Countershaft Sprocket Puller Recommendation

Rather than risk damaging any component with excessive heat, I would cut the sprocket off with an exhaust cutoff wheel in segments close to the countershaft without touching the CS, but allowing the segments breaking off freely.

Update on my saga... Andy replaced the broken arm (thank you!); but, unfortunately I broke the other one, sigh... So in the following months I've been soaking both jugs ('72 250 & '73 400) and continuing trying to remove 2 each pesty head studs. Got the 2 out of the 250 (yeah! View attachment 88113 ), but broke my stud removing tool on the 400. Are you seeing a pattern here? Found a countershaft tool on ebay and arrived today. First let me bask in my glory: it removed the 250 sprocket first try : ) . I believe the tool I purchased is the aftermarket 'hi point' as the legs are shorter than the one Andy has. So... on to the 400 and... the sprocket broke (at least the tool didn't : ) . So now I have a piston still stuck in the jug of the 250 and a broken sprocket and 2 head bolts stuck in the 400. Patience is definitely a virtue on these age rusted projects.

Good update - that Hi Point puller is a find. Never have seen a sprocket snap before a puller. You could rent out that tool and recoup your cost on pullers!

I think its time to cut off the sprocket and if needed replace the shaft. Theres good availability of reasonably priced 5 spd trans parts on Ebay. 5 spds were used on all 250, 360, 400, and 450 motors from 72 and 73 plus the 74 CR's, the 74 WR's had six speeds with exception of the 450WR which stayed with the 5 spd. You may even get lucky and find a 74 250 CR 5spd spline countershaft. If you're going to ride cross county another option would be to put a 74 six spd in it.

Marty Strauss at Paradise Cycles in Renyoldsville PA machined the tapered output shaft on my 72 WR 250 to accept a later model splined counter sprocket..Makes finding replacement sprockets a lot easier also..
Bob

The same thing happened to me on a 72 125. I had the correct puller and broke it trying to remove the sprocket. The safest thing to do is grind the sprocket off, then replace it. I put a splined shaft in the 72 125, same as later models so that it wouldn't happen again. Don't know if you can do that.

Good luck, Dave

So now I have a piston still stuck in the jug of the 250 and a broken sprocket and 2 head bolts stuck in the 400. Patience is definitely a virtue on these age rusted projects.[/quote]

I have always had good luck freeing a seized piston with brake fluid.

Great update! Amazing what a different puller can do... good luck on the rest of your challenges!

Many years ago John at Vintage Husky gave me a splined trans output shaft to replace the tapered shaft on my 73 250... Not the whole later 6 speed trans, just the shaft. Not sure if it was something special or not... I was under the impression that the output shaft on the early 6 speed could be used in place of the 5 speed tapered shaft. Might be something to look into?

I have always had good luck freeing a seized piston with brake fluid.[/quote]

Try this on your stuck piston
http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/79-cr-250-rebuild.87604/

as mentioned before, just just the sprocket with a cut off tool to just shy of the shaft, then strike with a chisel. done deal.

Thanks to all for encouraging words! The reason I'm hell bent on removing the '73 400 sprocket is so I can swap out the drive shaft with a '75 400 WR one I have and have a solid 400CR engine for a spare (or a backup bike) for my '74 400 CR which I hope to someday race (ok, parade) at selected AHRMA events. This is the pile of bits that all this started from : )