How to remove linchpin from 3 point lift arms

[Beacon11]

I recently got a B2650. Love it with all my heart. When it arrived I could tell there was something off about the right 3pt lift arm-- it always wanted to be at an odd angle. It's been working more or less fine, but I finally realized what the problem was tonight. Of course, I realized it after dark so I'm going to have to try and explain with OTHER people's pictures instead of my own, and will follow up tomorrow with pictures if necessary.



The lift arms have a slot at the bottom where they connect to the stabilizers (circled in the image above). Notice how these slots are not in-line with the rest of the lift arm: they cock in ever so slightly. Whoever assembled my 3 point did the left arm properly, but the right lift arm is installed backward, thus causing the stabilizer to angle in instead of out, if that makes any sense. A reminder: the image above is not my tractor, the lift arms look correct there.

"No problem, this will be an easy fix," I thought. I was wrong. How on earth do you get these linchpins out?!



I've circled what I'm talking about in this picture (again, not my tractor). I tried bending them into a straight line with pliers, but these things are beefy and I just can't get them lined up properly to pull it out. Am I missing something obvious? Do I need to cut it off and buy another? Will my dealer have replacements for something this tiny?

Finally, do you think using my 3 point like this could have hurt anything? I bought this under warranty from a tractor dealer, but assuming I can solve this myself and nothing is hurt, I don't think I need to bring it to them. Advice welcome.

 

[whitetiger]

I recently got a B2650. Love it with all my heart. When it arrived I could tell there was something off about the right 3pt lift arm-- it always wanted to be at an odd angle. It's been working more or less fine, but I finally realized what the problem was tonight. Of course, I realized it after dark so I'm going to have to try and explain with OTHER people's pictures instead of my own, and will follow up tomorrow with pictures if necessary.

View attachment 65983

The lift arms have a slot at the bottom where they connect to the stabilizers (circled in the image above). Notice how these slots are not in-line with the rest of the lift arm: they cock in ever so slightly. Whoever assembled my 3 point did the left arm properly, but the right lift arm is installed backward, thus causing the stabilizer to angle in instead of out, if that makes any sense. A reminder: the image above is not my tractor, the lift arms look correct there.

"No problem, this will be an easy fix," I thought. I was wrong. How on earth do you get these linchpins out?!

View attachment 65984

I've circled what I'm talking about in this picture (again, not my tractor). I tried bending them into a straight line with pliers, but these things are beefy and I just can't get them lined up properly to pull it out. Am I missing something obvious? Do I need to cut it off and buy another? Will my dealer have replacements for something this tiny?

Finally, do you think using my 3 point like this could have hurt anything? I bought this under warranty from a tractor dealer, but assuming I can solve this myself and nothing is hurt, I don't think I need to bring it to them. Advice welcome.

It would probably be far easier to remove the pin at the top of the vertical lift link which will take the pressure off of the lower pin and give you more access to the cotter pin.

 

[jimh406]

I would try lowering all of the way. 3 pts don’t have any downforce, so if you are all of the way down, there will also be no upforce.

 

[Beacon11]

It would probably be far easier to remove the pin at the top of the vertical lift link which will take the pressure off of the lower pin and give you more access to the cotter pin.

That's true, and the top is very easy to remove. I still ultimately need to get the pin out from the bottom, though! Maybe better access is all I need, I'll keep trying, thank you.

 

[Russell King]

The cotter pin should be as straight as possible. It can still be difficult to pull out the round (bent) end of the pin. You can try to drive it out with a screw driver or I believe there is a specific hook tool to pull them out. You will basically be pulling them into a straight form through the hole in the pin. It can take considerable force to do that.

You can try to cut it but that can be more difficult and damage the pin more and make it more difficult to remove. In difficult situations I have broken the loop and had to use vice grips to grasp the pin half and get it out, then remove the other half.

You can buy replacement cotter pins just about anywhere.

 

[Beacon11]

Ah, "cotter pin" gave me the google juice I needed, I have renewed confidence now!

 

[mikester]

You might need to buy a left handed hammer to get the other pin out

 

[GreensvilleJay]

in the 2nd picture, you remove the stabarms to get clear access to the cotter pin. grab cotterpin head with vice grips,hammer vicegrips, cotter pin will come out. Might be easier to rotate the clevis pin(thing the cotterpin is in, so head of cotter pin in facing the ground, then you can hammer the cotter pin out easier. No need to lower 3ph down as no pressure/force on the cotter pin

 

[Beacon11]

You might need to buy a left handed hammer to get the other pin out

Oh shush, I might be new to this, but not THAT new . I got it out this morning, finally. Used a punch in the loop of the pin and a hammer. That didn't actually work, but it broke the loop, then I could use vice grips to get each half out on its own.

Now that it's morning here I can actually share some (admittedly terrible) pictures. Here's what it looked like before I fixed it:



Notice how the left lift arm comes out to the left and then bends down ever so slightly where it joins the stabilizer. Notice how the right comes out to the right, but then bends MORE to the right, when in fact I believe it should be a mirror of the left, like this picture where I flipped it:



Do you agree?

 

[Russell King]

Second picture is much better arrangement and correctly assembled.

 

[Beacon11]

Thank you, Russell. Think I harmed anything running it this way?

 

[Russell King]

No harm done at all