Stuck Pins on Bobtach

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sscruggs

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Feb 9, 2005
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I have a 1999 863 and the pins will not budge on the Bobtach to remove the bucket. I have been able to get grease into the zerks but I don't believe that the grease is getting to the whole pin. I have drenched the pins in Liquid Wrench pentrating oil but they still won't release. Anyone know a good way to get the pins released?
 

owensge

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Oct 17, 2003
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I had to take the levers, springs, pins, etc apart then clean and grease for mine to free up.
 

owensge

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Oct 17, 2003
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How did you get the pins out in order to clean them up?
Once I disconnected the levers from the rod, I was able to turn both of the locking pins (wedges). It's been a while since I did this, but after removing enough bolts, I was able to pull the pins up through their attachment mounting frame holes, clean and grease.
 
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sscruggs

sscruggs

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Once I disconnected the levers from the rod, I was able to turn both of the locking pins (wedges). It's been a while since I did this, but after removing enough bolts, I was able to pull the pins up through their attachment mounting frame holes, clean and grease.
It's been long time but still have this problem. I have not had to change attachments so I have not done any more than occasionally drench with PB Blaster but I still have not been able to get the pins out. The dealer told me to bang on the pins from the bottom with a big hammer. I have tried this and also but a piece of scrap flat bar over the bottom of the pin and took an air chisel to it hoping to vibrate it loose but so far no luck. Any suggestions?
 

owensge

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It's been long time but still have this problem. I have not had to change attachments so I have not done any more than occasionally drench with PB Blaster but I still have not been able to get the pins out. The dealer told me to bang on the pins from the bottom with a big hammer. I have tried this and also but a piece of scrap flat bar over the bottom of the pin and took an air chisel to it hoping to vibrate it loose but so far no luck. Any suggestions?
Did you remove the bolts on the bobtach that hold the pins in place?
 

Jawb

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Apr 30, 2007
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It's been long time but still have this problem. I have not had to change attachments so I have not done any more than occasionally drench with PB Blaster but I still have not been able to get the pins out. The dealer told me to bang on the pins from the bottom with a big hammer. I have tried this and also but a piece of scrap flat bar over the bottom of the pin and took an air chisel to it hoping to vibrate it loose but so far no luck. Any suggestions?
take a small torch to it. if you heat it up some ( im not talking red hot, just some heat to help it move some) you might be able to get it to move. a small mapp or propane tank would work, i do this to old rusted pipe fittings , i heat the fitting then after it cools a bit , i am able to unthread it.
 
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sscruggs

sscruggs

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Feb 9, 2005
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take a small torch to it. if you heat it up some ( im not talking red hot, just some heat to help it move some) you might be able to get it to move. a small mapp or propane tank would work, i do this to old rusted pipe fittings , i heat the fitting then after it cools a bit , i am able to unthread it.
The only bolts I can see are the ones for the handle that are welded to the Bobtach. I have not tried taking of the nuts off the welded bolts that hold the handle on or the roll pins. The dealer told me I would not likely be able to get the roll pins off with the bucket still on.
 

Tazza

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The only bolts I can see are the ones for the handle that are welded to the Bobtach. I have not tried taking of the nuts off the welded bolts that hold the handle on or the roll pins. The dealer told me I would not likely be able to get the roll pins off with the bucket still on.
An air chistle will do little to free the pins. It just doesn't have the force to do much.
I too would try heating it with an oxy torch. Heat it and hit it with penetrating oil. Give it time, you will get them out.
 
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sscruggs

sscruggs

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An air chistle will do little to free the pins. It just doesn't have the force to do much.
I too would try heating it with an oxy torch. Heat it and hit it with penetrating oil. Give it time, you will get them out.
I was hoping that the air chisel would vibrate the rust and let the penetrating oil get in a little deeper. Not sure if it did anything at all. I tried heating the pin with a propane torch but that didn't seem to do much either. Just sprayed some more PB on it and figure I'll keep spraying it throughout the week until I run out. I also tried a can of CRC Freeze but that didn't do much either. I really need something solid to hit the bottom of the pin with. I have been using a piece of flat bar stock and a small sledge.
 

skidboy

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Jan 3, 2007
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I was hoping that the air chisel would vibrate the rust and let the penetrating oil get in a little deeper. Not sure if it did anything at all. I tried heating the pin with a propane torch but that didn't seem to do much either. Just sprayed some more PB on it and figure I'll keep spraying it throughout the week until I run out. I also tried a can of CRC Freeze but that didn't do much either. I really need something solid to hit the bottom of the pin with. I have been using a piece of flat bar stock and a small sledge.
I have had these so tight that the only way to get them out without completely destroying the pins was to use an angle grinder . Slit the bobtach on the front ,from top to bottom (in the middle where the pins are ) and they will knock out without damaging the pins.Then weld up the angle grinder slit.
 

scsindust

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I have had these so tight that the only way to get them out without completely destroying the pins was to use an angle grinder . Slit the bobtach on the front ,from top to bottom (in the middle where the pins are ) and they will knock out without damaging the pins.Then weld up the angle grinder slit.
I actually just shot grease in the fittings. My pins were so tight a sledge hammer would only move them .25 inch or so. I tried heat, and that was what got them to move in the first place. Once I greased them, I worked them for a while, and kept shooting them until the grease was clean coming out.
 

