How can I remove a rubber band from a pulley?

Question

We have a pulley and a bunch of rubber bands:

We don't know that part numbers, but they all were part of a Mindstorms (RCX 2.0) set. My son was trying use the pulley and band to transfer power to another pulley. But it didn't work out that way:

Now the band doesn't slip off of the pulley. We figure we can cut it off, but we'd kinda like to save the band if at all possible.

Have you ever run across this sort of problem? Do you have any suggestions for removing the rubber band without destroying it?

Answer 1

As I've said before in another answer, I find the #92585 Crowbar is the most versatile and is especially good at removing rubber bands from the #3736 (Technic, Steering Pulley Large) and the #4185 (Technic, Wedge Belt Wheel) elements.

Don't use any sharp/metallic objects like a screwdriver or a pen knife as you may scratch the brick or sever the rubber band.

Answer 2

I was able to successfully get that size band off of that pulley using this brick separator:

I slid the sharp end in between the band and the pulley then worked it under the band and was able to pull the band off without damaging either part. If you don't have a brick separator handy, you can probably use a pointy minifig utensil such as a sword instead. I wouldn't recommend using metal tool such as a screwdriver or knife as this could easily cut the band as you try to remove it.

Good luck!