Pro-Grade 18208 Harmonic Balancer Puller

First of all, kudos to Amazon for getting it to me so quickly, but this Product was packaged inside a small box that was open inside the mailing envelope and had loose parts. Since there was no instruction manual, I used the picture on the box to assemble the item. It took me a while to pull two lawnmower wheel hubs. For both hubs, I drilled a small depression in the end of the axle so the push screw could have a proper seat, since the end of the axles is convex and is free to move around without a depression. probably wouldn't have to use a tool to remove it, so why do it? By turning the push screw a half turn, I was able to pull the hub straight off the axle. In the third and final day of testing, after the second hub, which had never been pulled before, had been sprayed with PB Blaster several times. As soon as the puller was connected to the hub, I tightened up all of the linkage bolts so there was no play in the fit. As a result, I got the push screw off the wall using only a 6" wrench. It was a metric bolt that I didn't have a replacement for, and I ran out of time I had to cut the hub of the axle off with my hand so I cut the axle off. Neither hub nor axle had any visible rust inside, so the only reason for the precise fit of the parts for the parts to adhere to each other was due to rust. Surely, the bolts must be undersized since the parts do not appear to be rusted together I estimate pulling force of less than 1/2 ton for these components, and Can only conclude that the bolts must be undersized
The puller supposedly has a lifetime warranty, so I called their 800 number several times during listed business hours. Unfortunately, I did not get a response and I did not get a call back. It may be possible for the jaws, push screw, and top portion of the puller to be made out of hardened steel capable of the claimed three-ton force.

Kimberly Maloney

| Jan 22, 2021

As a matter of fact, it was the cheapest option I found and I took a chance on using it on a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 which was covered in a lot of rust. Before I actually got to pull the stock pitman arm off, I soaked the arm several times in PB blaster and let it sit for about two or three days. The nut had to be removed with an 18" crescent wrench, since I didn't have a 1 5/16" I believe, so I had to buy one. The details are important, since this is where the work really gets done. DO NOT rely on this tool to do 100% of the work for you. In reviews, a lot of people trash these cheap pullers probably because they expect them to perform the same as the expensive tools. If the pitman arm has already been removed and the previous installer used a lot of anti-seize or something like that, this tool will not simply pull it off. Before you use this tool, spray a penetrating fluid on the pitman arm. It would be nice if you could use something good, such as PB blaster or liquid wrench, as far ahead as possible before attempting to remove the pitman arm. Using heat might help for a while, but it may melt the seals in the steering box, The steering box replacement was not something I intended to do since I did not want to replace it. Before using this tool, even though it came with plenty of light oil on the threads, I slathered on a ton of antiseize en masse over the entire threaded area just to make sure it wouldn't You might as well work it into the threads before using it to ensure the best possible coverage. The tool should be aligned with the pitman arm and centered on the steering box output shaft. All four sides of the tool should be snugged up on the pitman arm. As soon as it is centered, tighten the threaded shaft to begin the pulling process. Keep an eye on the tool when tightening it to make sure it doesn't slip off the pitman arm. Loosen the strap and start over if it starts to slip. When you have about 80 to 90 customers Tapping the side of the pitman arm with a hammer will increase the force 100 ft/lbs. It didn't take much force since I was using a 4 pound hammer. You want to avoid damage to the steering gear output shaft at all costs. Make sure that you don't swing something like this with both hands at the pitman's arm like you're trying to hit this A single solid smack or 5 or 6 is all that's needed to create vibration that allows the pitman arm to come loose Once you have smacked the pitman arm around the shaft a few times on both sides and in the front (NOT UPWARD OR The puller bends, and ultimately slips off the pitman arm completely, before it can be removed from the output shaft, as many see it. It should eventually give way if you tap it and tighten the threaded shaft of the puller. The puller's fingers, which are attached to the pitman arm, flexed when I tightened it, but I didn't tighten it enough that the fingers Whenever the arm finally gave way and slipped a bit, the fingers went straight back to their original shape and position. I have seen some great videos on Y Tube on how to use these, along with a way to weld a piece of angle iron across the sides to strengthen it. You should have no problem with this because so many people need it, so be patient and most of the time it should work just fine. If you're a mechanic and pull pitman arms all the time, consider investing In general, this tool will work just fine if you need to pull one and then that's it.

Tristen Hunter

| Sep 22, 2020

In need of a gear puller for a bike crank set that had completely stripped, I was on a tight It was enough for me, but isn't the first thing I would pick if I were in need of another. There are two or three claws in the jaw on this so it is great because you can adjust for that. One of the downsides of this is putting it all together. There is no doubt that this is an obvious setup, but it somehow feels like you need three hands to tighten the bolts and nuts. It is rather annoying to get all of the parts loosen up to get the gear fitted in a way that it won't move. There was a bit of wobble in the middle of what should be straight and narrow, but that may have been a user error since I had positioned my bike on an awkward angle to start As soon as I got it all set up, it worked without a hitch. That is the type of job I would recommend. I am not sure how tougher applications will perform, so your mileage will.

Lennox ROBSON

| Aug 24, 2020

We did not stress the tool too much so I cannot really endorse it. As such, I wanted to let you know about a spec that wasn't mentioned. An electric motor's shaft had a sealed bearing pressed onto it, so I needed this to remove it. Three is what I measured. From the end of the motor shaft to the far side of the bearing, there is a distance of 5". In addition to being half an inch too short, this tool was of no use. It would have been nice if I knew that before purchasing. Having said that, I was able to test it on a bearing on the other end of the shaft which was closer to the end, and it worked well, but it hasn't been tested in such a way.

Lionel Parrish

| Jun 25, 2021