TheSamba.com :: View topic - best way to remove a crankshaft dowel pin

Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:09 pm

I have a new crank , 8 dowel i want to remove the dowel pins . what is the best way as to not damage them . i will be reinstalling them.
I would rather not get into a discussion about why and what happend ...... .I am just looking for a way to remove them .seems like vice grips will damage them thanks

Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:32 pm

vice grips are fine to use .the dowel pins are super hard. you won't damage them. I never have using them . they come to easy .

Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:49 pm

If vise grips won't get it out, use a heat gun on the crank and an ice cube on the pin, then try again with the vise grips.

Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:53 pm

great thanks !. just thought I would ask before going for vice grips.

Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:16 pm

I wish all the crank makers would not install them. Duh

I was able to remove all of them on a current gen empi 82mm. I used vice grips, did not care if it damaged them. I then had the crank upgraded to 11/32 dowels using the match dowel method. Almost as good as wedgemate.

Dan

Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:46 pm

If the dowels are a very tight fit it is not possible to remove them without damaging the dowel.
Or you can sacrifice the crank and save the dowel.
One or the other must be sacrificed.
And if they aren't a tight fit, get bigger dowels.

There is not enough room between the dowels to use a snap-on dowel puller.
Pictured here is a dowel pin puller I made which can fit, but
If they are 3/4 length, even that probably is not going to work.

Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:48 pm

You guys are barbaric, vice grips LOL. Use a dowel puller. That's why they make them. And you get to use the dowels over. Surprise

https://goodson.com/collections/dowel-pullers/products/ga-600-dowel-puller-kit

Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:51 pm

Are you sure that would fit?

Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:52 pm

I really like Modoks trick for removing super tight dowels.
The one with the hole and the grease and the tight fitting pin. I only had to do it once but wow, easy peezy

Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:53 pm

modok wrote: I don't have that one, but It probbly would not fit.

Tight areas, Google is our friend

Fri Oct 16, 2020 4:54 pm

esde wrote: I really like Modoks trick for removing super tight dowels.
The one with the hole and the grease and the tight fitting pin. I only had to do it once but wow, easy peezy

We have been for decades . Works very well.

Fri Oct 16, 2020 5:40 pm

I made a puller years ago with a pair of vice grips welded to a 3lb slide hammer. It worked on some, but tight fits, no way, or the later longer pins

Fri Oct 16, 2020 6:12 pm

If they really give you a hard time you can take a dremel to the sides to remove material just enough that the outside is narrow on the sides and flare s out at the face. Then you can put a collet-type slide hammer on them to remove them a bit easier.

Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:34 pm

I needed to do this recently and a vice grip worked fine, along with a hammer and mattress. Vice grip on dowel pin, hold crank over mattress by the vice grip gripped on a dowel then ring crank with hammer. Voila!

Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:40 pm

something ive noticed as far as why they can be a little tough to remove is due to the vacume when you pull on the dowel. if you dont see immediate results, it may take a bit longer. i have noticed this with the bearing dowels. they can be worse due to the oil behind and coaching them.

just my .02

Fri Oct 16, 2020 7:53 pm

Lube is a man’s best friend! You would be surprised how much hydro pressure grease can produce while under a vacuum.

Sat Oct 17, 2020 10:52 am

If you can drill the dowel, the grease -hole method works really good. as long as you don't break the drillbit.

The best way is the dowel puller. But the ones available are too large to get in there and does not grab enough. I got the Goodson and it works ok. the collet jaws are too soft though. I machined a new head that is smaller and used milling collets that are orphans.

For broken ones, I have a metal disintigrator for such occasions. Others more fancy use EDM machines.

I have inherited several Scat forged cranks over the years w/ sheared dowels in them. Have probably at least a dozen of them cranks in my stash.

Sat Oct 17, 2020 11:25 am

Ive noticed some dowel pins have a radius on 1 end and a chamfer on the other. I assume the chamfer end goes in first.