Removing a Dowel Pin

rwm said:
These dowel pins are hardened. Vise grips will not budge them. I tried SAE and Metric.
Tomorrow is welding.
I cannot imagine a collet gripping these hard enough to move them.
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A collet grips carbide because it is the best method (short of a shrink fit) Most carbide does not have a weldon shank.
Collets grip all around and therefore are a possible solution.
Did you try heat?
 
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RJSakowski said:
I have pulled dowel pins with only 1/4" extending from aluminum outboard engine blocks with Vise Grips. Use a pair whose serrations are fresh and tighten the snot out of the Vise Grips. The twisting motion will usually break the dowel free. Using side cutters will destroy them and you can't get the same amount of grip that you can with Vise Grips.You could cut a shallow groove just above the surface of your part and use the side cutters but you will probably still destroy them.
Click to expand...
Each to their own
 
I did try heating with a torch. No joy.
 
If nothing else works...BFH...

get 5 pound or more hammer.

A chunk of steel, say, 1/4 x 1.5, concrete guys have bars like this for making forms.

Drill a hole in the face of this, tight slip fit to the pin.

Make sure the part with the pin is well supported!

Place the drilled bar on the pin and just tap it with the BFH, SIDE thrust may knoceit loose.

It MAY alter the hole a bit.

Look for a beat up 1/2 drill chuck.

Use a cheater on the chuck key, gentle tapping.

Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
 
If you're going to use angle cutters, use a dremel (or angle grinder) to create notches at the base of the pin. This helps keep the cutter edge from slipping on the dowel pin.
 
Well that was interesting!
I welded some thread to the pin:
1716819869482.png

Then I tried to pull it with a spacer and a nut. Unfortunately the pin snapped off below (not at) the weld. It must have weakened the pin.
Fortunately this left an irregular end that I could grip with Vise Grips. I was then able to get it to rotate and get it out.
1716820029209.png

Pin #2 was even weirder. I welded on the thread and the pin just about fell out. This one may have been in with Loctite. There was no residue at all on either pin which I would have expected if Loctite were used.
Anyway, both are out!
 
I could hear the first pin laughing right before it snapped.
 
That is interesting. Thanks for sharing that.
 
Sometimes just welding a blob on the end works for bolts and pins, the heating and cooling seems to loosen it up and the blob can be grabbed with the vice grips. I had never thought about using a collet so thanks for that.
 
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