Removing a crankshaft pulley

[mr_splatter]

Hi,
Hoping someone might have a tip I have not thought of regarding the removal of the crankshaft pulley on a 2.0 ford pinto engine. I got a three leg puller on it and after cranking it up pretty tight, tapping it with a hammer under tension, levering using some pry bars and applying a little heat with a gas torch, all I managed to achieve was to break off a large chunk of it. It is a cast pulley and should just slide off over the woodruff key but it is damn tight.

Access is pretty good (its in a kit car) but it is still solid on the shaft. I now need to remove it without damaging the shaft. The only idea I have had is to use a tiny cutting disk on a Dremel and try to cut a slot down the length of the shaft to split it. Once I've got it off all I need is to find another bit I am hoping eBay will come up with the goods there.

Anybody else had this type of issue?
Thanks Matt

 

[tigler]

Apart from a mechanical method all I can suggest is heat the pulley centre.

 

[mr_splatter]

Thanks, I was wary of applying too much heat because I don't know what the seal is at the end of the crankshaft. I did read though that it should be OK if careful.

 

[Hitch]

Can you just drill 2 holes in the pulley boss, and just split it in two?
Looks very easy to get too.

 

[brightspark]

Thanks, I was wary of applying too much heat because I don't know what the seal is at the end of the crankshaft. I did read though that it should be OK if careful.

they have a neoprene seal on the end,easiest and safest method would be slit the pulley center down where the woodruff key is and then u wouldnt damage the crankshaft . cut back the cast spoke above keyway 1st

 

[gordon stephenson]

X2 with Mr Brightspark.

 

[mr_splatter]

Thanks for the help. I had not thought of slitting along the keyway but it is obviously the best place so as not to damage the shaft. I think I will have a hack with a dremel and maybe a drill if access becomes a problem.
Not right now though - big thunderstorm just came over!!

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

they have a neoprene seal on the end,easiest and safest method would be slit the pulley center down where the woodruff key is and then u wouldnt damage the crankshaft . cut back the cast spoke above keyway 1st

Thats what I love about this site, the simplest and most obvious answers are so often overlooked, but there is always somebody here with the advice to save a person a lot of sweat and agro.

X3 for Brightsparks suggestion, although the other suggestions would also work, Im sure

 

[FranV8]

Um, how about just cutting a sharp vee notch on the top and bottom of the pully (i.e. along it's length, ideally one positioned above the woodruff key where it will be thinnest) then getting a sharp chisel in there with a reasonable blow. Being cast there is a reasonable chance it'll just crack in two.

 

[pedrobedro]

Break off as much as you can with the big hammer then cut across the top of the keyway slot as close as you can with a grinder then split it with a chisel.

 

[landyman1]

you would be surprised at how effective an electric heat gun is in these situations.

 

[Flathead_Dave]

I'm guessing the key has tilted and dug in.
If the pulley is cast iron/steel,you could put the bolt in to protect the thread,and zap the hub with an arc welder.It would expand or crack.
I've done it to remove bearing races,they make a tinkle noise and drop out.

 

[Terrapin]

Had this a few time over the past few decades. As someonehas mentioned it is likely the key has jammed in some way. With a cast pully a sharp chisel over the week spot (keyway channel) and a good strike with a lump hammer will likely split the pulley. I would give this a try first before resorting to grinders & heat. Good luck

 

[Coo]

We were having a bit of a job taking a pully off my knackered engine.....

until an engineering mate rocked up with a mallett ... tap tap tap and it was off.

Must have been something in the way the energy dissipated from teh mallett rather than a hard hammer..most impressed

 

[CRB]

We were having a bit of a job taking a pully off my knackered engine.....

until an engineering mate rocked up with a mallett ... tap tap tap and it was off.

Must have been something in the way the energy dissipated from teh mallett rather than a hard hammer..most impressed

Not the tool, but the tool using it.

 

[zzr1200]

Personally I'd cut the pulley webs (green lines) then drill along the top of the keyway (red dot) split with a chisel, then if the collar isn't loose you tap a tapered punch into the hole to expand and lossen the collar.

 

[mr_splatter]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. Will be out tomorrow bashing this with a combination of cutting and drilling I hope to get it off. I sourced another pulley from the bay but it is surprising how difficult it is to get these bits when this stuff used to be so common.

 

[FranV8]

Burton Power in Ilford?

Speed shack in West Drayton if they're still going?

 

[mr_splatter]

Thanks for the advice chaps. I took the advice and used a cold chisel to break off the remaining webs. Then when it was just the collar round the shaft used the cold chisel at the keyway. It only required a lightish blow from the lump hammer and it split making it easy to remove with no damage to the shaft. Just need to wait for the replacement to arrrive to reassemble and set timing and see if I can start it after 14 years idle!

The cast iron was much softer than I expected so I didn't use much force as I was worried about damaging something else.

About the parts - you can get plenty of performance parts but I am trying to keep the costs down so was looking for bog standard bits as there is nothing special about this engine.

 

[zzr1200]

Just need to wait for the replacement to arrrive to reassemble and set timing and see if I can start it after 14 years idle!

After 14 years idle, the bearings will be dry, does the engine turn freely???

I'd change the engine oil/filter and clean the carb out.

Then disconnect the coil and turn the engine over until the oil light/pressure gauge shows oil flow.