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Flywheel desperation - please help! Or buy the parts bike I've created...

8K views 48 replies 15 participants last post by  Timbo North Brisbane 
#1 ·
I'm desperate. My previously running 2004 Killer has been in semi-permanent Doohickey-replacement-process for a year. Why?

The flywheel won't come off. I've read every forum I can find, and nothing has worked.

So far...

I stripped 2 Motion Pro flywheel pullers. Then I cut the bad threads off one and attempted a third time this way, with the same result. No movement. I used the giant flywheel retaining wrench for these attempts. I used heat. I packed it with high-pressure grease.

Then I tried the harmonic balancer puller screwed into the holes in the sprag gear (I think that's the name: the gear on the back on the flywheel). The sort of triangular-shaped puller body just bent. The bolts also bent.

I tried a 2-leg gear puller: the puller bent. I replaced it with a 3-leg puller: the puller bent. The flywheel has not moved.

I called two bike shops, one of which has a working relationship with a company I work for; neither shop will touch it.

I've used heavy grease...tried a heat gun for an hour while applying pressure on every type of puller...used a torch...graduated from tapping with a rubber mallet to a hard plastic mallet to finally a hammer.

I assumed at this point I was (at the least) sacrificing the flywheel, if not every bearing and other possible complication of using a hammer on the flywheel...

Then I used an angle grinder to cut deep grooves into the heavy central hub of the flywheel, hoping to allow more expansion while heating. Repeated the pullers.

No movement.

Most recently, I cut two slots into the outer ring of the flywheel and used a heavy straight-leg, 2-arm puller. It just tore the steel of the flywheel. I've attached a photo of this current state; sorry for the poor resolution.

Still no movement of the flywheel.

I assume that some previous owner has been in there and mauled the Woodruff key or hammered on the flywheel crooked or something. It ran ok when I began this "easy" disassembly and Doohickey preventative upgrade.

So...am I selling the bike for parts? Any ideas? Please and thank you. I'm so discouraged.
 

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#5 ·
Specifically, ask Mike (@eaglemike) if he still has, and will loan, his mega-badass-open-a-can-of-whoop-ass-puller. It was extremely heavy duty and used all six of the bolts that go into the sprag clutch.

Failing that, see this:
Add hardened washers to the above solution.
 
#6 ·
Hey Tom. Thanks for the suggestions. The link is one I already read. I tried the puller he used -- and bent both it and the bolts. Flywheel didn't budge.

But "mega-badass-open-a-can-of-whoop-ass-puller," now that sounds like something I need to check into...
 
#7 ·
I've had good luck removing tapered brake drums from old Chrysler products by giving the jacking screw and healthy smack with a large hammer. Crank down on the jacking screw as much as you dare and while in this cranked-down state hit the jacking screw really hard with a large hammer---don't baby it.

Jason
 
#8 ·
I've had good luck removing tapered brake drums from old Chrysler products by giving the jacking screw and healthy smack with a large hammer. Crank down on the jacking screw as much as you dare and while in this cranked-down state hit the jacking screw really hard with a large hammer---don't baby it.

Jason
This makes me feel terrible! Everyone is so helpful...and I just keep dismissing your ideas, but...

Norton, I've done the hammering trick. Here's my process with each attempt with each puller:

1) Pack tight with grease
2) Insert the puller I'm going to destroy today
3) Tighten good and tight, in the neighbourhood of 100 Ft lbs
4) Apply heat for anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, then remove the heat gun or propane torch
5) Smack the end of the puller with a 2 pound hammer several times
6) Tighten puller using a breaker bar with a 3-foot pipe on the end as an extension; smack the puller with the hammer
7) Tighten puller even more, using an air powered impact gun; smack the puller
8) Lather, rinse, repeat, up to (I'm guessing) about 300 Ft lbs
9) Cry
 
#11 ·
I'll suggest that a large part of your problem is your SLOW Heating of the flywheel mounting hub.

I use a medium Welding tip on an oxy/acetylene torch to Quickly heat the hub, and Quickly screw in the puller, tighten and Smack it a time or two! If it doesn't come off, allow it to Cool Down with the puller still installed, overnight. Try again.

Another trick that might work. Is to use an air hammer to Vibrate the tightened puller bolt.

All of these methods may be hard on the RH ball bearing of the crankshaft.
 
#13 ·
I have had success by installing the bolt that holds on the flywheel. Back the bolt off about 1/16th of a turn and while applying outward pressure on the flywheel (a friend pulling out on the flywheel) hit the head of the bolt as hard as you can with a steel hammer. What area of Canada are you in?
 
#20 ·
I have had success by installing the bolt that holds on the flywheel. Back the bolt off about 1/16th of a turn and while applying outward pressure on the flywheel (a friend pulling out on the flywheel) hit the head of the bolt as hard as you can with a steel hammer.
They may work on lawnmower engines & mopeds. But it will Not Work on a KLR650 engine that has been erroneously torqued to possibly 175ft lbs because of specs error in the Original 1987 service manual supplement!
 
#14 ·
I'm sending you all a virtual round of beers in thanks! I'm located in Vancouver, BC, Canada; if you're nearby, I might just make that a real beer....

And I'm making a list of things to try:

1) Hit the tightened puller centre bolt with more force - Norton850 Jason
2) Heat the flywheel mounting hub more quickly before tightening puller and hammering (borrow an oxy/acetylene torch) - pdwestman
3) Apply an air hammer to the tightened puller centre bolt - pdwestman
4) Insert flywheel retaining bolt to 1/16th turn before tight, pull out on flywheel, hammer blow to the bolt head - Klrian

I'm going to try some of these today.
 
