Is A Nylon Rope A Good Chainsaw Tool For Flywheel & Clutch Removal?

Donyboy73 shows you the correct way to use a nylon rope to remove your chainsaw clutch!
Is A Nylon Rope A Good Chainsaw Tool For Flywheel & Clutch Removal?
In this video donyboy73 shows you how to remove a chainsaw clutch by using a nylon rope to lock the engine. This method if done correctly is an extremely good method to remove chainsaw clutches and flywheel nuts!
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Piston stops used in video
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#donyboy73 #stihl #husqvarna

[@lovestihlquality1369]

Never thought about pulling slack on starter cord. That was true nugget.

[@user-ud5mq8ch3s]

The best tutorial on piston stop I have seen, thx man

[@robcole332]

I can’t say enough about your videos. They are always excellent. They are so in-depth and clearly explained. The cut away was awesome. Had I never worked on these, you make us feel so confident after watching that people would feel better about working on them. You even teach this old dog new tricks. Thank you so much for the time you take out of your life to make your videos so enjoyable and informative. Thanks and may God bless you in all you do

[@donyboy73]

thanks Rob, have a good weekend!

[@fer7ll]

I totally agree! Amaizine!!! I have watched the video and I did it. It was perfect and give to me a lot of confidence.

[@stevephillips1712]

By far the best explanation for the rope and piston I have seen. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom.

[@josephrich6014]

Been using rope as a piston stop for a few years on my mopeds and small engines. Only had one get stuck, was able to turn flywheel backwards and get it out. Got lucky. Will use your screwdriver trick from now on. Thanks for the tip.

[@andrewgoddard1789]

You make it so easy too understand Don... cheers from new zealand 🍻

[@rverro8478]

I've done it decades ago, when I changed valve springs on my old car.

[@ericvaughn1126]

Thanks for the tips, Don! I've used rope a fair number of times and never got one stuck, but I'll be wiser and start with the piston above the ports next time. Appreciate your time, effort and commitment to educating your subscribers!

[@brianbanks3044]

Love the cutaway view...in auto school, our teacher had a bunch of these and it gave everyone a clear view of what happens inside or the part...great teaching video Don!!!

[@thebradleysoncatbirdhill6849]

By far, the best video ever showing this procedure!👍👍👍

[@noahriedel801]

You're a wonderful teacher Dony. You take your time to explain everything thoroughly. Iv watched you for over 10 years now

[@canoetipper019]

thanks for the informative video...that cut away really is a great training aid.

[@Lovinflyindrones2022]

Great video as always. I’ve been watching you for years now. Love your channel

[@donyboy73]

have a good weekend William!

[@jimbennett7248]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I converted a Stihl 015 from a 1/4" chain to 3/8". I used a rope to lock the piston but didn't know enough to position the piston correctly. Well, the rope ended up in the exhaust port, but I was able to remove the clutch. While reassembling the saw I happened to take the muffler off to check for carbon deposits and discovered a two inch piece of rope in the muffler. The piston had severed the rope off where it entered the port. Luckily, no harm to the saw but I vowed to never try that again. Until, after watching this video, I'm confident I can do it properly now. THANK YOU!

[@johnclarke6647]

I seldom lock the cylinder when pulling the clutch off. I use my impact with the right size socket and it will usually spin the clutch right off. The only time I may lock the cylinder is when torquing the flywheel nut . However I usuall put them on with my impact, too. I give them several raps, which is usually sufficient to put the flywheel nut on tight. I do put some blue Loctite on the crank threads before tightening the nut with the impact. I have never had one work loose this way. On Husqvarna saws you need to use a clutch removal tool instead of a socket. I tighten clutches with my impact, too.

[@j31355a]

What a gift for teaching you have. Well done.

[@jjjuarez312]

Very important information!!! Good job brother...

[@redmodelaguy4778]

Your videos have always been very good, but now you’re raising the level still higher!

[@No2gunBan]

Really helpful information about doing it this way. Thanks for doing this video

[@covinhas87]

I was just about to write a comment asking about impact tools, and you just came up with an impact talking about it. 😄 Great video!

