Wahoo Silent Kickr/Kickr Core Faults

[theboxers]

The shaft has a shoulder for the slotted pulley to sit against. The pulley is slightly longer, so a thin washer cups when torqued down. When you remove the pulley, see if you see any brown powder around the shaft and bearing surface. This will be the first clue to the extent of damage.

At this point you could see if the flywheel will rotate when gently pushed and settle on the heavy side(put a sticker or mark the flywheel to see if it returns)

You could remove the rubber seals from the bearings, this is where most of the stiction drag comes from on bearings, along with washing the bearings in solvent and reapply a thin oil as opposed to grease. If these two methods help the flywheel rotate in the turbo then there might not be need to build a jig.

. Also listen very carefully when the belt is off for a tiny click or knock as the flywheel is gently rotated by hand. It will tell you that there is a flat spot in the bearings.

@CXRAndy

Yeah, about that.

Any advice and/or suggestions with regard to getting the pulley off. Everything I've tried just ends up going nowhere. I tried pulling it by hand, whacking the loosend bolt head with a hammer (soft faced) to push the spindle out and a pulley puller. It ain't shifting.

It seem to be stuck/welded to the spindle.

I'm obviously not at mechanically inclined as I thought I was

 

[CXRAndy]

@CXRAndy

Yeah, about that.

Any advice and/or suggestions with regard to getting the pulley off. Everything I've tried just ends up going nowhere. I tried pulling it by hand, whacking the loosend bolt head with a hammer (soft faced) to push the spindle out and a pulley puller. It ain't shifting.

It seem to be stuck/welded to the spindle.

I'm obviously not at mechanically inclined as I thought I was

It could be held with loctite. I would apply heat to the pulley with hairdryer or heat gun. The pulley is aluminium, so should expand more quickly than the shaft. If there is loctite applied, the heat will soften its grip. Beware excessive heat its aluminium after all, use cloth or gloves to pull pulley off.

If all fails you will need a pulley puller. Put bolt back in shaft but slightly loose to protect threads. Apply pressure and heat - that should free it without damage

This type might work better for getting around the back of the pulley

https://www.screwfix.com/p/bearing-separator-puller/19315

Or the traditional 3 leg puller with shallow claws

 

[CXRAndy]

@theboxers Did you get the pulley off?

 

[theboxers]

@theboxers Did you get the pulley off?

No . Ordered a set off of amazon to get behind the pulley to ease it off, as heat and a 3 leg didn't loosen it enough for removal

 

[CXRAndy]

Really bizarre that. Does the pulley have a woodruff key? Send picture if you want.

I can only think the pulley is threaded, but a woodruff key would nullify that theory.

Sometimes a bit more brute force is called for. Yesterday, a neighbour message me to ask if I could remove his cutter blade from his lawnmower- he could not do it, wimp . He mentioned, its a left hand thread, my first mistake to listen to him.

It was bloody well stuck, even with a 2ft breaker bar, I could not break free the bolt. After doubting myself, I got my lawnmower out to check blade rotation, it was the same as his- Thought I might as well break my lawnmower before his. I used my impact ratchet, listening to him going the wrong way on the thread. Once I followed my own process, the bolt came undone, but it took 30secs of constant impact gun to break his bolt free. It was a conventional standard thread.

 

[theboxers]

Really bizarre that. Does the pulley have a woodruff key? Send picture if you want.

I can only think the pulley is threaded, but a woodruff key would nullify that theory.

Sometimes a bit more brute force is called for. Yesterday, a neighbour message me to ask if I could remove his cutter blade from his lawnmower- he could not do it, wimp . He mentioned, its a left hand thread, my first mistake to listen to him.

It was bloody well stuck, even with a 2ft breaker bar, I could not break free the bolt. After doubting myself, I got my lawnmower out to check blade rotation, it was the same as his- Thought I might as well break my lawnmower before his. I used my impact ratchet, listening to him going the wrong way on the thread. Once I followed my own process, the bolt came undone, but it took 30secs of constant impact gun to break his bolt free. It was a conventional standard thread.

It's a keyed pulley. I may be a wimp with noodle arms and hands as I couldn't get hold of it firmly enough to remove it.

