Before you resort to this, try the following tehnique, which has always worked for me:
1. Carefully, knock the threaded portion of the cotter back and forth with a punch until it breaks off. If it is already too mangled and flattened to do this, drill just this portion out, as Steven suggested. Be careful not to mark the chrome on the crank arm.
2. Support the back side of the crank with a notched block of oak or other suitable hardwood. The notches go on either side of the backside of the cotter.
3. Whack the bejeeses out of the cotter with a tapered punch with business end the same size as the threaded portion of the cotter.
"Whack the bejeeses" is a technical term used by older US mechanics. Its literal translation is not "hammer willy-nilly," or "wail on the sucker." I think the British translation is "Strike smartly with a well-placed blow." Younger mechanics use more four-letter terms which are less specific, as they are derived from certain vulgar acts that have little or nothing to do with bicycles. Soaking with Kroil (Creeps into millionth of an inch spaces!) a day ahead of time may help. Help stink up the shop, that is.
Steve Barner, Bolton, Vermont
> Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 12:11:26 EST
> From: NortonMarg@aol.com
> To: wspokes@penn.com, fred_rednor@yahoo.com,
> classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]Re: crushed cotter removal
>
> In a message dated 1/11/04 4:26:20 AM Pacific Standard Time,
wspokes@penn.com
> writes:
>
> > ....These
> > pins look like someone crushed them with a hammer and sickle, so I am
stuck
> > trying to figure out how to get them out....I have tried using a proper
> > cotter tool as well. the only thing I haven't done was heat it up and
then
> > try. I sprayed some other stuff I have on them which works on
EVERYTHING to
> > free up suck metal with no luck as well. Any other suggestions?
> >
>
> >From the non-threades end, drill a hole as dead center as you can, taking
> care not to hit the axle. Use progressively larger drill bits until you
end up
> with a "tube" of cotter remains. At some point, it will tap out
gracefully.
> Stevan Thomas
> Alameda, CA