Gear puller tool stinks!

GoldenMotor.com

Mozenrath

New Member
Jan 13, 2011
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California
Howdy guys! I've been gone for a little over a month, and it's good to be back into the action.

I got my centrifugal clutch for christmas, and I'm trying to install it. I took off the flathead screw on the small clutch gear, and for the past 2 hours I've been trying to figure out how to get the stupid gear puller to work.

It simply won't screw in. Sometimes it will kinda go in, but it always goes in kind of slanted and when I try turning the secondary part of the tool to pull out the gear, the gear puller instead comes right out.

Is there something I'm doing wrong or is there another way to remove the small gear? I don't want to have to buy another puller that might not work.
 

maintenancenazi

New Member
Oct 22, 2011
157
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Asheville
Carefully inspect the threads, (On the motor) I know mine had lots of rough/inconsistant places in them that looked pretty bad. A rat tail file my be needed to clean them up enough to get the tool to screw in properly.
 
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wheelbender6

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2008
4,059
221
63
TX
I agree. The threads in in your drive gear must be damaged if the puller does not thread in straight. Take your time. You will get the gear off. To me, the centrifugal clutch is well worth the effort.
 

Mozenrath

New Member
Jan 13, 2011
340
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California
If the threads inside the small gear are damaged, could I theoretically just pull the gear off with pliers? I've already tried that and also tried prying with 2 screwdrivers. Didn't work, but I didn't apply too much force because I didn't want to damage anything.
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
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San Diego, Kaliforgnia
If the threads in the gear are totally shot, try this; it will take 4 hands though, so a friend to help is necessary. Apply as much pulling force on the gear as you dare to using screwdrivers, pliers or whatever. While holding this pulling force against the gear steady and strong use a drift punch or piece of solid steel bar stock against the shaft and strike it with a hammer. Don't hit it too hard or you might upset the flywheel's true. The shock of the hammer blow will cause a vibration for a nanosecond or so and this should release the grip that the gear has on the shaft and the gear will pop off.
 

Mozenrath

New Member
Jan 13, 2011
340
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California
Okay, I got to trying to pry it off.

I got my friend to use two thick screwdrivers to apply equal pressure to both sides of the gear. I tapped one of the screwdrivers with a hammer and CRACK, a piece of the rim on the engine that goes around the small gear busted off. So it looks like I won't be doing that again.

Meanwhile, I decided to try the puller again, but this time I used some blue thread locker to see if maybe that will keep it in enough so I can pull out the gear. I'm gonna wait a little while longer for the thread locker to harden before I continue.
 

GearNut

Active Member
Aug 19, 2009
5,104
11
38
San Diego, Kaliforgnia
Tapped one of the screwdrivers?
Try tapping the shaft instead, while holding pressure on the screwdrivers.
Sorry to hear that a piece of the case got broken off. :(
 

nightcruiser

New Member
Mar 25, 2011
1,180
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USA
Don't use thread lock on the puller tool, you don't want to lock those threads, and it wont make barely mated cross thread connection any stronger anyways.
Did you inspect the threads on the tool itself (since it is the easiest part to inspect) Maybe you have a ding in the threads on the tool that you can work out?
 

Mozenrath

New Member
Jan 13, 2011
340
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California
The threads on the end of the tool appear to be worn down, and I think that is most of the problem. I'm just not sure I want to spend money and time on another tool if it sucks as much as the one that came with my kit.

The thread locker didn't work, although that's because I think it was crappy thread locker. It wasn't Loctite brand, and when I came back hours later it was still wet!!!! My impression was that this was an adhesive bonding agent. I'm still very tempted to JB Weld that sucker into the gear. Depends on if it holds stronger than the gear does to the shaft.
 

nightcruiser

New Member
Mar 25, 2011
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I'm still very tempted to JB Weld that sucker into the gear.
I don't think its a good idea to JB Weld the puller tool to your bevel gear!!!
I have never had a problem with my puller tool, have pulled every part in the motor several times with it, I love that little tool cause it works well for me, for what it's worth....
Like I said before, inspect the threads on the tool that mate with the bevel gear, maybe the end of the tool got ding'd up a bit and the first thread got bent out of shape? If so you should be able to manually correct that by carefully working that thread back into place with some hand tools.
A "worn" thread shouldn't cause you to cross thread, but a bent/compressed thread will. You seem to indicate you are cross threading and not getting the two parts mated far enough to grip solid and pull... If you can identify and straighten out a ding in the threads on the tool perhaps you can get it to mate properly and work for you....
If I were you I would stop heading down the "glue them together" route, seems more likely to cause a mess than result in success..
 

rohmell

Active Member
Jun 2, 2010
1,531
6
38
New York
The common types of thread locking chemicals are anaerobic, they work when there is a lack of oxygen, like when it is in between threads, Any of it that is out in the open will have access to oxygen, and will remain wet.