Ruston and Hornsby PT mag drive gear

Hi guys, new member from highland perthshire here.

I am currently dismantling a Ruston and Hornsby PT that has pain in a field for 50 or 60 years. It's in remarkably good condition for having suffered that but needs a good clean up and rebuild although it's not getting a full restoration as I like it the way it is with it's patina.

At the moment I'm struggling to get the magneto drive gear off the end of the camshaft. It appears to be fitted with a taper pin. I've heated and soaked it for ages not but it refuses to budge. I've hit the thinner end with a punch to the point that it was a mangled mess which I have had to file flat to the gear.

Even at that it will not budge and I think my last resort will be to drill it out. I can easily turn up a new on on the lathe, so I'm not worried about losing the pin. Are there any issues I'm not aware of before I go down this route? I don't want to irreparably damage anything,although it seems like a fairly straightforward exercise.

Thanks, gill

The magneto gear on the camshaft is held on with a taper pin. If it doesn't budge when you hit the thin end then your only recourse is to drill it out and fit a new one. You need to make sure you drill it centrally, and don't allow the drill to wander off course as this will possibly lead to a slack fit when you re-assemble it. Good luck.

This is what I did in the end and yes, the drill wandered off slightly typically enough. Not drastically but enough. I think I will fill the unwanted channel with JBweld and ream back to size. Alternatively I might braze the channel and ream but JBweld will be easier. I don't think it's too bad, I could maybe even get away with leaving it but I'd rather not chance it.