mystery part

[Don_Kay]

Hi, Very glad to have found this forum. I have been an enthusiastic cyclist in the past and I have recently taken it up again after a long absence. I recently bought a used Trek L200 city bike with an 8 speed Shimano internal gear system. It's definitely not a quick bike but it is lovely to ride.

I am about to have it powder coated in British Racing green! So, I stripped it down this evening and carefully put all the pieces away. However, one piece dropped out when I was taking the handlebar, brake levers and gear shift off. It's a teeny shiny aluminium cylinder about 2 cm long and 3mm in diameter. It's really clean so I am guessing that it was shielded from the weather. I have attached images of it and would really appreciate any tips in identifying it

Thank you all.

[Brucey]

it might help if you can show us what model shifter and brake levers you have.

cheers

[jb]

Edit : didn't read it properly

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
Looks like the pin that backs on the brake arm spring, well I am guessing that at 3 MM dia, same diameter as the brake arm SpRinG.
2 CM long 20mm not that then too long, more info.

Edited-
Sure its aluminium
Use a magnet, might still be stainless though even if its magnetic.
Aluminium might be a location pin but not for driving a mechanism, locating and clamped up.

Edited - Spring

[AndyK]

Naah, that's one of the metal pins that hold an IKEA IVAR shelving system together. Spare IVAR pins tend to drop through holes in the space-time continuum, disappearing from the drawer you put them in and reappearing at random elsewhere in the house three months later.

[Brucey]

from the internet;



a shelf pin.

It does look very similar!

cheers

[AndyK]

from the internet;



a shelf pin.

It does look very similar!

cheers

One just materialised on the desk in front of me (this is true, I swear - I moved a box and a shelf pin fell out of nowhere) so I measured it. It's 4cm long and 6mm across. So much for that theory.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
This one fell off the ceiling and onto the floor, I picked it up and found this next to it........honest........
Plated steel pin 4.9 mm dia 24 mm long guess the size on the broken allen key........

[Don_Kay]

Hi,
Looks like the pin that backs on the brake arm spring, well I am guessing that at 3 MM dia, same diameter as the brake arm pin.
2 CM long 20mm not that then too long, more info.

Edited-
Sure its aluminium
Use a magnet, might still be stainless though even if its magnetic.
Aluminium might be a location pin but not for driving a mechanism, locating and clamped up.

Thanks for all the replies

Ok, it's appears to be steel that is coated with chrome, so not aluminium after all. The chrome finish looks very similiar to the chrome finish of the handlebars.
It is 4mm in diameter and 21 mm long.

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi

Hi,
Looks like the pin that backs on the brake arm spring, well I am guessing that at 3 MM dia, same diameter as the brake arm SpRinG.
2 CM long 20mm not that then too long, more info.

Edited-
Sure its aluminium
Use a magnet, might still be stainless though even if its magnetic.
Aluminium might be a location pin but not for driving a mechanism, locating and clamped up.

Edited - Spring

4MM diameter, will have to think again, not aluminium no surprise, sorry at my misspelling, you see what you want not whats there sometimes

[Don_Kay]

I really appreciate your efforts.It bugs me not knowing what that part is

[Stewart H]

Wow that is a rare item, it is what is known as a "ping-feckit" found sometimes when working on delicate spring loaded assemblies, my personal record was three days searching for a valve collet, including combing a lawn with my fingers, eventually discovered inside a shed where it had travelled by ricochet
When you rebuild the bike you may discover its origin by learning what doesnt work.

[mercalia]

wait until u ride the bike and see what falls off or dont work. seems like some kind of accuator pin that is used by a lever to transfer its motion.

[Don_Kay]

Wow that is a rare item, it is what is known as a "ping-feckit" found sometimes when working on delicate spring loaded assemblies, my personal record was three days searching for a valve collet, including combing a lawn with my fingers, eventually discovered inside a shed where it had travelled by ricochet
When you rebuild the bike you may discover its origin by learning what doesnt work.

Thank you

[Don_Kay]

wait until u ride the bike and see what falls off or dont work. seems like some kind of accuator pin that is used by a lever to transfer its motion.

Thank you

Doesn't seem connected to the brake levers as there does not seem to be any place for the cylinder to go (and I've looked very carefully). It may have been on the floor after removing something else earlier. It is a very clean part so it may have been inside something else. Ah well, as others have said, when the bike is put back together it should become obvious.