rotoflex to ujoint conversion...need help

[rovrjnky]

All,
I am in the middle of converting the rotoflex to a u-joint assembly. I am struggling to get to the nut that holds the 3 pattern flange. I've tried vise grips, air chisel, inserting a bolt to pull from and it's not budging.
I have the driveshaft and rotoflex off but can't get the peg off (the attached pic is not from my project, rather from the 'tech' section)

 

[bri]

There is one easy way... slide hammer.

There are hard ways such as heat, placing a large socket over it with a bolt poking through and nuts to tighten against. I tried this for about 2 hours, got a slide hammer and it was out in 10 seconds (literally).

Brian

 

[rovrjnky]

what's a slide hammer?
where can i get one?

 

[bri]

Call that tool king place up on 104th and Huron.

 

[rovrjnky]

Ah, your local!
If I get this finished, wanna wheel tomorrow?

 

[bri]

I wish I could, we have plans for brunch tomorrow.

What you can do is get a slide hammer, take the bolt that you put in there with you. You need an attachment for the end of the hammer that the bolt can fit into. Attach to centering peg and give a couple whacks. It will come right out.

 

[bri]

Here is what a slide hammer is:
http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=8858

Whoops. Tool zone.

Tool Zone Inc
970 W 104 Av
Northglenn, CO 80234 - 3801
(303) 252-8500

 

[BradN]

When I did mine, I tried everything, including the slid hammer. In the end I used my 4" grinder with a cut off wheel.

Good Luck. Hope the slide hammer works

 

[bri]

Good point. If you are converting, you probably don't care about the flange anyhow.

Probably the bigger the better on the slide hammer. I think the one that I used was at least 5lb.

 

[PHARAOHDISCO]

You need a puller. I did one myself and the task was very easy and took less than a minute to pull the peg off. I had a machine shop make me a steel round disk, 8mm thick with a diameter the same as the rotoflex and drilled three holes in the disk in the exact positions as the holes on the differential flange and one hole in the center of the disk. Then you need three 120mm bolts and six nuts as well as one 60mm bolt with the same thread as in the center of the peg. Insert the three bolts through flange holes and screw one nut onto each bolt. Slide the disk onto the three bolts and fix it with the second set of nuts from the outer side of the disk. You should adjust the position of the disk to have about 25 mm between the disk and the top of the peg. Insert the 60mm bolt through the disk center hole and thread into the peg. Keep tightening the center bolt and the peg will slowly move outwards.

Good Luck.

 

[rovrjnky]

well, I bought a slide hammer and it didn't work.
then used a torch to heat it up and sprayed PB Blast on it as it cooled, then used the slide hammer and that didn't work.
I guess now I need to decide whether to use the grinder approach or puller...

 

[LostInBoston]

take a sawzall to it and cut some slices down into it. then pry it out with a screwdriver and throw out the pieces.

 

[LostInBoston]

I cut along the red line, then popped it right out. dont have to cut too deep. and you dont want to cut into the nut on the other end.

 

[beowulf]

Don't feel bad, rovrjnky. That damn peg is the one thing on my truck that I have to admit defeated me. It was just completely fused in there and nothing I could do got it to come out. I finally just took the truck down to a local shop and they did thier voodoo. I hope your end results are better.

For what it's worth, I've had the u-joint on mine swapped out now for about a year and it has not given me any probs. I was going thru a Roto about every year before this.

 

[KCal]

I have the same problem also. I tried to put a screw in and pull it out, however, I broke the screw inside the peg. I put everything back together and given it up.

Sawing it out seems like a good idea. However, how deep is "not too deep"? It seems like my rotozip cannot saw too deep anyway, because the sawing disk is pretty large.

KC

 

[LostInBoston]

how deep is "not too deep"? It seems like my rotozip cannot saw too deep anyway, because the sawing disk is pretty large.


KC

um half inch maybe. you can always go deeper if needed. The smaller peice will loosen up when deep enough.

 

[rovrjnky]

I cut along the 'red lines' and broke all the screw drivers I had trying to pry it off.
I am not thinking about using a come-along....just need to get one
anyway I'm done for the night...maybe tomorrow will bring better results
thanks for all the help !!!!

 

[LostInBoston]

I cut along the 'red lines' and broke all the screw drivers I had trying to pry it off.
I am not thinking about using a come-along....just need to get one
anyway I'm done for the night...maybe tomorrow will bring better results
thanks for all the help !!!!

did the smaller peice fall out? There should eb a gao to put the screw driver in. Mine popper rigthout. Although i did beat the crap out of it trying to get it out BEFOREi cut it. I threaded a bolt in through a chain link and chained it to a steel column. then golfed at it with a sledge hammer. didnt work, but it popped out when icut it.

maybe try beating it a bit.

 

[LRWheelman]

Hello all, I removed mine in about 10 minutes w/bolt, washer, socket large enough to serve as "puller". I put the washer on the bolt, bolt through the socket, socket over the post/against flange, tightened until it fell out! Good Luck, LRW.

 

[Andrew Homan]

I actually sprayed wd-40 down the threads and let it fill inside the pocket where the nut is. Then used a torch (small propane one) and heated it until I could see the wd-40 boiling at the out side seam of the bushing then used the slide hammer and it came out easy. don't be afraid of the heat if you use a small soldering torch like plumbers use it won't be as easy to melt something you shouldn't. I heated the flange and not the bushing and tried to keep the heat even around it. Lots of luck

Cheers Andy

95 D1