Blower wheel stuck on shaft

DuMass

Whoa, whoa, whoa… This was just an attempt at levity on my part… no insult intended or received.

I guess I need to return to clown school and work on my comedic delivery.

This was sort of my point as well.
Normally if the shaft extends more than approximatley 3-inches from the edge of the hub, these pullers won’t work anyway. You would have to cut the shaft as the first step to be able to use the puller, which is also time consuming.

The Dangling Wrangler

Yep, it's a thankless job we do.

hvaclover

Let's make sure everybody is talking about the SAME KIND of hub puller

There's two kinds of pullers I know of: The one below is what I use

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And then there is this kind

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The Dangling Wrangler

I'm gonna say, the first one, is what I call a blower/fan blade puller. The others, I'd call automotive type pullers.

nicktech

i like to use co2, not the soda type, but the dry type, ya know for welding. i just blast it and it slips right off!

hvaclover

I'm gonna say, the first one, is what I call a blower/fan blade puller. The others, I'd call automotive type pullers.






Yeah me too.


here's one I absolutely hate

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hvaclover

In this case liquid nitrogen would suffice, all you have to do is spray the wheel generously and smack it with a hammer.
Breaks right off.

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The Dangling Wrangler

Well, you ain't alone on that one.

mechanicalDvr

I carry the ultimate puller like drac has in his post for little resi 1/2" fractional motors. Somehow I knew that is what he was inquiring about. If there is a groove in the hub I will use a split type bearing puller.

hvaclover

If you are implying I haven't done commercial you would be wrong. My company had the first Taco Bell contract 30 years ago. I just prefer residential but I'll go up against anybody who wants to compete skill for skill.

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scooter

If I am close to home I have used an air hammer and just held the hub with my hand.
A snap-on 3700 bpm makes quick work when a hub puller wont work and no damage.
Does any one use a nitrogen tank or other to run air tools? and how long could you run a 4-6 cfm tool on a tank? at 90 - 100 psi?
Scooter

mechanicalDvr

Having used them underwater most often I have run pneumatic tools off nitrogen, argon, and breathing air many times. I have heard they run better off dry Co2 if you can find it.

evapman

Well most of the time a ultimate puller, and some times a little heat with a map gas fire wrench. brass drift punch is something I will be buying,(good idea). have also cut shaft off flush with hub and drove out backwards.
hate those 3 finger pullers too unless removing a pulley.

RoBoTeq

Having had my butt kicked and too many fan pullers bent and way too much sweat equity removing blowers and fans from motors, I started working smarter.

For 90% of the motors out there, saturate the shaft with a penetrint oil where it goes through the fan hub, go smoke a cigarette, drink a coffee, give the good looking HO a quickie....whatever to let the oil do it's job.

Now, with what ever you need to do the job, put a wrench on the shaft between the fan and the motor to hold it tight. While holding the shaft, rock the fan back and forth on the shaft while putting pressure toward the end of the shaft. You'll be surprised how little effort is needed to gradually get that fan off of that shaft as long as you have not in any way distorted the shaft by hammering on it or putting gripping tools on the part of the shaft that the fan must slide over to pull off.

If the motor shaft is severely pitted, cut off the end of the shaft close to the fan hub and do the above.

The Dangling Wrangler

Worst case sceneario, go buy a new one.


Robo, Im gonna pm ya.

mjswan

Listen guys who has time for all of this.........just add a new shaft , blower wheel and pully and cut it all out; are you making money or killing time lol.......

hvaclover

Yeah, but we are talking a residential blower. No can do as you suggest let alone change pats that are stil good, i.e. the motor and wheel

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gene2

In 30 years, the essential part is to sand the shaft as close to the hub as possible as good as you can all the way to the end -time well spent, then slick it up. I use a new piece of sanding cloth so that it will get right next to the hub, to bright metal. Short changing the sanding part leads to trouble too often, especially when an attempt to pull is made, it is then a battle because the rust is wedged in the hub. Then heat is needed to burn out the rust if you're lucky. This method has worked every time fully applied, even on 40+ year old units. The only times it hasn't worked are when the sanding part is short changed or slickem isn't used. I also slick the new shaft to make it easy for the next change, usually by me.

New techs shortchange the process & get away with it untill that inevitable tough job. That's when I usually get called because it won't come off - we need a new blade. They rapidly become true believers in 98 deg. heat or 40mph wind @ 0 deg. when re-demonstrated.

It never takes more than 5 minutes this way using puller #1.

hvaclover

Ok, now I am talking strictly residential here, but in 33 years I have never failed to pull wheels off the rustiest of shafts using WD40 and my hub puller.

Back before we had pullers like we use today (there were finger type pullers but would not work on a resi blower wheel) every body I know would squirt penetrating oil like Liquid Wrench on the shaft and let it sit for half an hour.

Then a 1" diameter brass punch to beat the shaft flush and then a smaller one to push the shaft free.

I never had to sand once,

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beenthere

On a residential unit. With a little sanding, an and Ultimate puller. If you can't get the blower wheel off. Somebody welded it on.

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