How to Remove a Difficult Cotter Pin

Cotter pins slide into a hole and hold two parts together. After you slide a cotter pin into a hole, you pull one or both of the pins legs on an angle to retain it in the hole. When the parts held in place with the cotter pin are used, the pin receives damage along its legs. This makes the pin difficult to remove when you need to make a repair on one or both of the parts.

Instructions

1

Straighten the bent leg(s) of the difficult cotter pin with a pair of needle nose pliers.

2

Open the jaws of the pliers. Slide the lower jaw into the eyelet opposite the straightened legs. Squeeze the handles of the pliers to close the jaws. Pull straight toward you. Twist the handles of the pliers clockwise while you pull if the cotter pin uses to release from its hole. Remove the lower jaw of the needle nose pliers from the eyelet if it will not release after twisting the handles.

3

Insert the tapered end of a cotter pin extraction tool into the eyelet. Push the handle of the tool away from you to force the cotter pin from its hole. Slide the tool further into the eyelet as the pin pulls from the hole.

4

Tap the back of the cotter pin removal tool with a hammer to persuade extremely difficult cotter pins from their hole.