay, stick them on nuts of your choice, and cover them with clear urethane. It was a while ago when I did that; can't seem to find the seller, now. But in any case, it looks pretty good.

rhm

I have some R nuts for cotters. Who wants 'em? I'd rather have useable cotters....

TNDave

FINALLY the blasted thing is out! Took a LOT of drilling and once we got all the way through had to go back in with a little bit bigger drill bit, then hit it with the torch and the punch finally drove it out. That was one tough little bugger!!

I will either invest in a press or look into making my own with my bench vise, but as of right now I don't plan on picking up any more bikes to fix up that have cottered cranks, but time will tell I guess!!

Thanks for all the help and suggestions.

lostarchitect 

I tried making my own--it worked, but not super well. Eventually I got the bikesmith press. It is excellent. I no longer have a fear of cotters. If you ever plan on doing this again, even once or twice, I really think it's worth the fifty bucks.

zukahn1 

Without a cotter press tool most drive side pins just won't come out. They can be done with a big hammer and punch other pins work for this but it will likely wreck the crank BB and may damage the frame.

brianinc-ville

+1

larwyn

The one I made works fine for me.

echo

I remember the first time I had to remove these blasted things...they were on a an old Raleigh and had never been removed before (I think), there's nothing like that first time without the proper tool!

Gravity Aided

Wow ! I'm glad I casually glanced at this thread . Never dealt much with cotters before now , but I picked up an early 70's Raleigh Grand Prix at a metals recycler yesterday . Now I have an idea as to how to get the cotters out . I do have an old drill press mech I'll customize for this .

TNDave

Like echo2011 said above - I learned quite a bit with this little project - primarily the need for the right tools! If I ever tackle this job again I will be buying the Bikesmith cotter press or looking to fabricate one myself like some I have seen. However based on my "weekend of cotter fun" I don't plan on tackling that job for a LONG time again!

joetkach

I've got a set of "R" nuts I can let go for $15 shipped if anyone is interested. Lubed and abused my cotters getting them out so I'll be replacing w/ bikesmithdesigns cotters (Can't use R nuts). Lesson learned; do research before using a hammer on a late 60's bike.