Removing Solder Pins from Heatsinks

[luvdunhill]

is there any way to extract the pins from these heatsinks:

http://www.aavidthermalloy.com/cgi-bin/stdisp.pl?Pnum=530002b02500g

I'd like to tap the heat sinks so I can install a longer screw.. Digi-key lists these as "bolt-on" (part number HS380-ND), but I'm assuming it's a mistake and they have solder pins, or there is some way to remove them. The pins seem to be in there real good

 

[Conrad Hoffman]

They're in there real good so they don't come out! But, they were pressed in, so they should press out with enough force. Either grab the bottom with Vise-Grips(TM) and lever them out, or some of those extrusions have the pins in channels, and you can drive them out from the other side using a hard steel pin.

 

[jacco vermeulen]

Hint : steel has 1/2 the thermal expansion factor of aluminum.

 

[hitsware]

>and you can drive them out from the
>other side using a hard steel pin.

Yep. That works. I use an allen wrench.

 

[Zen Mod]

Hint : steel has 1/2 the thermal expansion factor of aluminum.

or

put 'em in the Oven , and they will pop like a popcorns ..........

 

[luvdunhill]

hm, i tried heating them up with a heatgun for stripping paint, no luck. Once they were really hot, I hit them with hammer to if they would even move (albeit in the wrong direction) and they didn't. Same with driving them back through the other side with a pin. The pins are knurled in two places...

 

[loek]

It is more simple to use them upside down and drill a new hole for the mounting of the component.
good luck, Loek

 

[luvdunhill]

It is more simple to use them upside down and drill a new hole for the mounting of the component.
good luck, Loek

exactly my thoughts!

 

[TheMG]

Or use (insert favorite metal cutting tool) to cut the things off.