How To Remove A Woodruff Key

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A woodruff fundamental is installed in the hub of a pulley or gear so that the pulley or gear does not slip off the shaft it is attached to or spin freely. These keys are constitute in motorized devices such as backyard mowers, motorcycles, and cars and are held in identify by a threaded fastener. By removing a key, you lot tin remove and alter other parts of your vehicle or supersede a bad key to improve performance.^[one]

1

Apply penetrating oil. Put this direct onto the pulley and shaft area to loosen any corrosion that will make the caster difficult to move.Those that come in spray bottles are handy and will however exist constructive for getting into and breaking up rust on metal.
2

Remove the threaded fastener. This holds the pulley in place and can be undone with a tool such as a crank remover or wrench. If the threads are damaged, more tools and methods will accept to be utilized, such as pliers.^[ii]

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3

Make clean the shaft. If there is whatever rust or dirt on the shaft, lightly sand or brush it. The hub of the caster commonly is fit well to the shaft, so the droppings can prevent a loosened pulley from sliding off.
4

Loosen the pulley nut. Do whatever you lot can to stop the pulley from turning, then employ a tool such equally a socket or ring spanner on the nut until the caster can be removed.^[3]
five
Pry off the caster. Identify a pry bar or a big screwdriver backside the pulley, if there is a surface behind information technology to employ every bit leverage. If not, you can effort striking the back of the pulley with a hammer while applying pressure with the pry bar or screwdriver.^[4]
- Use a soft-faced hammer to avoid dissentious the components. If y'all utilise a normal hammer, hold a wood block confronting the fastener and shaft.
- Tap the pulley shaft with the hammer. Don't use too much pressure. For steel hammers, insulate the shaft, nut, and bolt earlier hit.
6
Accept out the key. On the at present freed caster, look for a semicircular piece inset into the shaft. This is the Woodruff central. Grip the sides of the key with pliers and remove information technology. If pliers don't work, try to wedge it out with a modest screwdriver. These keys are fragile, so force can hands harm them, but keys are easily and cheaply ordered in hardware and car part stores or online and replaced. Remove any shredded key bits in the machine so they don't cause damage later.^[5]
- You tin try tapping a nail on one end of the cardinal, drilling into the heart of the primal and removing it with a nail, or fifty-fifty heating the key upwardly with a blowtorch and letting it cool repeatedly to loosen it.
- Remember that damaging the central is a far better culling than damaging the shaft or other office around the key.
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1
Select the correct size. These claw-like devices come in different sizes. Y'all can use measuring tape to detect out the diameter of the pulley and then that you lot can buy or rent ane that expands to fit over the pulley.
- You'll demand an appropriate socket wrench to accommodate the forcing screw on the gear puller.
two

Fit the arms. Once the gear puller is set, the center bolt should engage the pulley shaft in proper alignment to prevent slippage. Adjust the arms so that the puller'southward jaws are set at about right angles confronting the pulley or gear.^[6]
3
Tighten the forcing spiral. Use the socket wrench to tighten the screw at the end of the gear puller until the screw touches the caster shaft. Proceed turning until the pulley tin slide complimentary.
- You can strike the exposed terminate of the gear puller with a hammer to effort to loosen the pulley.^[vii]
4
Remove the Woodruff key. On the freed caster, locate the semicircular shape in the shaft. This is the key and it tin can be removed by gripping the sides with pliers or wedging ane end with a screwdriver. The primal may be stuck. If that is the case, alternative and possibly damaging measures need to be taken. Call up to remove whatsoever shredded key bits.
- Try borer downwardly on one end of the central with a hammer and smash. Another option is to drill into the middle of the key and remove it with a nail.
- Rapidly heating the key with a blowtorch and letting it absurd tin can assist loosen it.
- Recollect that these keys are cheap and readily available online or at hardware and machine part stores, so causing damage to it may be necessary. Damaging the parts around it is a more than costly idea.
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Question

What if I tin't remove the key from the shaft?

You can try to tap out the key with a chisel or pin puncher. You lot can also quickly heat up the key with a torch and attempt to remove it over again when information technology cools. You lot tin also drill into it and employ a screw or other device to take information technology out. Whatever yous do, avert damaging the shaft effectually the fundamental.
Question

I take a Predator 500. Volition the Woodruff primal arrive not start?

If the key is on your flywheel, yes, equally it controls the engine's spark via the magneto.

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Lawnmowers have a "shear" key, which prevents damage to the crankshaft, located in the hub of the flywheel or magneto. These often cause the engine to refuse to run but are easily replaced when y'all learn how to remove them.

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Wear safety glasses when using a hammer to strike some other metal surface or tool.
Use intendance using lubricating oils. They are often flammable and harmful to peel and eyes.

Things You'll Need

Wrenches
Prying tool
Soft-faced hammer
Penetrating oil
Gear puller, if needed

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Article Summary X

Woodruff keys are found in motorized devices and are installed in the hubs of pulleys or gears so they don't slip off the shaft or spin freely. If you need to remove a woodruff key, you can do it using pliers. Start by removing the threaded fastener that holds the pulley in identify, loosening the caster nut, and prying off the pulley with a pry bar or screwdriver. Then, grip the fundamental, which is the semicircular piece inset into the shaft, with pliers and pull it off. You tin also use a gear puller to remove the cardinal. Adjust the artillery so its jaws are at right angles against the pulley or gear. Tighten the forcing screw until the caster slides complimentary and you tin can locate the key. Then, remove it with pliers. To learn how to remove dirt and crud that may make the pulley hard to move, keep reading!

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