Sleeving / press in bushing in aluminum Pulley

[BaitMaster]

Just making sure I’m not out to lunch here.

Optimum material to sleeve the bore of a cast aluminum pulley?

Bore is 5/8”…. It’s on a drill press I recently bought, a nice old Rockwell.

Looks like someone left the set screws loose in the motor pulley as some point, and a piece of the pulley was broken off. I fixed the piece broken off, but now it has unacceptable runout on the pulley and obviously needs to be bored/sleeved/broached again.

Was thinking of using bronze.

Any tips or tricks? Recommendations?

 

[140mower]

Thread 'Putting a little metal back into the over sized pulley bore.' https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.c...al-back-into-the-over-sized-pulley-bore.6960/
Not an aluminum pulley, but the same technique should work. I don't think the sleeve material is all that important as long as the fit is good.

 

[DPittman]

Thread 'Putting a little metal back into the over sized pulley bore.' https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.c...al-back-into-the-over-sized-pulley-bore.6960/
Not an aluminum pulley, but the same technique should work. I don't think the sleeve material is all that important as long as the fit is good.

Good pictorial session of a job I need to do also.

 

[djberta]

I have a pulley I need to fix the bore on for my beaver drill press. My idea was no where as good as 140mowers. I had no way to cut the key way. I tried cutting the keyway using my lathe and it did not like it. I was gong to use a 5/8"x2inch shaft coupler from PA. Bore out the pulley to a safe size and then turn down the coupler to an interference fit. Cut to length. Press in. Only problem with my idea is possibly having trouble lining up the grub screw hole. Alternative is to leave the coupler long and use the stock grub screw. I have a shaper now so I will likely do 140 mowers way instead.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/5-8-x-2-in-shaft-coupler/product/PA0009160284?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmt24BhDPARIsAJFYKk2Ou18FoL687JqN_lSYhuZnXH69kNbVbNtrBQoTGYQU-2UrEVVEPWAaAuPHEALw_wcB

 

[phaxtris]

I would use aluminum in an aluminum pulley with a interference fit, using heat, not a press

I don't think bronze is the right choice, I don't see it having much 'bite' on the bore, and likely slipping, plus aluminum is much cheaper

 

[BaitMaster]

I would use aluminum in an aluminum pulley with a interference fit, using heat, not a press

I don't think bronze is the right choice, I don't see it having much 'bite' on the bore, and likely slipping, plus aluminum is much cheaper

That’s a good point. And another good point.

I was planning on buying a 3/16” keyway broach and making my own bushing. I’ve done it before successfully and had great results, and stand-alone keyway broaches are like 50$ on the jungle store…. So not too terribly expensive.

 

[Ironman]

Aluminum has 2.5 times the expansion of steel, so I would make a sleeve and make it oversize by 2 thou and then heat the pulley and tap it in. It will grip tight enough you wont need a pin or key, I think. Then machine the bore after that.

 

[JustaDB]

I’ve done it before successfully and had great results...

I saw that one. Looked pro. Why would you consider changing a successful recipe?

 

[BaitMaster]

I saw that one. Looked pro. Why would you consider changing a successful recipe?

That one I made from scratch. This one is a cast aluminum 6 step pulley that’s meant for the drill press.

Cast aluminum I don’t have too much experience with machining and then it’s also going to be hard to replace if I mess it up. Lol.

The other aluminum pulley was just normal stock aluminum, and the pieces were just scrap I had lying around.

This one the stakes are much higher and I want some input before I attempt it.

 

[djberta]

Aluminum has 2.5 times the expansion of steel, so I would make a sleeve and make it oversize by 2 thou and then heat the pulley and tap it in. It will grip tight enough you wont need a pin or key, I think. Then machine the bore after that.

BaitMaster if your getting the broach I would do what ironman listed. In my mind I for some reason felt I had to use steel. aluminum will work fine and it did for a long time before. .

 

[BaitMaster]

Had some time to work on this tonight.

This pulley definately never was concentric from the factory. They must have casted it but never turned it. Oh well.

I bored out the pulley, turned aluminum to slightly over sized as per @Ironman.

Heated the crap out of it and the pulley slid on.

Drilled, bored, went oversized on the boring. dOH.

Went slightly more till I could fit a perfect pop can shim almost all around the shaft, it’s concentric, runs true now.

Tomorrow should be able to broach, drill the holes out, and be done.

 

[BaitMaster]

This one’s done.

The sleeve slid when I tried to broach so I put some tack welds on it with the TIG.

The broaching method with making my own guide from scrap steel has worked out for me perfectly twice now, and with broaches only going for 50$ it’s worth it to me.

The press is up and running.

 

[Ironman]

If you are going to broach a sleeve, it is best to support that sleeve with a collar of pipe to the press table so that the strain of broaching is only on the sleeve.
But it's good to see it running again.

 

[BaitMaster]

If you are going to broach a sleeve, it is best to support that sleeve with a collar of pipe to the press table so that the strain of broaching is only on the sleeve.
But it's good to see it running again.

I did that in the interim before I put the tacks on to finish the broach mid stroke. I had an old bearing that was the perfect diameter to support the sleeve.

Hard gained knowledge. Lol.

 

[140mower]

Well done. Every repair like that not only adds a new tool to the shop, but a new trick in the bag as well..