I have a '78 Raleigh Competition GS with the Campy Nuovo Gran Sport drive train. The drive side crank just won't budge off of the spindle. Tips to loosen it up?

Are you using a crank puller? It's a necessity.

Yes, I'm using a crank puller ... I'd have permanently bloodied knuckles and a lot of really old bottom bracket grease in all of my bikes if I didn't.

One of the problems is that when it's tightened all the way, the handle on my puller is at about 5 o'clock from the crank, so it's really hard to get good leverage using just my hands.

cheater bar time.

+1

if it's really that tight just go slow and use some sort of penetrant perhaps..
i've never heard of a crank being stuck such that the puller won't turn
usually you just end up stripping the extractor threads !

(make sure you lightly greased them and got the extractor threaded in all the way nice and tight)

Worst case scenario cute the SOB off and start fresh. In some cases it is worth it to strip the crank extractor tool if the threads are already too boogered up.

Yes, use a penetrant (a good one, not WD40) and try a little heat (propane torch, *carefully*) and smack the crank a bit with a soft mallet (hardwood, copper, deadblow) to set up some shock waves. Do as Coelcanth says: clean threads and nice and tight (but not TOO tight) when you screw that extractor in...I usually have best luck with the Park tool.

You DID take the washer out...?
Not that I have ever tried to pull a crank with the washer still inserted, but I have heard tell that other people have done so.
-Clyde

I learned that one the hard way.

You to?

If you have a hair dryer available set it on high heat and blast it from as close as possible. to get better leverage re-insatll the non-drive crankarm and see it that gives you a better angle.

It was a Stronglight puller. The washer got stuck on it and I destroyed the puller's threads prying off the washer. I wish I could say it happened long ago when I was new at this stuff, but I can't.

Exactly. The only time I've seen a Campy crank not come off using a proper puller is when the washer was left on. I've never had to do this myself as I was lucky enough to see a friend break the threads out of crank doing this. I'd bet money it's the OP's problem.

Assuming the extractor has been screwed in properly, and that the washer is not in there, a three-prong extractor (similar to what one may use to remove an impeller) should do the trick.

-Kurt

pound the puller with a mallet, but make sure is all the way tight first.

pull the bottom bracket from the frame with the crank stuck on. heat it with a torch at the join and then hammer the bb spindle out. put the crank arm somewhere stable like in a vice to make this easier. it can also be done on the kitchen stove in a pinch if the wife is still at work.