# Drill press pulley removal??



## jeff444 (Oct 7, 2019)

I'm attempting to remove the front pulley from my central machinery drill press and am not having any luck. I've tried twisting as well as prying it off. How is it affixed to the shaft? Do I need a gear puller to remove it? I already removed the small hex bolt from between two of the pulley rings. See pics from above and underneath. Let me know if I can provide any other info. Any help is appreciated!


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## Ulma Doctor (Oct 7, 2019)

you may be able to gently persuade the pulley off by getting a rod that is smaller than the ID of the bearing in picture 3 and tapping the pulley assembly out of the bottom bearing from below


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## Jeff.64 (Oct 7, 2019)

jeff444 said:


> I'm attempting to remove the front pulley from my central machinery drill press and am not having any luck. I've tried twisting as well as prying it off. How is it affixed to the shaft? Do I need a gear puller to remove it? I already removed the small hex bolt from between two of the pulley rings. See pics from above and underneath. Let me know if I can provide any other info. Any help is appreciated!
> View attachment 303440
> View attachment 303438
> View attachment 303439


I have a similar drill press.  According to one of my diagrams there is a retaining ring like the one seen in your third photo holding a second bearing in place on top of the main casting.  Another diagram just shows one retaining ring on the bottom.  The step pulley on mine has a nut on the top end of the female spline shaft.  The pulley is mounted on the tapered portion of the female spline shaft.  I have not yet removed the pulley.  I have removed the motor pulley and trued it up on the lathe to cut down on the vibration.  I plan to remove mine after I purchase a gear puller.  I'll make a brass plug to protect the top of the shaft, heat the aluminum step pulley with a torch and then apply the puller with a makeshift slide hammer attached to the hex portion of the threaded rod on the gear puller.


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## Nutfarmer (Oct 7, 2019)

Be careful with a gear puller on a pulley. It is easy to break the side wall of the pulley. Don't ask how I found out.


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## mikey (Oct 8, 2019)

Most drill press pulleys have an interference fit on a taper. This taper is actually the top of what is commonly called a drive sleeve. My approach would be to use a 3 arm gear puller. Pad the pulley with several layers of tape before applying the arms of the puller and put a slug in the center to accept the pulling screw, then gently apply pressure - it should come off.


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## tghsmith (Oct 8, 2019)

being an aluminum pulley on a steel shaft the heating of the pulley may produce some good results...


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## nnam (Oct 8, 2019)

I removed many and they were always not easy.  I tried with whatever I got.  I remember some I can bolt two round clamps around one step and use a puller to pull it out.

If I have time, I would take a piece of steel weld 2 tubes on two sides. Cut a round hole in the midde then split in half.  clamp it with two bolts, then use a puller to pull it out.

They sell something like this, just wrong size.



			https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71aX9AlfejL._AC._SR360,460.jpg


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## jeff444 (Oct 8, 2019)

Ulma Doctor said:


> you may be able to gently persuade the pulley off by getting a rod that is smaller than the ID of the bearing in picture 3 and tapping the pulley assembly out of the bottom bearing from below



I did try something similar - I was able to fit the spade of a large flat head screwdriver into the hole underneath the pulley assembly. Gave it some generous taps with a mallet and didn't budge. Appreciate the suggestion.


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## jeff444 (Oct 8, 2019)

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'm going to try out the general suggestion here - use a gear puller, heat up the pulley a bit, and make a supporting pad/ring to sit between the gear puller and the pulley. I'll post results once I get the gear puller and attempt this solution. 

This is an old/cheap drill press I got for $20 on craigslist. I'm planning to make an industrial style lamp out of it with an edison bulb that can be raised and lowered using the press mechanism, and hopefully wired up to the original drill press switch to turn on and off. I'll try to re-purpose the motor into a disc sander. Pics to follow. Thanks again!


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## brino (Oct 8, 2019)

jeff444 said:


> I already removed the small hex bolt from between two of the pulley rings.



You might double check that there's not a second allen-head set-screw below the bolt you already removed.
-brino


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## tq60 (Oct 8, 2019)

Drill and tap 2 holes in top of pulley such that a bar with matching holes can be placed across top of pulley with spacer to shaft.

Will pull directly on body of pulley without breaking 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk


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## jeff444 (Oct 15, 2019)

Update: purchased a gear puller on Amazon for $10 and that did the trick! Didn't need to heat up the shaft or create any support for the pulley ring. It was on there tight, which I assume is why I could not pry it up at all from one side (before the gear puller). I just used a large diameter bolt to plug the hole and give the gear puller a point of contact. Thanks everyone for your help, another problem solved.


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## Hit-N-Miss Tom (Oct 25, 2019)

Nutfarmer said:


> Be careful with a gear puller on a pulley. It is easy to break the side wall of the pulley. Don't ask how I found out.


My 1st thought as well!


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