Frustrations

[RegL]

Reg, if you haven't tried it, I suggest you go rent a hub puller at an autoparts store. I know it's not a tool that I have sitting around, but you can rent one for just a few bucks...

Gee, I didn't think to ask if I could rent. I shelled out 64 bucks and bought one. It hasn't worked so far. The center post of the puller actually started to grind itself into the end of the tapered shaft of the motor. I'm going out in a few minutes and have at it again. I'm even thinking, if nothing else works, maybe I'll bolt the wheel back on and drive around until the wheel falls off. I think I'm kidding but who knows.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Try the hot wax. Seriously. Warm up the spindle, put some candle wax on it. Read through TBN. This really works from what everyone has said.

Carl

 

[KentT]

Gee, I didn't think to ask if I could rent. I shelled out 64 bucks and bought one. It hasn't worked so far. The center post of the puller actually started to grind itself into the end of the tapered shaft of the motor. I'm going out in a few minutes and have at it again. I'm even thinking, if nothing else works, maybe I'll bolt the wheel back on and drive around until the wheel falls off. I think I'm kidding but who knows.

Seriously, if you'll do this CAREFULLY it mignt help a lot. I've used this technique to get rear riding mower wheels off. Shoot them full of penetrating oil, let them sit overnight, then carefully drive up and down the driveway, reversing direction SEVERAL times. You MUST keep an eye on that wheel at all times, or you risk damaging the hub.

Before you give up entirely on pulling the hub, though, you might try using a little heat on it. That will help the penetrating oil (or wax) flow back into the crevasse...

 

[cqaigy2]

Try the hot wax. Seriously. Warm up the spindle, put some candle wax on it. Read through TBN. This really works from what everyone has said.

Carl

Does the wax act as a lubricant?

 

[woodlandfarms]

Apparently it has wicking power that no other lubricant has. I think one guy also said that when it cools there is expansion that break the beads, but I think it is just the wicking action.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/parts-repairs/97738-wax-used-rusted-parts.html?highlight=wax

Carl

 

[RegL]

Well, things went a lot smother today. I reverted back to that old adage, anything will succumb to a big enough hammer. The method that finally worked driving a splitting wedge between the hub and the wheel motor housing with an 8 lb. sledge hammer. I would give it a whack in one location than turn the wheel a little and whack it again. I probably did a couple rotations before it popped off. After that it only took about a half hour to have the PT back to work with a new wheel motor.

I regret that I didn't pay more attention to the suggesting about the wax before I got the hub off. That sounds real interesting and I can't wait to try it.

I've included three pics for anyone who hasn't had a wheel off to see what has to be dealt with. The first is a pic of the wheel with hub still attached. I think I caused some confusion before by calling it a flange. The second shot shows how the hub puller ( that didn't work this time.) was connected. The third picture proves that there were WMD.

 

[J_J]

Today I finally got around to working at changing out that leaky wheel motor. I bought the new one last Fall but the old one wasn't leaking that bad so it was one of those around to it jobs. I've got a little glitch. Got the wheel off and hoses disconnected but that wheel flange is being real stubborn. I tried all the tricks I have used in the past to no avail. I put a nut on flush with the end of the shaft and hammered it with a sledge no less and it didn't budge. Tried driving steel wedge between the flange and the motor housing, notta!. I even went to the auto parts store and bought a $64 puller, waste of money. Only thing I did not try was heat. I would really have to clean up the hydraulic fluid before I put a torch to it. I finally sprayed it good with WD and I'll try it again tomorrow. If anyone has some good tips, I'm all ears. And by the way. If anyone was going to suggest c4, I don't have any.

No one has mention a shop press. I have a 20 ton press, with a split 1 in thick bearing plate. the bearing plate would go behind the flange, and the hydraulic jack would easily press the hub off. An auto shop or machine shop would have a shop press. I use it to press bearings off axles, and to straighten shafts, push out large pines.

 

[toy]

Well, things went a lot smother today. I reverted back to that old adage, anything will succumb to a big enough hammer. The method that finally worked driving a splitting wedge between the hub and the wheel motor housing with an 8 lb. sledge hammer. I would give it a whack in one location than turn the wheel a little and whack it again. I probably did a couple rotations before it popped off. After that it only took about a half hour to have the PT back to work with a new wheel motor.

I regret that I didn't pay more attention to the suggesting about the wax before I got the hub off. That sounds real interesting and I can't wait to try it.

I've included three pics for anyone who hasn't had a wheel off to see what has to be dealt with. The first is a pic of the wheel with hub still attached. I think I caused some confusion before by calling it a flange. The second shot shows how the hub puller ( that didn't work this time.) was connected. The third picture proves that there were WMD.

Sorry you had such a hard time getting it off but I am glad you did. The pictures help a lot to understand what you were talking about another picture would have been good to have taken would have been to take a shot straight in at the disc and the taper shaft. I have saw some taper fit joints that had four holes drilled in them where the taper lock fitting joins together . The way they would look is that two of them would have have threads on the inside part of the plate and the outside of the hole would be smooth they would be straight across from each other and the other two holes would have the threads on the outside of the plate and the other half would have a smoth hole . The smooth holes if they were aligned up together the threaded halfes would align up also. You could take a bolt that fit the threaded holes and put it in the smooth drilled holes and they bolt would slide in . The smooth side holes are not drilled as deep as the threaded holes therefore with the holes staggered with a threaded half aligning up witha smooth side creates a means for seating the taper lock fitting tight together. Howerer from the pictures that you took it looks like there are two bolts one on either side of the shaft that if you were to back them out and they were long enough they would hit the flange, and this may have been the means for removing the disc from the flange. loosen the bolts up a little and put something between the bolt heads and the flange and back the bolts out and as they backed out it would put pressure on the disc keep backing up the bolts switching from side to side and in the meantime put a nut on the shaft as you mentioned that you did already and not letting any of the shaft threads come through the outside of the nut . put something on the end of the shaft {like a flat peice of metal and give it a good whack with a hammer tighten the two bolts again against the flange and if need be give it another whack. This might have worked , at least I would have tried it that way if that wasn't something that you had already tried. That is just a thought that might not have helped you but it may help someone else in the future.

 

[toolz_not_toyz]

Hrmmm. I would have used a slide hammer puller... For example:

OTC Slide Hammer Puller Set — 8 Way | Body Repair | Northern Tool + Equipment

Not sure how you would use a shop press while the assembly is mounted to the tractor.

 

[J_J]

Hrmmm. I would have used a slide hammer puller... For example:

OTC Slide Hammer Puller Set — 8 Way | Body Repair | Northern Tool + Equipment

Not sure how you would use a shop press while the assembly is mounted to the tractor.

Since the motor is bolted from the outside, just take it off and press out the flange using the shop press. The motor probably has more damage from the pounding it receiver. Check the casing real good for any hairline cracks, etc.