Flywheel & Baseplate Removal?

[John1952]

I am once again having problems with the Featherweight, so I decided to follow the instructions in FAQ's and remove the flywheel and base-plate, without any problems!
However on refitting I find that the flywheel is very tight and very hard to turn.
Have I missed something or done something wrong??
Sorry to be a pain!

[charlesp]

Let me get this straight. You have removed the flywheel, and the baseplate. You have reassembled the thing and the flywheel is very stiff?

When you whacked the top nut to loosen the crankshaft taper and flywheel joint, was the gearbox sitting on the ground. or supported by the suggested method of getting a mate to hold the motor up by the flywheel?

[cahillp3]

ooooo i think i may have done that, I had my girlfriend hold the flywheel so it was sitting up off the base plate, not the gear box off the ground, havent put it back together so not sure if done damage

Nice bit of info there charlesp

Paul

(Edit)
Just had a look at the manual there, doesnt say for the gear box to be lifted. just the impression that the flywheel should be lifted that little bit. maybe this should be introduced into the manuals for the uneducated like myself who are just learning as we go along:)

[charlesp]

I don't have a manual to hand, having the results of two house moves in my office.

So which one have you been looking at guys? I can't find the bit in the FAQs where it talks about hammers and the like...

[billyboy]

doesnt say for the gear box to be lifted.

no ...... but it does say it is a two MAN job! if the motor isnt held above the ground then when you whack the shaft it has nowhere to go.not an easy job for a man to hold on let alone the missus. hope there isnt too much damage

[Todd]

... on refitting I find that the flywheel is very tight and very hard to turn.

I know from experience that overtightening the baseplate fixing screw can bind the crank bushing. Try backing it off and see if things don't loosen up a bit.

[John1952]

I followed these instructions EXACTLY, Click here to see a diagram of the flywheel in the FAQ'S
removal of flywheels magnetos--- all models.
http://www.saving-old-seagulls.co.uk/faq/flywheel.htm

[billyboy]

i removed my first flywheel a couple of months ago.as the motor had already been mostly disassembled,i decided to sit on the ground with my legs crossed holding the power unit (minus tank) a few inches off the ground. i then tightened the dome nut by hand and shut my eyes while my two mates took turns in swinging a big hammer down between my precariously placed thumbs which were trying to retain the flywheel in position and at the same time supporting the weight with my elbows resting on my knees.this of course placed the thing closer to my body and the hammer wasnt missing my head by much either! none of us had any idea how hard the nut had to be hit so we supposed when it didnt work that we would have to whack it harder .in the end the guys were standing up and swinging the hammer over their shoulders as hard as they possibly could. pretty scary stuffi can tell you! after about a dozen attempts (and a new dome nut of course) i realised that i hadnt removed the bloody pulley plate!!! i could hardly believe how easy the job was when i did! guess who wont be making that mistake again! so i was effectively doing the same thing as cahill.....the shaft was never going to shift with the plate still on which i already knew and understood of course but just forgot at the time. on second thoughts paul....... might not be a good idea to give her the hammer either!
N.B..........THE ABOVE PROCEDURE IS NOT RECOMMENDED!!

[John1952]

Ha! billyboy, thanks for making me laugh this morning
Looking back to my last post, the only thing I did differently was;
I took the base-plate and flywheel off together!
I held onto the base-plate, with fingers firmly on the underside, and the nut was struck a couple of firm blows with the hammer and off they came!!

[billyboy]

hey john....that almost sounds like cheating after what i went through! thought somebody would have a bit of a giggle though. cheers!

[cahillp3]

Also Guilty for not removing the pulley plate untill a few strikes later. Wow, Scary stuff billy, i mean im dedicated to the cause but jasus...

[John1952]

Also Guilty for not removing the pulley plate untill a few strikes later. Wow, Scary stuff billy, i mean im dedicated to the cause but jasus...

oops sorry!

[John1952]

Has nobody had this problem I am experiencing?

[RickUK]

Hello John - quite usual for everyone to go off at a tangent and not address the original question!

Sound like something doesn't line up since you reassembled it or is fouling - only thing you can do is go back through the assembly in reverse order and try to ascertain the point where something is locked up.
As you took the flywheel and baseplate off together, I assume the flywheel was not locked too hard onto the crankshaft, and that you loosened or removed the screw whcih locks the baseplate in position on the upper crankase half?
If you whacked the end of the crank very hard, it is possible to bend the crank, which would cause the flywheel to turn with a wobble if you are able to turn it at all, or bend the conrod. The crank should be at bottom dead centre when whacking the crankshaft to minimise stress on the conrod during dismantling.

If the rest of the motor is together, take of all the flywheel assembly again and see if you can turn the engine over - either via the prop or by putting the flywheel nut on and turning with a spanner. If it is tight at this point, this would suggest something other than the flywheel assembly is amiss.
If this is all OK, put the baseplate only back on, make sure it is seated on the step on the crankcase, and lock on with the screw into its appropriate 'ole. Check you still have rotation. try the flywheel back on ensuring that the woodruff key has not moved and is jamming the crank in some way, and that the flywheel seats correctly. is it still OK?
Try this lot and send a message saying what you have found/not found.

[John1952]

Hi Rick, thanks for your post, and you are so right and its frustrating when, as you say, people go off on a tangent! (no offence meant)
From the onset this little bugger has been a pain!
Have you read all my previous post on this featherweight from the start?
This little engine has had, to me, compared to my other 4 engines, a lot more compression!
As I couldn't solve the very hard starting problems, having tried everything!!!!!
I decided to change the whole flywheel assembly.
Yes I did unscrew the screw which locks the base-plate in position on the upper crankcase half.
The crank was at BDC on removal.
I cannot turn the engine with the prop, its too hard!
I can turn the engine with a spanner using the top nut, there is no wobble or tight spots just very tight all round, no way can I use the pull cord !
Look forward to your reply,
John.