[@user-cq8hz1sj8g]

Your video is worth two dozen videos I've seen before

[@jimstelljes3925]

A great illustration video. Thanks for sharing.

[@vetterfellow]

Thanks, DB73, Great info, and how to video 👍

[@robstone5333]

You showed this years ago and I’ve done it ever since. I think it’s key that as much rope as possible be used. Doing this will keep piston travel to a minimum.

[@beliddel]

Awesome video, well planned and executed. I’ve learned the hard way all the pitfalls and tips that you covered. I’ve never come across a video on this topic that was more thorough. Wish it had been made before I started tinkering w/ saws. I will definitely bookmark it and share with others. Terrific job.

[@lovestihlquality1369]

Awesome video. Top notch describing and showing.

[@donmayberryjrsOPE]

Great video Dony! If you don't have the piston stop tool this is way to do it!

[@elcheapo5302]

Great vid, Don. I liked the cutaway. Many many moons ago when I worked in an OPE shop, we used an old starter rope from a larger (8+hp) engine. Fed in a bunch of it, never had it get stuck; didn't even know that was a thing.

[@kjell-richardlvdal373]

Very good lesson, specially with the Split block

[@canuinti]

Excellent explanation. Thank you.

[@IronMan-ml5yi]

Sir, thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world, you truly are a saint.

[@fer7ll]

Such a teacher!!! Thank you very much 💜🙏

[@billsmith1770]

good tips . i had never thought about getting the rope caught in a port , i have thought about maybe a smaller rope somehow tying itself in a knot (murphy's/bill's law) and being unable to get it out though . thanks for taking the time to make the cutaway , it made it much easier to understand exactly what's going on inside .

[@Demon-rq5de]

Thanks. Very well explained

[@ghislaingiguere8974]

Quel bon vidéo !!! Très instructif lâche pas ton bon travail Cheers

[@mitchz.6234]

Great tips and tricks Don....thanks much!!!

[@shsechas]

Been subbed to your channel for many years now. Just stopped by to thank you for all you help.

[@donyboy73]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@muffinthepug2358]

Excellent advice as per usual. Well done for taking the time to do a cylinder cut away so that people can really see and understand what's happening.

[@donyboy73]

how's your Pug, one of my favorite dogs!

[@muffinthepug2358]

@@donyboy73 very well thanks but totally spoiled by my wife ;)

[@jamesb7224]

Really liked looking into a destroyed engine. Always amazing that people don't keep up with the maintenance on their equipment

[@thomaswalker842]

Awesome video thanks for the in depth dest

[@pwleppa]

Excellent video. Thank you. 👍

[@nfuryboss]

Great presentation!

[@williamwhite9321]

Awesome information as always 👍

[@gordsmith7708]

Great video man ! Cheers 🍻

[@billarroo1]

Interesting information, THANKS

[@hphillips7425]

Good tip and explained well

[@MateuszBPM]

hi , you described everything very well . I also plan to record a film of this type of blocking the piston, here for Polish viewers. very good job, regards.😎🖐👍

[@darrenoftheNorth]

Great video thanks. Love the t shirt !!

[@toshivirgongullie1831]

Best explanation 👍👍

[@steveriggenbach90]

Great video. If you don’t have anything, I’ve used a very small piece of vbelt. It mimics the plastic stop. I’ll admit, first time, many years ago. Fibers got stuck and had to remove the muffler. Makes you remember LOL.

[@joeortiz3455]

Well demonstated!

[@thomasroche164]

Awesome video!

[@fdognini]

Excellent video

[@carlsmallmotors1114]

Love the videos

[@jensenwilliam5434]

Thank s Don!!!

[@08crna]

Great video

[@voyt5729]

Thanks!

[@nidalsultan]

Very beneficial video. Thanks! For me i prefer the nylon rope. I don't trust the plastic stops much I'm afraid they could brake up into the cylinder if they are not 100% compatible with the chainsaw and it'll be a huge mess to remove.

[@brittweir8844]

Fantastic job sir, I searched for quite a while before I found this.👍. My Stihl ms360 came with a lockup tool,but I’m not sure if it is safe😃

[@alanross3435]

Hey bro, I could go on and on about this video, but all I’ll say is you’re the best!!! ☮✌🏻

[@donyboy73]

have a good weekend Alan!

