Need help in Bay Area, pesky pedal cluster roll pin Options

[lapuwali]

Undertook a pedal cluster rebuild on the 912 this morning, and that friggin' roll pin has defeated me. I've tried a pin punch, then heat, then drilling the sucker out. Haven't moved the pin one bit and I've now broken four drill bits (two inside the pin).

Thing is, this car is my daily driver, so I need it running on Monday. I *can* just put the floppy cluster back in, but I really rather not. I can also steal the rebuilt cluster out of my barely running 914 (temporarily). However, if there's anyone in the Bay Area with a press or an EDM or some other tool that stands a better chance of getting this pin out, I'd love to pay you a visit.

[juicebox]

i had the same problem

i went down to the hardware store and bought a carbite drill bit set(about $30), and drilled the sucker out
it doesn't even hurt the bit (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
be sure to oil the bit well, so it doesn't overheat

[Jeroen]

use your vice as a press
worked for me

[lapuwali]

Tried the vice as a press, already (even got a bigger, heftier vice). No dice. That whole end of the cluster is fairly rusty.

I suppose I could try a carbide bit, though I've broken those in the past, too.

Very frustrating...

[ppickerell]

James,
I will be at work tomorrow. I have the technology! Call me at 925-209-3800.
Patrick

[lapuwali]

Thanks, Patrick! I'll call you in the AM. I've been by to the shop for your breakfast. What should I bring by in the way of renumeration? Baked goods? Beverages?

[IronHillRestorations]

When all else fails I use the smoke wrench! AKA a torch.

[mikey]

I went through this same thing a couple of months ago following the article on the Bird Board.

I broke drill bits, used a mapp torch (hotter than propane), and whacked on it with a big hammer. The pin never moved. What finally worked was getting the pedal cluster oriented and held securely so that it could be squarely hit with a drift and hammer. That took two people. I held it and Luis at HPH smacked it once or twice REALLY hard and the pin broke loose. Due to the shape of the cluster it couldn't be held in a vice tightly enough to hold it while hitting it with a hammer.

Pushing the pin out with a vise didn't work. However, a vice worked well reinstalling the new pin. Be sure to use the spiral pin as a replacement *and* the bronze bushings instead of the plastic ones. Also, IIRC the re-assembly instructions on PP were slightly out of sequence. Do a dry run before finally greasing up the bushings.

[lapuwali]

Many, many thanks to Patrick, the roll pin has been removed after much effort and swearage. I'd like to say it was some high-tech item in his way-too-cool shop that did the deed, but in the end it relented to a mill vice, a drift pin, and a drilled block. We could never get the press to work, and banging didn't do a thing.

The lever was also well stuck to the shaft, but a gear puller did the trick there. I'm about to reinstall the newly bushed cluster back in the car, ready to be driven to work again tomorrow.

Owe you one, Patrick. Muchas gracias...

[ppickerell]

Damned if I was gonna let that thing beat me! Glad to help.