Help! vacuum pump???

[carinamr]

I'm leaving in 6 days for a long road trip. My vacuum pump died, and I got a new one, but can't get the pulley off the old one. Any tips?
Also, if I remove 4 bolts on the back of the diaphram housing, I can pull the pump apart, and there's an O ring sealing grease inside where the cam is driven by the spindle.
I think it's the diaphragm thats bad in the pump. Can I just change the diaphragm part? Or is that oil compartment sealed/pressurized somehow?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[bigcountrysg]

What kind of pulley puller are you using.

[carinamr]

I've tried a 3 arm puller, a power steering pulley puller (which won't quite fit) I took it to Auto zone and they tried. I let it sit overnight soaked in PB blaster, pounded on it, heated the pulley with a torch... I'm tearing my hair out.

[helsel_182]

can you just buy a new pulley????

[bigcountrysg]

Originally Posted by carinamr

I've tried a 3 arm puller, a power steering pulley puller (which won't quite fit) I took it to Auto zone and they tried. I let it sit overnight soaked in PB blaster, pounded on it, heated the pulley with a torch... I'm tearing my hair out.

Take it to a Machine Shop. Or call the local Ford Dealer and see how much they would charge to switch the pulley for you.

[carinamr]

Thanks guys, I guess I'll have to do that. Apparently it's a really difficult part to find. One Ford dealer can special order it. Everybody else doesn't carry it.

[elibenson]

I bought a power steering puller/installer from one of the parts stores. The two jaws are a little thick where they had to grab that flange, so I ground them off thin enough to fit under the flange. Then it worked perfectly. It makes the tool a little less strong, but I haven't had a problem with it working on anything else I have used it on since. I have changed about 5 vacuum pumps and a few power steering pulleys with the same modified tool.

[ford_trck]

I don't know what you are using but you should need this tool

[carinamr]

That is the same tool I have, and the same problem I had with it. I'll try grinding it down.
I ordered a new pulley from Ford, ($75.00 - ugh!) since I warped the old one trying to get it off. Hopefully this tool will make it easy to install the new pulley. The old one might well have siezed with rust, as I'm pretty sure the van flooded in Katrina.
Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how it turns out.

[elibenson]

I have used this type too. Mine is like a sort of two-jaw puller that grabs that little flange. I ground down the jaws to make them thinner. You could probably do the same with the two half circle sleeve things.

Since you are getting a new pulley, then you won't have to worry about removing it again for a good long time. The install is much easier and less tedious than the removal. You won't need to grind anything to do it either. Also, put some antisieze on the shaft and hub before you install it. Just in case the pump ends up flaking out on you in a few months.