I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

The key is not meant to take the load of spinning the flywheel, it
is only there to make correct alignment. Clean the inside of the
flywheel taper and the outside of the spindle lightly with fine
sandpaper or some such. You can even add a bit of talc, rosin,
or soap stone to the taper to help it seat. Make sure you have
the correct flywheel key. Make sure you set the flywheel back on
the spindle with it's nut so the taper can take the load. You
should reset the magneto while you have the shroud off. A
business card works about right.

___________________________
Keep the whole world singing. . . .
DanG


wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I
get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a
couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I
talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put
them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give
the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes
to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I
turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start.
The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but
its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one
and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the
flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change
the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine
and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up
again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in
half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the
second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't
think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from
the mower
the first time was fine.

DanG wrote:
The key is not meant to take the load of spinning the flywheel, it
is only there to make correct alignment.

The key is meant to take the load till something happens and the load
becomes dangerous to the motor. It is supposed to break then. It is not
there "only to make the correct alignment". If that were true they
wouldn't make the key out of soft material. something is causing the
key to be stresses in some way and you need to find out what they is.
I'd run the thing for a minute and Carefully inspect the key.
Ken

I put a new key in and watched the engine run for a few minutes. I even
engaged the cutting blades and drove it around a little. I didn't hear
the key being sheared when I turned it off or saw any stress during the
running of the mower. I think the key is being sheared when I crank it
up the second time after installing the key. So I think the problem
lies there, but I don't know what it is.


wrote:
DanG wrote:
The key is not meant to take the load of spinning the flywheel, it
is only there to make correct alignment.

The key is meant to take the load till something happens and the load
becomes dangerous to the motor. It is supposed to break then. It is not
there "only to make the correct alignment". If that were true they
wouldn't make the key out of soft material. something is causing the
key to be stresses in some way and you need to find out what they is.
I'd run the thing for a minute and Carefully inspect the key.
Ken

I've seen this on a number of occasions. In those cases the flywheel was not
seating properly. If its not seated firmly on the tapered shaft, the weight
of the flywheel it self attempting to keep spinning while the engine comes
to a stop, will shear off the key. The taper of the shaft is what holds the
load. When you are replacing the flywheel, pay particular attention to the
position of the key. It is very easy to push the key down and out of the
grove. If this happens the flywheel will not seat on the tapered shaft.
wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

On 17 Dec 2006 10:26:56 -0800, wrote:

I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

The key may be slipping a bit when you place the flywheel on. I've
seen this happen. A tiny dab of bearing grease helped hold it in place
enough to replace the flywheel. No more shears after that. YMMV.

--
Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

On 17 Dec 2006 11:04:04 -0800, wrote:

I put a new key in and watched the engine run for a few minutes. I even
engaged the cutting blades and drove it around a little. I didn't hear
the key being sheared when I turned it off or saw any stress during the
running of the mower. I think the key is being sheared when I crank it
up the second time after installing the key. So I think the problem
lies there, but I don't know what it is.

The key *partially" shears on the first crank/run and fails on the
second? Make certain the key is not moved when the flywheel is
*properly seated*. You have the right key?



wrote:
DanG wrote:
The key is not meant to take the load of spinning the flywheel, it
is only there to make correct alignment.

The key is meant to take the load till something happens and the load
becomes dangerous to the motor. It is supposed to break then. It is not
there "only to make the correct alignment". If that were true they
wouldn't make the key out of soft material. something is causing the
key to be stresses in some way and you need to find out what they is.
I'd run the thing for a minute and Carefully inspect the key.
Ken
--
Oren

"Well, it doesn't happen all the time, but when it happens, it happens constantly."

I have one question. Do I put the flywheel onto the crank shaft and
then push the key into the slot between the wheel and the shaft? Or do
I put the key into the slot in the shaft and place the flywheel over
it? Right now, I just visually align the slot in the flywheel with the
slot in the shaft, set the wheel down, and then gently tap the key all
the way down the slot with a small screwdriver. Could this be the
problem?

Also, when I tap the key into the slot, I push it all the way down. Do
I push it all the way or make the top of the key level with the top of
the flywheel or the top of the crank shaft?

