Knock off doesn't

My 72B has been stored since 1983 and I have nearly completed all the essential steps to get it on the road. The last thing is to re-do the LR brakes so I can bleed the system but I can not get the wire wheel knock off to budge using the stock equipment even though I have been liberally squirting it with PB Blaster for three days. Unfortunately it is doubtful that much of this wonder juice is getting into where it will do any good.

I can only think of three more things to try:

1. heavier hammer
2. longer lever
3. put a magnetic block heater on the knock off for several hours and heat the cap up so that it expands just enough for me to hammer it off.

Does anyone know any tried and true remedies? I searched the archives but did not find anything.

Thanks

I had some trouble with one of my parts cars, and the bigger hammer theory worked wonders. The knockoff did not look very good after the encounter, but it did come off. If the knockoff is that tight, you may have some trouble with the wheel coming off as well.

A little heat with a torch may help as well. Hopefully there is some grease in there that the torch can get flowing again.

Thanks for the suggestion...do you know if there is any danger of fire if I get too energetic with the torch? I have only used a torch to do some lead work but in that application less heat is better. Or discoloring the chrome on the knock off?

If you get too much heat on the knockoff, it will discolor the chrome. There is also the possibility of fire with the grease inside the hub catching fire. Plus the fuel tank is kind of close to the axle, so make sure you have no nasty leaks.

Maybe try the BFH before the torch?

The heavy nylon dead blow hammers or a small sledge can be pretty persuasive.

I would try the hammer route first. As I recall, I used my 3lb to get the one moving from a junker. I keep that hammer in the trunk of my regular car when I go junkyard shopping. One never knows when I big hammer will be needed. :)

Not intentionally treating you like an idiot, but you are going the correct way?

Chris

when you are beating, make sure you hold the beat-upon wrench firmly on the nut (assuming you have the "doesn't eviscerate pedestrians" so called safety knock-offs as fitted 68-on.)

Bigger hammer. I used to use a 4# lead hammer. Looks a mess but the mass (and acceleration) is what counts. Solid wheels changed that.

With a BIG enough hammer, is direction really that important?

I've got one of those big-ass wooden knock-off wrenches that you can get from Moss or VB that adds considerable leverage force to the knock-off without damaging it. Works great! Cost is about thirty bucks for the wrench. Once you get it off you may want to clean up the threads on both the hub and in the knock-off (probably lots of old caked-on grease) then apply some anti-sieze compound to avoid this problem again. Good luck!

Shawn Escue

Andy Wrote:

That's funny Andy and Mac! :D

Shawn Escue

If you do heat the knock off , use a strong heat, heat it quick. If you heat it too long you expand everything. The idea is to expand the KO only. Then get stuck into it.
Denis

This may sound very funny,

BUT. . . . . . . Are you hammering it the proper way??? I don' remember which is which, but one side actually loosens the "wrong" way. Meaning Lefty isnt loosy, and righty isn'ttightey. It's rightey loosey, lefty tightey.

If that makes any sense at all.

Now, don' be ashamed, we've ALL done far worse.

If that's NOT the case, then heat does wonders. Heat up the nut only. You could use a regular old propane burner. That'll be enough heat.

Heat and the BFH work well, provided your hammering the proper way.

Good Luck!

Brian

This is how my buddy and fellow car club member's hub problems reared it's ugly head, he ended up having to get new splined hubs, and new adapters for his Minilite wheels, hopefully this is not the case for you. If you get them off, make sure you grease the splines and knock off threads before reinstalling, pay close attention to the condition of the splines.

Mine was stuck too but I combined two methods to get it off...

I use a high output hot air gun for sensitive finishes like chrome and to reduce open flame risk, although it won't eliminate that risk entirely. Caution is still the rule of the day.

Also I have a lead ingot (5 lbs) I got from a plumbing supply years ago. I use it between the hammer and the ummm..target. Doesn't fit for all jobs needing persuation, but was ideal for this one. Three whacks with a 4 lb hammer and we were spinning free.

Thanks to all for the advice and encouragment, I'm off to Northern Tool for a "persuader".

To those who, with some degree of trepidation , have suggested that I ck the direction I have been hammering, your comments are welcome. In this instance had I been going the wrong way that would not be the most stupid thing I have done in this re-build so never fear. Thankfully the knock off cap has an arrow and the notation "undo" so I think I have that covered (but you have aroused doubt in my mind and I am going to go out and double check.)