Sprocket Removal, How long should it take?

Yes figure at least 2 hours . If they are going to use the old tools and ram ,all the adapters will have to be sorted out to pull the sprocket and repress it ,and hopely you will get an experienced service man that knows the tools he will need to pull and press the sprocket.. than time will be lost cleaning up the parts and inspecting the final drive housing and sprocket ,and replacing the sprocket inner seal . Maybe it would be a good idea to arrange for the work to be done at a time when you could be there to watch it done ,not when they work it in !
I have a D6C recoil spring that I need pressing ,a mutch simpler operation to press and I was quoted 2 hours or $ 200 for pressing it ! I have not had it done yet!

Yes figure at least 2 hours . If they are going to use the old tools and ram ,all the adapters will have to be sorted out to pull the sprocket and repress it ,and hopely you will get an experienced service man that knows the tools he will need to pull and press the sprocket.. than time will be lost cleaning up the parts and inspecting the final drive housing and sprocket ,and replacing the sprocket inner seal . Maybe it would be a good idea to arrange for the work to be done at a time when you could be there to watch it done ,not when they work it in !
I have a D6C recoil spring that I need pressing ,a mutch simpler operation to press and I was quoted 2 hours or $ 200 for pressing it ! I have not had it done yet!

Hey gang,

A $100 an hour may seem like a lot, but with all the proper tools and proper procedures, it is a good deal. I have found cheaper mechanics who don't have the correct tools and knowledge. They seem to take 2-3 times longer, so in the long run are more expensive. $100 an hour in my opinion is a good deal.-glen

You could apply a little pressure on the front side of the sprocket with a jack or wooden wedge(don't over do it), heat the sprocket to fairly warm to the touch and then hit the backside with a good size sledge hammer(I used 16 pound). This always worked for me...except that one time it took a 80+ tons.

Don't forget, you will have to have it pressed back on too. I had my own way of doing that too which may not have been to good because it was the root of the 80+ ton pulling bill after a bed spring ripped out the backside bellows seal.

Oh, I see you have the final drive off the machine. Well, place some blocks of wood under the sprocket so that the hub and bull gear is off the ground. Place a thick heavy piece of soft steel (1" or more or two 1" pieces) on end of hub and hit it with a sledge hammer. If it doesn't come off after a few licks with hammer, quit before you brad the end of the hub and have to file it down to reinstall the bearing. Take it and have it pulled.

In the U.K. I would charge about £75 to pull off a rim brought to me, it would take about 45 to 50 mins to press off, this is allowing for getting the kit out and stuffing it back in the shelf, whats knackered would be the owners problem, pressing things back together should be done on the tractor, I think I would only undertake the press-up task if I also set the dead-shaft nut and the pre-load on the hub bearing myself, please dont think that I think I am the only competant person to do this task, but then I know its done with the correct tooling and set as CAT recomend, there is a lock tab and a nut that needs doing up correctly with a C spanner not a hammer and lump of bar, besides this my name would be against the job even if I just pressed up the hub, if it took me 2 hours to press it up and set the bearings I have been drinking to much Tea, it is a simple task if you know what you are up to.


tctractors

p.s. If the sprocket does not pull off by hand after the nut is removed, dont bother with all those "Snake Oil" wedge it and whack methods, all you are doing is burning daylight, Oh and dont forget the hub nut is needed to pop the rim (safety)

I totally agree with TC, there is only one way to pull and push sprockets to get it done properly and to be safe, any other way stands more than a 50% chance in ending with a lot of grief, I used to take around 5 hours to change a pair sprockets on a machine of this size including cleaning up all the seals and changing the dirt guards, assuming the customer would block the machine and remove and refit the track frames etc ready for me.

If your want to try this method ,if you have the final drive off the machine .Lay the whole final drive on a concrete floor with the hub facing up .Remove the sprocket retaining nut ,and remove the lock .Screw the nut back on the hub ,and leave a 1/4 inch gap between the sprocket and nut .Set a 20 ton bottle jack on the end of the hub ,and place a piece of rail road track or heavy steel beam on the jack .Then rap 2 -3/8 or 1/2 chain loops 180 dregrees apart ,looping around the sprocket rim up to and looping around the rail road track ,apply pressure by jacking up the jack .I would use a long piece of round stock in the jack then use a 16 lb mall to hit down on the sprocket rim with several blows or apply heat to the center of the sprocket with a heating torch .If its your lucky day it will jump lose
Pressing the sprocket can be done on a large H press that has a throat big enough to set the whole final drive in it ,and a pipe sleve or steel well casing large enough to set over the hub ,and press down on the sprocket to 25 tons .
No warrenty for safty !!!!!