stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

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kfa4303

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So I've seen a few people stuff thick nylon rope into a cylinder when trying to remove a flywheel so that when/if the motor turns as nut is being removed the piston squishes the rope, stops and prevents flywheel from spinning while trying to remove the flywheel nut. I understand the idea in theory, but I'm not so sure it's a good/right thing to do. Any thoughts or experiences with this technique?
 

oldcatamount

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Pull your spark plugs and give it a try! As long as you aren't using a 5 foot pipe on the wrench, I don't think you can do any damage,
 

tashasdaddy

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

what motor???
 

JimS123

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Yeah it'll hurt the motor. NO it won't. Well, go ahead and try it anyway.

A strap wrench costs 6 bucks at Sears. When you buy tools they often come in handy for other jobs as well.

"The right tool for the job"....LOL.
 

boobie

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

I've done it before when I couldn't get my hands on a flywheel holder. You have to bring the cyl to tdc and then rotate past tdc at the same time looking into the cyl so the ports don't open. Don't want ports open so rope gets caught in them. Then feed in all the rope you can and back off flywheel counter-clockwise till it stops and remove the nut. Reverse the procedure to tighten nut.
 

Chinewalker

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

ONLY do this on motors with steel rods! Doing this on a motor with aluminum rods and/or bronze bearings can result in bent connecting rods and flat-spotted bearings. Many smaller motors have aluminum rods than can warp easily...
 

kfa4303

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

1966 33 hp Johnson Outboard. I think I'll just break down and get a strap wrench. I'm a little worried about putting stuff in the cylinders, but saw that other people use this method and it seemed to work albeit on smaller single cylinder model OMCs, and it seemd clever, but I'm not :) so I think I'll just break down and buy the strap wrench..... thanks for the feedback.
 

boobie

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

If your mtr has teeth in the flywheel get a flywheel turner/holder. Much better than a strap wrench.
 

royal0014

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Sounds crazy, but a nylon tie-down strap worked for me. Made 2-3 wraps around the flywheel and hooked to the engine lift ring. Just wrap so the strap tightens as you turn.


<<)))(((>>
 

kenmyfam

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Well I don't think I would try it :eek:
 

nymack66

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Use a air impact gun, it removes it perfectly no need to lock the flywheel ...
 

bktheking

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Use a air impact gun, it removes it perfectly no need to lock the flywheel ...

I second that one, used mine 20 minutes ago on me Merc Gnat! Pulled the flywheel and low and behold, a flywheel key that was disintegrated. Put a new one in, tightener her down and voila- runs like a rolex.

Symptom- backfired when pulled over.
 

emdsapmgr

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

You can purchase an inexpensive flywheel holder at any auto parts store if you don't have access to an air impact gun.
 

trendsetter240

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

I would not use the rope method. Flywheel nuts can be seized on very tight. The torque required to free it could put far too much pressure on that single connecting rod.

As mentioned, spend the 6 bucks for a strap and save your motor!
 

jay_merrill

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Use a air impact gun, it removes it perfectly no need to lock the flywheel ...

This.

I never use anything to remove a flywheel nut - just use the impact tool and they come off easily most of the time. A strap wrench is needed to install the nut, however, because you have to use a torque wrench on the nut.



???
 

F_R

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Torque on that 33hp is 100-105 foot pounds. I have never tried the rope trick, but I can just see in my mind that stuff getting all mashed up in there and can't get it out. (????).

Anyhow, I think it has a flywheel gear. Holding it is a no-brainer.
 

boobie

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

To get the rope out just reverse the direction of the flywheel to pull the pistion away and pull the rope out. For conversation purposes, how much strain is on that rod when the piston fires ?
 

Chinewalker

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

I second that one, used mine 20 minutes ago on me Merc Gnat! Pulled the flywheel and low and behold, a flywheel key that was disintegrated. Put a new one in, tightener her down and voila- runs like a rolex.

A Gnat that runs like a Rolex? Simply getting one to run is an accomplishment!!
 

ronsealdeath

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

The best way I have found to hold the flywheel is to take a ratchet style strap or webbing strap, a nylon one about an inch wide will do the trick. Line it up on the edge of the flywheel and wrap it around two and half times so the end goes underneath the overlapping bit of strap. The flywheel should be rotated to wind on the strap until youve got two and half lengths wrapped around it. Know you will need to know whether your tightening or loosening obviously so you need to make sure the strap is wrapped around in the same direction your going to want it to stop rotating.

Take the end of the strap and wrap it several times around your boats mooring attachment to give an anchor point.

Take a big ratchet or socket wrench, hook her up to the flywheel nut and start loosening/tightening. Make sure the strap stays nice and straight and flush with the edge of the flywheel. I've easily got 105lbs doing this way and the flywheel never ever budges. I have loads of webbing straps lieing around as I use them attach the boat to the trailer, canoes to the car, surfboards to the car etc....!

Don't bother with a strap wrench, you wont get a good enough anchor point without another person to help. You can do this on your own.

Oh yeah, you need a flywheel with a fairly thick edge for this to be really effective I guess?

Cheers
 

eavega

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Re: stuffing cylinders with nylon rope to remove flywheel nut??

Sounds crazy, but a nylon tie-down strap worked for me. Made 2-3 wraps around the flywheel and hooked to the engine lift ring. Just wrap so the strap tightens as you turn.

This is how I have always done it. Removed 10 HP, 20 HP, 50 HP, and 70 HP flywheel this way. The 10 didn't have teeth on the flywheel, but it still worked. Of course, it torques down less than the 50...

-E
 
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