Tecumseh flywheel removal A-800 Ranger

[wheeledhorseman 574]

A bit of help / advice appreciated here guys.....

 

Picked up another project at the weekend - a 1974 A-800 Ranger with Tecumseh VM80-150056A engine. PO used it for 15 years then one day it wouldn't start. I've been through the easy stuff, compression is good, tried new plug, cleaned carb (obvious that PO had been there before me), disconnected the engine kill lead with no success. The issue seems to be with the ignition - there's a really good spark there (sometimes) and the engine will fire up briefly then die.

 

So, I need to remove the flywheel to get at the points, condenser etc. The nut came off easily and there's no sign of any corrosion to speak of but using a home made puller acting on the outer edge of the flywheel and giving but a few sharp taps with a hammer won't break the flywheel from the shaft. It's on a taper I guess? It's been soaked in penetrating fluid but it's not likely to achieve a lot with a taper fit. So any hints or tips here guys? With so much diecast about I'm trying to avoid being too brutal.

 

I'm thinking about getting a genuine Tecumseh puller - are they any good? There's a twist though....

Yes the flywheel has the three holes to take one but the holes have never been threaded. I've looked closely and it's not a case that the threads have been stripped out, they were never cut. Any one found the same? Do you have to cut your own threads before using the puller - seems strange. 

 

Andy

 

[puddlejumper 67]

I have always used a factory 3 fingered puller on the outside, I would make sure your homemade one is pulling evenly. I have broke one but I was half pissed and rough handed when I did it. I think good penetrating oil and a little patience,patience,patience will pay off.

[TT-(Moderator) 1,145]

Having to tap the holes isn't unusual.

I made a puller from a 1/4" thick steel "disc" with three holes drilled to match the holes in the flywheel.

Three appropriate-length bolts are inserted through the disc into the flywheel holes, they are drawn tight, and the center of the disc gets a hit with a hammer.

[SousaKerry 501]

Put the nut on a few turns so it has good engagement but not so far as to be flush with the end of the shaft.  Then insert a chisel, big screwdriver, prybar or whaterver else you have handy between the flywheel and the block, being careful not to hit any of the components mounted behind the flywheel.  THe prybar or whatever you use should be thick enough and tapered so that you can wedge it in between the block and flywheel to provide constant pressure.  Then take a brass hammer or similar heavy soft metallic object and smack the flywheel nut from the end.  The vibration will usually pop the flywheel right off. 

 

Tecumseh actually sells a special nut to do this with but it's just a piece of hexstock drilled and taped the correct size.  

 

Just do not strike the end of the crank shaft or you will mushroom it out and the nut will no longer fit.

[KATO 115]

YEA THAT !!  Do it all the time ...works great ....just be careful !!

[wheeledhorseman 574]

Thanks for the responses guys which have helped me get my head round it.

 

I've yet to be beaten by a flywheel even on a two cycle Tecumseh but somehow this 4 cycle Techy looked kind of flimsy compared with a cast iron blocks I'm more used to and there's not much to pry against.

 

Interestingly the Techy manual shows the pry and hit method using the special nut so I'll fab one of these I think in the first instance if that doesn't do it then I'll move onto making up the special puller.

 

Andy

[wheeledhorseman 574]

The flywheel came off today!

 

What I really needed was a second pair of hands for this task, so with my son's help..........

 

We used two levers - finding the best position where you could get something reasonable to pry on isn't easy on the vertical shaft motor but manged to find a couple of places that were diagonally opposite  under the flywheel.

 

So with my son lifting on the levers and just the standard nut in place I used a 2 pound hammer to strike the nut firmly and square on.

I wasn't using a full on strike, kind of medium I'd say, but the weight and momentum of using a heavy hammer seemed to work. It took  three or four strikes then popped off. No damage to anything.

 

The reason for the intermittent spark was that the contact breaker points weren't opening and closing freely. Once the shaft that the moving contact pivots on had been cleaned and lubed, all was good again. I was hoping for a simple fault like this rather than it being the coil. Hardly surprising I suppose, the tractor had done nearly 40 years of cutting grass with two POs and I don't expect the flywheel was ever removed to clean.adjust and lube the contact assembly.

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys.