"Al Bundy" wrote in message
...
zxcvbob wrote in
:

I took the flywheel off my Tecumseh lawn mower today because the kill
switch wasn't working right and it's under the flywheel. I took off
the nut, pried up on the flywheel, and rapped on the end of the shaft
a couple of times and it popped off. Just like it's supposed to.
Later I went to put it back together and the nut wouldn't fit. I had
messed up the end of the shaft by hitting it with a steel hammer.
Then I messed up the nut trying to get it to start anyway.

I don't think I can straighten it up with a triangle file, and all my
dies and most of my taps are metric, so tomorrow I gotta figure out
what size threads they are from the nut and buy a die for it -- and
hope I can chase the threads. (looks about like 7/16" fine thread)

Now here's the really stupid part: I had a 7 pound block of lead just
sitting on my workbench that I could have used instead of the hammer.
I nice beer-can sized cylinder that would have made a terrific
dead-blow hammer. (Also I should have put the nut loosely back on
before I hammered on it so I could use the nut to chase the threads if
I messed them up a little. Might not have worked though, cuz the
shaft seems to be harder than the nut)

Just putting a penny on the end of the shaft before hitting it with
the hammer probably would have been enough to keep from damaging it.

Dumb, dumb, dumb...

Bob

Most experience and knowledge comes from bad judgement. I'll bet you five
bucks you never do the same thing again.

Steve