[runningbwdog]

I am replacing the aerilon control cable on a Cessna 172.
Am having extreme trouble getting the cotter pin for the bottom pulley under the floor out of the bracket so that the turnbuckle fitting can pass through and up to the next pulley in the system.
Got the open end of the cotter pin legs straightened out and push through that side of the bracket.
Spent 5 hours on a creeper, staring at a mirror and trying to grab the head end of the cotter pin that has been pushed out 1 inch. Can't pull it out due to the close tolerance of the hole and the diameter of the pin.
Pulley is in a confined location and inaccessible to direct hands on.
Need help and advice.
Thanks,
Mike

[Lightfoot]

I take it there is no panel removel option.
Sounds like the 'legs' have humps in them from where they were bent, causing too much resistance through the hole.
Have you tried one of those 'booger hook' tools that grabs the cotter pin by hooking the loop end?

[67ramair4]

Take .040 safety wire thru the head of the cotter pin, spin/twist about two or three of it, lock on and pull! Or lock on and use a bracket as a fulcrum and pull it.
Watch your eyes!

[runningbwdog]

Hi,
I have a mechanical finger jaws gripping the head side of the cotter pin.
I have been trying to push a wide tip flat screwdriver between the mechanical fingers and the side of the bracket to leverage the pin further out of the hole in the side of the bracket so that I can feed the cable and swagged fitting through and up to the next pulley in line.
I have a three inch holeon the belly of the plane about 12 inches forward of where the pulley and bracket are mounted.
Mike

[Tripower455]

I feel for you...... I replaced a rudder pedal bar on a 152 about 25 years ago, and I put almost 6 hours into it!

It took 3 extensions, 2 universals, a crows foot and a ton of cursing, but I finally got all of the lock nuts on the thing! An access panel would've made it an hour job at most......