The Ford Barn

Bruce of MN · 05-05-2022, 02:09 PM

I am in the middle of replacing the king pin bushings, etc. Removing the locking bolt has stopped me. I have been hammering the nut with it 3/16” off the seat and it won’t move. Is this another spot for heat and Kroil?

(Side note: The Les Andrews book says it has a 9/16” hex, it is really 11/16”. Mark your books.)

wrndln · 05-05-2022, 05:29 PM

I have seen of the special nuts being 5/8" and some 11/16" across the flats. I would think heating the threads with the nut removed to cheery red would help. While it is cherry red, whack it with big hammer. Being the mass around the bolt is large, it would take a lot to heat to make it cherry red.
Rusty Nelson

Big hammer · 05-05-2022, 05:37 PM

Heat and Kroil, cherry red and let it cool ! if you hit it cherry red it will deform ! Reheat cool and beat until it moves.

Synchro909 · 05-05-2022, 05:53 PM

Those cotter pins can be difficult to shift but I'm sure with persistence you will get it. I suggest you take a lesson from what you have found and don't overtighten it when you reassemble. If you drive the pin in with a hammer as you tighten the nut, you will stretch the eye in the axle. Then, unless you have it professionally repaired, you will never have a good front end.
It is quite possible that is what is causing your problem now.

Bruce of MN · 05-09-2022, 02:12 PM

The little devil may have been installed in Detroit and didn't want to leave its comfy home. In the process of bashing on a deep impact socket over the pin nut without results, the stud portion got bent and I straightened it a few times too many. It snapped off and drilling the pin out became necessary. I managed to pop it pretty close to the center and drilled it out with successively bigger bits and was able to tap it out with a punch after weakening the walls. On to pressing out the old bushings and in with the new ones!

The drilled out pin and a new one in the photo.

Thanks to all for the suggestions.

john in illinois · 05-09-2022, 04:35 PM

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Nice fix.

John

Bruce of MN · 05-14-2022, 04:38 AM

In the course of putting things back together, I followed the Les Andrews book sequence. I also have the Flathead Ted Floaters on and that meant that the pushrod had to be inserted before the backing plate is put in position, not the reverse per Andrews. When I discovered this, I had already bolted and cotter pinned the backing plate and grease ring on and didn't want to redo that. The lower wedge mounting can be unbolted to let the pushrod be inserted into the kingpin, so I did that. Much less work!

rotorwrench · 05-14-2022, 09:30 AM

Heating to the point of red on fasteners expands them a good bit. During cool down, the crust weld from years of service is fractured and loosened. As was mentioned, it may take several heating/cooling cycles to get the old parts to completely separate but they usually do. Melt some paraffin or bee's wax on the hot fastener to get it into the joint if possible. This is not so easy on horizontal fasteners but some capillary action can happen.

05-05-2022, 02:09 PM	#1
Bruce of MN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: VA Posts: 1,410	King pin locking bolt/nut I am in the middle of replacing the king pin bushings, etc. Removing the locking bolt has stopped me. I have been hammering the nut with it 3/16” off the seat and it won’t move. Is this another spot for heat and Kroil? (Side note: The Les Andrews book says it has a 9/16” hex, it is really 11/16”. Mark your books.)

05-05-2022, 05:29 PM	#2
wrndln Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Lakeville, MN Posts: 5,159	Re: King pin locking bolt/nut I have seen of the special nuts being 5/8" and some 11/16" across the flats. I would think heating the threads with the nut removed to cheery red would help. While it is cherry red, whack it with big hammer. Being the mass around the bolt is large, it would take a lot to heat to make it cherry red. Rusty Nelson

05-05-2022, 05:37 PM	#3
Big hammer Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 3,127	Re: King pin locking bolt/nut Heat and Kroil, cherry red and let it cool ! if you hit it cherry red it will deform ! Reheat cool and beat until it moves. __________________ Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap get a bigger hammer tap done

05-05-2022, 05:53 PM	#4
Synchro909 Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 7,496	Re: King pin locking bolt/nut Those cotter pins can be difficult to shift but I'm sure with persistence you will get it. I suggest you take a lesson from what you have found and don't overtighten it when you reassemble. If you drive the pin in with a hammer as you tighten the nut, you will stretch the eye in the axle. Then, unless you have it professionally repaired, you will never have a good front end. It is quite possible that is what is causing your problem now. __________________ I'm part of the only ever generation with an analogue childhood and a digital adulthood.

05-09-2022, 02:12 PM	#5
Bruce of MN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: VA Posts: 1,410	Re: King pin locking bolt/nut The little devil may have been installed in Detroit and didn't want to leave its comfy home. In the process of bashing on a deep impact socket over the pin nut without results, the stud portion got bent and I straightened it a few times too many. It snapped off and drilling the pin out became necessary. I managed to pop it pretty close to the center and drilled it out with successively bigger bits and was able to tap it out with a punch after weakening the walls. On to pressing out the old bushings and in with the new ones! The drilled out pin and a new one in the photo. Thanks to all for the suggestions. Last edited by Bruce of MN; 05-09-2022 at 05:33 PM.

05-09-2022, 04:35 PM	#6
john in illinois Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Illinois Posts: 2,183	Re: King pin locking bolt/nut Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) Nice fix. John __________________ Welcome each day

05-14-2022, 04:38 AM	#7
Bruce of MN Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: VA Posts: 1,410	Re: King pin locking bolt/nut In the course of putting things back together, I followed the Les Andrews book sequence. I also have the Flathead Ted Floaters on and that meant that the pushrod had to be inserted before the backing plate is put in position, not the reverse per Andrews. When I discovered this, I had already bolted and cotter pinned the backing plate and grease ring on and didn't want to redo that. The lower wedge mounting can be unbolted to let the pushrod be inserted into the kingpin, so I did that. Much less work!

05-14-2022, 09:30 AM	#8
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,422	Re: King pin locking bolt/nut Heating to the point of red on fasteners expands them a good bit. During cool down, the crust weld from years of service is fractured and loosened. As was mentioned, it may take several heating/cooling cycles to get the old parts to completely separate but they usually do. Melt some paraffin or bee's wax on the hot fastener to get it into the joint if possible. This is not so easy on horizontal fasteners but some capillary action can happen.