The Ford Barn

A-Man · 05-26-2010, 01:45 PM

I have successfully removed the rear end, and taken apart the rear axle assembly on my 1930 Deluxe Coupe. What is the best way to remove the keyed pinion from driveshaft? I have tried using several different gear pullers to no avail. My next consideration is to press the pinion off the shaft. How does one go about doing this, so as not to runing the threads and/or damaging the bottom of the pinion? I should mention that I discovered two teeth broken off of the pinion, so it will need to be replaced.

Any other suggestions to removing the pinion from the driveshaft would be appreciated.

Thanks.

30Tudor · 05-26-2010, 02:32 PM

I soaked it as best I could with penetrating oil. Put a gear puller on it and tightened it up. Hit the shaft with a hammer five or six times and it popped off.

TBone69 · 05-26-2010, 02:47 PM

Since the pinion is no good try heating up with a torch to loosen it up.

Tom Endy · 05-26-2010, 07:24 PM

My method is to place the drive shaft in the pipe grabbers of my vice. Remove the cotter pin and back off the nut 1\8" (don't remove it completely). I slide a piece of metal about 1\2" thick with a hole bored through it slightly larger than the drive shaft over the drive shaft and up against the pinion sleeve. I have a flywheel puller obtained from Sears years ago that was designed to pull flywheels off lawn mower engines. Put the point end of the puller in the detent in the end of the drive shaft. Hook the two arms around the piece of metal. Tighten the puller untill it is violin string tight and smack the end of it with a hefty hammer. If the pinion does not break loose, tighten it some more and repeat the process. It usually takes no more than four repeats. When the pinion breaks loose the puller will fall on the bench. The nut still in place on the end of the drive shaft will prevent the pinion from flying across the shop. Works every time.
Tom Endy

redmodelt · 05-26-2010, 09:22 PM

Hitting the treaded end with or with-out the nut is a good way to mess up the threads. Back the nut off as suggestive above, then take to a shop and have it pressed off. When they pop they do pop, make sure you have something like lead under the shaft so they don't mess up the spline end or floor.

SteveB31 · 05-26-2010, 10:07 PM

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I put it ont he press and press it off cold. I have a tall press, which makes that very easy. Steve in COlo

Tom Endy · 05-27-2010, 12:56 PM

I have a cottage industry rebuilding Model A rear ends. In the past 20 years I have removed several hundred pinion gears using the method I posted previoulsy and I have never damaged any threads.

I would be nervious putting a pinion gear attached to a drive shaft under a 20 ton press. I would be afraid that the excessive pressure would mushroom the threads. A sharp blow with a hammer while under much less pressure seems to do the job.
Tom Endy

Tom Wesenberg · 05-27-2010, 01:17 PM

It's been some time since the last pinion I removed, but I seen to recall standing the driveshaft on end with the pinion down and letting a heavy piece of pipe slide down the axle and hit the pinion. Kind of like a giant slide hammer. Shake the axle up and down until the pipe knocks it loose.

Bruce Lancaster · 05-27-2010, 01:42 PM

The threads involved are 5/8-18, same as axle, so use a Knocker type puller to make a shield against mushrooming for the threads.

05-26-2010, 01:45 PM	#1
A-Man Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: NE Posts: 166	Pinion Removal I have successfully removed the rear end, and taken apart the rear axle assembly on my 1930 Deluxe Coupe. What is the best way to remove the keyed pinion from driveshaft? I have tried using several different gear pullers to no avail. My next consideration is to press the pinion off the shaft. How does one go about doing this, so as not to runing the threads and/or damaging the bottom of the pinion? I should mention that I discovered two teeth broken off of the pinion, so it will need to be replaced. Any other suggestions to removing the pinion from the driveshaft would be appreciated. Thanks.

05-26-2010, 02:32 PM	#2
30Tudor Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Posts: 211	Re: Pinion Removal I soaked it as best I could with penetrating oil. Put a gear puller on it and tightened it up. Hit the shaft with a hammer five or six times and it popped off.

05-26-2010, 02:47 PM	#3
TBone69 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Freehold, NJ Posts: 113	Re: Pinion Removal Since the pinion is no good try heating up with a torch to loosen it up.

05-26-2010, 07:24 PM	#4
Tom Endy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,131	Re: Pinion Removal My method is to place the drive shaft in the pipe grabbers of my vice. Remove the cotter pin and back off the nut 1\8" (don't remove it completely). I slide a piece of metal about 1\2" thick with a hole bored through it slightly larger than the drive shaft over the drive shaft and up against the pinion sleeve. I have a flywheel puller obtained from Sears years ago that was designed to pull flywheels off lawn mower engines. Put the point end of the puller in the detent in the end of the drive shaft. Hook the two arms around the piece of metal. Tighten the puller untill it is violin string tight and smack the end of it with a hefty hammer. If the pinion does not break loose, tighten it some more and repeat the process. It usually takes no more than four repeats. When the pinion breaks loose the puller will fall on the bench. The nut still in place on the end of the drive shaft will prevent the pinion from flying across the shop. Works every time. Tom Endy

05-26-2010, 09:22 PM	#5
redmodelt Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Portland OR Posts: 6,340	Re: Pinion Removal Hitting the treaded end with or with-out the nut is a good way to mess up the threads. Back the nut off as suggestive above, then take to a shop and have it pressed off. When they pop they do pop, make sure you have something like lead under the shaft so they don't mess up the spline end or floor.

05-26-2010, 10:07 PM	#6
SteveB31 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Englewood, Colorado Posts: 1,372	Re: Pinion Removal Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I put it ont he press and press it off cold. I have a tall press, which makes that very easy. Steve in COlo

05-27-2010, 12:56 PM	#7
Tom Endy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,131	Re: Pinion Removal <a href="http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/a...mdrivesh-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/a...mdrivesh-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> I have a cottage industry rebuilding Model A rear ends. In the past 20 years I have removed several hundred pinion gears using the method I posted previoulsy and I have never damaged any threads. I would be nervious putting a pinion gear attached to a drive shaft under a 20 ton press. I would be afraid that the excessive pressure would mushroom the threads. A sharp blow with a hammer while under much less pressure seems to do the job. Tom Endy

05-27-2010, 01:17 PM	#8
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Pinion Removal It's been some time since the last pinion I removed, but I seen to recall standing the driveshaft on end with the pinion down and letting a heavy piece of pipe slide down the axle and hit the pinion. Kind of like a giant slide hammer. Shake the axle up and down until the pipe knocks it loose.

05-27-2010, 01:42 PM	#9
Bruce Lancaster Member Emeritus Join Date: May 2010 Location: Madison, NJ Posts: 5,230	Re: Pinion Removal The threads involved are 5/8-18, same as axle, so use a Knocker type puller to make a shield against mushrooming for the threads.