How to remove dowels WITHOUT using a slide hammer?

Snoopy-16 · Apr 22, 2021

Hi,
I commonly use treaded dowels into blind holes, then, when removing them, I use a slide hammer.
(Common thread sizes would be 4mm 5mm 6mm)

I am trying to find a alternative method of dowel extraction since I am now recovering from 2 shoulder reconstructions and the action of using the slide hammer is the worst possible movement for my newly rebuilt arms!

Any good ideas out there?

FredC · Apr 22, 2021

Grease gun? One of the new battery powered ones is handy anyway leaving a hand to hold the hose down while applying the grease.

Snoopy-16 · Apr 22, 2021

Sorry Fred,
I don't see how this could help???

R. Dan · Apr 22, 2021

Snoopy-16 said:
Sorry Fred,
I don't see how this could help???

Screw a zerk into your threaded dowel then pump it out.

1yesca · Apr 22, 2021

they make a devise to remove the rocker studs from cylinder heads that is like porta power ram with a hole in the center of the ram that you screw a bolt like nut [ think of a bolt with out outside thread but a treated hole at the other end of the hex head ] though the center of the ram and in to the stud [in your case threaded dowel ]and when the ram moves it draws the stud / dowel out

Erich · Apr 22, 2021

I recently had to pull an unthreaded dowel pin out of the end of a camshaft for a small block Ford.

I clamped the pin tightly in the vise. I used a small pickle fork and a hammer to force the dowel pin out.
The shaft was angled in the vise so the taper on the fork sat flat on the vise and the face of the camshaft.
I needed a second set of hands to hold the shaft as I held the hammer and pickle fork.
Pin out and no damage to the cam.

Nerdlinger · Apr 22, 2021

I wonder if you took a tube with one end closed, drill a hole in closed end just big enough for your hex head cap screw to go through, put the open end of the tube over the dowel and start turning the screw...it would go into the pin but once the underside of the shoulder bottoms out on the top of the closed end of the tube it might pull the dowel pin UP since the head of the screw can no longer go DOWN. The only thing is the pin might rotate instead of being pulled up. You could use a cordless drill to turn the screw.

Good luck!

jwearing · Apr 22, 2021

Have you tried tightening a nut onto the threaded part with a stack of washers underneath?

SIP6A · Apr 22, 2021

Make a puller out of some barstock and allthread. screw the all thread into the dowll pim slide the puller over it run a nut down the all thread and pull the dowell out with minimum effort.

1yesca · Apr 22, 2021

in the shop on flywheel dowels that won't come out. sometimes we take a block of aluminum put it in the mill vise and drill a hole in it the size of the dowel pin and then place the flywheel on top the block with the dowel in the hole so now on the blind back side of the flywheel is up . now the dowel pin is centered and then drill a hole smaller then the dowel tell it hits the dowel and with a punch drive the dowel out . that may not work in your case but it can get you out of a bind sometimes

Bill D · Apr 22, 2021

Little porta pull ram with a hollow cylinder. I think that is the correct name as previously described.
Bil lD.

Why bigger then you need but it is a good picture.
https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4139-30-...w+ram"+ton&qid=1619147389&s=automotive&sr=1-1

Snoopy-16 · Apr 22, 2021

R. Dan said:
Screw a zerk into your threaded dowel then pump it out.

Now I understand. I like your thinking (Outside of the square)
This would require the need to find dowels that are hollow of course.

Mechanola · Apr 23, 2021

Snoopy-16 said:
Hi,
I commonly use treaded dowels into blind holes

I am trying to find a alternative method of dowel extraction since I am now recovering from 2 shoulder reconstructions and the action of using the slide hammer is the worst possible movement for my newly rebuilt arms!

What is a treaded dowel?

Seems you can’t even type. Ask a mate to pound for you. Every machinist feels with you when you explain.

I’m not being fully serious. Yes, I am. Have an aching shoulder myself.

Jaxian · Apr 23, 2021

Make a smaller more precise version of a stud puller?

Tyrone Shoelaces · Apr 23, 2021

I’ve used the stack of a large nut and several washers over the top of the dowel method. If it’s an internal thread in the dowel use a long set screw screwed into the dowel with a nut. Just wind the nut down and withdraw the dowel that way. If it’s a external thread on the dowel just use the nut and keep adding washers to the stack.

Regards Tyrone.

Clive603 · Apr 23, 2021

For internally threaded dowels I've always run a nut down a suitable length of threaded rod onto a washer sitting on spacer or suitable stack of whatever.

Long socket or modified box spanner and speed brace used to be the quick way to drive the nut. Battery drill / driver does the job now. But most pf my dowels are relatively small.

To be honest I didn't realise there was another way for the sizes I usually see. Not a regular thing tho'.

Clive

plastikdreams · Apr 23, 2021

We use pry bars with a small notch cut out of the curved end. Works very well.

crossthread · Apr 23, 2021

Snoopy...if you have a way to pull the dowels with a slide hammer then you have the battle won. It would be very easy to substitute some kind of pulling mechanism to replace the slide hammer. Yes you could drill the pins out and install zerks which is a fairly common way of pumping pins and such out of blind holes. It is a bit messy however. If I have to put smallish dowel pins in something temporarily, I drill and tap them for the installation tool for Nutserts. Under thirty dollars. It jacks them right out if you use a collar the right length like a deep well socket or just make a collar to suit the job.

FredC · Apr 23, 2021

And that is why you do not run with the first reply. That would have worked with blind dowel pin holes. If that is what you have it would have still been messy. A lot of workable puller ideas came later. Occasionally the grease gun is a good solution.

How to remove dowels WITHOUT using a slide hammer?

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