Where can I get a good wheel puller?
Locally or on the net.
Here you go
http://www.ehobbytools.com/index.html?target=p_3.html&lang=en-us
Second item down the page.
You can sometimes pick up an original(with replaceable jaws) on E*** for around $75. Make sure you get one of the later versions, as the jaws sometimes break, and no replacement is available for the earlier version.
I don’t own one yet, but it’s high on the list of items to buy.
A wheel puller is good when you can use one. Sometimes there is not enough clearance behind a wheel to get the puller in there.
I’ve had occasion to pull the drive wheels off a pre-war Lionel Hiawatha steam engine and a postwar Lionel F-3. I didn’t use a wheel puller. Instead, I used a couple of screwdrivers slipped in behind the wheels and, using even pressure, managed to pry the wheels off.
The trick to not breaking the puller nor the flanges is to tighten the puller’s screw moderately, then tap on the end of the screw with a hammer until you can feel that the puller has loosened, then tighten again, tap again, and so on. At some point, the wheel will move easily and can be pulled the rest of the way off just by turning the screw.
Thanks Ben! Just what I’m looking for!
By the way; You did’nt think of that your self , Did you?[;)]
Just kidding![:D][:o)] a.k.a. pax [swg]
Also, Thank You Robert & Bob for your advise!
I will follow both of your sugestions as this will be my first total strip down of a motor truck.
eZAk,
I wrote the webpage myself. I make the product myself. I designed the wheel puller myself. I designed the trains that the wheels go on myself.
Heck, I even invented the wheel myself!!! [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]
OOOOHHHHHHHH!!!
SSSOOOOO YOUR THE GUY![:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]
Last I looked, you could still order an authentic Lionel wheel puller from Lionel. I think it costs about $26-29 dollars. You can also get the Lionel ones from big parts dealers like the “Train Tender”
Older Lionel wheel pullers, which are identified by the shape of their jaws, the style of their lettering, and a few other details of their construction, are considered collectable by enough folks to drive their price fairly high. There are a number of variations.
By the way, the current wheel puller is fairly well designed. It has thin, wide jaws, so it will slip behind a fairly tight wheel. It’s much better than the 1980’s version, which had very thick jaws. The original Lionel wheel puller jaws were thin and narrow. They are often found broken.
A repro Lionel wheel puller is available, but I’m not sure where. I bought one at York a few years ago.
Look carefully; the original says LIONEL. The repro says LICNEL.
Dr. Tinker, writing in his books, recommends using a battery terminal puller. You can find these at your local auto parts store. Next time I have to pull some wheels I am going to use these.
The ones that are marked “LICNEL” are authentic LTI wheel pullers. While they are no longer on Lionel’s parts list, they are available from some of the big parts dealers. Lionel still does have replacement jaws and forcing pins listed.