Important Things To Consider Before Buying A Water Pump Puller During Automobile Repairs
Posted on: 20 November 2020
The number of tools you can amass when you consistently work on automobiles is pretty impressive. However, if you will be doing a full tear-down project to rebuild a motor, you are going to end up needing a few unique pieces. One tool you may have to seek out is a water pump puller, sometimes referred to as a pulley puller. Pulley pullers are designed to remove the tightly placed pulley from the main water pump flywheel. It can be practically impossible to remove this pulley by hand or with other tools without causing damage. Here is a look at a few things to consider before you purchase a water pump puller for auto repairs.
What size water pump puller do you need?
It is a common misconception that every water pump puller will work on every type of pulley, but that is not the truth. Pulleys that go on the main flywheel of a water pump can be a range of sizes. For example, you may have a larger pulley to pull if you have a five-liter motor than what you would need with a 2.7-liter motor. Therefore, you would likely need a larger puller to remove the pulley. The most reliable parts providers will give you exact specifications on their units and let you know what size and type of water pump pulleys can be removed with the unit.
Do you need a puller that can pull both water pump and power steering pulleys?
One thing to keep in mind is that some pump pullers are designed in a way that they are versatile enough to work on multiple types of pulleys. For example, a universal pulley puller may have several pulley plates that you can change out to use on different size pulleys. It is always good if you know in advance you will need a series of pulleys removed because it can be more cost-effective to buy a more versatile unit.
Is there a chance the pulley is going to be harder to remove than most?
This may sound like an odd thing to consider since essentially all pulleys are hard to remove. However, pulleys mounted on older water pumps tend to be a bit harder to remove. If you have an older engine you're working on, keep this in mind. You may need a puller that is crafted out of higher density materials and has more safeguards in place to prevent the breakdown of the puller as you use it.
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