I was rebuilding some Shimano pedals yesterday, and ran into a problem with the second one ......
If you look closely at the little keyed washer in the photo, you'll notice that it no longer has it's little internal tab - As I was tightening the spindle lock nut, I felt it "give" as I was turning it, and the bearing adjustment socked up too tight - The tab had sheared off, and could no longer hold the adjustment.

This was a real pain, as I didn't have another one, and you can't buy them, at least I couldn't find them at any kind of reasonable price, and I really didn't want to cannibalize my other vintage pedals, and just pass the problem on to plague me again sometime in the future .......



So, this morning I came up with a solution, and my wife thought I should post it, as she thinks I'm so clever
Now, I'm fortunate enough to have some machine tools, so this obviously won't work for everyone, but here it is anyway -
I took an old 1/2" drive 15mm socket (the size of the bearing cone nut), chucked it in the lathe, bored out the back end, so it could pass through an 11mm deep socket (the size of the lock nut), and welded a crude "handle" on it:



And here it is, in action - It worked perfectly, holding the bearing cone in exact adjustment, while I cranked the lock nut tight


So there's my show and tell for today, boys and girls

Pretty cool. Shimano has produced a version of this idea for, at least, other pedals. The tool I have has two different large sockets on the ends of the outer sleeve and also two different ones on the inner's ends. If anyone wants the tool number let me know and I'll pawl through my too drawers. Andyt

Y'know, as I was in the middle of making this, I started wondering if I was re-inventing the wheel ..........

Usually a flat screwdriver tip held against the cone flat suffices.

Yeah, I've done them that way - You kind of wedge the screwdriver blade in, and hold it with your third hand, and then usually have to do it a couple times to get it right - Even with a good washer, it takes a couple tries.
These pedals had a pretty deep recess, and it would have been awkward - I just wish that all pedals had the same nut sizes, so you could just buy a tool like this on Amazon for $6, to fit them all - I would have bought one long ago

Nice tool and good Macgyvering !

Very smart - both the idea and the execution