Place a flywheel strap wrench around the outside of the flywheel. Remove the flywheel retaining nut from the engine crankshaft with a socket wrench while holding the flywheel with the flywheel strap wrench to prevent the flywheel from turning. Slide the recoil starter cup and washer from the crankshaft by hand..
Keeping this in consideration, how do I know if my flywheel key is sheared?
The symptoms of a sheared flywheel key range widely from a barely noticeable misfire to a no-start condition. In between these extremes the engine may misfire noticeably, run rough, backfire, be difficult to restart hot, or lack power. Advanced timing can cause engine overheating.
how do you remove a flywheel from an engine? The flywheel is held in place by retaining bolts, which you can find in its center. Remove these with a wrench, and then carefully remove the flywheel from the crankshaft by pulling it away. Put the replacement flywheel in its place and replace the retaining bolts, tightening them firmly.
Likewise, what does a flywheel key look like?
The flywheel key is a rectangular metal peg that keeps the crankshaft and flywheel aligned when you tighten the flywheel nut. If the mower blade hits an object with enough force to knock the flywheel out of alignment, the flywheel key breaks, protecting expensive parts such as the crankshaft from damage.
What causes a flywheel key to shear?
? The key is shearing because you're asking it to hold the flywheel in place while running. The key should only be for locating the flywheel correctly before bolting it on. The fly wheel should be held on to the crank by pressing it onto the snout of the crank.
Related Question Answers
What does the flywheel do in a small engine?
What is a small engine's flywheel? The flywheel on your small engine was originally designed to store the momentum from combustion to keep the crankshaft turning in between the engine's power strokes. Flywheels on today's small engines serve several other purposes.What does a flywheel puller do?
A flywheel puller is a tool used to separate the flywheel from the taper on the crankshaft. This is a double-ended flywheel puller. It has different sized thread patterns on either end, allowing it to be used in two different kinds of flywheels.What is a flywheel wrench?
Hold or turn flywheels and flexplates on most vehicles. Use this special wrench to turn the flywheel and rotate the engine. Also holds the flywheel or flexplate when torqueing the flywheel or harmonic balancer bolts.How do you install a flywheel?
Clean the surface of the crankshaft flange using carburetor cleaner and a shop towel. Insert the flywheel back onto the crankshaft while having at least one mounting bolt ready to install. Once installed check the alignment of the remaining bolts because the flywheel can only be mounted one way. 
