# stuck pivot pins on a western



## timpoth (Mar 5, 2010)

Hi Everyone,
Just got a used (but nice condition) Western mvp plus and am trying to adjust it for the height of my truck but I can’t get the pivot pins to come out of the pivot bar, both sides are stuck in there good and I’m running out of ideas. I have been banging on them with a hammer, sprayed them down with penetrating oil, hammered a chisel in to try to wedge them apart but there still stuck.
Anyone deal with this before? What’s killing me is the last plow I did this to I had to cut half the bolts off because of how rusted they were but the pins came right now, this seems to be the reverse. Do I just cut them and order new ones (and a pivot bar)?
Thanks for your time
tim


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## craigd (Jan 5, 2008)

I reconfigured a western straight blade a few years back and ran into the same problem. One pivot pin was broken and the other was frozen. You can try a BFH or an air hammer, but most likely you will need to buy a new pivot bar and pins. I think central parts has a kit that comes with the pins and bar. This must happen regularly. I don't think the price was too bad. I had to cut the square ends of the pivot bar with a cutting wheel and a sawsall to get it apart. Make sure you check western's installation manual because (depending on height) there are some components that switch sides, get flipped over, etc when you reconfigure the pivot bar.


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## clark lawn (Oct 7, 2005)

Put heat to them and they will come apart. Got to get everything red hot abd then put some vise grips on the pin and turn them back and forth till they free up.


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## timpoth (Mar 5, 2010)

Thanks for your thoughts guys, Had someone who knows what there doing put some heat on it and we broke one of the pins off inside, looks like I'm replacing the bar, and using lots of anti-seize.


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## spacekat (Jan 13, 2013)

*Siezed Pivot Pins, Western Snow Plow*

I know this post is old but I just went through this myself.

The pins on my 5 year old ez mount were so locked up that they were holding the plow up! I tried drilling the top of the pivot bar and installing grease zerks but could not get any grease to go in! I then tried various applications of heat and penetrating oils but no luck. I took the plow apart and applied some REAL heat to the bar (got it red hot) and was able to work one of the pins out. I ended up cutting the plate off of the end of the other pin with the torch. I then cut the end of the pin strait with a bandsaw and began drilling the pin out using progressively larger bits. That didn't really go well and I ended up blowing most of the pin out with the torch trying not to damage the bar.

I did manage to save my pivot bar but it was a lot of work! I had to order one pin ($30) and I noticed that the new pins are now zinc coated so Western has apparently addressed the problem.

Weather you have had problems or not, I highly recommend drilling and putting zerks on the ends of the bar as I was able to pump a nice amount of grease in to the joints after reassembling and I think that will be key to not having any more problems! It seems as though Western should have thought of that and saved us all a lot of frustration and labor!


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

The new bars have 3 grease fitting, two for the pivot pins and one for the bolt


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## snowish10 (Oct 29, 2010)

1olddogtwo;1565739 said:


> The new bars have 3 grease fitting, two for the pivot pins and one for the bolt


What do you think about heavy duty military grade anitseize in the pivot pins ??

Or I was thinking about drilling in grease points in the summer.


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## spacekat (Jan 13, 2013)

I would go with the grease fittings, you can do it without taking the plow apart at all. just drill about 1/4" in, you can feel when you hit the pin. That way you can just hit it once and a while with the gun and you'll be good to go.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

No antiseeze. Go with a zerk and water resistant grease
Search the western thread,,,,I did a write up on it


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## snowish10 (Oct 29, 2010)

dieselss;1566480 said:


> No antiseeze. Go with a zerk and water resistant grease
> Search the western thread,,,,I did a write up on it


Ok thanks!!! I have a pro plus the pivot pin holding the a frame to the blade has a peice of metal that covers the spot where the pin goes. Do I just have to drill a big hole and then drill a hole for the actual zerk fitting?


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

search in western thread or just search function. If you still have questions pm and I can walk you through it


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## snowish10 (Oct 29, 2010)

dieselss;1566609 said:


> search in western thread or just search function. If you still have questions pm and I can walk you through it


Ok thanks!


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

No bother. And good luck.


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## snowish10 (Oct 29, 2010)

Now chicago just needs a few good plowable snow events!!! Or a few 12" blizzards.


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## jasonv (Nov 2, 2012)

I don't think that a pivot pin should be so tight that it could seize. I would be inclined to open the holes out a bit to add a little slack. I also would be inclined to replace those pins since they've been heated like that.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Well a snug fit is what western had designed.


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## spacekat (Jan 13, 2013)

The pins aren't that tight until the corrosion starts, had there been grease fittings, you could pump enough grease in to keep out the salt water and avoid any problems.


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## jasonv (Nov 2, 2012)

spacekat;1567115 said:


> The pins aren't that tight until the corrosion starts, had there been grease fittings, you could pump enough grease in to keep out the salt water and avoid any problems.


Right, but loosening it up a bit would let it corrode a bit without jamming up. I'm sure they like having parts jam up, means selling more parts.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

Just add the zerks. Or buy the new pivot bar that has them already installed


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## heebeha (Nov 4, 2017)

I need to replace the PIVOT PINS on my Western Ultramount A-Frame, Straight Blade snow plow. The Passenger side pin sheared/rusted off and is inside the pivot bar so I am replacing both. I need to somehow clear the FRAME LIFT LOWER UT S to be able to remove the Pivot Pin and Bracket in order to install the new ones. The pins are longer than the room allotted between the FRAME LIFT LOWER and the A FRAME to get the old Pins/bracket out and insert the new one.

So somehow I need to get the A-frame above or below the Frame Lift Lower to remove and insert the new Pivot Pins.

HELP please. What do I need to remove to do this work. I already removed the bolts securing the Pivot Pins to the frame.

Do I need to remove the Pivot Plate(s) 

I cant find instructions online or a video on YouTube on how to do this work. If I can get some help and good good instructions; I will film the work so others can benefit from my leaning lesson.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Yes, everything you see needs to be disassembled.... Lining everything back up is the fun part.


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## dieselss (Jan 3, 2008)

It's all new so it should be easy right?


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## heebeha (Nov 4, 2017)

What do you mean by everything needs ot be removed. Can you be more specific. I believe I gave enough details on what I have to work with.

It looks to me that the Pivot Plate(s) just need to be either loosened or removed all together. Can you please give me better instructions than remove everything? That does not help...


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