I am now on the hunt for a set of pedal taps and dies.
I've got one set of pedals that need the threads cleaned up, and I've had a few cranks needing the threads cleaned up as well.
In the past I've found taps but not dies so I passed on the deal.

Where should I look? Do any of you have links to good tool supply sources, or better yet have a spare set in good cutting condition that you want to sell or trade off?

I can find "regular" right hand thread taps and dies locally, but finding the reverse thread is the issue.

I'll check the Park site to see what they offer and might swing by an LBS to see what's available through QBP. In the mean time I'll see what you folks have links too.

Thanks,
Mike

Looks like Park offers the taps but not the dies.
I'll ask the machinists at work tomorrow for their suggestions as well.

They aren't cheap, but here ya go.

You can make a home-made die good enough for cleaning up pedal threads by filing a couple slots across the threads on a 9/16x20 nut, to give any metal shaved off a place to go. It's certainly cheaper than a left-and-right set of dies.

Eeeeeee.... For pedals (they are hardened) its often a thread-file or nothing.

For a left hand INTERNAL thread on aluminum crank arms you can very often get by with a home-made thread chaser and kerosene as a lubricant.

Take a scrap pedal with a good reverse thread and grind a couple of thin grooves into the threaded section 180˚ apart with a thin high-speed cut-off wheel on a high-speed die grinder. Cut the grooves across the threads and parallel to the axis of the shaft. Clean up with a thread file.

Make sure you keep the pedal shaft cool.

Run the chaser into the crank arm FROM BEHIND and go right trough the threaded hole in the crank arm. This should clean up the starter threads on the front (outside) of the crank arm and make it easier to get a good start when you put in your pedal from the front side.

Mike

I'd use a pair of old steel crank arms. Cut slots as described above, then harden it with a heat treatment.

look at https://www1.mscdirect.com/eCommerce/...c-google-Brand you can buy the individual die you need ,spend a few dollars and take care of it, and you'll have it when you need it

I'll check the links on the computer tomorrow, my phone browser isn't playing well and we blew up out home computer mother board (such os life at times).

I think I've got an old set of steel cottered crank arms out buried in the garage, so will look into the home brew option as well.

Thanks for the tips and links. One way or another I'll get those threads cleaned up. Probably cheaper and easier to just buy new pedals, but where's the fun in that, plus this way I'll be set for the next bunged up threads I encounter.

FIFY!

I've done this, using old pedal spindles, and it works. It was to convert some French-threaded crank arms to 9/16.

I bought these, they're reasonable and worked fine. You'll need both left and right taps. Can't help you on the dies, sorry.
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/M...?ModelID=55945

To clean up pedal threads, you start with a couple of steel crank arms, left and right, of course.

Start the pedal spindle, in the appropriate crank arm, and thread in, by hand, until it stops. Holding the crank securely, with your hand, smack the crank arm, on the outside diameter, of where the pedal threads in. Don't be shy. Do this in several spots. Now try the pedal again. It should thread in a little more. Needless to say, the crank arm(s) will be somewhat banged up by the time you finish.

Keep doing this until the threads are free and that should do the trick. And, speaking of tricks, this is an older Millwright trick I learned long before I became an old Millwright.

Make sure you install the pedals with greased threads, when ready for installation on the bike.

When cleaning up an alloy crank thread, use an unwanted pedal spindle, left or right hand as required, and slot the threads, as suggested above. The threads will clean up nicely. This time use a lubricant, while chasing the threads.

The nice thing about using a pedal spindle like this is that it doesn't diminish their effectiveness as pedal spindles, if you're careful.

I suppose there are a few of us old Millwrights on the Forum....

Mike

and some wannabes +1

You one also? I really liked my job until, up until the end. Downsizing and lack of training took a few lives during the last three years at the paper mill.

Learned a lot from a lot of old timers.

no go on the machine shop at work.
A place called Merlintools offers a LH die on their ebay and amazon sites.
Several places offer the taps, ParkTool, QBP through HarrisCyclery, Chainreactioncycles.
McMaster-Carr offers the taps and the RH die, somewhat pricey though.
MSC Metalworking has just the standard stuff, but nothing left handed in 9/16-20.

So, got some printouts of the order pages to refer to, got some price ranges, so I've got some leg work to do.

In the mean time I'll be rummaging in the garage for those steel cranks to see what I can monkey up with them to clean up the pedal threads.

For the taps, I'll probably just order a set from Park or Chainreaction and see if I still have a discount active at the LBS where I helped at a few years ago.

Thanks again for all the help and ideas and work-arounds. Hopefully others will benefit from this as well.