how to pull parts without a parts puller?

[curtis rosche]

i dont have a parts puller and i have a pulley thats stuck on a shaft, a heavy duty 3 groove pulley, and i need to take that pulley off. how do i do it without a parts puller?

[Myk Rian]

Try heating it with a hair dryer or heat gun. A little PB Blaster helps.
Take any set screws out and spray some in the holes.

[curtis rosche]

i took all the bolts out of the hub and i put WD-40 all over it, i dont have any pb blaster at home. i tried tapping it off with a wedge with no luck. which part should i heat. the shaft, or the pulley?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Curtis......heat the pulley....you want to the hole in the pulley to expand a little due to the heat.....the hole in the pulley expanding might allow it to release from the shaft....you still may have to use a little persuasion....

[curtis rosche]

would a mapp gas torch be too much heat?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Probably........If the pulley is made out of "pot metal" or aluminum, the heat from that torch might just melt it.

[Bill Huber]

would a mapp gas torch be too much heat?

Yes it will, but a pulley puller is not that much and you can get them just about anywhere. A puller will do it right and you will not take the chance of screwing up the pulling.

Harbor has one for $18, http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-three-jaw-puller-set-32184.html

[Jeff Nicol]

Curtis, Is it a 2 part pulley or what is known as a Sheave? If there is a 4 bolt hub inside the pulley that will have a taper on it that self centers the pulley to the hub. On a lot of those type set ups there will be holes drilled in the pulley that are threaded the same as the bolts you took out and as you tighten them in the will try to push the hub out from the pulley. Others have 2 extra holes that are in the hub that are threaded that will butt up against the pulley and push it apart. If this is the way it is put some pressure on the bolts spray some WD40 or other penetrating oil on them. Once you have the pressure on the bolts being carefull not to strip out the holes you can hit the hub with a wood mallet or a dead blow hammer or light tapping with a metal hammer to get the hub to loosen up.

Post a picture if you can to make sure, or if a standard same size hole as the shaft the heat and penetrating oil will be your best bet,

Jeff

[curtis rosche]

its a 8.5 inch 3 groove sheave. i couldnt remember what it was called. i didnt think about looking at the extra holes. i will try that tommorow as i have cleaned up for today.
ive been slowly workin on that new lathe i got and trying to get it running but keep running into hard spots lol

thanks for the help.

[Jeff Nicol]

Curtis, Posted a picture of what I am talking about so you have a reference to go by.

Jeff

[Matt Meiser]

I think I paid about $15-20 for my puller at an auto parts store. That's a lot cheaper than a stepped pulley if you screw it up.

[Jerry Bruette]

Curtis

If your sheave is like the ones pictured in Jeffs' post it's held on with what's called a taper lock hub. Usually they have 3 bolts holding the hub into the sheave and there will be 2 other holes that are threaded the same as the bolts. These hole are for removing the hub from the sheave.

Clean the threads in the removal holes and lubricate your bolts then gently and evenly tighten the bolts to remove the hub. Don't force the bolts too much or you could crack the hub. There should be no need to heat or hit the hub or sheave with anything. Once you have the sheave removed from the hub you can slide the hub off the shaft. If it's stubborn you can insert a screwdriver into the slot that's cut in the hub and tap it gently to expand the hub a little bit...be careful not to crack the hub. You can see the slot in the lower right hub of Jeffs' post.

You should also take a measurement from the face of the hub to the end of the shaft so you know where to put it when you reassemble everything. When reassembling resist the temptation to use any lubrication or anti-sieze compound between the hub and the bore of the sheave. They're meant to be assembled dry to prevent over torquing. Also tighten the three bolts gently and evenly and not to much, or again you could crack the hub.

Good Luck
Jerry

[curtis rosche]

its a solid steel pulley. i think its rated around 30 hp based on what its attached. i got the other ones off. thanks for the help. i should be able to get this one off tommorow.

[Dave Lehnert]

Make sure there is not two set screws in the same hole. Sometimes a single set screw will keep working lose so another is added.

[Troy Turner]

Don't know if there's an Auto Zone up there, but you can "borrow" a puller for a small deposit that you get back when you bring it back.

[Bill Cunningham]

If it's rated 30 hp, it's not likely 'pot metal' If it's a keywayed and set screw pulley, and not a two part hub, a cold wet rag on the shaft, and a torch (mapgas is fine, just keep it moving around the pulley hub) with the pulley supported between a couple(2) of 4x4's, then a few(3 or more) whacks on the shaft with a lead hammer or a block of wood and a 2-3 lb steel hammer should start the shaft moving through the pulley.. DON'T get the pulley smoking hot, or when it cools it will shrink and you may never get it off..