Turbine engine blade removal apparatus and method

Apparatus for removing a turbine engine blade root from a corresponding turbine engine rotor disc slot of a rotor having at least a pair of first and second rotor discs having respective first and second opposed axial faces, comprising:

• a pair of opposed outwardly biased first and second blocks for insertion between and biased abutment against the corresponding first and second opposed axial faces of the respective first and second rotor discs;
• a guide bushing coupled to at least the first block, defining a guide bushing aperture that is capable of alignment with an exposed axial face of a blade root that is engaged within a first rotor disc slot, for receipt of a punch therein, the aperture defining a skewed central axis that is oriented downwardly toward a bottom edge of the first block and inwardly towards one of two lateral side edges thereof;
• a punch inserted into the guide bushing aperture, having a tip for striking the blade root axial face, and an impact end opposite the tip, for striking contact by a percussive impact tool, the impact end oriented above the first and second blocks;
• and
• at least one helical spring captively retained by, and spanning between, the first and second blocks by an elongated screw that is slidably engaged with one of the blocks, for outwardly biasing the respective first and second blocks against the corresponding first and second rotor slots.