Engine Pulley Removal

[CubCadet_Chris]

Is this pulley suppose to just slide off? I can't get it with a puller, PB blaster, and heat. I have a Cub Cadet 1515 tractor with a Kohler Command CV426 engine.

 

[TylerFrankel1]

Looks like it should slide off, but I don't know about that particular model. Looks like it has the key 'built in'. Try hitting it with the torch until it gets red and then immediately hose it down. The rapid cooling sometimes breaks it loose.

Worst case you could take an angle grinder to it (carefully as not to damage the crank) because it looks like you already boogered up the pulley with the puller.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Unless you are a dab hand at metal spinning that pulley is now toast so you can be rough with it guilt free .
MY method
Put a bearing separator under the pulley ( between it & the sump ) and if possible clamped onto the boss .
Hang engine upside down by the separator.
Heat pulley red hot
Put an allan headed cap in the crankshaft to protect it .
Hit the cap screw with big hammer or better still an air hammer if you have one .
the shaft will have to be polished and the oil seal replaced.
When assembling a good smear of anti sieze is a good idea .
If that was on an MTD that uses tabs bent down as belt keepers the usual thing to do is to bend them out just enough to force the belt on & off then bend back.
You can get away with that about a dozen or so times then the tabs break off.
When that happens you fabricate a keeper from some flat iron bent into a U shape then bolt it to the mower

 

[StarTech]

I done a quite few these Cub ZTR pulley removals. You will destroy the pulley in the process. There is no way to save it due rust seizure. Now the fun part. The following works better as there less of a change internal engine damage. I have even pull these pulleys while the engine is still on the engine using the following method.

• Get a bearing separator setup attached to pull the pulley assembly.
• A sacrificial shaft protector block (sized accordingly) so not to damage to crankshaft
• A good impact with the correct socket for your puller forcing screw.
• An Ace/OX torch
• Tighten up the puller and separator setup with the impact.
• Start applying heat to the pulley, heat near red stage.
• Again apply more pressure on the puller with the impact
• Continue heating and applying pressure until the pulley assembly comes off.
• It will be slow pull but once it start moving just keep heating and applying pressure.
• Once the pulley is off clean up the crankshaft.
• Apply anti-seize compound and new pulley assembly.

Never had to replace a seal using this method; unless, the seal was already bad. But of I know not to over heat the area and not between the engine and pulley.

As the advice on bending the retaining tabs, it is best not to. Just removed the engine bolts and if needed the muffler to frame screws. By moving the engine rearwards and sometimes tilting it you can the belt off and on without removing the pulley.

Note I have destroyed a couple forcing screws pulling these pulleys even using heat and have also bent the clamping screws for the bearing separator so they have been replaced over the years. Even destroy one forcing screw just using a hand ratchet and socket while using heat.

 

[CubCadet_Chris]

Thanks guys! Ill add more heat or just cut it off. I was already planning to replace the pulley since I started to bend it.

 

[CubCadet_Chris]

I ended up having to cut off the pulley. Was planning on tearing the engine completely down to see why it wouldnt start. Found my problem. Blown head gasket. Wish I would have started with the head and then I wouldnt have to order a new pulley!

 

[TylerFrankel1]

That's unfortunate. Glad you figured out the issue. I had an engine once where I completely overlooked the head gasket, and tried everything else first. Felt stupid when I looked at it carefully and realized the head gasket had split clean in 1/2 and the piston deck had 1 part while the head had the other. worst head gasket I've seen. I actually kept it as a souvenir lol.

 

[CubCadet_Chris]

I got it all back together and put the engine back in the tractor. The engine runs like a champ! I don't even really need to use the choke to start it anymore. It fires right up and has run better than I've ever seen it run (My neighbor gave me this tractor since he got tired of messing with it so it probably never ran the best when I first got it).

So now I have a new little issue that I think is related to the new pulley I had to get. The tractor does not drive as fast as it once did. I had to make up a lot of its speed by increasing the engine speed. I set the engine speed just under the point it revs off the governor by adjusting the throttle cable. I think the engine is running faster than it did in the past. But its hard to say since I don't know how it ran since new. The Parts manual says my tractor came with a 3.56 dia pulley PN 756-0639. On Cub Cadets website, Amazon, Ebay, all other random websites I checked this part is now superseded to 756-0639A and that's what I got. It looks a bit different. It has a deeper wider V which looks like the inner diameter of the pulley is smaller. I don't know what the original was since I had to hack it a lot to get the thing off. See the pic I posted in my first post of the original pulley. Here is a pic of what I got.

Does anybody know the original pulley ID inside the V and the OD of the crankshaft off hand? And does anybody know where I can get an alternate pulley to the original dimensions?

 

[StarTech]

756-0639A is just the latest version of the pulley or Supersede of 756-0639 and 756-1176.

What is the model number of your CC? So we make you ordered the right pulley.

IF we are still referring to the 1515 then your pulley was to be 756-0978B 3-9/16 Dia. x 1"bore. Replaces 756-0978, 756-0978A for the 1/2 belt and not the 5/8 that the pulley have appears to be for.

 

[CubCadet_Chris]

Yes my tractor is a model 1515. What you have pictured looks exactly like the pulley I had. I referenced the parts manual that came with the tractor and that had part number 756-0639. Thanks for the info! Ill see if I can get

756-0978B.​