#15 ·
If you want a really strong 'extractor', go down to the truck center and buy a 22x1.5 lug bolt and nut. Axe them if they can weld the nut onto the head. The threads are not lathe cut, they are rolled. A fair bit stronger.
 
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#18 ·
threads on the flywheel mounting hub are long gone
I'd be looking for larger heavy duty gear puller, get that on there and latched onto the cut-outs in the old rotor-flywheel, and tighten her down good.
Then bring in the oxy-acet torch and take that nice big blue flame to the center section of the rotor.
You want to only heat up the conical section of the rotor, that's the part that remains in friction fit with the crankshaft (IMHO).
While your buddy is heating that SOB, keep tightening the puller down.

EDIT: From experience, it helps to swear like a sailor. No worries if don't have that formal training.
 
#19 ·
The process I use to get tapered sprockets loose from hydraulic motors as well as stump grinder wheel hubs from gearbox shafts is as follows:

Hydraulic puller, cheapo 10 ton type. Dog it down on the hub and get it under heavy tension. Apply heat to inner hub around shift. As you heat, keep upping the pressure. Once pressure seems critical, take a heavy hammer and a chunky brass punch and hit where the hub fits to shift. Hit HAAAARD. Stand to the side as the release will normally be violent.

This works on grinder hubs that are torqued to around 550 ft/lbs from factory and haven't moved in 20 years of rust and wood chips.

In the end, it always boils down to:HEAT, BEAT, REPEAT. If it doesn't budge, heat hotter, hit harder.
 
#22 ·
The process I use to get tapered sprockets loose from hydraulic motors as well as stump grinder wheel hubs from gearbox shafts is as follows:

Hydraulic puller, cheapo 10 ton type. Dog it down on the hub and get it under heavy tension. Apply heat to inner hub around shift. As you heat, keep upping the pressure. Once pressure seems critical, take a heavy hammer and a chunky brass punch and hit where the hub fits to shift. Hit HAAAARD. Stand to the side as the release will normally be violent.

This works on grinder hubs that are torqued to around 550 ft/lbs from factory and haven't moved in 20 years of rust and wood chips.

In the end, it always boils down to:HEAT, BEAT, REPEAT. If it doesn't budge, heat hotter, hit harder.
That's my new motto for life: Heat. Beat. Repeat.

I'll add the hydraulic puller to the big, "List of Escalation" I'm starting to work through. Thanks!
 
#21 ·
The guys over at Happy-Trails once used an angle Grinder to grind thru a center-hub at the woodruff key slot to remove a stuck flywheel.

Thats a lot of grinding!
 
#26 ·
I agree with you. If the crankshaft and or bearings aren’t already toast then don’t do that. All that hammering can bend the crank if you hit it too hard. A small right angle grinder with a slitting/cut-off wheel used carefully is a piece of cake. If necessary, cut more than one slot as close as possible to the crank. If you place them 180 degrees apart it will fall off. Or, when your slot(s) is close to the crank try carefully driving a chisel into the slot to separate it. I’ve done it. It works.
 
#34 ·
Patience is key here. No need to rush. If you’re nervous about getting too close to the crank just cut most of the material away and you’ll relieve it’s ability to “squeeze” the crank. Stop and retry the puller. Just don’t beat on it. If it doesn’t release just cut a little more. Lather rinse repeat.
 
#35 ·
I had a few hours over the weekend, so I gave it another shot, focusing on the idea of cutting away material from the central hub of the flywheel.

1) Cut away material; cut slits into remaining hub material.
2) Cut two slots on opposite sides to fit a two-leg gear puller (like the pic attached).
3) Heated the flywheel hub with a torch.
4) Cranked on the puller
5) Applied solid, but not excessive, hammer blows to a cold chisel directed into the cuts I made on the hub of the flywheel

Result: the puller tore out the slots I cut into the flywheel, nothing moved. But there's no longer enough material to use the two-leg puller.

I just started cutting away more material. Hopefully I can manage to get the angle-grinder in there enough to eventually just cut it right off.

I should not be allowed to own tools.
 

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#36 ·
Wow, that’s crazy. Was wondering how you were making out. I think I would have lite a match to it by now. Do you have a die grinder? May be easier with a Zip disk and maybe a selection of burrs.
 
#44 ·
Actually, if you don't have the EM puller, I have one laying around doing nothing. Could ship it. On tapered hubs at work, I put a puller on and get it under good tension, then heat the hub and typically a good tap with a bronze hammer pops em free. And we're talking 500 ft/lbs or more of torque on these damn things.
 
#45 ·
Wow, that's a very kind offer. Unfortunately, there's no threads anymore on the flywheel anymore: they stripped out long ago with the first several attempts using pullers, and now they've been cut away.

Thank you, though. The kindness of strangers...and on the internet, too...amazed!
 
#47 ·
Oh, good point. I have not used, or actually ever seen, the legendary Eagle Mike six-bolt super puller. I used the centre bolt style threaded into the flywheel hub, as well as an harmonic-balancer type of puller threaded into first two, then three, of the holes in the gear mounted to the back of the flywheel (sprag gear?)
 
#48 ·
I’m not sure what all the hacking is on that flywheel?? What’s all the random cutting on the outer edges? Maybe I’m just confused by the small fuzzy pictures?
I have followed this entire thread but can’t remember (without re-reading) if you ever got an acetylene torch. It’s hard to imagine you couldn’t pull this off with appropriate heat (not propane torch). If there is no longer anything to attach a puller to I would weld a large nut to the rotor hub then thread a high strength bolt in as a puller against the crank. Heat the hub and pull it off. If only we lived closer together…
If you can’t find the tools to do this you need to find some better friends 😆
 
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