LC REMOVAL: The pin needs to be popped backward through the coupler. There is a Gilbert "tool" to do this which we have re-manufactured and improved upon. It consists of three parts....a post which drops down over the LC pin, leaving about 1/8" of the pin uncovered, and a hollow tube the same diameter as the head of the LC pin, which inserts into a base that can be screwed to your workbench. When you tap on the top of the post with a hammer, the pin will drop downward into the tube. The complete 3-piece tool is currently priced at $20, and I would recommend it. Lacking this simple tool, you can try the following removal technique:

(a) pop out the wheel-and-axle set from the truck, to get it out of the way;

(b) using a pair of needle-nose pliers, squeeze between the tip of the pin and the sheet-metal (s/m) flange of the truck, which the pin is passing through (you can just barely get hold of the edge of it). If you squeeze between these 2 points 2-3 times, it will usually pop the pin backwards through the coupler.

(c) After removing the link coupler, usually that truck coupler sheet-metal flange gets bent a bit, and also needs a little un-bending, First, it's a little low for the KC, so using the pair of needle nose pliers, slightly straighten out the 'dog bone' in the mounting shank, not by much, about a 1/16" change or less. Then make certain the shank is parallel with the truck sides, and the tang with the hole in it is vertical. This way, your coupler will fit squarely and you won't have to bend it up at an angle to get the hanging coupler-weight to clear the track by 1/16" in the closed position.

(d) The replacement KC has a slot in it. With the car upside-down, the slot drops over that sheet-metal flange, and the KC is held there with the split pin by pushing it through the hole that the LC pin used to go through. Just spread the pin's sides a bit, and you're in business! Don't get too ambitious with bending the split pin either, just enough to keep things in place will do. Believe me, this is all a LOT easier and simpler than it sounds! Now, putting the LC's back again is another story. To do that, you really DO need a special tool in order to crimp the pin back onto that flange.

PARTS AVAILABILITY:

• Conversion knuckle couplers (either "slot & hole", or "slot only")
• KC conversion split-pins
• LC 3-piece removal tool
• LC Setting tool (economy): Used with a hammer to flare the shoulder of a link-coupler pin. This tool is required if you want to install a link coupler.
  
• Replacement Link Couplers
      (1946 type----thin shank ); (1947 type----no weight ); (1948 type---- brass weight ); (1949+ type---- black weight )
• Replacement LC pins: (1946 pins ); (1947-1953 pins )
• We also carry the "Brakeman's Super-Riveter", a superb hammerless tool used to remove and reset LC, as well as set truck rivets. It's not cheap....but it's excellent for the repairman who would make a lot of use of it! See our TOOLS page for details and pricing.