Need help removing stubborn dowel pins

I need to remove three flywheel dowel pins from the rear crankshaft flange of my 292 Chevy engine. They are stuck as hell. Any suggestions?

Edited for more detail: The engine is assembled and in the truck. No chance of front side access and simply driving them out with a punch. They need pulling.

 

There’s a special tool for that. Its basically a collet on the end of a slide hammer. A friend of mine has one, his is from Mac Tools. If you know somebody that builds and or machines motors, they should have one.

 

I have a dowel pin remover tool. Works real good. It is very similar to this one listed on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GA-6...ryZ43996QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I am NOT the seller, I just listed the auction so you could see the tool......because I do not have a photo of mine....mine is a Mac tools version of the one in the auction.

 

I too vote for the "dowel pin puller" (collet mounted on a slide hammer) , but barring that would it be possible to take a cut off wheel and flush cut them against the crank flange and then drive the remaining stub through towards the front from the back???? The heat from the cutoff wheel may even help loosen things up. Not sure if you have enough room for this, but just in case I figured I'd mention it. Another thing you might consider - welding a bolt to them and using a conventional pin puller (slide hammer).

 

Thanks for the replies.

I have heard of dowel pin pullers before. I'm hoping to not have to buy one for this job though. I've made it 32 years without one, so this type of task isn't too common to me. Usually, the dowels in my life don't need any attention.

I believe a judicous amount of oxy/acetylene heat would loosen them enough that a pair of vice grips would be able to pull them out, but I'm afraid I'd kill the rear main seal, which is obviously close by. I do believe I'll just trim them off flush and machine them flat. They are no longer needed, so if I can't drive the remaining stubs out, I can simply leave them there.

Again, thanks for the replies.

Kevin

 

Antique, Most of these dowels are soft enough to drill and tap.Be careful to center the hole carefully and use as large a thread as you can without getting out into the parent metal.Thread in a cut off bolt or all thread with a spacer and a nut will pull it right out.The drilling will relieve the tight fit and pulling will be easy.It works for me when I don't need to save the dowel.Don't try to use a clutch & flywheel without dowels or you will have trouble keeping it tight.Good luck.