help - removing a big hub

[kiall1987]

I work on tractors , so we have hydraulic 30tons pullers to do the job but if i were you heat it arounf the shaft untill its glowing then cool it very quickly with water a couple times then put your pullers on it and strike it with a fhh and repeat the heat and cool a couple times

 

[Elroy]

You can call Elroy crazy if you like, but he would like to point out that you can stiffen that plate by simply utilizing your existing 3-jaw puller.

As far as the suggestion to stiffen the plate with angle. Elroy was envisioning these as supplemental to your current set up.

Then there is this comment:

if i were you heat it around the shaft until its glowing then cool it very quickly with water a couple times then put your pullers on it and strike it with a fhh and repeat the heat and cool a couple times

Good advise.

Set your puller up and put some pressure on it. Get a rose bud tip and apply heat in a 360 degree pattern to the hub. Heat the hub and try to cool the shaft. A CO2 fire extinguisher works well for cooling. Get the hub good and hot, to the point the paint burns off.

lay into the pump for all it's worth. Then while everything is HOT smack the **** out the top plate right over the pump trying to drive the axle "inward". If you took Elroy's advise and stiffened the plate with the three jaw. Hit the top of the puller screw.

Don't forget to get a nut on ALL the studs and pull them up equally.

Good luck to ya. Elroy can assure you that the Fox is smarter than that piece of metal.

 

[greyfox]

1) i did not heat it that much previously (to glowing). I can do that.
2) I understand using the 3 jaw as a stiffener. I'll think of it as recycling.

I started to drill the key. Well not really. I dinged the 5/8" key end with a center punch and tried a 1/4" bit and then switched to a 1/8 (for a pilot hole) but seem to make zero progress. Seems the key is harder than bit. I would have thought them softer.

Am I just using cheap bits?

As to the suggestion regarding cutting it off and buying new - the problem is I doubt I could find that. The machine ifs 50 years old and they didn't make all that many.

 

[gofastman]

try puting some heavy duty grease or antiseize on the puller threads, the vast majoraty of torque is "used up" overcoming the friction of the threads, also i realy hope you are wearing saftey glasses and a face sheild, shrapnell from one of those things breaking is no joke

Maybe at this point you should trade that face sheild in for one of these

 

[Elroy]

Any status up date availble on this ??

 

[greyfox]

Success!

Well friends and counselors, the glorious event was about two weeks ago. I built a new jig as earlier described and shown but this time with 3/4 " backing plates and longer rods to accommodate a 50 ton jack. Sorry I don't have a picture, but couldn't seem to find the camera. It essentially looks just like the pix posted earlier. There were of course numerous cycles of heating/smacking prior to the new jig.

So when I finally got it assembled, I paused a few days. I made sure the wife knew the number for 911 lest this thing make new ports in the shop and me. I jacked on the bottle jack and heard a not so loud sound that to me sounded like the actuator end of the bottle jack breaking (i've done that before). What I believe it was was more the jack falling down into the jig. It did so because to my great joy, the hub had moved 1/4 inch. Ta da!

Obviously, the greatest components to this success were patience, persistence and your guidance and advice. Thank all y'all.

I'm also happy to report, that I finished building the brakes on this beast and they work pretty well. Yesterday, I moved that truckload of red gravel from its heap to where it could be useful on the driveway. Sure feels good to have this behind me.

I'm now working on replacing ball joints in some of a 26 yr old mercedes. Some of these skills are transferable and the 3 old mercedes are much happier now that they can get some attention.

I also have now a nice collection of bottle jacks and 3 jaw pullers. The only parts that don't have obvious application are the bent 3/8 and 3/4 backing plates and a whole bunch of 3/4-16 rods and unions for same. I'm thinking some sort of yard art. I of course do not have 5 ton of scrap blocking the lift in my shop and that is perhaps my greater joy.

Thanks again for all your help.

jim

 

[Art From De Leon]

Next time, it would be a good idea to thread the nut back onto the axle, so that when it does break loose, it can't come flying off.

Another site that should be able to answer questions is the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Enthusiasts one, in the off brand forum.

http://www.antiquecaterpillar.net/ACF_v2/index.php

 

[kiall1987]

Next time, it would be a good idea to thread the nut back onto the axle, so that when it does break loose, it can't come flying off.

Another site that should be able to answer questions is the Antique Caterpillar Machinery Enthusiasts one, in the off brand forum.

http://www.antiquecaterpillar.net/ACF_v2/index.php

Sometimes your better just letting them pop but obvious into a clear area. Just depends on the situation

 

[Fins/413]

Greyfox, I've enjoyed this thread and am glad you finally were sucessful.

 

[Skyline]

I can't believe you bent the 3/4" plate! Great success though.

Creative use of home made tools: 1
Stubborn Drake Drum: 0

 

[GDA]

Cool. +1 on persistence and some ingenuity paying off.

 

[kiall1987]

I can't believe you bent the 3/4" plate! Great success though.

Creative use of home made tools: 1
Stubborn Drake Drum: 0

We made a set of very big pullers at work for a large sprocket and put it on the 50ton pullers . 3/4 plate was bending badly while two of us where in the machine hopper roasting the part didnt even go with a bang just even so slow moved it was hell of a scary thing to watch.

But I know that cat undercarriages use to/still have a sprocket that comes off with a bang!