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Old 22-01-2022, 16:58   #1
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Can't remove wheel (Edson)

I've got a stuck wheel on an Edson Pedestal. The nut came off easy enough, but the wheel itself will not budge.

I've got it under pressure with a gear puller attached and I can't make it any tighter. It's been under pressure for 6 hours so far, roughly, and Ive sprayed PB Blaster onto the shaft/into the threads as best I can 2 or 3 times already. There appears to be a key-way, but I don't see a key - it's fairly rusty looking. The wheel has not been removed in about 21 years (the boat is a 1984).

There is nowhere I can hit it with a mallet - there is no way to reach the hub from the front because there is a monitor wheel adapter between the wheel hub and the pedestal, as seen here.

I also tried heating the hub while it was under pressure from the puller, but that was before I started with the JB Blaster - didn't work. My plan now is to leave it under pressure over night and in the AM hit it with the PB Blaster again and see if I can tighten it a little more. And then wait an hour and try the heat again.

What else could I try short of taking a hydraulic jack hammer to it?

Is there any logic to releasing the puller and then tightening it again - maybe so I can lube up the threaded rod a bit?
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Old 22-01-2022, 17:20   #2
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

You are doing everything right. Give the tightening screw on the puller a sharp rap with a sledgehammer. Sometimes the shock has results.
Mapp gas has a hotter flame if you decide to heat the hub again.
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Old 22-01-2022, 17:52   #3
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Quote:
Is there any logic to releasing the puller and then tightening it again - maybe so I can lube up the threaded rod a bit?
Yes, IME that can really help, especially lubing the threads on the puller. And as OJ says above, whacking the end of the puller whilst under max tension is normal procedure.

Good luck, and don't forget to lube the hub and shaft when reinstalling the wheel (you WILL succeed in getting it off!)

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Old 22-01-2022, 18:01   #4
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Try a piece of bronze or aluminum between the spokes with leather next to the hub then use a bronze drift and hammer . Shock and heat. Can you remove the whole shaft and take it all to a machine shop to press out?
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Old 22-01-2022, 20:14   #5
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Oh boy, yeah, as others have noted, the PB/constant high tension/ a few, (or more,) good whacks.
Don't go trying to use a hammer from behind the hub, you'll only stress the shaft and its bearings, and no way do anything which may bend the wheel.
The Edson wheels are precision bored and the shafts are centerless ground, the fit is of high-class, only ~.001>.0015 of clearance.
This is a case of "The older was better", in the "old" days the shafts were bronze and even with close fit they did not "stick" together as much.
Same with the keys, if you can source a bronze key, so be it.
When re-assembling use the anti-seize called "Nikal".
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Old 22-01-2022, 20:41   #6
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Have some bl--dy patience. A few hours are not enough. What's your hurry?
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Old 22-01-2022, 22:35   #7
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Give the company a call. I'm sure they'll come up with an idea.
The telephone number is at the bottom of their page.

https://www.edsonintl.com/
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Old 23-01-2022, 05:12   #8
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Is there a gap that could take a wedge behind the wheel? I use an ordinary cheap wood chisel and mallet in situations like this - the force applied is considerable, and using the chisel on alternate sides "rocks" the stuck item.

Yes to loosening and tightening, particularly while flooded with penetrant.
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Old 23-01-2022, 07:00   #9
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

I once spent 4 days getting a wheel off the shaft. A big, solid puller. An oxy acetylene torch. A two pound hammer. Lots of penetrant. Keep at it. Slowly. Carefully. Don’t pound on the shaft or wheel itself; use a drift. Patience and stubbornness.
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Old 23-01-2022, 08:12   #10
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Well, lot's of good encouragement here. Thanks. Will keep at it.

I'm also going to pick up a mapp cylinder this afternoon and try that instead of the propane torch I tried yesterday.

To Stu Jackson and others: You're right of course, patience is the name of the game.
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Old 23-01-2022, 09:15   #11
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Mapp gas may raise the emperature enough to discolor the stainless steel. If so, use vinegar to break down the oxidized stuff.
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Old 23-01-2022, 09:41   #12
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

I'm willing to bet it's a straight shaft, vs tapered. Mother Nature has welded the two together. If the shaft or hub is magnetic then your in for a heap of trouble.

In a machine shop they would heat the hub as fast as possible (just enough to not quite change the color) and squirt some Kroil around the shaft area and smack the puller shaft a time or two with a heavy piece of oak.

If it doesn't start to move, then let it cool to touch and do over. You may end up having to drilling out the shaft and replacing it. B.O.A.T.
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Old 23-01-2022, 10:49   #13
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Had a similar problem. Used a gear puller, and heated the hub with a propaine torch, having first squirted it with PK Blaster. Once the gear puller was under tension, a few light taps with a hammer and the wheel popped right off.

Of interest, I discovered that the wheel had not actually bonded to the shaft. The corrosion and rust were between the alignment key and the wheel and the alignment key and the shaft. Whomever installed didnt think to use a SS key.

Best of luck. Be sure to let us know what works for you.
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Old 23-01-2022, 21:38   #14
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

Quote:
Originally Posted by Manateeman View Post
Try a piece of bronze or aluminum between the spokes with leather next to the hub then use a bronze drift and hammer . Shock and heat. Can you remove the whole shaft and take it all to a machine shop to press out?
Mark
Manateeman is on the right track - his last idea, not the first two. Remove the shaft from the pedestal before you damage the pedestal. Once the steering chain is off it is pretty easy to knock out the pin that holds the sprocket to the shaft. If you do not have the original documentation Edson should be able to provide it. After all those years you should completely disassemble the pedestal and inspect it anyway. A machine shop can heat the hub and press out the shaft.
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Old 23-01-2022, 21:49   #15
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Re: Can't remove wheel (Edson)

I agree with lubricating the threads of the puller, using Kroil or PB Blaster on the hub/shaft, and a sharp wack with a hammer on the end of the pullers screw. As for lubricant on the hub/shaft, and using heat at the same time: merchant marine engineers use beeswax. It will not burn out until up near 900 degrees, it wicks down into the tight fit with heat.
We prep bolts/studs/nuts for a few days before disassembly, and, usually, with a very good outcome.
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