Simply cannot get the cranks off with either an old LIFU crank puller or a beautiful Park BB puller. There is literally no room left to crank the puller anymore, and the spider isn't budging. Ideas welcome.

Couple of ideas. Washer out? Adapter plug being used? Park & other tools have similar adapters.

try a park CCP-44 puller.... i just used one on an octa-link crankset last night. Easy-peasy, with extra cheesy.

You MIGHT get away with placing a DIME in there as a plug, too... i'd use two for strength....

Ditto on the washer. Ask me how I know.

Standard pullers made for square taper bottom brackets need a plug inserted in the hollow Octalink axle to give the screw press something to push against. The TL-FC15 is the official one but a dime may work or get a puller made specifically for Octalink bbs

In the event that the proper crank puller doesn't work, consider a bearing puller.
And use eye protection

For the V1 Octalink (most Road and M95? versions) the dime doesn't work. It's too large to fit through the splines on the alloy crank interface.

Not sure if it works on the V2 Octalink (BB-ES??? versions), commonly found on MTB cranks.

i was just stating a possible option... creating your own "plug" is the concept.. a dime is indeed too large, by about 1.2mm

the CCP-44 "plug" is right at 16.68mm dia,, for the record.

i'll keep using the correct tool for the job, and rely on patience to hopefully avoid ruining parts.

there's a very high probability that either of those pullers will ruin the bottom bracket threads, and, considering the shape of the area you'd be trying to gain purchase on, would not work anyway, since they would not grab the crank arm in a viable manner. I DO have one that would work if the BB threads were protected by a plug of the correct size.. it has a tapered piece that threads down inside the top of the puller arms and holds them in place on the part being pulled... it is very expensive and one tool in a comprehensive bearing extraction kit.... but once a plug has been created, a regular crank arm puller would work fine, so why bother with the two or three jaw types, fancy clamper style, or not,, eh?

Just posted it so the OP doesn't try it and apply enough force to damage the threads for the remover, or 'smash' the end of the interface in the alum. crankarm.

A 'plug' in the 15.5mm-17mm range seems about right for V1 Octalink.

we cain't fix stupid

the puller threads would already be damaged at this point of his adventure, if that was possible.

i'll be exiting this thread now.. it has become a non-productive rabbit hole of endless possibles.

The CCP-44 is the one I've been using.The plug on it doesn't fit..... will try smaller-diameter plug substitutes.

Copied from the Park online catalog....
CCP-44
Systems that use an M12 or M15 crank bolt, incl. Shimano®
Octalink®, ISIS Drive, and ISIS Overdrive

That should be the correct tool.

Can you post a pic to show what's going on. Also, what crank model? Road or MTB?

Is the issue the same on the non drive side?

Nah, used this before to remove a crank that had stripped out threads for the extractor.

(granted, the dime solution would be preferred, but when in a pinch, go industrial)
((or make it liquid))

You did remove the crank bolts first, correct? Also this is an Octalink BB and not square taper? I would post good useful photos and we can take a look but the CCP-44 is the correct tool for the job and should remove it as is.

However they did have a small recall on their tools so you might double check:
https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/...-crank-pullers

Used a smaller substitute and got it to go. Thanks, everyone!

Glad to hear that you got it off.

Interesting that the Park puller that was advertised to work, didn't do the job.