17 replies to this topic

[travellering]

After weeks under extreme torque, heating it with a propane torch until the plate fingers glowed, hammering on the end with a three pound sledge, and utilizing five different languages worth of swear words, the flywheel came off. In approximately 15 seconds after my friend turned on his oxyacetylene torch, bang...

[GenLightening]

 Then more heat.. Oxyacetylene worth the investment? Or will mapp gas get enough on it? I know my propane torch is doing more to suck the oxygen out of the air than it is doing to heat the flywheel before the heat soaks into the crank taper as well..

Mapp gas will be best. Heat just the center flywheel boss that's bolted to the flywheel, but don't get it so hot that you start heating the crank too much. Heat, let cool, heat again and hopefully it will break loose. Mine took everything I could throw at it until I used the Mapp, then it released. And I was doing in with the engine in place....

[Back2mini]

After three weekends of frustration and working progressively up to the FGBH to 'tap' the end, I just pulled my verto flywheel off this evening, following a bit of advice from forum postings and a chat with a mate to get a new perspective.  I had never thought of a fan heater as a piece of workshop equipment.

 

Dismantled the puller (M16 x 50mm grade 8.8 nut and bolt driving ~15mm plate) and greased the driving bolt thread with lithium moly grease.

Backed off the bolts holding the flywheel to the pressure plate so that the clutch was released, to stop heat being sucked through into the flywheel.

Fitted the penny washers and wok bolts at the last minute, as suggested above.

Squirted some water into the hole in the end of the crank to at least keep the temperature below 100 (ever tried soldering a pipe joint with any water in?)

Checked the centring drift that came with my 1980s puller was central and could not foul the taper sleeve.

Fitted the puller and adjusted the three M10 x 100mm grade 8.8 bolts to same length using a vernier. (not obsessively)

Tightened the driving bolt with tubes for leverage (old exhaust tube and scrap steering column outer.  Why do I never throw anything away?)

Set up a fan heater right at the edge of the housing, blowing up across and onto the clutch assembly and rotated the flywheel from time to time.

The temperature seemed to rise much faster than when I had tried heating with a propane/butane torch.

After about 15min and hot to touch, I thought I would see if it could stand a bit more tightening.

1/8 turn and off it came with a bang!

No need to tap it.

 

I hope this helps someone else.