Had to admit defeat today.....sigh

[ourkid2000]

I don't like to lose....

So for the past couple years I have noticed that my snowblower wheels were fused on to the shaft. I know someday that this will be an issue if I have to replace some parts inside. So this year I decided that I would do some routine maintenance on it before I put it up for the season and finally get them wheels off.....

I went to work on the left wheel first and fought and fought with it. Wouldn't budge. Fed up, I decided to put the blower on its side and let the Mousemilk soak into the shaft for a couple days. Finally after about 3 days of soaking I managed to yank it off while straining the guts out of myself in the process.

Next, the right side. With the left wheel removed, I managed to pull the whole shaft and right wheel out through the frame. This was not easy as the corroded shaft did not want to pass through the sprockets and bearings but finally I did manage to get it out. I figured now with the shaft/wheel free from the blower, it would be much easier to break the thing free like this. Well I have soaked it for a full week now with Mousemilk, I have hit it with large hammers, pryed, twisted, slammed, used freeze spray penetrant, you name it and it hasn't moved a millimeter!

I considered heat but the tires are pretty difficult to get off and re-mount so I didn't want to get into that considering that I have accomplished pretty much what I needed to already. Besides, heat would melt the teflon bushings inside and they would have to be replaced.

Anyways, with my head hanging low I decided I was beat. I cleaned the hell out of the shaft on my wire wheels, greased everything then put it all back together, with one rusted on wheel and all. It still bothers me that I lost this fight though.

 

[larry_g]

What retains the wheel on the shaft. We had a tiller with a pin through the shaft and wheel that would not come apart. I left the pin out and midway through the next season the thing broke loose while working.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ourkid2000]

There's a shear bolt at the end that passes through both the wheel & the shaft. I had removed that don't worry.

 

[JimDon]

Can you get a slide hammer on it? Have you tried Kroil? If not, get some Kroil and soak that thing for like a week. Spray every day and let it sit, go back repeat. Then, try micro peening. You hit it 200, 300, 400 times in a row. Do not hit it like you're sending it to hell. Light taps, over and over and over. Sets up a vibration. Yeah, I know, I know, sounds like a bunch of BS, but taught to me by a machinist friend down in Racine. Try it, you got nothing to lose, and hopefully it works for you too! Good luck. Meantime, I'll search the memory banks for other tricks I've used over the last 50 some years to get s--- unstuck. Cheers,
Jim Don

 

[ourkid2000]

I used Mousemilk, which is really good penetrating oil..........I don't know how well it stacks up against Kroil because you can't get that stuff here. I also used Liquid Wrench.

I don't know how you would get a slide hammer on it really (there's nowhere to bolt on) but I hit it with extremely heavy sledge hammers and it didn't budge. The trouble with doing that though is that you mushroom the ends of the shaft and have to grind it over.

It's very difficult to get a good hold of the thing too because it's a wheel on a shaft and there's nowhere to get a good advantage on it. I actually put the other wheel on the shaft and pinned it (so it's just two wheels and a shaft now)......then stood on the wheel as I twisted and pulled on the frozen wheel. It just would not move.....maybe if I had a second person, but I don't.

 

[swami2806]

Keep hitting that hub all summer long then try again in the fall, before the snow flies. Never heard of mousemilk, but liquid wrench is not even a half step above wd-40. Try PB Blaster if you can't find kroil (kroil is a cutting oil--if there is a parts store that also does machining, they should have it. You won't find it at pep boys or advanced automotive). Just ask what they use for cutting oil.

 

[ourkid2000]

I have heard many times that Liquid Wrench is one of the better ones

 

[J.A.F.E.]

Liquid Wrench is not a very effective penetrating oil. Try a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF or acetone and power steering fluid. Hit it every day or two for a couple weeks and it will give at some point.

