Damaged Flywheel Question

[beansdaddy78]

i took the cover off a new (to me) motor i picked up last night, and i noticed that two fins on the flywheel are damaged.

my questions :

how much damage is acceptable to still be used on a kart?

does having a damaged fin put me or a rider in danger?

most important is rider safety

 

[kendelrk]

When I broke a fin off the flywheel of a briggs flathead, it threw the motor out of balance and shook horribly , not to sure of danger but I got a new one. What engone is this? Flywheels can come cheap on ebay, maybe if your planning some mods you could go billet and tell the wife: well I needed a flywheel, this is extra saftey

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Do NOT use a visibly damaged 'wheel. Not only can an out-of-balance condition cause chaos, but you have no idea WHY it is damaged, or whether there is non-visible damage. Even governed, it could scatter. Ashcan it immediately.

 

[beansdaddy78]

Do NOT use a visibly damaged 'wheel. Not only can an out-of-balance condition cause chaos, but you have no idea WHY it is damaged, or whether there is non-visible damage. Even governed, it could scatter. Ashcan it immediately.

thanks guys, i was about to go out and test ride it, it is on a 5hp briggs. i do have an aluminum flywheel that i guess i could swap it out for. but im throwing the damaged flywheel into the scrap pile

when i opened this motor to remove the governer i found that it was snapped off and part was laying on the bottom of the block.

does anybody have any ideas why the governer would break like that??? just wondering in case there may be another problem that causes that, that i should fix right away

 

[qtband]

The PO probably disconnected the governor, but didn't remove it. That's a no-no. The internals hit the crank at high revs and broke it apart. JMO.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

The PO probably disconnected the governor, but didn't remove it. That's a no-no. The internals hit the crank at high revs and broke it apart. JMO.

Bingo. I have had this happen to me- SO, it's not speculation or guess work, it can and will happen.

EDIT- Have a read here.

 

[mckutzy]

I might even suggest damaging the broken flywheel further, to render it quite unusable. Someone down the road might want to fix there motor and eventually find this and then have some big bang or other happenings. Just thinking.

 

[OzFab]

Good idea It's like cutting the plug off damaged electrical appliances

 

[mckutzy]

Thats right, and I do that too. Sadly these days you have to think of these things.

 

[souperman000]

I might even suggest damaging the broken flywheel further, to render it quite unusable. Someone down the road might want to fix there motor and eventually find this and then have some big bang or other happenings. Just thinking.

Good idea It's like cutting the plug off damaged electrical appliances

And you can have some fun with a piece o' junk and a big sledge hammer .

 

[beansdaddy78]

sounds good ill smash it .

 

[mckutzy]

Cast iron is weird though. Some times you can beat the living snot out if it and then some days take a drop on the floor and it explodes into a million pieces.

Have fun watch your eyes though.

 

[beansdaddy78]

ok i want to try to change the flywheel this morning. i took off the engine cover and wanted to get to the flywheel but on the end of the shaft is the metal thing that spins on the end one direction and locks in the other.

HOW DO i remove that piece off the end of the shaft???

 

[South Kart3377]

ok i want to try to change the flywheel this morning. i took off the engine cover and wanted to get to the flywheel but on the end of the shaft is the metal thing that spins on the end one direction and locks in the other.

HOW DO i remove that piece off the end of the shaft???

by using one of these http://www.rcpw.com/briggs-stratton-recoil-starters-parts/750133.html and a proper sized socket.

 

[OzFab]

on the end of the shaft is the metal thing that spins on the end one direction and locks in the other.

That's called a starter clutch.

You can go out & buy an expensive tool that you may only ever use once or twice or you could take it to your local mower shop (they should have the tool) & ask them if they can undo it for you (warning: they may want to charge you) or (& most of the guys wouldn't agree with this but I've done it a few times) you can use a drift & a hammer (I can hear them screaming at me already .

You will notice there is a round lug on either side of the clutch. Place a metal drift on it & carefully give it a few sharp taps with a hammer. Try to stay as close to square as you can. You need to be extremely careful not to damage the fins or the clutch

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I have used the drift method, and I have also used a chain wrench.