Getting Flywheel Off

Would appreciate any advice...trying to get this just bought, very used rototiller working ... have to do the garden quick.

Garry

Most small engine flywheels are held in place by a small key that's on a tapered porton of the crankshaft. You can't twist them off the crank unless the key is sheared.

Look at the front face of the flywheel near the crankshaft. You will usually find 2, sometimes 3, holes. Most small engines need a "puller plate" made of 1/2" to 3/4" steel that fits over the end of the crankshaft and has holes to line up with the ones in the flywheel. Once the holes are lined up, you thread bolts in to pull the flywheel off. On some engines, the holes aren't even threaded at the factory, and the puller plate has self-tapping screws that cut their own threads the first time they're used.

A usually-workable alternative solution is to use a hammer and a SOFT block of material to drive the crankshaft out of the flywheel. I've used a 2" diameter piece of aluminum stock about 6" long that's been drilled to let the end of a Briggs shaft go inside it. I simply talk someone into picking up the engine and holding it a few inches above the workbench by the flywheel, then I smack the end of the aluminum piece HARD and straight with a 2-lb hammer. One whack will do it if you hit it like you mean it!

Tecumseh actually sells special tools that thread onto the end of the crankshaft, leaving about 1/8" of clearance between the tool and the flywheel. Support the flywheel the same way and hit the tool on the crankshaft with the big hammer. Make sure you hit it straight, or you'll buy a new crankshaft.

If the reason you're pulling the flywheel is to get to the points on a Briggs engine, and there is no evidence of a sheared key (keyway in flywheel and crankshaft still line up) you may want to seriously consider just buying one of those little transistorized ignition "chips" that can be wired into the system and bypass the points. I've done this several times with good success. They're usually available at small engine shops in the $10-$12 range, attach with one screw to the engine, and require cutting the primary wire from the coil to the points. I've got a couple that have functioned well for over 10 years.

The best way to get a flywheel off though is to make a puller. A piece of steel 1/4" or thicker and about 1' to 1 1/2" wide,a nd a couple of in. long will do. Drill holes to match the spacing of the holes in the flywheel, most have them. Use threaded rod in the holes in the flywheel, or capscrews long enough to bolt the puller on, maybe a center bolt, maybe not, depends. Sometimes a spacer under the puller over the end of the crank. Save the puller. Make it large enough so you can drill more holes to fit other engines as they come along. If you have a puller like this ready you won't need it too often. (Murphy's law) so it is good to have.