How to open the water slinger when it is tightly installed for cooling tower repair service?

How to Open a Tightly Installed Water Slinger for Cooling Tower Repair

During on-site cooling tower maintenance, especially when replacing the gearbox—a core component that ensures the normal operation of the cooling system—many customers often encounter a frustrating problem: the water slinger, which is closely fitted to the drive shaft, becomes extremely tight and difficult to remove. This issue not only delays the maintenance progress but also may lead to accidental damage to the drive shaft, water slinger, or other related parts if improper force is applied blindly. To help you solve this problem efficiently and safely, the professional engineers of TJLATINO have summarized a set of scientific and practical operation steps based on years of on-site maintenance experience. By following these steps, you can easily open the tightly installed water slinger and ensure the smooth progress of cooling tower repair work.

Step 1: Thoroughly clean the surface dirt of the drive shaft output end. After long-term operation of the cooling tower, a large amount of dust, scale, rust, and other dirt will accumulate on the surface of the drive shaft and the joint of the water slinger. These dirt will fill the gaps between the water slinger and the shaft, further increasing the friction between the two parts and making disassembly more difficult. Therefore, the first step must be to clean the dirt thoroughly. Take a clean cloth (if the dirt is relatively stubborn, you can dip an appropriate amount of neutral cleaning agent in the cloth, but avoid using corrosive cleaning agents that may damage the metal surface) and carefully wipe the surface of the drive shaft output end and the joint of the water slinger. Pay special attention to the gap between the water slinger and the shaft; try to remove the dirt embedded in the gap as much as possible. Ensure that the surface of the drive shaft and the joint part are clean and dry after cleaning, which can not only facilitate the penetration of the subsequent screw loosening agent but also help you clearly observe the fitting status of the water slinger and the shaft, avoiding misoperation.

Step 2: Apply the screw loosening agent and let it soak overnight. After cleaning, take the prepared screw loosening agent and spray it evenly into the gap between the water slinger and the drive shaft. When spraying, it is recommended to adjust the spray nozzle to a fine mist state to ensure that the loosening agent can fully penetrate into the gap. If the gap is relatively narrow, you can use a small brush to apply the loosening agent to the deep part of the gap to ensure that every contact surface between the water slinger and the shaft can be in contact with the loosening agent. The reason for choosing to soak overnight is that the screw loosening agent needs a certain amount of time to penetrate into the tiny gaps between the metal parts, dissolve the rust and oxides at the joint, and reduce the friction between the water slinger and the shaft. During the soaking process, you can re-spray the loosening agent 1-2 times appropriately to enhance the loosening effect. It should be noted that when using the screw loosening agent, please operate in a well-ventilated environment and avoid direct contact with the skin and eyes; if it accidentally comes into contact, rinse it with a large amount of clean water immediately.

Step 3: Pry the water slinger gently with a crowbar to loosen it. After the screw loosening agent has soaked sufficiently overnight, you can start to pry the water slinger. When prying, first select a proper force application point—preferably at the position where the water slinger has a certain thickness and can bear force, avoiding prying at the thin or fragile parts to prevent the water slinger from being deformed or broken. Insert the tip of the crowbar into the gap between the water slinger and the drive shaft, and then apply force gently and evenly. During the prying process, do not use brute force suddenly; ins