This weekend I helped my father pull the oil burning engine off his 4x2 gas gator when we hit a snag, the pulley the belt runs on. Has anyone pulled the pulley off w/o damaging it? It looks like a long metric bolt can thread into the pulley and push against the end of the engine's output shaft. Any hints tips or such are appreciated.

- Adam

 

You can order the clutch puller from a John Deere dealer. That is the only way to remove the clutch with out damage. You are correct, it will screw into the clutch bolt hole and push the clutch off.

When you get the puller, you will need to use an impact wrench. Run the puller in to about a half inch, then hit it full blast with the impact wrench. Should pop off.

The clutch is pressed onto a tapered shaft with the clutch bolt. Be sure you get the torque spec of the bolt from John Deere when you order the puller. Usually there is two torques on the bolt. One is for setting the clutch on the tapered shaft, once that is done, you will loosen the bolt and retorque, usually at a lesser torque just to set the bolt.

Example: Set the clutch 85lbs. loosen bolt and retorque to 45lbs.

 

Follow up:

My father went to the locat JD dealer and asked them and they told him they could order the "tool" (read specialy bolt) for $35 or he could bring it in and they could remove it for $75 an hour. They wouldn't loan or rent the "tool" so he went to the hardware store and bought the bolt that fit with the longest threads, but it still didn't reach bottom so he bought the next size smaller diameter bolt and cut it about 1.5" long and stuck in the hole first. He said it came off like a dream and for only $1.50 or so.

 

Thats good that you got it off.

Now for some reasoning for using the specfic clutch puller. The clutch puller is designed to remove the clutch from the "crank shaft" without damage to the crank shaft or the threads inside the crank that holds the clutch on. If the clutch would of been rusted on the crank and not come off so easily, you could of damaged the end of the crank, or even busted the crank. Now what would it cost for a new crank?

Be sure to torq the bolt to specs when you put the clutch back on or it may not come off so easy the next time. Make sure the crank is clean and the inside of the clutch shaft is clean.

I remove and clean both my clutches ever year........keeping them clean makes for more power in the end.

 

The crank it came off doesn't matter since that engine is being tossed and a fresh one is sitting in wait for it's new home in the gator...but yes I tend to be overly cautious about disassembly when I know the parts are getting reused.

 

Old post I know, but does the Kawasaki Clutch Puller (14mm, 8" long bolt) also work for the Gator? For all Gators?

Thanks