Impeller removal

[yamakazi]

Hi guys, I'm trying to take out my impeller for the first time. Before I do it wrong...I was wondering what are the best techniques for taking the impeller nut off and for holding the impeller while I do so. It a stock AmericanTurbine aluminum A impeller. Any help will be useful. Thanks!!

[Sangster]

Use a pnumatic Impact....

[yamakazi]

Is a pnematic my only option? I'm sitting out here in Havasu and I can't find a big or deep enough socket for that nut in town. I think it's an 1 7/8". I do have a big enough wrench for the job.

[hoolign]

you should'nt need to hold your impeller,don't put anything in the impeller,
you'll **** it,just put the box end of the wrench on the nut and give the wrench a crack with a hammer (downward),should come off fairly easy with a smack or two.

[yamakazi]

Ok, we're gonna try a whack with the hammer. It has regular threads right. No reverse thread stuff? Thanks again for the help.

[malcolm]

The nut on my impeller always loosened up a lot easier than I thought it would. But getting the impeller off was another story. The last time it involved a puller and some heat.

[sidewound]

Her's some pics of the tools I made for doing mine. 1 1/2 pipe with keystock to hold the shaft and a socket I cut and lenthened. Am impact is your best bet but a wrench may work. I was rebuilding mine when I took it apart so I just pulled the snapring on the front of the shaft and a few light taps with a deadblow hammer and the whole shaft came out the back. Good Luck.
Peace Man
CESAR http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/114My_boat_019-med.jpg
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/114My_boat_004-med.jpg

[Heatseeker]

If you have trouble getting the nut loose, you can (very carefully, avoiding the threads) cut it off with a die grinder mounted with an abrasive wheel. I don't even mess with them, I just get the wheel out and blast them off. Repalcements are on few $ and it saves alot of frustration!

[yamakazi]

Thanks for all the info guys! We've banged a couple of times on this nut and it DOES NOT move! I think we'll try Cesars wrench (Thanks for the pic!) If that doesn't work....a grinding we will go. I can't believe how tight this nut is. Any other frustrations that I'll find trying to take off this impeller once I get the nut off? Thanks Again!

[hoolign]

Since you're going to need heat to pull the wear ring anyway,chuck some heat on that stubborn nut.

[kp216]

Like Cesar, I made an extra deep socket by cutting it and then welding a piece of pipe in. After that, we put it on a 1/2" impact gun, put a pry bar in between the U-joints to keep the shaft from turning, and it came right off. This was after we tried (unsuccessfully I might add) turning it with a 3' long wrench with a 300 pound metal worker providing the torque! jawdrop
To get the impeller off the shaft, we used a 3 jaw puller to hook onto the impeller lip, then used the impact gun again to run down the jacking screw. Worked great.

[Rexone]

For those who might not want to build custom tools we make all this stuff as of about a year ago. Heres a link. (http://www.rexmar.com/page126.html)
Splined wrench, Impeller nut wrench extended for shaft and the special puller, as well as bushing and seal drivers. Problem is with many stock automotive pullers you end up breaking the center of the impeller where the puller engages. Our puller completely captures that puller contact area spreading the load over the full circumference of the impeller puller area minimizing the possibility of impeller breakage.

[Taylorman]

It not a matter of the nut being to tight, its probably corrosion thats keeping it on. I used a 2 ft pipe wrench with a 3 ft cheater pipe and two men hanging on the end of the pipe and my nut still would not loosen even with heat. Had to cut it off with a torch. Had to heat the impeller and pull it off with a flywheel puller. Tip, when you put it back together, put anti seize under the impeller, on the key way and on the nut and threads and tighten the nut till the engine turns. I don't use loctite like they recommend and never had a problem. The nut tightens as the shaft turns so it can never loosen. Just my .02