"Neil" wrote:

Looks good Gary. I was about to do the same then realized that I could use my 17t puller bar with some stacked nuts for the same purpose that you're using your larger tube. I bought a nut from Fastenal and perquisited an offcut from my guy which I'll weld together on the weekend. I also already had the 3/4 x 13" Grade 8 bolt I used for installing the steering hubs so I should be good to go. I can also use the puller bar either manually or with the push-pull ram to remove the sprocket. Next thing on the list is an arrangement to pull the plugs from the master pins. I've been busy drilling larger and larger holes in the brake anchor shaft because it is STUCK in there. The previous owner must have friction welded it in place because it's not coming out. I have a couple of cans of freeze spray coming to hopefully shrink it enough to move. I could have left it like that but couldn't bear the though of having to pull the final if I had an issue requiring removal of the brake anchor (plus I don't like nuts and bolts that don't undo....)

Nut for end of sprocket shaft with a piece of gear grade 1/2 with the 3/4 hole:



Puller bar that I'll stack off the sprocket with 3/4 nuts stacked on a couple of 1/2-13 bolts, and then sit the hollow ram on top of:

"d2gary" wrote:

Here's what the neighbor and I came up with.
Used the nut off the sprocket and turned down the flats, welded a piece of tube to it. 1/2 inch plate with a grade 8 nut tack welded to it and welded to the tube. Outer tube just fits over the inner and contacts the sprocket. There's an inch of travel for the outer tube to push on the sprocket

"Neil" wrote:

Also enquired about some new rail links, bushings, etc. to extend the new 30-link chains to 32 links and then put them on the 5U instead of the 3J. Idea is that I won't have to grind anything down if it's all new. Of course, none of these parts are available new from Cat so it's off to Dana I go...