Thread: Gear puller Q - 2 or 3 jaw

Hi Ben,
It depends on the pulley. If it has three spokes you cant fit a 2 jaw, if it has 4 spokes you cant fit a 3 jaw(easily).

It would help if you can post a picture or tell us what sort of car/pulley.
Stuart

I would go for the 3 jaw. The 2 jaw ones have there purpose but for a pulley a 3 jaw is best.

Dave

What time did you start drinking or smoking Dave.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

What time did you start drinking or smoking Dave.

LOL, fixed
Don't drink or smoke, other than cigarettes.
That will teach me for writing quick so I could go and do something.

Dave

A gear puller to remove a bearing from an idler?

Nev

nev your right i think...... only idler pulleys i have done have to be removed usually a nut holds them on and if you can replace bearing a press would be in order .
but then again mine was an " o what a feeling" others maybe different.
hint my problem was a pulley on alternator ( dont know what they called but they only free wheel one way) and then a new belt ( serpentine belts make a squealing noise like a damaged bearing if not changed with new pulley)
maybe try a new belt first
john

Yes I think the idler pulley is only secured on by a nut. Not 100% sure though. So in theory I can remove the pulley/bearing and then use the Puller to remove the bearing from the pulley.

suggest you see if you can get it off first and see if the bearing can be pulled or pushed out
pullers usually only used to removepulley from a fixed sight so it has something to apply pressure in the centre too
usually cheaper and easier to get an off the shelf idler pulley
most of major automotive suppliers will have them
john

+1 for what John says.
pleanty have nonreplacable bearings or the pulley is plastic and doesnt last much longer than the bearings.
Not knowing the car doesnt help.
Stuart

HI,
What You probably want is one of these Pilot Bearing Pullers PILOT BEARING PULLER 3 JAW | eBay . I have one Myself they do a good Job. The ones that You are looking at from TRADE TOOLS wont Work unless the Pulley is Humongous and has a Big Bearing in it. Basically the Jaws wont fit into a standard Car Idler Pulley Bearing to remove it.

All the Plastic Idler Pulleys that I have seen have non removable Bearings as the Bearing is Captive. The only way to remove a Bearing from a Plastic Idler Pulley would be to remove some of the Plastic that holds the Bearing Captive. Doing this though may let the Bearing pop out when the Car is Running thus causing Disaster.

All the Idler Pulleys that I have encountered on Cars have been held by a Nut, Bolt or Circlip. The Pulleys once the Retainer has been removed generally slip on and off. Just be AWARE too that the Nut or Bolt could be Left Hand Thread. If You don't have a Hydraulic Press You might be able to Rig something up in a Large Workshop Vice that will enable both Removal and Replacement of the Old and New Bearing.

Need info on what vehicle and what sort of idler it is. Even some non replaceable bearing can be replaced if you know how. Some are just a simple press fit with a circlip, some are staked to the pulley and some you are better off replacing the idler.

Take a look at the Nuline Catalogue here.

http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&so...J4QwjIAad6njfA

Nev

Thanks for the tips so far fellas.

I know the bearing is removeable as it (the bearing not the whole pulley) was replaced a few 000km's ago and it's noisy again. A mechanic did it and I don't want to go back to him so I want to do it myself.

Originally Posted by steran50

HI,
What You probably want is one of these Pilot Bearing Pullers PILOT BEARING PULLER 3 JAW | eBay . I have one Myself they do a good Job. The ones that You are looking at from TRADE TOOLS wont Work unless the Pulley is Humongous and has a Big Bearing in it. Basically the Jaws wont fit into a standard Car Idler Pulley Bearing to remove it.

All the Plastic Idler Pulleys that I have seen have non removable Bearings as the Bearing is Captive. The only way to remove a Bearing from a Plastic Idler Pulley would be to remove some of the Plastic that holds the Bearing Captive. Doing this though may let the Bearing pop out when the Car is Running thus causing Disaster.

All the Idler Pulleys that I have encountered on Cars have been held by a Nut, Bolt or Circlip. The Pulleys once the Retainer has been removed generally slip on and off. Just be AWARE too that the Nut or Bolt could be Left Hand Thread. If You don't have a Hydraulic Press You might be able to Rig something up in a Large Workshop Vice that will enable both Removal and Replacement of the Old and New Bearing.

What is a pilot bearing?

suggest you take some pics and add make/ type/ model of vehicle its unusual for a bearing to fail in that short a time unless something else is wrong
is it a continous noise or just intermittent
john