# Need tips on *stuck* flywheel - Briggs 16 HP



## veeguy (Jun 9, 2014)

I have a Briggs 326400 16 HP cast iron engine with a stuck flywheel. I've already broken two pullers and now have a third one on it. The flywheel nut is totally off and there is nothing holding the flywheel on other than the friction on the taper. The key doesn't appear to be sheared and there doesn't seem to be any corrosion on the shaft or flywheel that is visible.

I've tried it dry followed by every pen. oil I have. I've hit it with Kroil, WD-40, PB Blaster, the new Freeze Spray penetrating oil combo all to no avail. I've hit the shaft it with a Babbitt hammer while under tension with the puller, and hammered it with a hardwood block cushion using a steel hammer. 

I've heated the flywheel with my torch. Froze the shaft with R-134A *and* heated the flywheel AND froze the shaft at the same time. No dice. Nothing seems to budge it a micron. I don't know what to try next, but If I had some C-4, I'm about ready to try that.

Any ideas out there?


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Are you using the Briggs,2-bolt puller ? If so, use the one with no center hole,and no center bolt,and tighten the bolts evenly,until it puts pressure on the end of the crankshaft.
Then tap on the center of the puller. Re tighten and tap , again.


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## JD100 (Feb 23, 2013)

I would use what I call a burp gun its basically a mini handheld jack hammer with a round bar bit. You wouldn't believe what a bit of vibration would do.


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## veeguy (Jun 9, 2014)

*Stuck flywheel*



jhngardner367 said:


> Are you using the Briggs,2-bolt puller ? If so, use the one with no center hole,and no center bolt,and tighten the bolts evenly,until it puts pressure on the end of the crankshaft.
> Then tap on the center of the puller. Re tighten and tap , again.


That did the trick! I didn't have the "official" B&S puller, so I made one from a piece of 4" long piece of 1.5" X 1/2" bar stock. The first three pullers were conventional 2 arm center bolt type, 2 of which broke. 

In the end, your suggestion to use a solid center design and to tighten equally, did the job. It wasn't a matter of brute strength rather it was of enough force applied correctly. Gave each bolt 1/2 turn at a time followed by tapping with a hammer. On the third round off popped the flywheel.

Thanks for the tip.

I would have gotten the engine back together but my brother in law stopped by to borrow some tools and that shot the rest of the evening. You wouldn't have any tips for how to handle that, do you?


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Glad I could help .


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