Delta 14" X5 bandsaw wheels

[Pete Allard]

Hello everyone, I hope someone out there can help me out. I recently purchased a Delta 14" X5 bandsaw from a guy that had it stored in his garage for the last 5 years. It was new when he put it there, but since then it's gotten pretty cruddy with some exposed cast iron rust. I've taken pretty much every piece off of it and refinished it to a better then new polished condition. The last thing that I wanted to do was to clean the tires on the wheels. I thought it would be easier to remove the wheels so that I could work on them on my workbench. The top one came off with very little effort, with a standard counterclockwise removal of the nut. The wheel just pulled straight off. The bottom (drive) wheel is a different story all together. I can't seem to begin to budge the nut holding the wheel on the shaft. There is no rust on it at all. I sprayed some WD-40 on it as penetrating oil, but no matter how hard I try (I'm a big guy.. 6"1" @ 220 lbs) I can't budge that sucker. I tried to look on line and saw one site about changing the tires that suggested that this nut may be one that you have to turn clockwise (opposite of normal) to remove it. Even blocking the wheel in place and trying that direction didn't budge it. Can someone tell me for sure which way that nut is supposed to be turned to remove it? Even if I have to stand on the wrench this thing is GOING to come off.. it's a matter if wills at this point. Any help someone can give me will be greatly appreciated.

[wilburpan]

I don't have this particular bandsaw, but every bandsaw I have ever seen, including the one that I do have, has a regular nut holding the lower bandsaw wheel on. In fact, given the direction that the lower bandsaw wheel rotates, if you had a reverse thread nut on the lower axle, you're begging for the nut to come off as the bandsaw wheel rotates.

I'd try PB Blaster to loosen the nut. I think that It's more effective than WD-40 for loosening stuck parts. Another thing to try is to put the wrench on the nut, and then slip a pipe over the handle of the wrench to "convert" the wrench into having a 3 foot long handle. Being 6'+ and 220 lbs helps, but using leverage goes a long way as well. This is an old plumber's trick.

[Beechwood Chip]

What works for me is to use some penetrating oil (3 in 1 or PB Blaster), tap the nut a few times, wait a couple minutes, and then try it. The vibrations help the oil to get into the threads. Putting a pipe on the wrench is good. If it doesn't move, wait a half hour, and repeat. It almost always moves eventually.

[Pete Allard]

Thanks everyone. I got the penetrating oil you suggested and sprayed and tapped. Earlier today (before reading your replies) I had called Delta / Porter Cable's Technical Service and asked them the same question. They told me that ABSOLUTELY that nut and threaded shaft are LEFT HAND threads. I asked them to please be sure and after coming back on the line in speaking with their "Bandsaw Experts" they confirmed that it was a Left hand thread. So, borrowing a longer breaker bar and blocking everything up snuggly, I attempted to remove the nut in a clockwise direction.

I can tell you that you guys are a whole lot smarter than the "EXPERTS" at Delta. I could only budge it about .050". But.. that was enough for me to get out my magnifying glass and see a slightly partially exposed thread on the shaft... RIGHT HAND.... then, turning it in the right direction it broke loose and came right off. Since the wheel turns in a clockwise direction, I couldn't figure out why in the world they would put a left hand thread on it... Delta didn't know what they were talking about.

Thanks again and keep making piles of saw dust.