Any hoo waiting for the kit to arrive and back on the k17 for my rides

 

[Lm1990]

It could be held with loctite. I would apply heat to the pulley with hairdryer or heat gun. The pulley is aluminium, so should expand more quickly than the shaft. If there is loctite applied, the heat will soften its grip. Beware excessive heat its aluminium after all, use cloth or gloves to pull pulley off.

If all fails you will need a pulley puller. Put bolt back in shaft but slightly loose to protect threads. Apply pressure and heat - that should free it without damage

This type might work better for getting around the back of the pulley

https://www.screwfix.com/p/bearing-separator-puller/19315

Or the traditional 3 leg puller with shallow claws

@CXRAndy . I am new in Cyclechat and I want to thank you for the tips provided. I was planning to do some maintenance to my Kickr but I am facing the same problem as @theboxers. The pulley is very tight and I was thinking in using a puller, but I am afraid to damage the soft aluminium pulley. The gap in between the back of the pulley and the chasis is very small. I do not want to force or damage anything. I think Wahoo started applying a layer of yellow Loctite and it is extremely hard to get it out. Do you think the temperature would eventually melt the Loctite? Thank you.

 

[CXRAndy]

@CXRAndy . I am new in Cyclechat and I want to thank you for the tips provided. I was planning to do some maintenance to my Kickr but I am facing the same problem as @theboxers. The pulley is very tight and I was thinking in using a puller, but I am afraid to damage the soft aluminium pulley. The gap in between the back of the pulley and the chasis is very small. I do not want to force or damage anything. I think Wahoo started applying a layer of yellow Loctite and it is extremely hard to get it out. Do you think the temperature would eventually melt the Loctite? Thank you.

Yellow loctite is medium strength for mating surfaces, just like the pulley Wahoo use.

That seems to be the way with other items secured with Loctite. Applying heat can work, but with it being aluminium pulley, care would needed not to go too far. I've heard that acetone can dissolve loctite. Maybe try and soak the joint to see if enough acetone can do its work.

Another idea, if you've got a powerful soldering iron. Heat up the shaft locally with the iron, this will direct more heat and hopefully break the loctite bond.

I read a mechanic would weld a nut on top of a bolt threaded into a shaft to again apply lots of localised heat to soften the loctite.

A longer bolt threaded into the shaft and a plumbers blow torch on the exposed portion of the bolt would do similar to weld and soldering iron methods

 

[Lm1990]

It seems Wahoo is making their products not repairable by the users. The Loctite solution is just to get rid of the massive problems they had with the knocking noise. If I need to change the bearings in the future, it won't be possible. I am going to try heating the pulley with a hair dryer, and maybe with the thermal expansion is enough but not very optimistic.

 

[theboxers]

It seems Wahoo is making their products not repairable by the users. The Loctite solution is just to get rid of the massive problems they had with the knocking noise. If I need to change the bearings in the future, it won't be possible. I am going to try heating the pulley with a hair dryer, and maybe with the thermal expansion is enough but not very optimistic.

Wahoo, the Apple of the trainer world, in regard to Right to Repair

 

[CXRAndy]

If you fit a puller and apply a bit of tension on the aluminium pulley, not enough to deform the pulley. Then apply heat, you should either see the pulley move as the loctite softens or the puller becomes loose. Then add a little bit more tension, slowly millimetre by millimetre drawing it off the shaft.

 

[BryanGaf]

Hi guys. Looking for some help. I've managed to damage the aluminium pulley (the bottom one attached to the flywheel) ... any idea where I get purchase a replacement ?
Bryan

 

[Lm1990]

Hi guys. Looking for some help. I've managed to damage the aluminium pulley (the bottom one attached to the flywheel) ... any idea where I get purchase a replacement ?
Bryan

I would contact Wahoo, I suppose they can send you the pulley. Please, inform us if you manage to get one and the cost of it.

 

[CXRAndy]

See Wahoo first. Last resort take it to a machine shop, they could easily make one.

Question, did you damage it by forcing it off the shaft, because it was bonded in place?

Or something else??

 

[theboxers]

@CXRAndy

It's off. A little damage to the contact points but no deformation of the pulley. Had to apply heat and tighten the puller to get it under the pulley. Once there it came off fairly easily.


The rest is covered in rust dust.











I've got the new bearings in the freezer for insertion into the cups. I'll then let them get back to room temp before inserting the flywheel.