A pulley remover is a tool used to remove non-tapered pulleys from shafts. It uses mechanical advantage to pull the pulley off without breaking or distorting it, making removal relatively easy and non-destructive. There are two main types of pulley removers: one with claws and a bolt, and another with a two-part half-shell clamp for grooved pulleys. Pulleys should always be removed with a pulley puller to avoid damage.
A pulley remover is a tool used to remove non-tapered pulleys from the shafts of electric motors, gasoline engines, or driven components such as alternators and pumps. Pulleys of this type have a very secure press fit on the shafts that drive them and are also usually located close to the engine casing or component, making them difficult to remove. A pulley puller is designed to hook behind or onto the pulley and pull it off the shaft using the mechanical advantage of a screw or hydraulic mechanism. This powerful yet non-aggressive action ensures that the pulley is removed without breaking or distorting it. It also ensures that the splines and engine covers are not damaged in the removal process.
Non-tapered drive pulleys are usually sized to fit very tightly on the drive shaft. Unlike tapered drive pulleys which lock to the shaft by means of a tapered half shell bushing, they rely on friction and a keyway to keep them from rotating on the shaft during operation. This not only ensures a secure fit but also makes them difficult to remove, often requiring considerable force to remove them when the engine or themselves require maintenance or replacement. The fact that the pulley is often very close to the engine or component end shields does not make the task easier. The pulley remover is a tool specially designed to make the pulley removal relatively easy and non-destructive.
The pulley remover works in one of two main ways. The former uses a set of two or three arms that pivot at one end on a threaded sleeve or nut and have claws at opposite ends. A sturdy bolt or screw is driven into the nut with its end against the face of the drive shaft, while the claws on the individual arms are then placed behind the pulley and the bolt rotated until tight. At this point, the bolt cannot feed through the nut as it is tight against the shaft, meaning the only movement possible is the nut moving up the bolt threads. When the claw arms hooked behind the pulley are attached to the nut, they move with it and, as the bolt is turned, pull the pulley smoothly and evenly off the shaft.
The second type of pulley remover is designed to remove grooved pulleys typically found on turbochargers and superchargers. These exert force on the pulley in the same way, but have a two-part half-shell clamp that fits tightly on the pulley in the same way as the drive belt. Larger pulley pullers may also feature a hydraulic piston that replaces the bolt as the driving agent. Pulleys should always be removed with a pulley puller and not forced or dropped as this is sure to break or bend the pulley or component end caps.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
