Help removing key from shaft

[vic4news]

Hi,

Does anyone have a recommendation about how to remove this key from the
1" shaft of an old snowblower? The key holds a pulley. It looks like the key is
just pressed into the shaft, but I would need to pull it straight out. I've tried to
get it out with vice grips but it is in too tight. Any ideas?

Vic

 

[RickB]

Take a file and clean up the sides you have all munged up. Supporting the shaft, drive the end nearest the bearing straight down into the shaft. Don't just tap on it, HIT IT. Use a brass drift if you have one, otherwise a steel punch bigger than the width of the key. The key is half moon shaped, driving one side down will send the outer end up. When one end is flush with the shaft, hold a cold chisel parallel to the shaft and drive the exposed end of the key straight towards the bearing on the other end of the key.

 

[Shimon]

Grab the key with a pair of dykes as close to the shaft as possible and then push down on the handles of the dykes against the shaft to act as a lever which should lift the key. I use that technique quite a bit pulling out keys from propeller shafts.

 

[ToadHill]

You can see by the rounded ends that it is the half moon type of key so if you just drive one end it, it will rock itself out. Depending on rust you may have to rock it from one end then the other a few times.

 

[ray66v]

Stick a drift or chisel under the end at the top of the picture and give it a rap with a 20oz hammer. It seems like it is really in there but, it is mostly crud an corrosion holding it in. Buy a new key before reassembly.

 

[MikePA]

You can see by the rounded ends that it is the half moon type of key so if you just drive one end it, it will rock itself out. Depending on rust you may have to rock it from one end then the other a few times.

As RickB pointed out, you wont be able to rock it out until the sides of the key are cleaned up.

 

[vic4news]

Thank you for the help. I'm going to clean up the key with a file and then try
to rock the key out by hitting one end as suggested.

Vic

Update: I followed the procedure given by RickB. After I cleaned up the key,
it took all of 15 seconds to get the key out. It was much larger than I thought it
would be. Here is a picture of it sitting on top of the shaft.

thanks again.