 

[JimDon]

Eastwood Auto sells Kroil, you can order it from them. Or try www.kanolabs.com which is the outfit that makes Kroil.
If you can't get Kroil, try some PB Blaster. But frankly PB and Liq Wrench don't hold a candle to Kroil which is marketed as a penetrating lub to free up frozen and rusted parts. Yes, it can be used as a light cutting oil, but that's not its mainstay in life. I used LW for over 40 years, and discovered Kroil about 10 years ago and never looked back. There is no comparison. But it's not cheap. Kano has a special offer on their website for two spray cans which is a deal cause it is about $9 a can in the stores. If you want some fun, go to Home Depot or Lowes and ask the guy in the hardware department where they keep the Kroil.
Cheers,
JimDon

 

[js73751]

Would it be possible to use a shop press in combination with PB blaster. Not sure if you would be able to do it without collateral damage.

 

[premierplayer]

I'm thinkin' a 10 T press and some 'Deep Creep'
I'm gonna' move you baby!

 

[ourkid2000]

A press could work I'm sure......might be difficult to get the whole shaft & wheel into a press though. I guess I could use the one at work

 

[larry_g]

There's a shear bolt at the end that passes through both the wheel & the shaft. I had removed that don't worry.

The point I was making is leave the shear pin out until the wheel breaks loose while your using it. Good points here about just keeping it sprayed with penetrant and TAPPING it over the next few months once in a while.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[sselander]

Keep spraying and tapping

I have had good luck with CRC Freeze off as well

http://www.crcindustries.com/files/Freeze-Off%20Brochure.pdf

looks like we can get mousemilk in the U.S. also

cool logo:

 

[ourkid2000]

Great advice here......I will try some other penetrating oils and give it some taps. I've left the pin out as well, hopefully it breaks free. At least I can get both wheels removed anyways!

 

[Skin]

Lock the shaft in a good vise and heat the ******* [hub around the axle] up red hot, spin it off. Done it many times. No need to wait weeks or months on some hope that some lubricant is going to do it.

 

[ourkid2000]

Obviously heat is the quick way out but I'd have to take the tire off to do that with the torch and I really don't want to have to do that.

Removing the tire is difficult and it's not easy to re-mount either.....not for me anyways. I don't want to risk damaging the tire or the rim. I've got it as far as I need to at this point, I'll stick with taking the long road!

 

[mofo62]

Keep spraying and tapping

I have had good luck with CRC Freeze off as well

http://www.crcindustries.com/files/Freeze-Off%20Brochure.pdf

looks like we can get mousemilk in the U.S. also

cool logo:

Mouse mechanic.Nice logo.


V!

 

[kams1973]

You need a bigger hammer.

 

[otis66]

Have you tried a BFH?

 

[W650Mike]

Can you drill some holes in the wheel to mount a puller? Tapping while under tension is key.

Small tires are not as bad to dismount and remount as you may think. A puller, heat, and tapping will definitely get it off without issue.

 

[Packard V8]

heat would melt the teflon bushings inside and they would have to be replaced.

I guess I'm not clear on where these teflon bushings are located?

If you are down to just the axle and one wheel, an option is to heat the axle next to the wheel. It will expand inside the wheel hub. When it cools and contracts, it might break loose the rust and corrosion.

jack vines

 

[ImportTuner]

Interesting ... Mouse Milk is made from whale oil ...

 

[Freeborn John]

Then, try micro peening. You hit it 200, 300, 400 times in a row. Do not hit it like you're sending it to hell. Light taps, over and over and over. Sets up a vibration. Yeah, I know, I know, sounds like a bunch of BS, but taught to me by a machinist friend down in Racine. Try it, you got nothing to lose, and hopefully it works for you too!

A friend in the aviation industry told me about that method, tap, tap, tap, sometimes for days and days.
I suspect it takes a special kind of patience...

 

[ourkid2000]

I guess I'm not clear on where these teflon bushings are located?

If you are down to just the axle and one wheel, an option is to heat the axle next to the wheel. It will expand inside the wheel hub. When it cools and contracts, it might break loose the rust and corrosion.

jack vines

Inside the diameter of the wheel itself are three teflon bushings. They take up about half of the length of the bore of the wheel itself. They are located on the inboard section of where the wheel meets the axle. After that, the diameter is smaller and its bare metal on metal......I guess this is where the corrosion has taken hold.