Drilling out a Roll Pin question

[Morecowbell 23]

I have a few roll pins that have become one with their surroundings, so I'm starting to drill them out.  Since these are a press fit, the pin diameter is slightly larger than the hole, right?  So if the manual says I have a 1/8" roll pin that I'm drilling out, is the hole 1/8" or the pin 1/8" (and therefore the hole something smaller than 1/8" for the press fit)?   Just want to be sure I don't enlarge these holes by mistake so the pins won't grab.  Thanks

 

[JPWH 6,033]

If it has never been tampered with, the hole should be the size stated for roll pin.

[Uncle Buck 246]

Also, if you choose a bit size just under the diameter of the pin you will often find that as you approach drilling through the pin the pin might begin spinning and come out on the end of the bit due to a combination of the heat generated drilling, and the loss of material in the pin due to being drilled. Either way, I always drill a pin just undersized of the hole then take a pin punch to drive out what remains of the pin because what remains almost always comes out easily once the center of the pin has been drilled out.

[953 nut 55,235]

Roll pins are hardened steel and will eat up a regular drill bit, a carbide tipped bit will do the job. I have found that heating the roll pin with a small torch (the flame will go right down the center) followed by PB Blaster will get them moving. If they don't move you can follow up with a regular bit because the heat will take the temper out of it.

[Morecowbell 23]

Yes - I, um, "discovered" that the pins are hardened steel

 

Great advice - thanks everyone!

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,045]

Wheel Horse had a habit of beefing up their roll pin connections by driving a second pin inside the first one. Impossible to drive out the two together. If you can drive the center one out the outside one will usually go easily.

 

Garry

[Sarge 3,463]

Just FIY -

Menard's has been carrying some nice sets of punches, chisels and such made by Wilde - USA made and extremely good quality . I picked up a really nice set of roll pin punches last year and use them quite a lot - no issues so far .

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/hand-tools/chisels-files-punches-sets/wilde-tool-reg-6-piece-roll-spring-punch-set/p-1444447023440-c-9122.htm?tid=1518846098996016982

 

Their cold chisels are also quite good , near perfect temper and can actually be reground without destroying the metal .

 

Sarge

[Elkskin's mower junkyard 1,117]

On 5/25/2017 at 3:33 PM, gwest_ca said:

Wheel Horse had a habit of beefing up their roll pin connections by driving a second pin inside the first one. Impossible to drive out the two together. If you can drive the center one out the outside one will usually go easily.

 

Garry

i just discovered this when working on dads 502 lol

[Uncle Buck 246]

On ‎5‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 8:08 AM, Sarge said:

Just FIY -

Menard's has been carrying some nice sets of punches, chisels and such made by Wilde - USA made and extremely good quality . I picked up a really nice set of roll pin punches last year and use them quite a lot - no issues so far .

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/hand-tools/chisels-files-punches-sets/wilde-tool-reg-6-piece-roll-spring-punch-set/p-1444447023440-c-9122.htm?tid=1518846098996016982

 

Their cold chisels are also quite good , near perfect temper and can actually be reground without destroying the metal .

 

Sarge

Wilde tools are great quality. Wilde use to supply Sears punches and their red plastic handled pry bars as well. I doubt that is the case anymore, but Wilde is great quality at a good price usually. Peer to Enderes and Mayhew brands in my opinion. I have some of each. Wilde is made in KS. within an hr. drive of my home.

Edited May 30, 2017 by Uncle Buck

[pfrederi 17,739]

I have had a set of Mayhew roll pin punches for sometime now.  Work great... good thing as I never had much luck with drilling usually wound up with a broken drill bit to get out along with the roll pin

[Sarge 3,463]

For whatever reason I've had less luck with the Mayhew and Enderes punches/chisels , except one extremely good center punch that I swear would dot a diamond or shatter it . The Wilde roll pin punches seem to be a near perfect blend of hardness and ductility that keeps them from breaking or distorting the ends - and none of them have bent a shank yet , which is nice for once . I think the biggest thing about using these tools is getting a good solid smack on them in a dead straight line , 90* to the pin on target - otherwise you can bend the punch or break off/distort the tip .

 

Sarge

[Molon_Labe 731]

Many of these pins were a "Spiroil" design. A pin made of multiple turns of spring steel, hard as hammered Hades. Best way I have found to remove them is to soak them in Kroil or similar penetrant and drive them out with a punch the exact same size as the hole.

 

Spiroil pin

 

[MalMac 1,331]

Best set of roll pin punches I have ever seen that worked best and above all anything else was, a friend of mine had a set of pneumatic roll pin punches that was used in a air hammer. Never seen a pin that could not be punch out. Only problems were, to tight of a area sometimes and you had to put something on the pin to keep it from becoming a projectile. Never knew what brand they were. I could never find a set. Only found one occasionally that was for a extremely large pin.

[Sarge 3,463]

The .401 shank air bits are designed for work in the aircraft industry and are very high quality tempered steel , built to do the job through thousands of parts - and have a price tag to match . They also have some really cool riveting setter tools that have quite a scary price tag - but well worth the money . Search around the aircraft hobby sites - they have resources to buy those bits and retainers/backers and there are only about 5 sizes of pins on these tractors - might be worth the money instead of hacking up shafts and valuable steering wheels that are NLA....

 

Sarge

[bds1984 1,429]

On 5/30/2017 at 0:09 PM, Uncle Buck said:

Wilde tools are great quality. Wilde use to supply Sears punches and their red plastic handled pry bars as well. I doubt that is the case anymore, but Wilde is great quality at a good price usually. Peer to Enderes and Mayhew brands in my opinion. I have some of each. Wilde is made in KS. within an hr. drive of my home.

I've purchased a set of prybars, scrapers, and chisels recently from Sears that are made here so they may still be made by Wilde.  I know their rewards program can be gimmicky at times, but I bought them for pennies and would do so again.