Perch pin removal help

[drfromnc]

Try removing perch bolts or pins this week on pickup and they won’t budge. Tried heat and pounded on them with a brass bar stock. Nothing. Took it to my brothers maintenance shop and put 3 tons of pressure on it. Nothing. Took it to local machine shop who heated axle boss and put 20 tons of pressure on it. Nada. Now what? How easy it to drill them out with hand held drill?

I’ve read online how folks get them out and can’t figure why they won’t budge.

[rich b]

If stubborn; I've found that heating them and using an air hammer works in most cases; a real air hammer like a CP 717 not a Harbor Freight version.

If they need to be drilled; I cut the top flush, then set them up square in a drill press and make a 1/4" pilot hole and then drill with as large a bit that goes. Drill almost all the way thru, then knock the shell out with a drift.

[Tim Ayers]

Drfromnc,

When you say heat, do you mean cherry red using an oxy/acetylene torch or just a acetylene or propane torch?

[woodiewagon46]

I did what Rich did on a Model A axle. I tried everything, 20 ton press, heat, penetrating oil and it would not budge. I even filled the cone shape on the bottom of the axle with penetrating oil and put it in the press with pressure on it and left it over the weekend. Didn't budge. Cutting it out or another axle was my only choice. I was lucky because I had the use of a Bridgeport milling machine so I just ate away with a 1/2" end mill and it finally popped. Sounds like you may need to drill it out.

[alanwoodieman]

I used heat and a 50 ton press to get one off a 40 ford, the other side just about fell out--go figure. If you use heat use an acetlyne torch

[V8COOPMAN]

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.

I had a '33 axle back in the '70s that took a 30-ton press to get those ones moving. They can be a bear! And you surely don't want to "mushroom" the pins by beating on them. DD
.

[drfromnc]

yes, I used oxy/acetylene torch but not to the point of red hot. Didn't have access to torch when we used the press. Not sure what machine shop used to heat and how hot.

I just took axle assembly to a 2nd shop today that is diesel and truck repair shop. maybe they will free it up. stand tuned.

[FlatheadTed]

You had a difficult one there Dfram The Model A i did
I bolted and welded two 5/8 unf nuts together with a bolt a 3rd way down as a strike nut
layed it over a RSJ/Girder heated up the side /boss then laid into it with a sled hammer it cam out ,but very tight ,if you do this it should be on cement /concrete base .I was able to use the thread after

[Mart]

I had good success using a home made puller. It was based on a design posted by Andy. Heat is still required but they prefer to be pulled rather than pushed.
Mart.

[Terranova]

I tried a small hand held mapgas torch first, with no luck. Then I ended up using a propane fueled weed burner and a harbor freight 12 ton press. And some luck and fortune.

https://youtu.be/Bx89L2bkdkE

[37 truck]

Had the same problem, one side came out easy, the other side would not budge. Heat and pressure didn't work. My local machine shop drilled about 3/4 through it and then it pressed out. They can be a real bugger. i think you could burn it out with a oxy-ac.

[Andy]

I had thread on the HAMB titled Remove perch pins with no damage.

[mercman from oz]

Can't reuse some of these Perch Pins?

[tubman]

I believe this is the correct link : https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...damage.649367/.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I have removed them with a 30 ton press. Some would not come out, though. Heat the axle bore to red hot and push with the biggest press you have access to. Be very careful using a press at maximum pressure. When and if the things pop out they can do it violently with a big BANG and shit can go flying all over the place. It's a good idea to leave a nut on the threads. I have mushroomed some with 30 tons. Good luck, They can be tough.

[Tinker]

Best way, is as Glenn mentioned. Is a press. Never had any ever shatter but just mushroom and ruin the perch. they'll pop, but it's not that exciting.

A bit of patience, heat, penetrating fluid, and a pipe wrench turning the perch a bit won't hurt much. Rinse repeat.

Pounding on it with a hammer will just ruin it 90% of the time. A press will always be better. Flush the nut to the perch to disperse the pressure and keep it from mushrooming the end.

[cas3]

I have a nice big old blackhawk 50 ton press. Thats not the problem. The problem is that an axle with spindles and a wishbone is a heavy awkward thing thats not flat to just set on the bed and press. I have made many different jigs to hold it flat on the table, and C clamped a beam on the top of the press to hold it up, done it myself, but prefer some help now days. Fact is they can be a son ofa gun. Thats why I am interested in the pull method, may have to make one of those to try it out. At least you would be working on the floor to get the wish bone off, then the axle in the press for king pins would not be so bad

[Lawrie]

One thing I dod is turn an old rear axle down to fit in the shackle pin hole, then you have a turning lever about 2/1/2 foot long, with the axle in a good vice and a small amount of heat all the ones so far have turned and come loose.
Lawrie

[bbrocksr]

I welded two ears with 5/8" holes in them to a 1 1/2" pipe about 6-7' long, put a 5/8" bolt through the ears and the perch hole and tighten them up. lay the axle on the floor and stand on it while using the 6' lever to rotate the perch bolt. Use lots of penetrating oil .
Works good for me, no heat required.
Bill

[rotorwrench]

The best way to destroy the corrosion weld between two parts is to heat the inside part as hot as you dare to and then let it cool down. This will generally force the debonding of the corrosion between the two parts. The major problem is the length of the perch bolts. The bolt will dissipate a lot of the heat on the inside of the part due to the bond with the axle itself. A person can heat both top and bottom to red and it still may not be red on the inside. Some folks don't like heating the axle and they should be careful how hot they get it but folks have been dropping these old axles for years and they don't fail all that much. Most folks jut try to limit how "red" they heat it. This is where the 50-ton press is valuable. The 6-foot pipe trick to turn may be a way to loosen but a person will likely still have to heat stuff to break the bond well enough to get any penetrant in there.

Wait till you get an axle & wishbone where someone has welded the wishbone to the axle. It doesn't take much to figure that something was worn out pretty bad for some person to weld the two together.