Cougar stick mount pin removal
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Alright guys. I’ll give it a go over the weekend. Hammer it is then. Hope the pot metal bears the “gentle” tap.
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take a nail. long and smaller diameter.
gently tap and push the pin out, you’ll be fine -
This guy thinks it should be straight and it was bend by suffering damage.
In transportation it can’t suffer damage there as the stick is disassembled. The place where the curve is, it’s in the middle at the gap. The pin is getting the forces on the edges. So any stress or curves would be on the edges and not in the middle.
It has it’s logic as a secondary safety not to get out I believe.
Mine was either by design like that or I don’t know. But I know it was not by forcing it by usage. There was no marks on the pin other than on the head by which I was strangling to take it out. when I turned it by half IIRC and pushed by the other end it popped out very easily.Maybe at some production time they used such pins and then they didn’t.
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I just had a look at my original gimbals and I can say that based on the design that pin is supposed to be straight. It is held in place by an E-clip and is free to move a small amount. To be fair, I went to a FFSB R1 mod very early on so they didn’t get a lot of use. If that pin came from a set you purchased new then it was assembled by a plumber at the factory (no offence to plumbers). As far as abuse, to get that kind of bend you would literally smash the die cast gimbal parts. So I don’t buy that cause. From a manufacturing standpoint, a “bent” pin wouldn’t make sense , too fiddly to install, no guarantee it would stay over time. Maybe the assembler ran out of E-clips and that was his creative solution.
Respectfully: Dave
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I thought that was the case…when I converted mine to an FCC3 I seem to recall an E clip being in that slot at the end of the pin. I didn’t need to remove the pin to make the conversion and just stuck the whole set of gimbals in a box for storage…thanks for jogging my memory.
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So I finally got around to getting the pin removed.
This is my second set of Cougar. In my first set I broke the gimbal while calibrating it moving it in a circular motion while the stick was on its extreme end. With that experience I was worried that the gimbal will not take too kindly to a hammer but I was surprised to the beating it took. I placed the gimbal on the vice and started with gentle taps to the end of the pin with the old faithful rusty nail but the pin wouldn’t give. To the point that the nail bent multiple times and I had to hammer the nail to straighten it. After multiple failed attempts I had to buy a 3mm steel punch to hammer the pin out. The pin came out bent but I doubt the hammering bent it. The pin has two notches cut in the middle. Apparently these notches lock into another pin inside the stick mount. To my surprise the gimbal didn’t crack under pressure. But the pin required a significant amount of convincing with a hammer to get it out.
The pin is bent at both notches. It should’ve come out by twisting it on its axis if it wasn’t bent. I don’t know how well it comes out in the photos. It’s 3mm thick and no amount of pressure on this while using the stick could have bent it. Photos of the bent pin and inside of the stick mount.
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That’s just incredible!!?
Dave -
So I finally got around to getting the pin removed.
After seeing this I wondered. I had remove the gimbals also and did not have trouble removing that pin.
Dug out the gimbals, the pin was straight, and there are no notches on the pin like your photo. Guessing those notches are a result of excessive friction from the gimbal rubbing the pin.
At least you got it out!
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I have been getting different opinions about the pin from different sources. I’ve started to believe that over the period of time Thrustmaster has used different designs to lock this pin. I saw a video on youtube and though it wasn’t in english but the gentleman did gesture that the pin has to be twisted twice on its axis to get it out. Arty also mentioned the same in his comment earlier. The pin was snuggly fitted with the c clip and if the notches are result of excessive friction then there should only be one notch not two. The reason for the pin inside the stick mount is also not clear. I still hold on to my point that no amount of pressure on the stick will bend this pin. It’s 3mm thick !
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I think the two notches are caused by the hollow shaft having two outside walls, since the notches seem offset from centre suggests this. Just an opinion, however, what’s important is that it’s removed and now can install your VFS upgrade.
I installed mine this week and that thing brings new life to the Cougar. Hoping to have years of siming with it. I think you’ll like it too.
Peace!
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holy f…. I replaced it with a nail of similar dimensions and so far it works.