[@robertwilliams3983]

Some of the repair videos on Utube say be sure the piston is in the down position & insert the rope. I did this once & got the rope hung in the cylinder. I was afraid of breaking the rings. I kept moving the piston up & down & finally got the rope free.

[@100vg]

Thanks for mentioning the Impact Wrench because I was going to ask. What are your thoughts about using heat shrink tubing on the rope tip instead of melting and squeezing while turning to shape a pointy tip? About an inch (25mm) should do it, if it's OK. Seems that would further minimize strands left behind and also ease insertion, as long as the rope isn't too big so the heat shrink doesn't catch and pull off inside. Understanding that a piston stop tool would be better, but just asking. I have a new, so far unused 20 inch chainsaw, but I'll have to work with the clutch some day. I also have a 4 cycle Troy-Bilt Powerhead with weed eater, edger, pole saw and tiller attachments which will need work some day. This was a great tutorial, Don! The cutaway really made things clear. That was genius! You covered every step and every possibility. Thank you!

[@scarney29]

Exceed video, thanks!

[@thinkingimpaired5663]

Yes

[@DdD-pi8jw]

Good video. I prefer a cotton or poly rope.

[@Jesabel_Cat]

Good video

[@gregwilson9035]

Hi Dony, those ports at the side of the cylinder are technically referred to as ‘transfer ports’. They transfer the fuel/oil charge, which is compressed in the crankcase (by the piston moving down), into the cylinder. All 2 strokes have transfer ports.

[@ryanbruner8928]

Great video! I've always used a nylon rope,I think I've only used a dedicated piston stop 3 or 4 times,ever?

[@christophercolt1361]

Dony! Can you show the use of the plastic Stihl Piston Stop in action in your Cross- Sectioned Chainsaw Model?

[@HomeImProveMentHow]

Thank you you have explained this very well I appreciate You doing this video, This is not my expertise. ... I'll be back by for now. Can I just picked up A? Stilh ms180. Chainsaw.

[@user-jq8rq2me5o]

Awesome as Always ! TYTY

[@ArdGeal]

Excellent video-I watched someone elses video and they just stuffed the rope in with no care... I used to own many two stroke Yam RD 125/250/350LC/YPVS back in the day, which I stripped the top ends on, and my first thought was "huh- what about the transfer/exhaust ports!" Suppose if you were careful you could use a non metallic pick and feel for the top edges of the transfer/exhaust ports as you move the piston from TDC, then measure the stroke to TDC.... That'll let you know the height(rope thickness) you have to work with. Or find TDC, drop the piston 5/16" and cram a 1/4" rope in and it should be good to go.... (Ports would act as a guillotine on a rope I reckon and then you are in deep sh*t!!!)

[@mikeholt7087]

Great vid. But to keep risk to a minimum why not take exhaust off and use a piston stop or even piston stop in place of spark plug.

[@sanctealphonse4510]

I've found a sharp whack is better than slow steady pressure. I've bent a connecting rod once on a chainsaw by using constant force with rope in the cylinder. A strong impact would work or your ratchet but with sharp quick blows, not steady pressure.

[@GmGarlo]

Ton of info in 18 minutes!!! LIKE LIKE LIKE !!!

[@TheReal1953]

To avoid the problem of a rope finding a port, I use a V-belt, cut, that will just push through the spark plug hole. Still a good idea though to know where your piston position is.

[@jakester455]

Excellent, Dony, thanks! I was wondering if it's okay to just pull the muffler and put a soft wood dowel into the exhaust port? Or would that cock the piston too much compared to the rope?

[@DavidBergman1776]

I got it stuck in the ports once. It's when I used a smaller rope rather than a fairly large one (around diameter of spark plug hole). I was lucky that it was basically a clamshell, and was able to punch the piston out.

[@dean-543]

Great tip. Not too fun to get that rope stuck.

[@ainodekam3785]

Good pointed.

