General MG Thoughts on removing a stubborn 2-ear spinner

[Jrmandella]

Car: 1965 MG Midget
Issue: Driver-side front spinner will not budge. I tried a few things and found some interesting solutions

What I have tried

• I have a clark and clark spinner wrench. It worked perfectly on the other 3 wheels
• I have tried a soft blow, sand-filled hammer
• I tried a few whacks with an iron hammer

Comment: I plan to replace the spinner, please no lectures on using the iron hammer.

Questions:

1. What would be a good way to heat the spinner? Propane or Butane? For how long? I don't have access to acetylene
2. Any tips on cutting off the spinner? I don't plan to reuse it even if it comes off cleanly. If it won't twsit off in my garage, I'm not trusting on the side of the road
3. I saw a video on using a 2-prong tool to engage the ears and loosen with an impact/pneumatic wrench -- It is a $300 tool (interesting but I could buy 4 spinners at Moss)
4. I saw a few videos where someone used a handheld pneumatic hammer. The hammer was held at an angle and the pneumatic action made the spinner move. Thoughts please?

Appreciate your comments. Many thanks in advance

 

[NutmegCT]

Just a thought - use the wooden spinner wrench *backwards*. In other words, mounted on the spinner. use a hammer as tho' you're *tightening* the spinner. One blow should break the thread grip enough to allow using the wooden wrench in the normal *loosen* direction.

Tom M.

 

[Jrmandella]

Thank you . My spinners have "UNDO" arrows on. I am following the direction of the "UNDO arrow". the other 3 spinners can be removed with minimal effort. I tried hitting the long Clark and Clark wrench with hammer, it figured extra force with 2ft of leverage would work. Nothing

I think the hubs are original from the factory, so the possibility of a hub that was made for the opposite side is small

 

[bobhustead]

Impact is going to be more effective than leverage. Your description of the suggestion of an air chisel (with a blunt bit) on Utube is interesting, but I don't know if the mass of the tool would be enough. If you could put hands on a heavy brass hammer you might have some success. My suggesting brass is not concerned with the spinner. A less elastic collision than that with the steel hammer you used would provide a more effective transfer of force to the spinner. I am thinking of a hammer weighing about 3 pounds.
Bob

 

[bobhustead]

Tom's suggestion was to deliberately whack it in the direction you do not want it to go to induce a tiny break in the corrosion that has it locked up. Not a bad thought. But I would whack it directly without the spinner wrench.
Bob

 

[bobhustead]

'Nother thought. Use one you have off to guesstimate where the spinner threads and spindle threads meet in ref to the round face of the spinner. Drill a couple holes there and soak with aerosol penetrant.
Bob