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Anybody have a pedal hole repair kit?

Old 08-27-18, 04:53 PM
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Anybody have a pedal hole repair kit?

And if so, how much would you charge for a repair?
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Old 08-27-18, 05:32 PM
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I presume you mean a crank arm pedal thread repair kit? I don't have one but it would help to know where you're located for someone to repair it for you. "The Open Road" covers a lot of ground.
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Old 08-27-18, 07:53 PM
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...the bike co-op here in Sacramento has one. I bought it for them when I worked there.
for some reason most of the shops in town did not choose to do this repair, so it seemed like an obvious choice.

We used to do the repair for customers at the cost of the threadsert, which was six or eight bucks at the time. Those suckers are pricey.

Unless it's a pretty special crank, it's usually not worth the hassle of shipping it around.
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Old 08-28-18, 05:33 AM
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Not special, just unusual needs. We need a right-side (no spider) crank for the front of a tandem. That crankset is shorter than the normal 170, and the owner wants to keep it matching the other three arms. We can find a left-side crank of that model and length fairly easily but no right-side, so I suggested having it reamed and tapped to accept a right pedal.
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Old 08-28-18, 05:59 AM
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Seems like a reasonable solution to this problem. Heli-coil inserts are strong and should last pretty much forever if properly installed. Not knowing your location, I would suggest that you find a machine shop that does auto engine work. They have probably used heli-coils before and may have everything needed except the actual insert.

This really isn't a bicycle-specific repair, even though it is a crank arm. it's more of a machine shop 10-15 minute job.
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Old 08-28-18, 06:18 AM
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Originally Posted by streetstomper
Not special, just unusual needs. We need a right-side (no spider) crank for the front of a tandem. That crankset is shorter than the normal 170, and the owner wants to keep it matching the other three arms. We can find a left-side crank of that model and length fairly easily but no right-side, so I suggested having it reamed and tapped to accept a right pedal.
That would work. Your location is not indicated, but if you are anywhere near Toronto, I can do the job. 25 bucks.
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Old 08-28-18, 09:16 AM
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Yes, many shops have them. Dan's offer at $25 is a fair one, and I suspect he will do a good job. When I was at Allstar in Raleigh NC the other mechanic, Terry, was pretty good doing this repair. I wasn't, although the few I've done have not had issues. I just never got the first and last coil of the insert to nicely seat/stay smooth WRT the crank arm's face. I have considered this repair a last resort one because of that (as well as it's a no reversing repair, there's no going back). If a replacement arm is available I consider that to be the better path to take. Andy
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Old 08-28-18, 09:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Andrew R Stewart
Yes, many shops have them. Dan's offer at $25 is a fair one, and I suspect he will do a good job. When I was at Allstar in Raleigh NC the other mechanic, Terry, was pretty good doing this repair. I wasn't, although the few I've done have not had issues. I just never got the first and last coil of the insert to nicely seat/stay smooth WRT the crank arm's face. I have considered this repair a last resort one because of that (as well as it's a no reversing repair, there's no going back). If a replacement arm is available I consider that to be the better path to take. Andy
Yes, but as per the op, the issue is finding a compatible right side crank without a spider.
The trickiest part of the job is making sure to ream and tap the hole straight. The tool is a combined reamer and tap, and going in straight when the crank arm has a curve takes a careful eye.
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Old 08-28-18, 12:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Andrew R Stewart
Yes, many shops have them. Dan's offer at $25 is a fair one, and I suspect he will do a good job. When I was at Allstar in Raleigh NC the other mechanic, Terry, was pretty good doing this repair. I wasn't, although the few I've done have not had issues. I just never got the first and last coil of the insert to nicely seat/stay smooth WRT the crank arm's face. I have considered this repair a last resort one because of that (as well as it's a no reversing repair, there's no going back). If a replacement arm is available I consider that to be the better path to take. Andy
...if you're talking about the threadserts (not helicoils) that are now being sold and used (It's a little sheet metal thingie, formed for both right and left hand threads), the trick is to use an old pedal spindle to set the threadsert into the arm with red Loctite to hold it in place. Once the Loctite has had a chance to set up, file or grind off any excess on the back, and then remove the dummy pedal spindle.