John Lawrence wrote:
I've seen this on a number of occasions. In those cases the flywheel was not
seating properly. If its not seated firmly on the tapered shaft, the weight
of the flywheel it self attempting to keep spinning while the engine comes
to a stop, will shear off the key. The taper of the shaft is what holds the
load. When you are replacing the flywheel, pay particular attention to the
position of the key. It is very easy to push the key down and out of the
grove. If this happens the flywheel will not seat on the tapered shaft.
wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

I set the key in the slot on the shaft, allowing it to be above
the top of the shaft to help position the flywheel. Place the
flywheel on the key/shaft and push or tap the key down to level
with the top of the flywheel if it doesn't go to that point on
it's own. It is not critical that it is flush with the top of the
flywheel, but it does not need to be any deeper, certainly NOT
driven to the bottom of the slot.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Keep the whole world singing. . . .
DanG


"Maya Sharma" wrote in message
ps.com...
I have one question. Do I put the flywheel onto the crank shaft
and
then push the key into the slot between the wheel and the shaft?
Or do
I put the key into the slot in the shaft and place the flywheel
over
it? Right now, I just visually align the slot in the flywheel
with the
slot in the shaft, set the wheel down, and then gently tap the
key all
the way down the slot with a small screwdriver. Could this be
the
problem?

Also, when I tap the key into the slot, I push it all the way
down. Do
I push it all the way or make the top of the key level with the
top of
the flywheel or the top of the crank shaft?

John Lawrence wrote:
I've seen this on a number of occasions. In those cases the
flywheel was not
seating properly. If its not seated firmly on the tapered
shaft, the weight
of the flywheel it self attempting to keep spinning while the
engine comes
to a stop, will shear off the key. The taper of the shaft is
what holds the
load. When you are replacing the flywheel, pay particular
attention to the
position of the key. It is very easy to push the key down and
out of the
grove. If this happens the flywheel will not seat on the
tapered shaft.
wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs
and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I
get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a
couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So
I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change
the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and
put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I
give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly
comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I
turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't
start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to,
but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new
one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the
flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I
change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up
fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it
up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared
in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the
second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't
think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from
the mower
the first time was fine.

This is exactly why they make hammers.

If you were in the factory you would press the flywheel on, but you
are not in the factory so you use a hammer to drive the flywheel onto
the shaft.

If it bottoms out before it tightens up, then you have a worn
shaft/flywheel surface and you need to ship it up until it so tight
that you can't pull it off without a puller.

You can buy shims at auto parts stores.






On 17 Dec 2006 10:26:56 -0800, wrote:

I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

DONT "drive" the flywheel with a hammer. Apart from the chance of obvious
damage to the flywheel itself. A hit with a hammer can alter the strength of
the magnetic pick up. Factory workers do not press the flywheel on. That's
why the shaft and inside of the flywheel are both tapered. The flywheel
should just push to the seating position. Dont tap the key any lower than
the top surface of the flywheel.
"DK" wrote in message
...

This is exactly why they make hammers.

If you were in the factory you would press the flywheel on, but you
are not in the factory so you use a hammer to drive the flywheel onto
the shaft.

If it bottoms out before it tightens up, then you have a worn
shaft/flywheel surface and you need to ship it up until it so tight
that you can't pull it off without a puller.

You can buy shims at auto parts stores.






On 17 Dec 2006 10:26:56 -0800, wrote:

I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

wrong wrong wrong.


On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 15:29:53 GMT, "John Lawrence"
wrote:

DONT "drive" the flywheel with a hammer. Apart from the chance of obvious
damage to the flywheel itself. A hit with a hammer can alter the strength of
the magnetic pick up. Factory workers do not press the flywheel on. That's
why the shaft and inside of the flywheel are both tapered. The flywheel
should just push to the seating position. Dont tap the key any lower than
the top surface of the flywheel.
"DK" wrote in message
.. .

This is exactly why they make hammers.

If you were in the factory you would press the flywheel on, but you
are not in the factory so you use a hammer to drive the flywheel onto
the shaft.

If it bottoms out before it tightens up, then you have a worn
shaft/flywheel surface and you need to ship it up until it so tight
that you can't pull it off without a puller.

You can buy shims at auto parts stores.






On 17 Dec 2006 10:26:56 -0800, wrote:

I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

Well maybe I am wrong, however I'm only speaking from my own experience. I
have been repairing small engines for longer that I care to remember and I
have never once, had to resort to a hammer, to replace a flywheel. Maybe
I've been lucky. Also I've never had one not seat.
"DK" wrote in message
...
wrong wrong wrong.


On Mon, 18 Dec 2006 15:29:53 GMT, "John Lawrence"
wrote:

DONT "drive" the flywheel with a hammer. Apart from the chance of obvious
damage to the flywheel itself. A hit with a hammer can alter the strength
of
the magnetic pick up. Factory workers do not press the flywheel on. That's
why the shaft and inside of the flywheel are both tapered. The flywheel
should just push to the seating position. Dont tap the key any lower than
the top surface of the flywheel.
"DK" wrote in message
. ..

