freeing up a pulley

[eidiohir]

At the end of my boom there are two pulleys made from aluminium I think. They rotate on a stainless bar or that should be they should rotate but they don't. They are locked tight and wont move. I have tried WD40, immersing them in very hot water and soaking them in vinegar so far no luck. Any bright ideas?

 

[sarabande]

any ropes or lines presently reeved/rove through the pulleys ? If not, then a small gas torch carefully applied, followed by WD40 (absorbed into crevices as the unit cools). Time for the oil to work its way through the gunge is needed.

Sometimes a few gentle taps (across the whole face of the bar, not point loads) along the axis of the bar will help dislodge corrosion. Sometimes even bigger taps...

 

[Pye_End]

Hit the spindle with a punch and hammer. Remove spindle and pulley, clean and replace.

 

[30boat]

Hit the spindle with a punch and hammer. Remove spindle and pulley, clean and replace.

Be careful not to enlarge the end of the spindle when you hit it,it won't go through the hole.

 

[sarabande]

exackerly; that was my point about ensuring the whole face of the axle was hit, not just a small piece under a punch. You need to try and drift it. Deforming the end is making the job more difficult.

 

[lenseman]

At the end of my boom there are two pulleys made from aluminium I think. They rotate on a stainless bar or that should be they should rotate but they don't. They are locked tight and wont move. I have tried WD40, immersing them in very hot water and soaking them in vinegar so far no luck. Any bright ideas?

This is the tool you require, mine has 8mm rope which is perfect but do not buy one that has chain as it will cut into the sheaves. If you cannot get a rope or leather wrench you might be able to use a chain one BUT it must be laid up around the sheave with a rope base so that the 'V' of the wheel is filled up with rope. Nothing else will come close:

Available from this company half way down the page:

http://www.justoffbase.co.uk/Tool-Shop/Oil-Filter-Tools


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[VicS]

Good idea from lenseman
a piece of rope wrapped round and gripped with a pair of vice grips (Mole grips or similar) might be sufficient.

But if you opt for the whacking with a hammer method be sure to release whatever normally retains the bar first!

 

[eidiohir]

Hit the spindle with a punch and hammer. Remove spindle and pulley, clean and replace.

I should have put in my op that I tried that. The pulleys are in an aluminium casting on the end of the boom so I can't hit it too hard or I will need a new casting.

Lenseman
I have considered using just that sort of tool but space is very restricted I think I have a photo somewhere I will try to dig it out

 

[lenseman]

. . . . . Lenseman
I have considered using just that sort of tool but space is very restricted I think I have a photo somewhere I will try to dig it out

Buy the tool and modify the tool by thining the width to allow it to fit and be used.

The handle can me 'lengthened' using a piece of pipework to allow more torque to be applied carefully.


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[William_H]

You may yet end up destructively removing the pulley.
You have 2 corrosion points firstly the pulley onto the SS shaft and secondly the shaft into the casting on the end of the boom. If they are both solid corrosion then I suggest you work on the axle in the casting. I would imagine you can move this a little with pulley still frozen on. Heat is the best method especially when you are close to destroying the whole anyway.
When you get it apart replace with a nylon pulley. good luck olewill

 

[eidiohir]

Hope this works but there should be a picture of the boom end

 

[Stork_III]

Hope this works but there should be a picture of the boom end

Try Plus Gas http://www.google.co.uk/products/ca...ei=fIIAUbM3pJ3RBYvHgeAM&sqi=2&ved=0CEsQ8wIwAA

Wrap in absorbant material and liberally apply Plus Gas, leave to work, with occasional drift on Axle. Mant years ago took me three weeks to free Steel head bolts from alloy head. Give it time to work.

 

[eidiohir]

I think you can see that space is restricted and the gap in the centre makes using force that much more dangerous to the casting.
The pulleys are stuck on the stainless shaft but the shaft is not stuck in the block. I was hoping to learn of a magic liquid that would remove the corrosion from the pulleys?
I can remove the casting from the boom. It will just mean drilling out the rivets and it could give me more room to work. It would make working on it much easier too.

 

[eidiohir]

You may yet end up destructively removing the pulley.
You have 2 corrosion points firstly the pulley onto the SS shaft and secondly the shaft into the casting on the end of the boom. If they are both solid corrosion then I suggest you work on the axle in the casting. I would imagine you can move this a little with pulley still frozen on. Heat is the best method especially when you are close to destroying the whole anyway.
When you get it apart replace with a nylon pulley. good luck olewill

I don't want to destroy it if at all possible. I may try a combination of heat and Plus gas as recommended. If that fails I will try to cut the pulleys from the shaft and put in new pulleys.
ps. I want to thank you again for the tips you gave me on building a temporary VHF aerial it's still going strong.

 

[lenseman]

I think you can see that space is restricted and the gap in the centre makes using force that much more dangerous to the casting. . . . . .

The wrench I suggested can be modified to operate at an angle into the sheeve housing by rounding off the end which would be used as the fulcrum but more importantly, regarding your empty third slot in the centre, DO NOT use a 6mm (¼-inch) parallel pin punch unless and until you have packed out the centre void with a mild steel billet which can be obtained from your local Stockholder or in extreme circumstances you can use a socket or two from a socket set but it has to be a tolerance fit. You might be able to find a long UNF/metric bolt and thread on a number of loose nuts as long as the flats across the nuts are a tolerance fit to transfer any force from one sheeve cheek to the next cheek.


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[Rossynant]

No reason to use force. On aluminium/stainless joint either penetrating oil or if this doesn't work - diesel fuel, kerosene. Soak for few days, if necessary. Patience. On stubborn screws set into aluminium it was diesel + heat - carefully, so not to ignite

P.S. do not, repeat NOT use WD40...

 

[lenseman]

N . . . . P.S. do not, repeat NOT use WD40...

+1

because WD40 is only White Spirit plus an SAE5 sewing machine oil and a perfume, It has very little in the way of penetrating properties.

 

[billskip]

soak it with coca cola for 24 hrs

 

[knuterikt]

You may yet end up destructively removing the pulley.
You have 2 corrosion points firstly the pulley onto the SS shaft and secondly the shaft into the casting on the end of the boom. If they are both solid corrosion then I suggest you work on the axle in the casting. I would imagine you can move this a little with pulley still frozen on. Heat is the best method especially when you are close to destroying the whole anyway.
When you get it apart replace with a nylon pulley. good luck olewill

Replacing the pulley's (sheave's) with nylon is a good idea. Better to destroy sheave and shaft than the boom end fitting.
To free the old one's you can drill a hole from the face of the sheave into the shaft, pour WD40 or other penetrating oil into this hole and let it soak.
Drill this hole as vertical as you can.

 

[Neil_Y]

Use some new technology, things have moved on a long way since plus gas, brute force and WD being the cure all. The problem with corrosion is the bye products are larger than the original material. The best (less destructive) method is to use ACF-50 or one of their variants. I've used this stuff for more than 10 years. It dissolves the corrosion products and lubricates with the ability to penetrate very small cracks/gaps.

http://www.acf-50.co.uk/