Cat 225 LC rear main seal replacement project

[Dapperdan16]

Don't know if it will work (perhaps a little lightweight?) but it's definitely the kind of thing that should work.

Thanks Cmark, I didn't have any thicker steel on hand if thats what you meant by lightweight. I just wanted to make sure I had the concept correct. Should I heat up the whole face of the adapter plate when I try to pull it? Thanks
Danny

 

[lantraxco]

I would suggest that heat may actually make things worse, I can't tell for sure from the picture, but there's got to be a pilot and bore situation there somewhere. Expansion may make things tighter?

 

[Dapperdan16]

I would suggest that heat may actually make things worse, I can't tell for sure from the picture, but there's got to be a pilot and bore situation there somewhere. Expansion may make things tighter?

I'm learning as I go lantraxco, so I'll let the professionals answer, but Cmark had mentioned heat in post #35 there are 8 bolts that hold the plate to the flywheel "they are removed" if that paints a better pic
Danny

 

[mitch504]

Yep, I can see that one, It looks similar to one I have, made by Snapon, that'll pull hell off the hinges. I doubt you are using the same grade of steel, but try it. If it fails, make the next one heavier.

 

[Dapperdan16]

I'm gonna give it a go in the morning, this thing seems to be on there pretty darn good, hopefully I have some luck. thanks
Danny

 

[lantraxco]

Ummm... can't you just use the two bolts that thread into the adapter plate as pushers, put some strain on them and whack it with the MFH? (middling size deadblow) or is there something under them like flywheel bolts?

 

[Dapperdan16]

Ummm... can't you just use the two bolts that thread into the adapter plate as pushers, put some strain on them and whack it with the MFH? (middling size deadblow) or is there something under them like flywheel bolts?

The flywheel bolts are there.

 

[kshansen]

I would try spaying some penetrate around the out side of the plate and maybe a little through the hole in the middle to get some at the back side. Put a little tension on the puller and tap a bit with the MFH and it might pop loose. A bit of heat might also work, yes plate will try to expand but then when it cools back down it will shrink back just a bit and let the penetrate seep in. Just be careful when heating as the oil and penetrate are flammable. Have good extinguisher handy just in case.

 

[Nige]

Heat the whole thing up then hit the inside part of the plate with a CO2 fire extinguisher to hopefully shrink it and pop it out ...?

 

[lantraxco]

Al right boys, hold my beer and watch while I light this fuse here...

 

[Dapperdan16]

Well it's not going so good, Cmark was right about my puller,"a little light weight" so I found a puller in dad's garage, even with a ton of pressure on the puller and letting PB Blaster soak for hours still no luck, it almost looks like there is a ridge between the adapter plate and the flywheel, could rust build up that much? it looks like it's machined?? I'm out of acetylene "just my luck" so I can't try heating it, is heat usually needed Nige? With the amount of pressure I have on the puller and half a gallon of PB Blaster I thought something should have budged. Thanks everyone for all the advice.
Danny

 

[Dapperdan16]

 

[Dapperdan16]

 

[Dapperdan16]

Heavier duty puller

Here are some pics, after looking again the little ridge I mentioned looks like it is part of the adapter plate. I still can't get over how tight this thing is on there, don't know if you can see it in the pics, but the washers on the puller are starting to bend. Thanks again everyone.
Danny

 

[Cmark]

Your puller setup can't really be bettered. You're going to have to warm the flywheel up and smack the face of the plate with a hammer. It will come eventually.

 

[Dapperdan16]

Your puller setup can't really be bettered. You're going to have to warm the flywheel up and smack the face of the plate with a hammer. It will come eventually.

Thanks Cmark, hopefully after work I can get the acetylene tank filled and put the blue tool to it, it's really my last option at this point, are they usually on this tight??

 

[Cmark]

Can't say from personal experience, but if Caterpillar reckoned you needed a puller to remove it when the machine was new, thirty-odd years worth of rust won't have made it any looser, that's for sure!

 

[Nige]

I wonder if the trick that works for threaded fasteners might work for this as well..? Get some heat on the area around the joint between the flywheel and the adapter then try to melt some candle wax into it by touching a candle to the steel. The wax ought to wick into the gap. Obviously this will only work at the bottom so you will have to repeat the process a few times turning the engine in between.

 

[Dapperdan16]

I wonder if the trick that works for threaded fasteners might work for this as well..? Get some heat on the area around the joint between the flywheel and the adapter then try to melt some candle wax into it by touching a candle to the steel. The wax ought to wick into the gap. Obviously this will only work at the bottom so you will have to repeat the process a few times turning the engine in between.

Well it's raining again here in NJ, I'll resume tomorrow after work. Nige, how does the melting of candle wax on threaded fasteners actually work?? Btw, I was reading your thread about trains, where my sister's house is, in western Maryland "Mt Savage/Frostburg area" the Western Maryland scenic railroad goes right by it, it's a former C&O 2-6-6-2 No. 1039 the Baldwin Locomotive Works built it in 1949, it was the last commercial steam locomotive built for use by a railroad in the USA. The train is currently having boiler tubes installed that were shipped from Germany, it's the coolest sight seeing it chug through the mountains.
Danny

 

[zbo2]

Raining in NJ... say it ain't so....lol