How to Remove Rusted Wheel - Troy Bilt Tiller

[MOTractor]

I am helping my neighbor pull the wheel assembly off his Troy Built Econo Horse Tiller 1989. One side came off with a few days of applying PBBlaster and using an air hammer to break the rust free. The other side refuses to budge. A weeks worth of PB Blaster and air hammer use. It has solid cast iron weights on it so I was able to air hammer it from the back side.Will heat help? I have a torch that uses the small bottles of propane or MEP. Should I heat the center shaft or the wheel hub? Thanks for your help!

 

[ultrarunner]

Heat can do wonders but will damage paint, etc.

If you could position wheel side up a good penetrating oil over time can free stick assemblies…

 

[gengine]

Mix 50/50 ATF and acetone. Put in an oil can and squirt it on. Keep applying to both sides, and shake the can every time, as the acetone and ATF will separate. Give it a day or two and it should come off. You can try heat first, but just enough to make the wheel center expand and not the axle shaft.

 

[tomplum]

In addition, verify that saving the wheel is worth the trouble. Myself, I have a homemade puller that pulls from the back of the wheel. Heavy Acme rod as a drive through a hitch bar. It gets them off, but sometimes with such a bang it is scary. If it is worth pulling the wheel, yes.

 

[MOTractor]

Heat can do wonders but will damage paint, etc.

If you could position wheel side up a good penetrating oil over time can free stick assemblies…

We tried heat several times today, no luck. We have now tilted the tiller over as much as we can, not quite straight up but as close as we can get it. We decided we needed to plug the hole that the retaining pin goes in from the bottom, so could rotate the axle shaft vertical so could fill the hole with PB blaster from the top. My sons idea was to use a bit of tire plug (the sticky stick stuff you plug a tire with) - it worked. We can now fill that "hole" with PB Blaster. Looks like this will get the PB to the center of the axle shaft. We will keep filling that "hole" thru tomorrow and try pulling the wheel Monday.

Thanks for the idea!

 

[MOTractor]

In addition, verify that saving the wheel is worth the trouble. Myself, I have a homemade puller that pulls from the back of the wheel. Heavy Acme rod as a drive through a hitch bar. It gets them off, but sometimes with such a bang it is scary. If it is worth pulling the wheel, yes. View attachment 3977037

We have found several videos that suggest a version of your jig. The problem is the cast iron wheel weights that are installed on the back side of the wheel - the weights severely limits the space behind the wheel. Can't remove the weights unless the wheel is off... Sigh!

 

[SPYDERLK]

I use an 8 or 12 foot 4x4 endwise as a battering ram to ram it from the back side. Usually successful within 3 rotationally spaced hits. Treated ones are better because they are heavier.