When you work on a clutch, things seldom run smoothly. Thus, you have to be prepared for whatever challenges may come your way. Even something as simple as pulling a clutch pin, can stop you in your tracks. Deciding which tool to use to remove a stubborn pin is not necessarily a straight forward task. The challenges associated with removing a clutch pin will depend on which company manufactured the vehicle that you are working on and how badly damage the clutch is. 

Hammer and Punch

If the the pin you are working on extends completely through the flywheel, then you should be able to remove it with a hammer and punch. Just make sure that the punch you use is a smaller diameter than the pin you have to remove. Place the punch against the end of the pin and begin tapping on it with the hammer. This method should work if the pin is the same diameter throughout and if the pin has not begun to corrode. 

Heat and Penetrating Oil

If a pin is really gummed up and/or corroded, then tapping on it with a punch will likely not remove it. When you have a stubbornly stuck pin, use a blow torch to heat it up. Make sure you don't heat the clutch or pin to the point where it starts glowing red. Once the pin is hot, spray it with penetrating oil. Between the oil and the heat, the pin should come right out. 

Pin Puller

If you have tried the two methods described above to no avail, then it is time to bring in the big guns. Buy yourself a pin puller, but make sure that the tool you buy is compatible with the type of pins used on the vehicle you are working on. A pin puller is purposely designed to provide you with the right leverage on the right spot to remove even the most stubborn pins. Especially, if you plan to work on vehicles a lot, you should definitely invest in a pin puller. It will make your job so much easier that it will easily justify the cost. 

Working on a clutch is tricky enough without wrestling with stubborn pins. In order to keep your costs down, you might try the first two low-tech options described above, but if you simply don't want to deal with the hassle, then you can skip right to buying a pin puller. 

Contact a company like DAVIS INDUSTRIES OF MONTANA LLC for more information.