Mower deck spindles?

[608KEB 794]

I took these apart before. Now I'm struggling to get the pulley off. I want to take the spindles out. Suggestions?  48" SD model# 78360

[cheesegrader 433]

What a miserable chore!
I had two come apart easily, and one took a month of weekends.
PB blaster, torch, PB blaster, wait overnight, repeat....

[daveoman1966 3,610]

1)  With the cutting blades off, set ALL THREEE spindles into equal-height cylinders of 6" long or so.  I used three COFFEE CANS. 
1a) cement blocks may work too....not sure.  As long as the spindle fits into the hole of the block...good to go.
2) Remove top pulley NUT and grease zerk.
3) Use a BRASS DRIFT of some sort (double-faced peen hammer) as a striking surface, hold the brass hammer on top of the spindle shaft.
4) With all the force you can muster, with ONE VIOLENTL SWING, smack that BRASS PEEN with  BIG HEAVY STEEL HAMMER.
4a)...don't be bashful....hit it HARD. 
5) This will drive the spindle shaft down thru the pulley and housing....landing in the coffee can.
 

Edited July 25, 2015 by daveoman1966

[doc724 924]

I have ruined many pulleys trying to pull them and replacements are darn expensive.  I have seen variants of Dave's method before and I tried them with out success.  However, step 4a was not as well described by others as by Dave.  I guess my failure was due to unclear instructions.  Thanks Dave for very detailed 'work instructions"  BTW, what constitutes a "big heavy steel hammer?  3lbs, 5lbs, 10 or 20 lbs?

[Don1977 604]

1)  With the cutting blades off, set ALL THREEE spindles into equal-height cylinders of 6" long or so.  I used three COFFEE CANS. 
1a) cement blocks may work too....not sure.  As long as the spindle fits into the hole of the block...good to go.
2) Remove top pulley NUT and grease zerk.
3) Use a BRASS DRIFT of some sort (double-faced peen hammer) as a striking surface, hold the brass hammer on top of the spindle shaft.
4) With all the force you can muster, with ONE VIOLENTL SWING, smack that BRASS PEEN with  BIG HEAVY STEEL HAMMER.
4a)...don't be bashful....hit it HARD. 
5) This will drive the spindle shaft down thru the pulley and housing....landing in the coffee can.
 

That works, but I've busted the aluminum housing off at the large c-clip at the bottom.
  

[daveoman1966 3,610]

No to be argumentative, but to bust of the end with the Circlip means the shaft would have to be galled to the inner bearing race.  I have used this very method no less than 50 times, without fail, and without 'busting' out the end.  I don't see how the shaft could be galled, as such, given that there is grease inside the housing to preclude that long-term galling effect.  The bearing, too, is stainless steel, isn't it? ? ? 

[sorekiwi 761]

That works, but I've busted the aluminum housing off at the large c-clip at the bottom.
  

I've blown the bottom out of the housing with the C clip as well.  I think that sometimes things are just too stuck together.

[groundhog47 347]

If you have a bearing separator (clam shell) puller fasten/tighten it to groove in side of very inner most portion of hub (it's about an inch dia). Afix regular 2 post/screw/bolt puller to holes in bearing separator, put a less than 3/4" nut or several thick washers atop spindle (keeps from burring zerk threads), and turn away. It works fine on 42's and should work on the 48's. If you don't have that set up just use caution with hammer, the key will follow through and "blow" your bearing spacer on 3/4" shaft (not on metric bearing keyless shaft).
I see some of these pulleys don't have the groove; hope yours does.

Edited July 25, 2015 by groundhog47

[pacer 3,159]

That works, but I've busted the aluminum housing off at the large c-clip at the bottom.
  

Same here - all 3 of them ruined. I now use groundhogs method, in fact just 2 days ago I removed 3 of them doing just this.

[daveoman1966 3,610]

On SOME of the later models, the top pulley has a groove cut into the inner hub and the specific purpose for that groove is to remove the pulley. 
This is the EXACT same setup used on automotive POWER STEERING PUMP PULLEYS and there is a special tool designed to remove that pulley.  
Autozone will rent you this SPECIAL TOOL
Here is a short U-tube video of how it works....
PS.... this works ONLY on pulleys with the groove in hub...36  42  or 48 inch decks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIiUioLhOxc
   

[608KEB 794]

No big hurry. I'm using my 42" SD for now. Thanks for the ideas. Will a bearing seperator fit underneath the pulley? Anyone have a few pictures? I saw a bearing puller for $30.00 at harbor freight.

Edited July 26, 2015 by 608KEB

[can whlvr 991]

I have put a large pipe wrench on the pulley center shaft,a little heat and a pipe on the pipe wrench for leverage and the pulley will move,ya it eats up the middle of the pulley but it doesn't really hurt anything other then looks

[groundhog47 347]

No big hurry. I'm using my 42" SD for now. Thanks for the ideas. Will a bearing seperator fit underneath the pulley? Anyone have a few pictures? I saw a bearing puller for $30.00 at harbor freight.

Sometimes it will but will bend up the bottom unless pulley is VERY loose.  And the 48's big pulleys would require a big beating separator. It would be best to pull from topside as those pulleys are so expensive.