How to Replace Your Mower Flywheel and Its Keys

On a lawnmower you have flywheel keys that are created to break off if they hit something. This will usually stop the engine from starting. Another symptom that you have a broken flywheel key is that the string you pull on to start the motor will pull itself away from you. The purpose of the flywheel key is to hold the flywheel in the proper position. However in some cases you may have to perform a flywheel replacement or a flywheel key replacement as part of your lawn mower maintenance.

You will need to start by removing the grass shield as well as the engine cover of the lawn mower. The bolts that will need to be removed are usually 5/16 of an inch. However some manufactures use different sizes so you will need to have several sockets just in case the size is different. Remember to turn the bolts counterclockwise to remove them.

Next you will need to remove the flywheel covering. This is usually done best with socket wrenches. In some cases you may need to use a normal wrench if you’re unable to fit a socket in over the bolt. You’ll be able to easily identify the flywheel replacement that you’ll need to make. There should be the flywheel and the nut of the flywheel sticking up. You should have someone hold the flywheel and the holder while you’re unscrewing the center bolt.

Next you’ll need to have a hammer and a screwdriver. You can use these to remove the flywheel by simply putting the screwdriver on the magnet side of the flywheel. Then you will need to tap on the other side as you pry the screw driver upward. This may take some practice to get it off however it shouldn’t be too difficult.

If you’re replacing the flywheel then your flywheel replacement ends here as you can put the new flywheel on and then proceed to put the mower back together. However if you’re replacing the flywheel keys then you’ll have to go through a few more steps. You will need to use the hammer and screwdriver again to tap the broken flywheel key out of the hole. The key is located inside the hole in the center of the flywheel. Be gentle when you’re taping at the key so that you don’t damage anything. If you place the screwdriver at the bottom end of the key and tap it then it the other side should lift up allowing you to grab it and remove it.

At this stage in the flywheel replacement you should be able to install the new flywheel key. You should be able to slide the key right in. The final step in the flywheel replacement or key replacement is to bolt everything back on in the reverse order that you took it off. Flywheel replacement is easy if you have a few tools like wrenches and sockets and a little bit of time to complete the job and you’ll be saving money doing it yourself.

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