[@bmp0149]

Suggestion to remove the rope, turn the crank to unload the rope, just a tad, rope comes out easy and you dont risk ripping bits off. Just one question - why use such a big diameter rope ? I've always used thick starter cord (like 3/16" 5mm) which is easier to feed into cylinder and coil around the edge of cylinder (thats my aim to put an even load around the piston crown)... I guess the rope puts the piston a bit futher away from tdc = more leverage on crank, cant think why else ? Nice video, very informative. I much prefer the nylon rope method to anything else including plastic piston stop.

[@nutthrower4415]

I realize this is off subject but would you have a video on replacing the rubber dampers on the lower handle for a Stihl 011 AVT? For the life of me there just not setting in right what I ordered off of Amazon which might be the problem, any help would be appreciated Thanks

[@kristmadsen]

Any tips for getting a stuck clutch off a stihl saw? I had a 2' breaker bar on the wrench and couldnt get the thing off.

[@fire7765]

Don you can use a endoscope to look inside the cylinder if you have one.

[@donyboy73]

yes u can

[@landmark4928]

I've been allways lucky now I can be gauranteed thanks to cool

[@fidelcantu5735]

what's up donny I have subscribed to your channel for some time and I had some doubts about the angles when you sharpen the chainsaw chain First of all, I know and the manual indicates that the angle of the disc must be between 55 to 60, what would happen if the angle was very low, say 40, or very high, say 70? In the chain cutting angle, almost usually it should go to 30, what would happen if we make it higher or lower, say 35 or 15? thank you dony I hope and you can answer me....

[@edwardkawecki8101]

Hey everyone, don't miss Donyboy's newest video coming soon. Donyboy takes a shower and discovers he is now DonyMan! Just a joke, all in fun. Always great and informative videos, thank you.

[@alexk6745]

What about 4 stroke engine with valves. Is it safe to use rope? If so, at what cycles it is safe to use it?

[@eddieb9110]

Can you use 550 cord for a small saw like a 355T?

[@nidalsultan]

I just broke an echo cs4400 piston while using the same way. I didn't use the metal piston stop thinking that the rope is safer. However the clutch was too hard that the piston got cracked :( let me know your advise plz and if it had occurred with you before.

[@JP-mz5rz]

With my ms194t i just use impact and it comes right off ?

[@richardcromptonjr7512]

While using a metalmpiston stop, be careful if you are using an impact , that you select the right direction, fortunately I did this while removing my clutch was being removed. I broke the piston head of theconeci was going to replace. Rember left loosey doesnt respond to clutchy!

[@beliddel]

Don, One question for you on the metal piston stops. I’ve used those on some saws and they did result in a very small divit mark in the top of the piston, but didn’t remove any material. Wondering if that actually causes an potential issue, and if that’s not the damage you were indicating could be concern with a metal piston stop, could you explain how those could cause more significant damage? Could it possibly deform or crack the piston? Thanks in advance for your feedback….again, excellent video for us chainsaw geeks!

[@leifvejby8023]

You are fine, but I've seen cracked pistons caused by the piston stops, so take care. I have used an old starter cord for like 40 years, as much as I could stuff into the cylinder, but always made sure the exhaust port was closed before inserting it.

[@EVILDR235]

Unrelated question. I have a Briggs 6hp 190 Intek engine. I don't want to open it if I don't have to. Does it have a metal camshaft gear and cam lobes or the prone to fail plastic ones ? Did they make both at some point and if Briggs did, can the plastic parts be replaced with the all metal ones ? Thank you in advance.

[@Fallingleaftreeservice]

Do you have to keep on the clutch to remove the fly wheel?

[@guyin916]

I shared this with the Home Depot Rental community. You brought up many points that I know will help others in the future. I'm guilty of using impacts and learned early on the hard way. We live and learn. 🖖🏼

[@bobgallerie3694]

bought a nylon piston stop for $8 used it several times paid for itself

[@barnabyjones7823]

I just use my battery impact.

If I remember correctly, You can remove clutch with impact driver without using rope or piston stopper.

[@donyboy73]

you can and i have to admit I have done it myself but there is a risk of breaking the key that is built into the flywheel

[@brettgallagher259]

Can’t you use an impact drill ?