![]() If you fit it the wrong way round, you will never get it to tighten properly. Incidentally, the flat of the pin should make contact with the flat on the bottom bracket spindle. That way you leave enough thread to re-tighten as it it beds in. I was interested in this as my shopping bike needs a new cotter pin and a spare one that I found in the garage wouldnt fit. One further bit of advice on filing the flat: File it so that when the nut is tight, the end of the threaded portion of pin is level with the face of the nut. Do not overtighten it as you will eventually get it jammed. ![]() Having said that, the wee beasties do have a tendency to loosen off as they bed in, so first time out, take a spanner with you and check it is reasonably tight at regular intervals. ![]() If it has, it will tighten up ok, but within a very few revolutions, it will be loose again. But, and it is a serious but, you must file it so it is completely flat. All you have to do to get the pin to fit your crank is to further file that flat. When you buy the cotter it will already have a flat filed on it. There is a small satisfaction in fettling your own bike by your own leaned skill. I know that may seem old fashioned, quaint and mildly intimidating to younger persons brought up on a diet of ready-to-fit-parts, but treat the exercise as a way of learning a skill, albeit a very basic one. (Cycle pedal cotters also fitted the kickstart levers of a number of vintage motorcycles I used to own). Likewise now, when you buy cotter pins, the same pins will fit a multitude of different applications, but you, dear consumer must be prepared to finish them yourself. These manufacturers bought in such items made for unspecific machines, and then finished them by hand to suit the intended use. Move forward to say the early 1900's when every large town had its own cycle and motorcycle manufacturer (no error here, I do mean manufacturer), there was then a good market for batch made small items like clips, washers, split pins, cotter pins and the like. In those days of course, the engineer would make his own cotter pins and obviously file them to suit the application. Bear in mind that cotter pins date back to the 19th century when engineers were engineers and superb craftsmen fitters to boot.
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