I PB blasted it for two consecutive days......let it sit for one more day just for good measure.......then set the bike up so the bb was not stressed when I started blasting. I used a punch with a concave end. Three good cracks with a hammer on the punch and the cotter came shooting out like a bullet. Check the utube video from RJ-the bike guy who has a good video on how to make a cotter press. It will save you $60, and it works well......good luck..... Cotter are big PIA!