How to Take the Flywheel Out of Your Lawn Mower

There may come a time when you have to remove flywheel parts from your lawn mower. This is usually because of a broken flywheel key that needs to be replaced after you have run over something solid. You can remove flywheel parts off of your lawn mower with a few simple tools and the help of a friend.

First make sure that the lawn mower is completely off. Begin by taking off the cover with wrenches or sockets. The most popular size is 5/16, but there are some different types of mowers that are set-up differently. There are different screws and bolts that need to be taken off and you don’t want to confuse one for the other. To avoid this you may want to separate the different kinds of screws and nuts in little plastic baggies or bowls. The next step to remove flywheel parts is to take off the flywheel cover. When you take it off you will find the actual flywheel and a large nut sitting in the middle.

Ask a friend to hold down the flywheel as your remove flywheel bolts from the center. The flywheel should be stuck down and will require prying to get it out. Remove flywheel parts with a screwdriver as a lever. Insert the screwdriver beneath the flywheel nearby the magnet. You can then use a hammer to tap the screwdriver down and further beneath the flywheel to dislodge it.

Replacing the keys on the flywheel is easy, as they are intended to break off if they are put under too much pressure. If your lawn mower has a broken key you can quickly replace it with a new one with just a hammer and a screwdriver. Tap out the broken piece with your tools and prepare your new key. Flywheel keys come in two different shapes, although those with D shaped heads are slightly more difficult to put it. Most of the time you should be able to slide the new key into place exactly where the old one was.

If you have an old flywheel or too many of the keys are broken you may just want to replace the entire piece. Make sure you order the correct size with removable keys so that it is cheaper to fix in the future. Remove flywheel packaging before placing it right back onto the center bolt.

When replacing the parts it is imperative that you put everything back into its proper place. If you don’t you may end up damaging one of your best lawn mowers, and possible even yourself. At the same time you don’t want to tighten the nuts and bolts so tight that you strip them. After you put the flywheel back in place you can put the nut on top and have a friend hold down the flywheel while you screw it in place. Put back on both covers and start up the engine. Never try starting up the engine until both of the covers are securely in place.

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