What's the secret?

[Sawbuck]

I need some experienced advice. How do you pull a stubborn flywheel? Can't get the flywheel pulled on my old Pioneer P-51. I've tried heat from a heat gun to expand it to no avail. Didn't think my torch was good idea around the fuel fumes. KABOOM!! Thanks, John

 

[Tony Snyder]

I'll ask the obvious first. Have tried a puller?

Have you soaked some penetrating oil in there over night?

If these things have failed, e-mail me.

 

[treeclimber165]

P-B Blaster is the best penetrating fluid I have ever found. Most discount-type auto parts stores carry it. It's worked for me on stuff I NEVER thought it would break loose!

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Soaking overnight in Marvel Mystery oil isn't too bad either...........

 

[Sawbuck]

Thanks very much for the replies. I was using a puller first with a hand wrench then with air impact. All I did was break the puller bolts screwed into the flywheel. Luckily they broke high enough for easy removal. I sprayed with PB Blaster but I don't think it penetrated. I'll try Blaster again. From past experience this wheel should have broken loose with far less pressure than I was using.

 

[TheTreeSpyder]

Tapping/vibrating can help it sink deeper in too.

 

[Methoss084]

Sawbuck: I hope you didn't put to much heat to the flywheel, It is very easy to wipe out the crankseal that way! One properly sized screwdriver wedged in just the right position behind the fat side of the flywheel (not the side with the magnet), thread the nut onto the crankshaft end so that it is even with the threads and give it a couple of sharp pops with a ballpeen hammer. Works every time. WEAR SAFETY GLASSES! I realize this isn't the proper way to go about removing a flywheel, but it works on those that won't come loose with conventional means. Try letting some "ZEP 45" sit on the flywheel for a night or so.

 

[John in MA]

Not every time. I have a VI-123 that I hammered and hammered on for a couple days. PB Blaster, Rust Eater, MMO, nothing worked. Then I decided to make my own puller and it popped off with a couple turns of the wrench.

Man, if a puller with an impact wrench didn't work... I'd say get some Grade-8 screws and try again. Also make sure your puller isn't bending and putting a sideways load on them.

Also, can you suspend the saw by the flywheel? Doing that and hitting a knock-off on the crankshaft with a huge hammer can sometimes work.

 

[Methoss084]

Suspending the flywheel someway would work well. Thats how we get frozen augers off the Gravely snowthrowers. Along with a can or 2 of Breakaway.

 

[Sawbuck]

Thanks everyone - Some good ideas. I was leery about hammering even lightly on the end of the crankshaft for fear of wiping out the crank bearings or cracking the case. But I did hammer fairly lightly trying to get it to pop. Not too much heat, I don't think any more heat conducted into the shaft than working the engine hard, but that flywheel was too hot to touch. I think the answer will be to make my own custom puller also because the one I have locates the puller too far out from the flywheel causing it to pull unevenly thus breaking the bolts. Anyway, thanks again, I'll get 'er off. John

 

[Methoss084]

Keep us posted on what happens and how you eventually get the flywheel off.

 

[Sawbuck]

Methos - Thanks for the interest and follow up. Unfortunately the outcome was not good. The flywheel broke in two instead of pulling off the shaft. I was concerned about that because it was so tight. So--- looking for a new or used one if someone has a parts saw laying around. Later, John