I have a JTR for which I need to remove the Ducati flywheel. Is it safe to use a slide hammer under the edge of the flywheel or will it only release with a threaded puller such as the Buzzetti?. Any thoughts?.

would recommend you get the correct puller as a slide hammer could buckle flywheel, and sometimes even with the correct puller they can be stubborn to get off. If it is, whack up the tension and leave it overnight,usually works.

 

Just buy the tool. If you use a slide hammer you could loosen or damage the magnets inside the flywheel or if your realy unlucky crack the bearing housing in the casings. If the flywheel has been on for years then a slide hammer may not get it off anyway. 

And there's a trick to using the puller tool correctly. After you've ensured that all threads are clean, thread the outer piece into the flywheel. Once you've bottomed-out, thread the inner piece into the outer. Snug the inner piece to the crank. Tighten but only until solid. Then hit the flywheel with a (hopefully soft, maybe copper (?)) mallet. Then tighten the inner piece and repeat. The idea is to use the puller to provide a constant force trying to separate the flywheel from the crank, but it's the shock of the mallet which dislodges the flywheel from the crank. You need the sudden shock/force to break the flywheel free from the tapered crank.

OK ... me bad ... I just finished removing my flywheel to begin to service a tranny shifting issue and the >real< trick is to hit the puller bolt head with a hammer and NOT the flywheel. 👍

Edited April 26, 20215 yr by d2w