This is exactly why they make hammers.

If you were in the factory you would press the flywheel on, but you
are not in the factory so you use a hammer to drive the flywheel onto
the shaft.

If it bottoms out before it tightens up, then you have a worn
shaft/flywheel surface and you need to ship it up until it so tight
that you can't pull it off without a puller.

You can buy shims at auto parts stores.






On 17 Dec 2006 10:26:56 -0800, wrote:

I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the mower
the first time was fine.

Might not be tightening the flywheel nut down enough. Might be the
piston stops, but the flywheel keeps going.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

wrote in message
ups.com...
I have a 15 HP Craftsman riding lawn mower that uses a Briggs and
Stratton engine. Anytime I put the key in and start it, all I get is a
clicking sound. The flywheel doesn't turn at all and after a couple of
clicks, smoke starts coming out of the engine compartment. So I talked
to a guy at the Sears repair place, and he told me to change the
starter, solenoid, and flywheel key. So I buy all three and put them
in. (Note: The old flywheel key was in perfect condition) I give the
engine full throttle and turn the key. The engine suddenly comes to
life and sounds as if it had a lot more power than before. I turn the
engine off and go inside.

The next day, I try to crank up the engine, and it won't start. The
starter motor is turning the flywheel like is supposed to, but its
just
not cranking up. So I change the spark plug with a brand new one and
try to crank it up again. It does nothing. I then open up the flywheel
and see that the key is sheared completely in half!!! I change the
key,
close everything up, and restart the engine. It cranks up fine and
runs
perfectly. But I turn it off. Let it cool down, and crank it up again,
and it won't start again. The flywheel key is again sheared in half!

So everytime I change the key, it works fine. But then the second time
I crank the engine up, the key shears. What do I do? I don't think the
crankshaft is bad because the original key that I pulled from the
mower
the first time was fine.

"John Lawrence" wrote in message
...
Well maybe I am wrong, however I'm only speaking from my own experience. I
have been repairing small engines for longer that I care to remember and I
have never once, had to resort to a hammer, to replace a flywheel. Maybe
I've been lucky. Also I've never had one not seat.
__________________________________________________ _________

I have two lawn mower / small engine shops. If I ever catch an employee
using a hammer on a fly wheel, he is gone - fired.

You are RIGHT !!!!!!

I've used a knocker to remove flywheels, but never to replace
them. Am I still fired?

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"Bob" wrote in message
...

"John Lawrence" wrote in message
...
Well maybe I am wrong, however I'm only speaking from my own
experience. I
have been repairing small engines for longer that I care to
remember and I
have never once, had to resort to a hammer, to replace a
flywheel. Maybe
I've been lucky. Also I've never had one not seat.
__________________________________________________ _________

I have two lawn mower / small engine shops. If I ever catch
an employee
using a hammer on a fly wheel, he is gone - fired.

You are RIGHT !!!!!!

Still fired I'm afraid. Use a puller. An experienced Tech. can use a pry on
onsite sides of the flywheel and with the end of the crank protected. tap
that end. Flywheel pops off.
"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I've used a knocker to remove flywheels, but never to replace
them. Am I still fired?

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
.

"Bob" wrote in message
...

"John Lawrence" wrote in message
...
Well maybe I am wrong, however I'm only speaking from my own
experience. I
have been repairing small engines for longer that I care to
remember and I
have never once, had to resort to a hammer, to replace a
flywheel. Maybe
I've been lucky. Also I've never had one not seat.
__________________________________________________ _________

I have two lawn mower / small engine shops. If I ever catch
an employee
using a hammer on a fly wheel, he is gone - fired.

You are RIGHT !!!!!!

Well, everyone, thanks for your help. I had tried to place the flywheel
over the key onto the crankshaft (using grease to hold the key to the
groove), and the same thing happened. It started, ran, then sheared. I
have ordered five more keys and will try doing it a few more times. If
you have any more suggestions, let me know. If not, I will try my $10
of keys, and then buy a new tractor.

I missed part of this thread, but having worked as a mechanic for a few
years I can tell you that if you have the correct key and it is installed
correctly, and it shears, then something is wrong. Very wrong. Quit wasting
keys - take the thing apart and find out what is wrong.

Is it shearing straight across? Or is it not getting installed straight?

wrote in message
ups.com...
Well, everyone, thanks for your help. I had tried to place the flywheel
over the key onto the crankshaft (using grease to hold the key to the
groove), and the same thing happened. It started, ran, then sheared. I
have ordered five more keys and will try doing it a few more times. If
you have any more suggestions, let me know. If not, I will try my $10
of keys, and then buy a new tractor.