On Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:50:28 -0700, Bob F wrote:
If it was designed for that, the holes would have been tapped.
It IS designed for the flywheel puller and the holes are not tapped.
We already pointed out this in the owners manual.
When I answered this you hadn't.

Hi Bob F,

I'm sorry. I didn't realize that. My mistake.

I think we can all agree there are two ways to remove a flywheel:
1. Pry and bang
2. Tap and pull

The advice to pry and bang, for someone like me (I always said this was my
very first lawnmower engine), is, let's just say, "problematic".

In my case, using that method cost me a broken intake manifold and bolt,
and time, and money ... which would have been better spent doing it the
right way (i.e., the documented method, documented right on the flywheel,
unbeknownst to me!).

So, I strongly recommend that people new to lawnmowers use the proper
approach, which is to tap the two holes and pull with a flywheel puller (I
used a harmonic balancer puller available at any auto parts store).

In the end, it would have been less time & money had I done the job
properly. Too bad I didn't notice, in all the dirt and grime, the words
clearly stamped (now that it's clean) on the flywheel (see the pictures
posted at http://yfrog.com/jobriggsandstrattonflywhej):

TO REMOVE (flywheel), USE WHEEL PULLER HOLES