Moss Motors, Ltd

I have 1970 Midget and having difficulty removing the fulcrum pin.  Is there a special tool (screw driver)?  Also on one side I am having a problem removing the locking pin.  Can this pin be drilled out.  The A frames are out of the car sitting on my work bench.  Ed

I made a special tool to remove the pins on a friends Bugeye from a metal chisel. Found one with a hex shaft and then ground the end to a flat on either side of a center nub which fits in the grease port to keep the tool centered. Then I could turn it with a wrench to back out the pin. Worked good to install the new pins as well. As for the locking pin, they're pretty soft and a tapered fit so even if you drill it out you'll still have to work out the remains to clear the hole completely. The problem with driving them out with a punch is that they are so soft they tend to mushroom inside the fulcrum pin and stick. I found a good drift punch that fit very close and ground the end of the pin flush so that I could get a good contact with the punch and was able to drive them out.

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'73 Midget (V6)
'59 MGA (I6) under construction
'73 Lotus Europa

"There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness"

Thanks for the input.  Will let you know how it comes apart.

Ed 

 

No Luck, Fulcrum pin will not come out.  Even tried a little heat.  Should I try drilling it out?

 Oh, locking pin came out as you suggested.

Thanks, Ed

Does the pin rotate with the upright insided the A frame bushings? If so it's siezed in the kingpin from corrosion. Best choice at that point is probably to saw through the pin on each side of the kingpin and then use a press to remove the remaining section from the kingpin. The threaded portions in the A frame should then screw out. There is a cork seal ring on either side of the kingpin that will allow enough room for a saw blade without damaging either the A frame or kingpin.

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'73 Midget (V6)
'59 MGA (I6) under construction
'73 Lotus Europa

"There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness"

The kingpin is very worn on the fulcrum pin.  The fulcrum pin is stuck/frooze in the A frame.  I plan on replacing the king and fulcrum pin.  Hoping to save the A frame.  I can try to cut the fulcrum pin, but would be concerned that the far end of the pin will not come out.  Other thought, drill through the bottom of the king pin into the center of the fulcrum pin.  Then used a rod to rotate the fulcrum pin.  No return for either option.

Thanks for the help, Ed 

If the fulcrum pin is frozen in the A frame bushings then I doubt if you'll be able to save them. That's a threaded bushing on each side of the king pin and if it's siezed then that indicates some major wear and damage. You may well have to either have the A frames rebuilt or replaced and start with new fulcrum pins. Such an unusual design they used. A threaded bushing on each side of a smooth center portion that was pinned to the kingpin to prevent rotation once it was installed. The fulcrum pin itself was hollow for a grease channel to allow lubrication of both sides of the bushing. Some A frames would have a second grease zerk installed on the small end as well in that plug. You could pop that small plug out in order to free up the small end of the pin if necessary, they are replacable.

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'73 Midget (V6)
'59 MGA (I6) under construction
'73 Lotus Europa

"There is a fine line between a hobby and mental illness"

If the fulcrum is badly worn and the bushings in the A frame are too, I would guess that the kiggpin is also wrecked.

Oxy-acetalene torch heating would free up the  fulcrum but end up loosening the the threaded bushes in the A frame.  OE ones were installed with induction heated silver solder (from my memories)

Just take it all off and fit new.

In the good old days you could buy the kit (kingpin-A frame-fulcrum-stub axle) all matched, machined, honed and assembled.

This used to be a regular Spridget requirement.

 

Cheers

 

Peter W