When removing the blade plate hub recently I've used a 3 leg puller instead of 2 bolts that thread into the bearing clamp and then the other end of the 2 bolts go to a harmonic balancer puller.
The last 10 done this way with the bearing clamp and 3 leg puller was much easier ,just had to fit the puller on and give the puller thread some tension while holding the centre bolt of the puller to the crank bolt with vice grips so the puller stays central then when you have tension on the puller put a block of steel under one side of the boss ( I use a medium mallet with fibreglass handle) then I use a brass drift on the other side of the boss and give it a hammering until the puller needs tightening again ,one you've repeated this process a few times the hammers are not needed ,I would suggest using something like CRC to spray on the boss to start with ,I usually let the penetrene soak down into the key way in the crank.
I was using a 2 foot shifter to tighten the balancer puller bolt and stripped a lot of bolts on the balancer remover, always used shock loading to get the hub to move but this way now I use an 8 inch shifter and the hammers and it's 10 times easier ,I was using a lot a force on a really tight puller bolt but it's not needed with the 3 leg puller just needs to be tight with the eight inch shifter then shock the boss so it moves.
The 6 ton press would make it easy Norm when you cut the crank off an old motor it's a pity the whole motor won't fit into the press.
Max, I use a bearing puller and a 6 ton jack in a frame I made up. Gets rid of the frustration of dealing with threaded rods and shifters and spanners and skinned knuckles. I can't get a motor in the press, not enough room from the underside of the motor and the boss.
Personally that setup is pulling a little one sided which causes harder pulling. You need to be pulling straight. Here I use the regular T bar that came with my bearing separators and a little heat from cutting torch. Now I have stripped out the original forcing screw and have since reworked the T bar and have larger forcing installed. I also sacrificial blocks to prevent shaft damage from the forcing screw so I dont need to install a screw in the crankshaft end.
Also all you should need to do is the tighten the forcing screw as tight as you can and smack it with a heavy brass hammer. Of course you would to re-tighten the forcing screw several times and repeat until the item being pulled comes off.
Now of course I am having to pull stamp steel pulleys which get destroyed in the pulling operation. They really rusted on too which is why I use heat. The way these pulleys hubs are mounted the hubs are inaccessible so pulling the pulley itself is the only way to remove them. I got distaste for Cub Cadet ZTRs when comes to the drive pulleys as I nearly destroy every one of the drive pulleys just get the engines off. Just wish CC would use anti-seize compound the first around.
Hi Max, It isn't a heavy setup, I sit the motor on one of those workmate benches with the bearing puller and the frame to hold the jack hanging through the middle, slip the jack in and pump away, off in a few minutes. I did put pics of it on here when I made it but not sure where they ended up. Hi AVB, it is simple, if they used anti-seize they would not get to sell you new pulleys
Yes I just saw the Jack puller you made Norm ,it looks like it takes all the effort out of removing the crank boss.
The other problem is the 2 bolt puller will not work on the boss above ,if you turn the bearing clamp so the 2 bolts clear the base of the boss the bearing clamp gets stuck on the cranks key when you try to remove the boss , I used to drill 2 holes in the base for the bearing clamp puller bolts.
With the 3 leg puller it just seems to need a lot less tension to remove the boss than when I was using the 2 bolt puller.
Yes this 3 leg puller isn't pulling perfectly central but it's surprising how easy it removes the crank boss.
The Cub Cadet ZTRs sound like a real pain to remove the drive pulley , if you had plenty of time and soaked the pulley in a bucket of vinegar for a month I wonder if the pulley would slide off easily.
