Bicycle Mechanics - where to buy a park cotter pin press and remover?

i looked around the internet and found one a www.biketoolsetc.com buy it says they're no longer available...did park stop making this tool? at biketoolsetc they also said that there is no good replacement tool! does anyone know anyplace that may still have some of these tools in stock?

i was thinking of trying to make one out of a c-clamp...have any of you done this before or have any tips/tricks to offer?

I did not see it listed on the Park site.

check danscomp.com or your neighborhood bike shop

Have you tried ebay?
I advertised on every bike forum i could find and was eventually rewarded by a very nice man from California
So they are still out there but be prepared to pay a good but in my opinion fair price for one of these
Leigh

If you cant find one, get a short but burly C-clamp that does not have to much play in the cap on the threaded end. Then weld a piece of pipe to the fixed end of the clamp. I think 1/2" ID and 1/2" tall would be enough but I would compare with the cottered crank right in front of me.

After seeing a very used Park go for $86 on Ebay, I got one of these http://bikesmithdesign.com/CotterPress

Seems to work as well as the Park, though you need a wrench.

BTW I'd emailed Park about their press. They quit making them in '99 due to lack of demand, but they still had some in stock as late as '02.

hammer.

hammer.

Exactly. I've R&R-ed easily hundreds of these and I've never even seen one of those tools.

Tap out the old one, fit & pound in the new. Use a Brass Hammer if you want to reuse the pin.

Exactly. I've R&R-ed easily hundreds of these and I've never even seen one of those tools.
Tap out the old one, fit & pound in the new. Use a Brass Hammer if you want to reuse the pin.
I've removed many dozens with a hammer. Even came up with a system to support the crankarm, so little shock was transmitted to the bearings. But, after using a proper press, I'll never go back to a hammer again.

I'll wager most people who have bought them had used hammers previously and found them wanting.

I've removed many dozens with a hammer. Even came up with a system to support the crankarm, so little shock was transmitted to the bearings. But, after using a proper press, I'll never go back to a hammer again.

I'll wager most people who have bought them had used hammers previously and found them wanting.

Well, that brings us to the next point: exactly how many cottered cranks do you come across these days? When I started wrenching new bikes were still being sold with steel (cottered) cranks, so it was a fairly common repair (and we still used hammers w/ no problem).

I haven't seen a new cottered crank for sale on or off a bike for years, so just how cost effective is one of these tools going to be?

Why do you think the tool is no longer available; because it was too popular..?

Using a hammer you take a chance of damaging the cotter, the press works great. But as one poster said how many cottered cranks do you come across these days? I had a cotter press but gave it to a friend about 20 years ago.

If your not wanting to save the crank and will be replacing it with a cotterless system then beat away with a hammer instead of paying $50 for one time use.

Well, that brings us to the next point: exactly how many cottered cranks do you come across these days? When I started wrenching new bikes were still being sold with steel (cottered) cranks, so it was a fairly common repair (and we still used hammers w/ no problem).

I haven't seen a new cottered crank for sale on or off a bike for years, so just how cost effective is one of these tools going to be?

Why do you think the tool is no longer available; because it was too popular..?
Hi All,
I'm new to the list, but as the guy who sells the cotter presses, maybe I can shed some light on this. I've sold 40 of them since late November of '04, and just had another run of 30 made. This is not a high enough volume for Park. But, I am selling them faster than they did for the last couple of years they were available.

I'm surprized there is even that large a market for them. I asked local old bike collectors and on the Classic Rendezvous list to see if there was any demand for them. I got 10 responses so I had 20 made. I figured I might never sell that many, but if I sold 10 I'd break even, and get a free one for myself. Most people buying them are old bike collectors, and 8 have gone to bike shops. A collector who just paid to have an old Chatter Lea or Williams crank rechromed, doesn't want to use a hammer to install it on an old bike he's got 2 or 3 grand into restoring. And most of these guys have a basement full of bikes.

BTW I've only sold 2 to people I know, because most of my "Old Bike Nut" friends already had a Park or a VAR. Used Parks are going for more on eBay than they sold for new. Maybe there are more old bike collectors than just a few years ago.

I've sold 1 to Germany, 2 to England and 3 to Australia. The last one went to a bicycle recycling project in Rhode Island. They work on so many cottered bikes that they were concerned about how long the tool would last under heavy use.

Only a tiny fraction of a percent of all bike nuts will need something like this badly enough to spend $50 on one. If half of those buy one from me, I'll do just fine.

BTW2 I'm not sure what this says about the spending habits of bike collectors but;
Recently, a used Campi front wheel quick release sold for $2,195 on eBAy. That's more than all 40 presses I've sold so far.