I think you can still get RH threaded spark plug helicoils in the correct size and threading for this, but as far as I know, nobody is making and selling the LH ones any more. Just the threadserts.
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Old 08-28-18, 12:58 PM
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Pedals are 9/16" by 20 TPI. if going off from a bike shop tool for the job.
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Old 08-28-18, 03:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Dan Burkhart
Yes, but as per the op, the issue is finding a compatible right side crank without a spider.
The trickiest part of the job is making sure to ream and tap the hole straight. The tool is a combined reamer and tap, and going in straight when the crank arm has a curve takes a careful eye.
Dan- Two of the few redoing pedal threads I've done was a front tandem set, both sides as I did the classic repurposing of a single's crankset. The next time I needed to do this I just made sure the pedals were really tight, their bearings were freely rotating (Speedplay X2s) and that I checked them periodically. In the nearly 20 years that set has been in use the pedals have never needed retightening (and have been removed and reinstalled a number of times). Like I said I am not the expert on pedal thread inserts but like most wrenches I do have opinions just the same. I agree with getting the reaming and threading straight, a drill press helps with this and is what I used (under no power but as a fixture). Andy
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Old 08-28-18, 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by 3alarmer
...if you're talking about the threadserts (not helicoils) that are now being sold and used (It's a little sheet metal thingie, formed for both right and left hand threads), the trick is to use an old pedal spindle to set the threadsert into the arm with red Loctite to hold it in place. Once the Loctite has had a chance to set up, file or grind off any excess on the back, and then remove the dummy pedal spindle.

I think you can still get RH threaded spark plug helicoils in the correct size and threading for this, but as far as I know, nobody is making and selling the LH ones any more. Just the threadserts.
Well once again I find my memory a tad faulty. My comment about the last thread and the arm face was wrong and is about a drop out hanger repair Heli-coil, the few threads involved adds to the problem there. (And since have used T nuts a few times).

Back to crankarms and my now corrected memory. Here's a shot of the kit I used. You are correct in the method of setting the insert in place, I don't remember which LockTite I used but that aspect wasn't the challenge. As I replied to Dan's post for my personal cranks I used a drill press as a fixture and pilot for the reamer and tap. I have a vague memory of doing one repair freehand in a shop and thinking about how to align the insert. I will stand by my comment about this rethreading being the plan B. Thanks for the check and balance. Andy
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Old 08-28-18, 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Dan Burkhart
That would work. Your location is not indicated, but if you are anywhere near Toronto, I can do the job. 25 bucks.
Too bad, not near Toronto, and shipping across the border and back would cost an arm and a leg.

Originally Posted by fietsbob
Pedals are 9/16" by 20 TPI. if going off from a bike shop tool for the job.
Yes, that's a problem I've seen. Looking around at general purpose helicoil inserts, pretty much every 9/16 I saw was 18 or 12tpi, so I'm pretty sure just going to an auto shop wouldn't work for this.
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Old 08-28-18, 07:52 PM
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Originally Posted by streetstomper



Yes, that's a problem I've seen. Looking around at general purpose helicoil inserts, pretty much every 9/16 I saw was 18 or 12tpi, so I'm pretty sure just going to an auto shop wouldn't work for this.
...I was wrong about nobody making and selling the helicoils for this any more. I've not used this one personally, but it looks like their standard kit, which I have used for other stuff and their products work as advertised. The price is about half what they get for the Unior threadsert kits, but you need to drill your own hole, and it needs to be straight. The insertion of the helicoil itself is a snap (pun intended).
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Old 08-29-18, 09:55 AM
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Surely the OP can find A bike shop to do this service .. near where they live...

.. call around.. prices may not match Dan's ,
but you wont have postage costs, either..





....

Last edited by fietsbob; 08-29-18 at 10:01 AM.
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Old 08-30-18, 09:12 PM
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Originally Posted by streetstomper
Not special, just unusual needs. We need a right-side (no spider) crank for the front of a tandem. That crankset is shorter than the normal 170, and the owner wants to keep it matching the other three arms. We can find a left-side crank of that model and length fairly easily but no right-side, so I suggested having it reamed and tapped to accept a right pedal.
Have you considered using a left side pedal and coating the pedal threads with a "industrial grade" thread locker? ezpz
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Old 08-30-18, 09:19 PM
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Originally Posted by streetstomper

Yes, that's a problem I've seen. Looking around at general purpose helicoil inserts, pretty much every 9/16 I saw was 18 or 12tpi, so I'm pretty sure just going to an auto shop wouldn't work for this.
Not surprising....9/16" 20TPI is pretty much singularly used on bike crank arms....and most helicoil kits are for automotive use (improperly torqued spark plugs are like bullets shooting into car hoods).
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Old 08-31-18, 10:51 AM
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Learn to do it yourself

https://www.amazon.com/Unior-Pedal-T.../dp/B001PTCKJO $145
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Old 09-01-18, 07:22 PM
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If no local options, this guy may be able to help... BikeSmith Design and Fabrication
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