MTFCA Forum

A nail would probably work for awhile, but have you tried drill rod, or better yet Langs?

Chinese metallurgy is a crapshoot at best, IMHO. If I was in a hurry, I’d use the end of a drill that is snug ( drill rod) and still sleep at night. Grandpa would use a nail and sleep good at night, too.

Yes, a quality drill bit will be fine. I know someone here in Sydney who has had drill bits as retainer pins in his tourer for the last ten years/20,000 plus kilometers without any issues. He did this as he found the repro pins were to soft. I don't know if the current repro ones are better or the same.

You could also use Silver Steel which may end up cheaper if you have to replace every pin.

You could take an ungalvanized nail of the right diameter, cut it to size, heat it red hot with a torch and temper it in oil. Jim Patrick

I have used snug fitting nails for a long time. I did have a few about thirty years ago that the nails were too hard, and fractured. No problems since.

The cheap chinese drillbits are too brittle, but an older US made one is probably o.k., you can allways check by clamping the drillbit in the vice with the cutting tip and give it a light rap with a hammer, if it breakes readily, toss it, if it holds up, cut to length with a cutting disk and presto ! it'll probably outlive you

Kaiser X 2....

Steve
I have used drill bit ends for valve pins and they work very well. In a pinch I cut off the end of bits that I use every day and now they are just little shorter. I put them in a vise and placed a white rag directly under it on the bench and the small pin falls on the rag. A dremel tool works great for cutting

I know where your pins are, Steve. They're in that box with your speedometer. In fact, I think one of my lug nuts that disappeared a few years ago is in there too. My apologies. I'm not helping the conversation.

Steve all you have to do is go ahead with the drill bit piece and button the engine up. About 5 minutes later that box of missing pins will show up.

im not a metallurgist but the end of a good drill should work great they are hard on the outside about 60r and still
have some soft core to prevent breaking. again good ones not harbor freight go to fastenal and buy a pack. philip

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 11, 2020 12:37 am

It's very likely I have some originals somewhere, but it will probably be weeks or months before I find them.

It won't be weeks or months. You will find them the Monday morning after the weekend when you need them.

I have asked this before but no response, would the bearing pins out of a later model u-joint work or would they be to brittle. Jim

Tfan. Jim. I may be misunderstanding how your question regarding a u-joint pin pertains to this thread, but the pin this thread refers to is one of the eight valve spring retainer pins that goes into the hole at the base of each shaft of the intake and exhaust valves that secures the valve springs. The pins are approximately 3/32” diameter x 3/8” long. That may be why you have not gotten a response. Jim Patrick

If a file "zings" off the pin it is likely too hard/brittle. If if scratches the pin it's too soft. If it just marks it, I think it would be fine. Personally I'd find a drill bit that fit, polish it and anneal it to JUST blue and test it. It should be fine for the trip but I would plan on eventually replacing with a good correct pin eventually.

Follow Scott's suggestions, and if you try needle bearing 'pins' from discarded modern u-joints, follow the same guidelines. Nails don't have enough carbon to be heat treated, common nails would be a last ditch and very temporary emergency fix. Drive Careful! jb

TFan Jim. I understand your question now. I believe you were referring to the pins from a new fourth bearing that replaces the old babbited fourth bearing. Jim Patrick

Steve,

The reason I switched to quality drill bit stock is when I redid my motor the pins I bought from a supplier lasted only about a month until I had to replace them. Some were bent and other broke. If I remember the suppliers were having an issue with the manufacture at the time.

Jiminbartow., By later I meant 50's- 60's this is what I had in mind. Jim

So in looking at the chart that Tim posted is that saying that Red Brass and Phospher Bronze would be good choices for pins?
I ask because I have 16 valve Roof heads that uses stock T valves but have heavier valve springs and a very high lift cams. I have not run these engines yet and have always thought about this a being a very very weak link. Dropping a valve in one of these might cause a grown man to cry. There is no room for larger valves and I have been unable to find a replacement valve with a more modern keeper that fits.

John

there is no material shown on that chart which would be good for pins

It is generic in information and does not include a multitude of alloys nor various treatment states for those alloys

For example, the category "steel" is even missing, which would include Hot Rolled, Cold Rolled either of which includes a myriad of alloys, uses and tempers

You'd be well served by consulting anyone of several engine builders and Horsepower guys that frequent the forum, with your question. I'm with you, it's not a subject you want to guess at.

Personally, I'd use a valve which uses wedge and collar keepers and not pins, for an overhead

I made a pin by just cutting a piece off the top end of a 7/64" drill bit. Today I stopped at the Fastenal store to order a 36" piece of drill rod, priced at $3.13 on the Fastenal website, just to have the material on hand for future use. The manager informed me that it would come from the manufacturer with a shipping charge several times the cost of the item. No sale. I'll pick one up sometime when I'm in Wichita.

Not to "cloud" the issue here, but over the years, I've seen another example of severe wear, that (unless I've missed it) nobody in this thread has mentioned. In all my years of "messing" with these old Fords, I've seen the original cupped style valve spring seats (retainers) with very deep grooves worn almost all the way through from those little pins continually bearing in the same position for many miles and many years. I would think that depending on the type of pin material and hardness, might actually cause this type of wear to become more of a factor. Of course, I guess it goes without saying that there are reasons why the more modern cone-shaped and split valve spring retainers (keepers) are a better idea and became the automotive industry
standard"! FWIW,.....harold

I seen 7/64 used for a diameter so 3/32 should work right? TIG welding rod.may be the answer. You can get it in steel ER70 & 308 stainless.