Need help with 031AV flywheel seal

[Bedoug]

F2E5DA17-0F04-4335-B843-C672B61B8306

• Bedoug
• Apr 24, 2019
• 2

Flywheel side

Hey All, I need help removing flywheel seal. I’m a long time follower, first time poster. I have a couple of Stihl 031Av chainsaws accumulated from eBay over the years, and they both run poorly, at best. I have a good handle with disassembling the units and have gone through them pretty well but, for the life of me, I can’t figure the best way to remove the seals, especially the flywheel side. I’ll post a couple of pictures to show you what I’m looking at on my test model before I go to my favorite saw. I have seen all the screw techniques, but the ones I have seen are not quite clear enough for me to figure out. Does anyone have a quick and simple way to remove the flywheel seal. Any pictures would be appreciated. Thanks, Bedoug

 

[Snowchaser]

Very carefully drill a small hole in the metal ring of the seal. The bearing is on the other side so dont be in a hurry. Use a small screwdriver or oring pick to work out the seal Use a magnet by your drill bit to collect shavings. I have been able to work an oring pick in the rubber lip itself and avoid drilling all together. I have also welded an oring pick to the end of a small homemade slide hammer to get the force to pop it out. Dont have any pics though

 

[Bedoug]

Very carefully drill a small hole in the metal ring of the seal. The bearing is on the other side so dont be in a hurry.

Snowchaser, thanks for the tip. So I’m clear, the whole bit up to the housing is the seal? It’s not just the rubber interior ring like it is on the clutch side? And when drilling the hole and prying out, do you leverage around the flywheel cavity or pull straight up?

 

[Snowchaser]

Yes the metal ring is part of the lip seal. Best to pull straight out, but they can be tough. You can use the case as leverage to some extent. Ive slightly dinged the corner of the case before but I’ve never broken chunks out. If you look up slide hammer for pulling dents out of car fenders, thats what i made in tiny miniature for this. You could make one very cheap and crude, but still very effective.

 

[Jasonrkba]

Heat gun.
Some people put a drywall screw in the hole they drilled and pull it out with pliers. I created a puller. Seams like every job is different and what works on one model saw doesn't on another.

 

[Bedoug]

Very carefully drill a small hole in the metal ring of the seal. The bearing is on the other side so dont be in a hurry. Use a small screwdriver or oring pick to work out the seal Use a magnet by your drill bit to collect shavings. I have been able to work an oring pick in the rubber lip itself and avoid drilling all together. I have also welded an oring pick to the end of a small homemade slide hammer to get the force to pop it out. Dont have any pics though

Thanks for the thoughts. I’ll try the pick method tonight. Is it usually one side seal that goes bad or both.