Greetings...

I bought a couple 1/4" drive extensions to aid in pulling off my crank hub. I'm using a 3-jaw puller. As I was turning the puller, the extension broke, and now the rest of it is stuck in the threads of the hub. I used a shorter extension (3" long, perhaps?) as the longer one was too long for the puller.

Obviously, it's a narrow opening, and a needlenose won't get the job done.

Will I have to resort to drilling out the extension? Should I expect problems with the threads afterwards?

This hub is on tight! I was cranking the puller for a while, and it didn't budge. The crank was turning a little bit, even with the car in 5th gear. Should I use a different style puller?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

TIA...

Steve-o

 

How about a self tapping screw that sticks out of the hole if you could get it threaded into it? I would personally still predrill it a little, but if you get it to tap into the extension you can grab onto it with a vice grip or similar.

 

Might not stick, but perhaps a magnet is worth a try if it's not wedged in?? Bummer...I had a bolt that I slipped down the center almost do that to me. I backed off and checked it just in time. Good luck!

 

i assume you already took out the center bolt.

You can just take an air hammer from behind and brace it behind the sway bar. Thats how i take mine off now since i broke the hub bolt off in the crank, lol.

 

So you put a 1/4" extension inside the crankshaft, and the puller bolt pressed on the extension I never put anything in there. My puller's tip fits perfectly in there, and has never damaged the threads inside the crank.

I would recomend that you get the hub off of there, just put the puller bolt or tip of it in the hole. Just get that bastard off of there. Then remove the seal. If the extension broke, its obviously poor quality, and is probably pretty soft. Id use a torch to melt it out of there. Use a nice cutting tip. Aim it in there and get the extension glowing red, then blow the sob out of there. It wont hurt the crank at all. Just concentrate the flame on the extension, and try not to heat the crank. Works like a charm

If you try drilling it, you are garunteed to mess up the threads as you wouldnt be able to center the drill bit on the extension. If you dont have a torch, you could either rent one, have a welding company come out and do it, or tow your car to the nearest welding shop and let them do it.

After its out, run a tap through there to clean up the threads, and dont ever put anything in there again, accept a bolt Good luck.

 

Well, ya live and ya learn...

I read tutorials about sticking an ext. in there that's narrower than the hole, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I didn't think the hub would be on that tight.

I should have just bought a bolt that bottomed out in the threads and pushed on that.

Josh'95Z...do you remember what kind of puller you used?

Thanks...
Steve-o

 

I dont remember what puller I used on my LT1. My wife is in the millitary, and we were at a temp duty station. All of my tools were in storage. I used whatever they had at the auto hobby shop on base On other cars Ive used my snap on puller set. If im worried about messing up threads, I put the original bolt back in, leaving it 1/4" or so out, and pull on it. That way when it pops off, it wont fall on your head either

You could use any puller, rent one from an auto parts store etc. Most you can take the tip off of as well, and the pullers bolt can butt right up against the bolt that holds the hub on the crankshaft. That way the tip dont stray from center and cause problems. You could also center punch a mark, or drill a small center point to center the puller tip on the crank bolt.

 

I should have just bought a bolt that bottomed out in the threads and pushed on that.

EXACTLY! One thats a little longer and correct hardness.

Once you get the 1/4 extension out, you should be able to re-tap the threads again. You may try welding the top part of a hex bolt to the extension and try to unscrew it back out.
I actually pulled my hub off with a heavy 2 jaw puller. PB helps too.