Mule drive pulley replacement

[Jeff_B 10]

I've got a new pair of pulleys/bearings (flat and v) to install on a C-series mower mule drive. Is there a trick for removing the old ones, and spacers, from the shaft? I've soaked in Marvel Mystery Oil and tried using a puller...but that only bent the bottom pulley until the puller finally let go! Thanks in advance!

[peter lena 8,644]

@Jeff_B had a similar issue in removing my old pulleys , left the drive mounted on the tractor for solid impact effect , used a crow bar between the pulleys , to get initial movement , kept the penetrating oil going till it  started dripping rust , also used a dead blow hammer. I also repacked those new pulleys with hi temp grease , for  lasting use. those pulleys are now junk so you do not have to save them ,get some steel flat bar behind them , and use a puller from end of shaft to behind the flat bar  , that's what steadily removed mine . pete

[daveoman1966 3,752]

Somtime they're stuck bad...but this has NEVER failed me.  3/8 Steel Bench-top. I cut a 1" wide slot 5" deep & slide pulley shaft onto.  (1) Thread  nut onto shaft to within 1/8" of pulley. (2) Put big ball peen hammer on nut (3) Using a BFH....WHACK the ballpeen like you got a pair...breaking loose the rust.  Release the Nut 2 turns and repeat the WHACK..driving the shat down thru pulleys.  

[tunahead72 2,424]

I've only had one really bad set of mule drive pulleys that wouldn't come off with a liberal amount of PBlaster and some gentle tapping with a rubber mallet.  And I have no doubt Dave's technique will work.  But I don't have a steel bench top, or apparently a big enough "pair" ...

 

So on that one difficult set of pulleys, I removed the mule drive assembly from the tractor, removed the nut completely, and put together a weird collection of wooden 4"x4"s and 2"x4"s to support the mule drive under the pulleys like Dave did.  I then sprayed PBlaster onto the threaded part of the shaft and (I think) also the shaft areas directly above and below the pulleys.  I sprayed those areas several times one afternoon, let it sit overnight, and came back the next morning and tapped the top of the shaft lightly with the mallet, and the shaft slid right out onto the wooden floor of my shed.

 

And when you go to install the new pulleys, make sure you lightly sand the shaft with some emery cloth until it's nice and shiny, and use some sort of anti-seize compound or grease or oil, whatever you have, to lightly coat the shaft before you install the pulleys and spacers.

 

And before you ask, maybe @gwest_ca will chime in and remind us all which order the spacers go in.   Because I never remember, and it matters.

 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,050]

1/2" long spacer part number 101757 is on the outside between the pulley and cover.

5/8" long spacer part number 101734 is between the pulleys.

[tunahead72 2,424]

 

[peter lena 8,644]

@daveoman1966  ,  @tunahead72 , dave agree with you on the very solid bench set up , solid strength against strength , with a very solid stop will do it every time, also agree with tunahead on the shaft cleaning / sanding and anti seize detail. when I take anything apart I  usually lay it out  as it was built so those spacer bushings are correct. as usual I lubrication detail the hell out of this unit . my added area is to hi temp grease those new bearings , while you are right there . don't mean to terrorize anyone by this , gently use a pocket screwdriver , pop off easily accessible wide rubber side seals , wipe out grease , repack with lucas green heavy duty polyurea grease , 550 drop point , no failures no whining noise , all my decks and drives , work with ridiculous quiet ease. keep it greasy  , pete