Lawn Tractor Quick Tip #7 - Remove A Seized Engine Belt Pulley 

Thanks Don for another great tip. +1 on having a puller like that in the toolbox. Another “you won’t use it all the time, but when you need it...”, kind of tools. 👍🏼

Good tip about using the puller. Before I would use heat - After the puller is tightened, I would tap on the pulley sleeve [between the 2 pulleys] with a hammer. The vibration of the metal might be enough to break it loose.

The other way to do it is if you have a bearing separator & a 2 jaw puller. Just flip the bearing separator upside down & fit the 2 jaws of the puller underneath then wind the bolt of the puller in until the pulley comes off. I thought I better mention this for anyone who has the tools I mentioned available.

You made that look so easy :-D I imagine you would clean the shaft with a light abrasive to remove any rust, then apply a light smear of antiseize/light grease to stop it rusting. Don, You are like a live haynes manual, you often show alternative ways to get a job done when we don't have the perfect tool, the harmonic pulley tool looks ideal :-D I have a lot of respect for the haynes manual, great help for everyone.

The whole "Step 1 - Remove the engine from the tractor" is more troublesome than I want. 😁

Good tip Donny, I'll keep that in my archives. Another thing that might be good to do is add a washer or two to the bolts pulling to distribute the pressure from the pull, just a thought.

Make sure you put antiseize on it when you re-assemble...just had to cut one off a Cub Cadet GT1554...rust welded to shaft...back on and running fine...but slathered with antiseize so I can take it off if I ever need to again Man I could have used this tip about a month ago ;)

I just removed the toughest on of these I have ever seen ! I soaked everything down with PB Blaster, let it set for 10 minutes while I gathered up my tools. Instead of drilling more holes in the end pulley I ran a couple grade A bolts into the small holes and installed nuts on them, grabbed my 1/2" air impact and hammered on the harmonic balancer until the bolt stopped turning. So I then grabbed my 36" breaker bar and wedged a pry bar between one of the grade A bolts and the balancer bolt and got about a 1/4 turn out of it before the end pulley's weld broke. So after stairing at it for about a minute I grabbed my cut off wheel and cut 2 slits down each side of what was left of the pulley. After about 3 seconds with an air hammer the pulley fell apart.

great tip,sometimes i will put tension on the pulley and tap the end of the puller bolt to help shock it loose

Great tip to add to the mental tool chest. Thanks, Don!!!

Great repair Don ! Thanks for the video 😉

Heat can be used with a good Heatgun too.

Good job man! You are smart! Good idea.

What really helps is several doses of good penetrant, done in increments, short turns on the puller, give it a few minutes, then turn, so on.

I have bent most of mine. I had a Briggs twin and had to cut it off.

Thank you for your knowledge and expertise sir! Just did this on a cub with the motor still in it. You saved me once again, thanks!!!!

thanks DonnyBoy

Don, great video as usual. I was hoping you could give me some tips on a selfpace mower, it's a Toro guarantee start 22inch. It's my neighbors and she lost her husband last year. and he maintained a beautiful lawn. She's long been retired and money as for all of us is tight. I wanted to do my part and help. I did the basics, dropped carb.. bowl was clean and gas was fresh , oil is a little dark not too bad. Does have the primer bulb and there was no suction. The gasket was shot.(I replaced the bulb and gasket) I tested the magneto against the engine. It did spark. Not a blue light, but more yellowish. (Spark plug is clean no oil or gunk) any guess or a direction I could go. Also the blade is perfect no hits or chips. Thx, looking forward to your reply

I'm having that trouble now thanks

Great tip Don, thanks.

a bit harder to do when hole in chassis is too small to remove engine with pulley on. that's when being able to hoist mower to almost vertical helps.

This started it for me, but my bolt was too short to bear against for more than an inch or so of pulley movement. I ended up using heat and two equal and opposite pry bars under the lower pulley. ((A 3 jaw pulley started to bend the top pulley))

CRAZY, Im doing a motor swap tomorrow, good thing to know just incase, new motor doesn't have the pully on it...

This is a great video once again, but what if you don't own any torches or pullers?

I have a twin briggs with this issue..I’ve heated it up with a torch and used a pulled with a impact and soaked in PB blaster with no success..I just put this engine on this mower to, pulley ended up not being right for this mower and it looks like I have to pull it off again and cut the pulley

Is it common practice for the metric bolt in the bottom of pulley lawnmower 17.5 hp tractor it takes a 16 mm socket?

It looks like that engine needs a new lower seal also, lol. Is that the Briggs engine you have to get the kit that includes new bolts as well as the gasket? It seems those always leak. The old style Briggs where you reused the bolts and changed the gasket never leaked, only had to change the gasket when you had to remove the cover to access internals. I think sometimes new tech and New ways of doing things are not necessarily better.

Thanks for the video.

which way do I put pulley on lawn mower deck? other words which side is up and which side is down? thanks

there is a key that goes between the pulley and shaft that snugs it up. do you put the key in first then the pulley or put the pulley on first, then the key?

Is there a way to use a port-a-power if I don't have a balancer puller? Have you tried it?

I’m use a pulley puller and it’s rusted but it moved and I’m spraying on blaster on it and its still stuck

When did Small engines start being marketed in cc rather than hp. Is it better this way?

I had a stuck engine pull exactly like that. Once I finally got it off, I clean the shaft and applied grease to the shaft and now I can easily remove it when needed. Just an idea.

I have done this many times and every time the pully bends.I dont have 700 dollars for a torch . Any other ideas ?? Help. I advise people to antiseize` these pullys and the wheels when you buy it new. They save 20 cents at the factory when they don't do it. It is silly.

good tip

Thanks

Hi donyboy I have echo PB250LN blower it stared twice But then shut off both times so I clean carburetor and the same thing happen I when and changed the carb / spark plug gas lines gas in tank which is mixture gas gas filter to gas line Check muffler Don’t not start🤔 Also need help with a Stihl blow pretty much the some thing with it need to know how to adjust the screws on it (L) & (h)

Anti-seize would probably work real good on that

A great investment

Nice.

The middle bolt won't come off on my pulley, instead it spins the whole thing, lol, please help

Any idea on how to remove a stuck rim on axle? I've tried a puller I've welded 2 5/8 g8 nuts to the rim and used a g8 bolt to push on the shaft but the threads stripped and I gave it plenty of heat from a MAP torch but still wont budge.

Are all motor shafts the same size?

I anti-seize everything that has even the remotest possibility of someone disassembling it in the future.

What up