Re: Stuck flywheel???

Posted by john d on April 05, 2001 at 18:59:53 from (152.163.204.46):

In Reply to: Stuck flywheel??? posted by castle on April 05, 2001 at 15:24:39:

Okay...let's check some possibilities! In your reply to me in the post below, you mentioned that the flywheel would turn freely counterclockwise, but not clockwise. That's pretty unusual, and sounds as if it could possibly have a broken connecting rod that's jamming as the crankshaft turns, catching it between the crankpin and the side of the block.
In this post, you mention that it now won't turn at all. ONE MORE THING TO CHECK before a major dis-assembly....make ABSOLUTELY SURE you didn't switch the bolts that hold the starter assembly (shroud) into different locations! SOMETIMES these things have (or over time end up with) different length bolts in the two holes toward the bottom of the starter assembly. If these are different lengths, and you switch them, the longer one may be screwing in tight against the flywheel and LOCKING IT IN PLACE!

Is this a horizontal-shaft engine (spark plug on top) or a vertical-shaft engine (spark plug on the side) where you can't actually see what's happening on the output shaft that might cause it to stick? The vertical-shaft engines sometimes have a mechanical clutch under there, and that could be what's holding things.

Before tearing into the inside, check to see if by chance there is ANYTHING that's actually rubbing against the flywheel, or if there is anything on the output shaft that's locked it in place.

If the starter shroud (part with the rope on it) is removed, and the flwheel is still stuck, you've got real problems. Remove the spark plug, then take the head off the top of the engine. Leave the bolts in the holes of the cylinder head when you lift it off, that way the longer bolts will stay where they belong. If you drop it or forget to do this, the three longest bolts usually go in the three holes closest to the exhaust valve. This rule doesn't always apply if there are special attachments bolted to the top of the head.

With the head off, try to rotate the flywheel by hand. If it won't move, you'll have to go deeper. Remove the engine from the tiller, and clean the outside as good as you can. Drain the oil. Remove any and all pulleys, keys, etc. from the output shaft and clean it. Remove the cover plate on the side of the engine and take a look inside. If things are scorched, stuck, bent, broken, or laying loose in the bottom of the engine, it's probably ready for the dumpster.

I'm assuming this is a typical aluminum-block engine. You MIGHT be able to remove the rod cap and clean the crankpin on the crankshaft if that's where it is stuck, but it's been my experience that if the rod bearing has seized, the piston rings have probably scored the cylinder wall, and the crankshaft bearings are likely scored also. It can cost more to really fix one like that than an entirely new engine will cost.

If you decide to try to remove the crankshaft, DON'T start prying on the flywheel or hitting the end of the shaft with a steel hammer. If you do, you're likely going to have to buy another one of them, and maybe both. It takes a special puller (NOT a gear puller) to remove one correctly, but you can sometimes successfully smack the end of the crankshaft with a BRASS hammer while someone is holding the flywheel, thus driving the entire engine out of the flywheel. If you do this, hit it HARD, and hit it STRAIGHT!

Good luck in finding the problem, and I hope it's not as expensive as I think it might be!

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