How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic.

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. (That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.

On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:21:28 -0500, Steve Kraus wrote:

How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? We have one which has a couple
of bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). I have no
idea why as the starter gear is plastic.

Could be debris getting in there and shearing them off - or someone
wedged the flywheel with a screwdriver while trying to remove whatever's
at the other end of the engine (blade, presumably) and sheared the teeth.

I suspect it's a case of undoing an single bolt and gently easing the
flywheel off (where 'gently' might mean a few taps with a cloth-wrapped
hammer :-)

I suppose it's possible that replacement teeth could be welded on and
fashioned into shape with a grinder, which might be less expensive than a
whole new flywheel (and could be done in-place) - it'd wear the plastic
starter pinion faster than by design, but I think they're only a couple
of bucks normally.

cheers

Jules

On Apr 19, 10:21*am, Steve Kraus
wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? *We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). *I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic. *

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. *(That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. *It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.

Pretty much falling off a log easy with the recommended puller. The
place you buy the flywheel from should have a book and the puller.

Jimmie

Steve Kraus wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? We have one which has a
couple of bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter).
I have no idea why as the starter gear is plastic.

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and
therefore metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside
with the teeth on it. (That would help explain how it could be
damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most
of these engines are very similar. It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind
mower.

Hold the flywheel up with a screwdriver/pry bar, and rap the end of the
crankshaft with a hammer. If the threads on the crankshaft go to the end,
you'll want to screw on a coupling nut so as not to mash the threads (they
sell a tool for this if you insist).

Jon

On Apr 19, 12:29*pm, "Jon Danniken"
wrote:
Steve Kraus wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? *We have one which has a
couple of bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter).
I have no idea why as the starter gear is plastic.

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and
therefore metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside
with the teeth on it. *(That would help explain how it could be
damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most
of these engines are very similar. *It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind
mower.

Hold the flywheel up with a screwdriver/pry bar, and rap the end of the
crankshaft with a hammer. *If the threads on the crankshaft go to the end,
you'll want to screw on a coupling nut so as not to mash the threads (they
sell a tool for this if you insist).

Jon

....or you can put the flywheel nut back-on (75%) and hit that instead.

On Apr 19, 10:21*am, Steve Kraus
wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? *We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). *I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic. *

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. *(That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. *It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.

I made a flywheel puller for my Tecumseh by drilling three holes in a
piece of 1/4" steel plate so that the holes lined up with the holes in
the flywheel.

I threaded nuts onto the bolts, slipped them through the plate and
tightened them into the threaded holes in the flywheel. A few turns of
the nuts and the flywheel pulled right off.

On Apr 19, 3:21*pm, Steve Kraus
wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? *We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). *I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic. *

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. *(That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. *It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.

Starter ings are usually shrunk on. Ie, heated up and pressed on to
the flywheel. As they cool/contract they grip the fly wheel. The
usual way to get them of it with a hammer and cold chisel,i e just
split them between the teeth.
If t the ring is very thick, a few holes drilled to weaken it before
the cold chisel trick.
Obviously the new starter ring has to be heated up to fit it.

This assumes a spare starter ring can be got. If not you are left
with the trick of building up metal by electric welding and then
grinding/filing down to profile.

I'm pretty crude. Take a four way lug wrench, pull the
center nut and washer. Stick a big pry bar under the edge of
the wheel, and beat the center shaft with either a brass
hammer, or a knock off tool made for Tecumseh. The flywheel
pops up after a while, and the new one goes on much easier.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Steve Kraus" wrote in
message
m...
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh
vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? We have one which
has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). I
have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic.

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel
and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside
with the teeth on
it. (That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I
think most of
these engines are very similar. It's on a Lawn-Boy
walk-behind mower.

On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:21:28 -0500, Steve Kraus
wrote:

How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic.

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. (That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.
Loosen the flywheel nut, put a couple of levers under the flywheel
to pull it up, then smartly crack the top of the shaft with a (brass)
hammer, and the flywheel should pop off the taper. There are puler
tools available as well, but I've had just as good luck with the
hammer.

On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:17:25 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:

On Apr 19, 3:21Â*pm, Steve Kraus
wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? Â*We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). Â*I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic. Â*

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. Â*(That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. Â*It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.

Starter ings are usually shrunk on. Ie, heated up and pressed on to
the flywheel. As they cool/contract they grip the fly wheel. The
usual way to get them of it with a hammer and cold chisel,i e just
split them between the teeth.
If t the ring is very thick, a few holes drilled to weaken it before
the cold chisel trick.
Obviously the new starter ring has to be heated up to fit it.

This assumes a spare starter ring can be got. If not you are left
with the trick of building up metal by electric welding and then
grinding/filing down to profile.
Except flywheels are still pretty pletiful out there, so replacing
the whole flywheel is still the preferred fix.

On Apr 19, 8:41*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:17:25 -0700 (PDT), harry
wrote:









On Apr 19, 3:21*pm, Steve Kraus
wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? *We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). *I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic. *

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. *(That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. *It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.

On Apr 19, 7:20*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:21:28 -0500, Steve Kraus

wrote:
How difficult is it to replace a flywheel on a Tecumseh vertical shaft
engine and are any special tools needed? *We have one which has a couple of
bad sections of gear teeth (used by an electric starter). *I have no idea
why as the starter gear is plastic. *

I'm presuming the gear teeth are integral to the flywheel and therefore
metal, unless they somehow add a ring around the outside with the teeth on
it. *(That would help explain how it could be damaged.)

I can go fetch the engine model number if need be though I think most of
these engines are very similar. *It's on a Lawn-Boy walk-behind mower.

* Loosen the flywheel nut, put a couple of levers under the flywheel
to pull it up, then smartly crack the top of the shaft with a (brass)
hammer, and the flywheel should pop off the taper. There are puler
tools available as well, but I've had just as good luck with the
hammer.

What other said, except it is MUCH easier to pry up while a second
person does the hammering on the end of the crankshaft, unless you
have 3 arms?