Oh boy! You may be "inna heap o' trouble". This is a shining example of OEM placing the cost savings burden on the consumer. This pulley may be doomed for destruction in the removal process. The best type of puller you could use on this pulley, would be either a "T-bar puller" or a similar "steering wheel puller". These two types of puller have a heavy central "bar" that has a threaded center hole and slots, or holes, for "connecting" to the pulley using two long puller bolts. A long "jack bolt" threads into the central threaded hub. Using this type puller requires that there be two holes in the pulley near to the center of the pulley for the two anchor bolts to attach to the pulley. You will have to drill two holes in the pulley to attach the puller bolts to the pulley. The bolts need to align across from each other along a straight line that runs through the center of the crankshaft. This process is going to have you under the raised tractor, so be very cautious about how you support the tractor. Mark a straight line across the lower face of the pulley, center the line on the exact center of the crankshaft. Draw the line with a permanent marker. You will be using a bolt diameter of 5/16". Find the edge of the inside diameter of the pulley (this is where the pulley fits to the crankshaft). Measure outward from this edge exactly 5/8" and make a mark across the centerline you drew previously. Do the same on the opposite side of pulley face. The two places you marked across the centerline are where you need to drill a 5/16" inch hole. With the holes drilled, attach the T-bar puller to the pulley by inserting an appropriate length, 5/16" bolt through the puller hole in the pulley. Thread 5/16" nuts onto the bolts where the bolts emerge from the backside of the pulley. Do the same to the other hole in pulley. Adjust the two puller bolts until the T-bar is level on both sides. Thread the central jack bolt into the bar. Tighten the jack bolt, use washers across the crankshaft to protect the crank threads and to center the puller. Oil the threads of the puller. Tighten the jack bolt to remove the pulley. Using this technique may save your pulley. If you don't understand what I am saying, let me know and I'll draw you a picture.

I don't think that the original value of 5/8" in the above post is going to be enough to miss the thick tubular section of the pulley assemble. You actually may need to go as far as 3/4" or 7/8" from the ID or the pulley bore to drill the holes that will attach the puller to the pulley. I also now have thought of the OTHER type of puller that kept eluding me last night. The alternative puller is the type known as a "split shell, bearing collar" adapter, a.k.a. "bearing splitter". This type adapter comes apart in two halves to fit behind a bearing or pulley. Then the two halves connect back together with the long all thread bolts that are part of the adapter package. But this type of adapter also depends on a T-bar "jack" puller to provide the pulling effort. The split shell adapter would eliminate the need for drilling holes in the pulley, but it might be hard to find a split shell adapter and T-bar puller large enough to work on your pulley, unless you can rent or borrow one from a shop or tool rental merchant.

An addition to Mownie's above is this: Please wear eye protection!

Shards of metal shavings from drilling can bounce and hit one or both of your eyes. I learned my lesson long ago after hitting one of my eyes with metal whilst putting a tow hitch on a 1969 Camaro.

Fortunately, the eye doctor was able to see the metal and removed it with tweezers and that eye was numbed.

Please be careful!

Sam, here is what I did. I have a second LT133 I bought for parts and am stripping down for a possible restore. I needed to remove the engine and could not remove pulley. This double pulley does not have the engine drive shaft thru the entire pulley shaft making it very difficult to get a puller bolt to work the pulley off shaft. So, I sacrificed the pulley by cutting the shaft with an angle grinder, just above the bottom pulley wheel to expose the engine shaft. It appears I did trim off a bit of the engine shaft. In any event, I bought/free rented a puller (bolt and 3 arms that grab outside of smaller pulley wheel). A couple of turns with a breaker bar and socket and it popped right off. I trued penetrating oil, heat, banging on the thing for quite a while before I resorted to the puller... it should have been the first thing I tried, but I did have to destroy the pulley and will need a replacement.

" does not have the engine drive shaft thru the entire pulley"

I removed mine by leaving the bold in.

Just loosen the bolt and I also used a regular 3 arm puller. I used a deep socket to account for the depth and a washer to get a flat spot to push the bolt. Apply some tension and hit the shaft from different sides to break the rust.

You can borrow the puller from car parts store.

Bottom of my pulley has a cap and hole for the long bolt that threads into shaft. Up Up, do you have a LT133? I'm including a pic of the bottom of the pulley. I suppose backing out the bolt a bit then pushing on it with the jaw puller bolt might free it up, but I would rather destroy the pulley vs. the threads in the shaft. Your method sounds reasonable...I'll be pulling the pulley off Lt133 #1 once I get this one restored and running. I'll give that a try then. As for now, I was able to cut and remove.

No i dont have a 133. just looking this class of riding mower have similar construction. Personally i would still try the puller pushing the bolt. if u dont want to mess up the thread take the bolt and go to the HW store and buy one that is way long like 3" so that it will bottom out and thus not stress\ruin the threads. This would be easier and cheaper than cutting off the pulley. It doesnt take much to knock it loose and it slide off. I even did this for a 60+- sears rider that i found a few years ago. Alot of neglect but it still popped off.

The stock bolt was like 8" long, this is a double pulley setup, I only took a pic if the bottom half after cut. I will try you method with my original LT133, but that will be a while from now. I agree that a small move will loosen to the point of removal. Breaking the proverbial seal if you will.

The engine pulley on my tractor John Deere LT133 looks crooked could this possibly be back I haven't had a chance to remove it yet could you tell me please can that be fixed

Back the bolt out a bit and tap on it repeatedly ...not hard, just tapping it then do the same while pulling down on the pulley . If you have an air chisel use it to vibrate the bolt while pulling down it works much easier. It's the vibration that does the trick. If it's stubborn you can try a little heat with a propane torch then cool.it down and cycle it. Good luck