Following on my original design which was published in "Gas Engine Magazine" (Oct/Nov 2007) I recently had occasion to make a slightly different puller.

The Lister 5/1 diesel I am busy with has a 2" crankshaft and on inspection of my "junk box", I did not have suitable materials (and it was Sunday).  I was successful in removing one of the gib keys with a wedge but the other resisted all efforts and started to distort the head - a sign that disaster was imminent in the form of the head breaking off if I continued with a wedge. Although it had no rust it had been hammered in very tightly (too tightly) and had also been painted with the same orange paint used on the flywheels. I suspect that it was hammered back while this paint was still wet and, eventually this dried to form a very good adhesive.
Strangely enough the other relatively new engine that I had problems with removing a Gib key which had been hammered in too tight also came from Pretoria - You guys in Pretoria must learn how to fit Gib keys :-)

I remembered an article from Kerry Morris in Aus who had removed a broken key by welding it to a puller of very similar design to mine and decided that a hybrid of his and mine was the way to go! Thanks for sharing Kerry.

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	Showing the distortion to the head of the key after trying without success to remove it with a tapered wedge. Also visible is damage to the outside of the head from whoever fitted it (and hammered it to death).
	I found a piece of tube with a 5mm wall and an I.D. of about 1 mm larger than the crankshaft and welded the "puller" together.
	Slot cut out of tube to fit over gib key.
	Tube welded to gib key head. I first only welded along the sides but as soon as I applied pressure the welds broke  - that key was tight.
	I then added a section of 25mm x 5mm flat bar behind the head and welded the whole lot together.
	Voila !!!  After a few turns the key moved.
	Another key meets it's master - it's out. Notice the paint on the key. I could clean and salvage this key but it's actually easier (and cheaper) to have a new key made by Key-Mark Industrial Keys. They made me 2 identical keys for my Wolseley (with the Lister flywheels) a few years back. Their price and service was excellent to make 2 "specials". Try them - ask for Raymond.