I am going to remove the power steering pump pulley it is a KH pulley held on by a nut. Do I need a certain kind of puller to do this as I am new to any of this.

 

Yes. Power steering pump pulleys have a groove behind the nut that the puller attaches to. Not too expensive to buy a generic puller but don't lend it out

 

Thank you very much.

 

Much as I hate to disagree with brddg, I went through this 2 years ago with my car. There are 2 styles of pulleys - one with three holes in the face to get at bolts behind, and the solid face pulley. I believe the KH is the latter one.

What you will need is something to hold the pulley itself while you undo that nut on the front of it. I used a special tool to do that, but once the nut is loose you don't need anything but light taps of a hammer to break the pulley loose in the keyway. The pulley should slide off with relative ease - doesn't hurt to use some spray lube on the keyway once the nut is off.

My car is a 72 Cutlass S (model 3687) without AC

 

No offense taken Allan, I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong. I have that pulley too and it didn't want to budge and while attempting to pry it I became nervous about bending it. When I did get the puller on there it had much resistance but after moving only about 3/32" it came right off. I guess it may have been a litte rusty in there.

 

When I pulled one of that type, I held the pulley against a railroad tie with my foot (grippy rubber sole), spun the nut off with an air wrench, and the pulley came off easily with a tap.

I also had another one where I was able to use the wrong puller (a small tie-rod end puller) to pull it off.

Certainly worth a try tapping it before springing for a puller, but they're cheap and not bad to have anyway.

- Eric

 

Okay, I know it shouldnt be this hard sorry. the pump and pulley are on the car I have taken the nut off the pulley wobbles and is loose but wont come off. I have tried using a hammer and prying as well nothing so forceful that it would bend it up. It is giving me fits.

 

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here is where i am

 

Just work it off. It'll come.

You may need to get a new key for it at the hardware store before you put it back together.

- Eric

 

I have lubricated it and beat the hell out of it can't get it off. It slides back and forth enough on the hub that I know it is not just stuck in place. When you pull it forward it hangs up somewhere. I know not much people can do from a computer but any last ideas would be welcome. This is why I pay people to do it. LOL

 

take some sand paper to the threads on the end of the shaft. I bet there is a burr on the threads holding you up. Don't get carried away with the sandpaper and goof up the threads.

 

I have tried all your suggestions, all I can think of is that the inside of the pulley has some how been damaged and just will not come straight off. The pulley was loose when I bought the car. Has anyone ever had to cut one off?

 

Oh.

In that case, I'd suspect that the key has been beaten to crap, and is bent into some crazy shape that is serving to retain the pulley.

Keys are made of soft steel. Use a bigger sledgehammer.

- Eric

 

Not that I know. Also don't get too violent with beating it as that could affect the PS pump seals. I'd put some penetrating oil on the shaft and tap gently, reapply more penetrating oil and then let it sit overnight. If it doesn't come off then, use a puller; it will give you the torque needed to move it past that obstruction.

Have you tried wiggling it side to side and up/down as you pull it forward? That might help it release what it's binding on.

If the pulley was loose to start with you'd almost be better off just replacing the entire unit with one from the boneyard.

 

If the pulley was a bit loose, and the mating tapers are now slightly off with regard to one-another, you can use some valve grinding compound and lap them like valves, until both tapers look evenly grey, and, of course, use a new key, and it should work like new.

- Eric

 

I don't think there is a taper on this style shaft?

 

I have even tried renting a puller and the bolt or thread sizes are different on the puller and the bolt holding the pulley on. Short of beating it to the point of ruining the entire unit I am done.

 

There are several people here that can sell you a used replacement setup if need be. I would post in the wanted section and see what you get. I have extras i can sell also but I am sure someone close to you would have one and save shipping. If yours is not damaged beyond use, Just take a break and take a fresh look tomorrow.

 

There was on mine, and, in general, there is on every shaft connection with a key.


There is no bolt holding your pulley on. There is a nut, and you removed it.



You could use a three-jaw puller on this pulley, but, of course, there would be a risk of bending the pulley. Since it ain't coming off, though, and since it was already loose when you started, you've really got nothing to lose.

No puller that you could use here would need to match thread sizes with anything, so, once again, I really don't know what you're talking about.

I will say again, that once the nut is off and the pulley is loose, there is really nothing that could be holding this pulley on, except maybe for a bit of steel that's been worked off of the key.

Finally, in order to really get to this thing and work on it, something's got to come off, either the radiator's got to go, or the pump has to come out - you don't have enough room in there to put any real force on it.

My feeling is that if you can suspend the pump from the pulley between the jaws of a vise, or something similar, then one good shot to the shaft will free it.

- Eric

 

why not remove the P/S pump and put it on the bench. I think you will have an easier time examining the pump. If you can't see the problem then you can post fresh photos & we can all chime in again.

 

Thanks, I will take it up again later. I guess I may be stuck needing the whole pump/pulley set up.

 

Looks like I will likely remove the whole unit and see what's up. Thanks for all your help and patience with the mechanically challenged.

 

You have me curious now. I will check my pump for my W-30 that was rebuilt. With a taper you would have to use a puller but any of these with a nut I have never had to do that. Come to think of it, The ones that require a puller are tight all the way off. If it was tapered it would "pop" loose and then come off. I think i will look into it just for the sake of figuring it out.

 

I'm with Eric on this. Just one thing - if you take off the pump you're going to have to loosen or remove the side braces to the block to get the pressure line undone. That can be messy so have a good amount of old rags handy under the pump when that line comes off. the pressure line is also on there pretty tight which is likely not what you wanted to hear.