Tazza

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I actually just shot grease in the fittings. My pins were so tight a sledge hammer would only move them .25 inch or so. I tried heat, and that was what got them to move in the first place. Once I greased them, I worked them for a while, and kept shooting them until the grease was clean coming out.
As long as you can get a small amount of movement, you will get them out. If they move, even just a little you will get grease/oil in to get them free. The hardest part is getting them to start moving!
Glad you got it sorted.
Personally, if you got them moving, i would remove them and give them a wire buff and re-install
 
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sscruggs

sscruggs

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As long as you can get a small amount of movement, you will get them out. If they move, even just a little you will get grease/oil in to get them free. The hardest part is getting them to start moving!
Glad you got it sorted.
Personally, if you got them moving, i would remove them and give them a wire buff and re-install
I can't get grease into the pins and they are not moving when I bang on them. I would be encouraged if I saw some movement. I really don't like the idea of having to split the Bobtach and reweld b/c I currently only have an oxy/acetelyne set up and my welds are pretty ugly. Has anyone tried those light oil injectors that go on the zerk and you hit it with a hammer to inject oil? Northern Tools sells them in their catalog. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200130974_200130974
 

skidsteer.ca

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I can't get grease into the pins and they are not moving when I bang on them. I would be encouraged if I saw some movement. I really don't like the idea of having to split the Bobtach and reweld b/c I currently only have an oxy/acetelyne set up and my welds are pretty ugly. Has anyone tried those light oil injectors that go on the zerk and you hit it with a hammer to inject oil? Northern Tools sells them in their catalog. http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200130974_200130974
Personally, I'd braze a hyd fitting to a old grease nipple, make up a hose to your quick couplers and give it some hyd pressure. 2500 psi might do wonders.
If you have to split the tubes to loosen the pins, the cost of professional welding would be less then the new pins you will need if you smash the old ones all up trying to free them.
welding job woul only be 20 to 30 mins.
Ken
 

Tazza

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Personally, I'd braze a hyd fitting to a old grease nipple, make up a hose to your quick couplers and give it some hyd pressure. 2500 psi might do wonders.
If you have to split the tubes to loosen the pins, the cost of professional welding would be less then the new pins you will need if you smash the old ones all up trying to free them.
welding job woul only be 20 to 30 mins.
Ken
It would be nice to hook up the aux couplers to the grease nipples but i really doubt the pressure will be there. Most grease guns can do around 10,000 PSI and our little bobs can only do 2,500-3000 PSI.
I'm not sure what pressure the injectors that you hammer will give, but i would suspect it would be more than 10,000 PSI.
It really depends on how much rust you have, if there is a lot no matter how much grease you try and pack in you will never get anywhere.
If you have the gear, i'd try and use a pull ram and weld it to the top of the pin (top of the bobtach) with a piece of pipe over the ram rod to give it something to push against. Pull the ram back to apply pressure trying to draw the pin back. If it will not pull out that way, pull the ram as hard as it can and strike the under side of the pin with a hammer.
I have done this with a small porta power unit to pull pins from my 4 in 1 bucket. I welded a thread the the pin and screwed the ram to it with pipe as a spacer. Pumped the power pack to put as much pressure as i could on the pin to pull it back and hit the other end of the pin. Some were so tight i needed the oxy set to heat it and hit it with a hammer. They all came out!.
Its a shame i don't have pictures as it explains exactly what i mean. Its very simple. Worst case you may be able to hire a porta power setup with a pull ram with an adaptor you can attach to the top of the pin.
You said you have an oxy set, have you tried heating it up? Use a cutting tip, just don't press the oxygen lever. The cutting tips heat large sections far better than the brazing tips do. Try to mainly heat the boss the pins run through instead of the pin.
Good Luck!!!
If you need pics, i can take some of the porta power setup i have just so you know what i'm taking about.
 
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sscruggs

sscruggs

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Feb 9, 2005
Messages
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It would be nice to hook up the aux couplers to the grease nipples but i really doubt the pressure will be there. Most grease guns can do around 10,000 PSI and our little bobs can only do 2,500-3000 PSI.
I'm not sure what pressure the injectors that you hammer will give, but i would suspect it would be more than 10,000 PSI.
It really depends on how much rust you have, if there is a lot no matter how much grease you try and pack in you will never get anywhere.
If you have the gear, i'd try and use a pull ram and weld it to the top of the pin (top of the bobtach) with a piece of pipe over the ram rod to give it something to push against. Pull the ram back to apply pressure trying to draw the pin back. If it will not pull out that way, pull the ram as hard as it can and strike the under side of the pin with a hammer.
I have done this with a small porta power unit to pull pins from my 4 in 1 bucket. I welded a thread the the pin and screwed the ram to it with pipe as a spacer. Pumped the power pack to put as much pressure as i could on the pin to pull it back and hit the other end of the pin. Some were so tight i needed the oxy set to heat it and hit it with a hammer. They all came out!.
Its a shame i don't have pictures as it explains exactly what i mean. Its very simple. Worst case you may be able to hire a porta power setup with a pull ram with an adaptor you can attach to the top of the pin.
You said you have an oxy set, have you tried heating it up? Use a cutting tip, just don't press the oxygen lever. The cutting tips heat large sections far better than the brazing tips do. Try to mainly heat the boss the pins run through instead of the pin.
Good Luck!!!
If you need pics, i can take some of the porta power setup i have just so you know what i'm taking about.
Freed at last! I used a giant bold and a sledge hammer to pound out the pins. My brother-in-law helped me pound out the pins. It took a bit of sweat but they now move freely. We pounded for a while and at first it didn't seem to be doing anything but then I noticed that the pin had moved very slightly. I was encouraged and we continued hammering. Sprayed more PB on it as it moved and pumped in some more grease. Hammered the pin back and forth a couple of times and eventually I was able to move it with the handle. Thanks for all the advice and suggestions.
 
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