[PRattenbury]

Hi, guys! Got my Buttercup at the house last week. I was told when I bought it the engine would not turn. Fair enough, I didn't mind. Buttercups are cool to me. Anyway, I took the starter housing/shoud off. Then I removed the blade and muffler. Looks like I need to remove the flange that the blade mounts to. It doesn't look like a tapered shaft type of deal where I'd just give the flange a sharp rap and it would dislodge. I could be wrong, I dunno. Anyway, does anyone know how to get that part off, so I can get the engine free of the deck and then see about pulling the flywheel off and maybe getting the cylinder apart?? Thanks for any advice.

 

[tgore3]

Should be a tapered shaft with the regular collar:050:

 

[PRattenbury]

So I should be able to just give it a sharp rap in the counterclockwise direction looking up at it from underneath? What if that doesn't work? Can I put a puller on it and get it off that way? It doesn't seem to want to let go, and I'm not much for beating things with a hammer.

 

[tgore3]

I hate to have to beat on those things too. Some folks use pullers, some folks heat them up then give the a good tap. Sometimes I get tired of it and just cut or drill it off and put on a new one.

If they don't come off within a couple good hits I heat them up then they usually came off. You want to heat the collar, not the shaft if you try that. It a sacrificial part, just don't damage the crank of course :00000060:

Hope this helps, I'm sure some others will jump in and give some more tricks to getting them off.

When going back together I always clean up both tapers real good and use ant-seize lube then torque to about 50lbs.

 

[PRattenbury]

I think I'll put the puller on it and see how that works with some tapping.

 

[BigChevy80]

I heat the adapter with a propane torch and then spray WD-40 on the joint between the collar and shaft. Then I heat it up again and smack it with a hammer. This method will let the WD-40 get sucked into the joint by capillary action.

In all the years I've been messing with these things, I have never had one that didn't come off using this method.

 

[PRattenbury]

Well, didn't try to get that flange off yet. But I did get the flywheel off, and the ignition plate(?). Then I managed to get the cap off the conn rod and slide the jug with rod out of the block. Reason the engine was stuck was due to the piston being stuck in the jug. Should I beat on it with a wood dowel or something to try and unstick it? Or should I not bother and get a replacement cylinder/piston/rod assembly?

 

[imaLawnBoyFreak]

when a piston is seized to the cylinder i put a socket extension down the spark plug hole and hit that with a hammer. Try taking the piston out. You have nothing to loose.

 

[PRattenbury]

Snap-On or Craftsman? :ROF

 

[Croc]

Before you go beating on that thing, try lubing that piston with a rust remover like PB blaster in an aerosol can. If you let that piston soak in the cylinder with PB blaster, you could maybe salvage the piston, PB blaster has worked many wonders for me.

 

[imaLawnBoyFreak]

I used a snap on lol. I save the craftsman to use. lol.

I agree with croc too. Try pb blaster out

 

[PRattenbury]

I had it soaking in PB Blaster for 2 weeks. I forgot I had it in there. Got the jug off the block, took the plug out, and a good pint of PB Blaster dumped on the garage floor. :-( Anyways, I had a cheapo 3/8 drive 6" extension, so I stuck that in the plug hole, took my 3 pound hammer and beat on it. It came out. I buggered the threads for the plug, but if I can find out what thread that is I can clean that up. The cylinder wall didn't look bad. The piston was a little scuffed. But not gouged. The rings were horrible. Corrosion on the 'bottom' of the piston tells me it just stuck from sitting. There was lots of play between the rod and crank, and a little at the wrist pin. No side play in the crank to speak of, but it would move up and down a lot. Not sure what controls that, but the flywheel was already off when I noticed. I'd bet the cylinder and piston could be cleaned up. Maybe new bearings would solve the play in the big end of the rod? This isn't a huge job or anything, but I am one to do things once so that I don't have to do it again. Guess being an aircraft mechanic for a few years will make you that way. Can't afford failures mid-flight because the mechanic did a half-*** job. Guess that carried over to anything I wrench on. I guess I should get a piston, rings, rod and bearings at a minimum, if they can be had.