Delta 101-7765 Drill press help

[randyjaco]

I am currently working on an old Delta 17" drill press (casting #DP-600) and having difficulties getting the spindle out of the head. I need to remove the spindle sheave and the spindle doesn't seem to want to come out. From the diagram, it appears that I should be able to remove the bearing cap and the "special nut". Then drive the spindle down. I can move it about 1/4' and then it stops when the sheave hits the top of the casting. The set screw on the sheave has been removed. I don't see much corrosion, but the sheave seems to be bonded to the spindle shaft/key as if there were a lock ring or something holding it.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get that spindle out? It is currently soaking in Kroil.

 

[whitmore]

Just a thought, but... sometimes a sheave has a set screw and, for locking, a secondary set screw.
If so, only removing 'the' set screw leads to some difficulty in disassembly.

 

[randyjaco]

Thanks for the response. There was only one set screw and I can now see the spindle shaft through the threaded hole. There is still something bonding the sheave to the spindle shaft.

 

[brino]

If someone used a bearing adhesive or locktite on it you may need to provide some heat to break the bond.
I would start with a hot air gun (electric kind for stripping paint) and try to slowly heat the pulley.
Just beware that some of these get very hot....I have removed solder joints on copper pipe with mine.

-brino

 

[randyjaco]

The hot air gun is a good idea. I hadn't thought of that one.

 

[randyjaco]

Well, I am back at it today. I can get the spindle and sheave to move up and down on the bearings @1/4", but the sheave will not move at all on the spindle shaft. It is as if it were threaded on. The set screw is out of the sheave and I can actually see the key on the shaft. I see no corrosion at the shaft/sheave interface. It gets liberal doses of Kroil and Aerokroil.I have put about all the force I dare on the puller. I am afraid that I will break the zinc sheave if I screw it down any tighter. The zinc pretty much eliminates the use of heat. After Brino's heat gun suggestion, I am pretty much running out of ideas on how to get this spindle shaft out without breaking something 8^(

 

[wa5cab]

I think that I would start looking for another sheave. And then either rent, buy or make a bearing splitter large enough to fit under the pulley and a puller large enough to fit that.

 

[randyjaco]

We have success. The heat gun was not hot enough, but my propane torch, sort of was. Heat was the trick with the help of a puller and judicious use of an air hammer. Basically, I tightened the puller to the max that I felt wouldn't deform the sheave. Then I heated the interior of the sheave and used the air hammer on the top of the screw head. It would move about 1/32". I kept repeating the process about 20 times until the spindle dropped out. The sheave was not damaged 8^)
The spindle was covered with some sort of red sticky stuff. It could have been Locktite, but did they even have Locktite back then? I believe that that spindle has ever been removed since it came out of the factory.
Thanks for the responses guys 8^)

 

[brino]

Excellent.
Well done!

-brino