# HF impeller change



## Knick (Jun 7, 2015)

Hi all! Hope there's some suggestions that can help with my dilemma.
I have a Harbor Freight (HF) dust collector which I purchased a few months ago. I read that the Rikon impeller upgrade greatly increases the suction, so I purchased the larger impeller. When trying to remove the existing impeller, the impeller flange broke after applying very little force on the hub (used a 3 arm gear puller). The cast flange broke after about a 1/4 turn on the gear puller. The shaft has a key. There's no set screws holding the impeller to the shaft. Prior to using the gear puller I soaked the connection with PB Blaster (overnight) and heated the impeller hub with MAP gas to hedge my bets knowing the 'quality' of HF equipment. Of course, that didn't help.
I'm not sure what to do next. I tried using a larger gear puller where the arms grab the outside of the impeller but was careful about not applying to much force on the impeller so as to not permanently bend the impeller in case I have to leave it on.
I'm wondering if it would help if I removed the bolts from the motor mount and try pounding the shaft back through the impeller hub or at least breaking it free then going back to the larger gear puller and pulling from the outside of the impeller.
There's very little space to work on the hub so a die grinder won't fit. A Dremel tool will fit but not sure what good that will do.
I'm rambling on now, but if anyone can provide advice I would greatly appreciate it.


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## Biotec (Mar 14, 2021)

@Knick 
a few pictures would help.
some impellers have a secondary set screw. two over the keyway set screws and one at 90° away.
good luck on your upgrade.


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## Elden Cozort (Oct 30, 2018)

Hopefully, this is a ridiculous post but.... The HF impeller should be held on with an allen screw the goes into the front of the shaft with a large washer, and as i remember it is a left hand thread. There aren't any set screws. When I changed mine, I was able to just wiggle the impeller off without need of a puller.


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## _Ogre (Feb 1, 2013)

ding ding ding! we have a winner!


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

At 2:16 in, notice the vanes on the replacement impeller are facing opposite the original impeller.
Makes me wonder which is more efficient, since the air is being "pushed" out the opening rather than drawn in?
The air that's drawn in is at the center of the hub.
Of people would use You Tube like a search engine they would not need to speculate on many of the questions posed here.
A picture/video is worth a few thousand word .... you think?


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## Biotec (Mar 14, 2021)

from wen 12" [3403-022] Turbo Fan for WEN 3403 $50 if available
some do not have a center screw to hold them on. 12” WEN impeller upgrade on Harbor Freight dust collector


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## KellyCraig (Feb 12, 2021)

A most interesting experience with the before and after of my HF impeller swap:

My HF collector is dedicated to my miter box, just to keep it out of the way, after buying it for lawn and garden clean up using my Super Dust Deputy.

The HF collector did okay on pulling dust from the miter through a dust hood, but I wanted better, so opted for the impeller swap, which went quickly and easily for me.

After the swap, I noticed the dust collection at the nylon hood around my miter, significantly, improved. However, pine cone pick up did not seem to be as good. 

That makes me wonder if comparing the performance of the two impellers would be a bit like comparing a shop vac to a dust collector. The first moves air hard and fast. The latter moves air slower, but in higher volume. Pine cones may need the hard and fast.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

The vanes point in opposite directions:


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## BigCountry79 (Jun 2, 2021)

KellyCraig said:


> A most interesting experience with the before and after of my HF impeller swap:
> 
> My HF collector is dedicated to my miter box, just to keep it out of the way, after buying it for lawn and garden clean up using my Super Dust Deputy.
> 
> ...


At the same hose diameter, cfm and speed are directly tied


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