A3 Windmill Air Pump Trouble.

Maybe there should be a windmill support group!

If you are trying to remove the “lever for pump drive” from the crank shaft I believe that is all that holds it on……..that and fine German engineering!

We had to remove that part years ago (early mid 90’s) from a 10x15 windmill for repair and my father had a hell of a time with it. He rented a decent size gear puller and had it so tight that the puller sounded like a tuning fork and this thing wouldn’t budge! Also had our neighbor who runs a boiler repair shop come over and put heat to it and had it cherry red and still wouldn’t budge.

My father finally called Heidelberg for help and I’m not making this up they had him speak with a gentleman named Hans who had a thick German accent. After my father told him what he had done so far Hans told him “we built these presses not to come apart… (easily) and that he was doing everything right. They agreed that he needed to try and clean up the outer lip of the shaft as it was getting hung up on a slight burr at the end of the shaft.

After cleaning the end edge of the shaft with emery cloth quite a bit and more pulling with the gear puller (and no heat this time) he was able to remove it! He never really could see what was actually keeping it from coming off the 1st time but you know the tolerances of these machines by now I would imagine!

One tiny extra tip which I used a long time ago, on advice from a long gone engineer, re a Thompson Platen (in essence, as regards the pump very similar to the Heidelberg) all the H/D pullers and heat etc etc were to of little avail, enter stage left an hydraulic puller (10 ton capacity) with grease filled piston, mounted with one home made adaptor plate, wound up to its full potential (10 T) and then, the substantial bolt that winds up the puller clouted, smacked, bashed, on the head with suitable COPPER hammer, and shock wave flew the fitting off, like a round from a cannon in the Civil War, Andrew Jackson will verify!!! Seriously! the same system was the only way to withdraw the massive cog from the drive train on/for the Thompson Ink cylinder and Roller Arms drive. Although the cog (at 2-3 inches thick and 14 inches in diameter) was equipped with substantial bolt holes x3 it was virtually impossible to extract it with provided means, Hydraulic puller incorporated with 3 (three) substantial bolts WOUND UP to capacity and one good smack with aforementioned copper hammer, worked every time. Hoping this may help, Good Luck, Mick

Thank you for the tips! Sounds like maybe I’ll go with plan B. My initial problem is with the pin that connects 0513 to the air pump shaft. It had come loose at some point and damaged 0513 by egging it out a bit. So, I think I’ll try to fill the gaps that are left after replacing the pin. Maybe some solder??
Any suggestions are welcome.

Once again,
Thanks.

That is the same exact reason we had to remove ours. Sorry but solder is too soft and won’t hold up. I can only think of doing it right even though it’s a pain in the rear to do.

As our good buddy implies solder would be too soft, if (as you imply) the section is question is removable, remove, locate your neighbourhood engineer/welder and have a layer of bronze weld deposited, at point of wear and then turned back to standard (lathe), still fairly soft, but completely encased will probably last as long as original!!! or plan “C” find an engineer that is up to speed METAL SPRAYING!!!! have sprayed and machined back to standard, plus or minus interference fit>>A.K.A. German Standard. Here in U.K. it is common practice to do just that with worn shafts, even crankshafts etc. You must have same type facilities not too far away?? Unless you are unfortunately, in Alaska or Texas of course where facilities are perhaps, 500 miles down the Interstate, but good luck anyway!!!!

The shaft well pin that the pump sits on with its bush is a very close fit , as referred to above it was most likely burred , ive not had a problem with removing one , However i have had a harrowing experience removing the hinge pin the motor hangs on , for some reason that annoying “Wasnt us” seems to think using what must have been a sledge hammer to drift the pin in was ok.

That egged hole only needs re reaming and a pin from whittenbergs wont break the bank , they will have the correct size pin for this and it will be metric series ,there is no other fix you can do for it without a painful effort so reamer and pin is best route .