How to replace flywheel key on lawn mower

[@lzh3131]

Finally! You answered my question, 20+ videos later. Great job explaining the best location to pry up on the fly wheel! Good Job! 12 yrs. and you’re still helping solve problems!👍👍👍

[@danacarter6543]

I have watched many videos on this repair, and yours is the most informational! It is the only one to actually show what a sheared key looks like, and how to replace it!

[@nolan615]

Looked through a half-dozen videos before I found yours. Told and SHOWED me exactly what I needed to know. Thank you for those great close-up shots.

[@waylonbandit3258]

Great Video!! Right on the money step by step. Had a 6.5 HP B&S push mower that I had repaired and tuned 3 years ago for $78. The VERY FIRST time I mowed the lawn I hit a rock and slowly it ran lousy for a few runs, then wouldn't run at all. I was so pissed I decided to buy a used Lawn Tractor but still tried to start the push mower each year with no success. Finally decided to take it apart myself and found your video. Sure enough..exactly what is wrong...key is almost sheared in half and the top of the shear off key way. Have to get a key but am positive it will run after. Thanks so much for your time and video!

[@malcolmt7883]

You just saved me the price of a bolt puller! All I did was apply constant pressure with the pry-bar while tapping the bolt a little, rotating, tap some more-went around twice and it came loose. Now all I need to do is find some of those aluminum doodads.

[@onebrightflash]

I really appreciate you mentioning the 15/16 size of the fly wheel nut. I sprayed the fly wheel with penetrating fluid to help it release. I enjoyed watching and getting educated. You have a good clear voice, no noise or static in the back ground, good detail, clear video and good lighting. Please put in some safety tips such as wearing safety glasses, disconnecting the spark plug wire and only giving a medium rap or two on the nut so as not to crack the block or damage oil seals or other critical parts. I would love to see you make some more D.I.Y videos. You have a talent for it. Thanks for sharing and helping thousands of us save a fortune in repairs.

[@julianadams5753]

One of the best and most informative DIY videos I have seen. I had this problem--the starter cord being snatched painfully out of my hand. I never would have thought it was the flywheel key that was the problem. Thanks a million!

[@urbanoasisgregg]

Wow, thanks so much. I have no idea how much money you saved me on a repair job, but it worked. I had to make one trip to Ace hardware to buy the flywheel key and a bigger socket wrench. It wasn't easy getting the flywheel off, but I was persistent and it finally came up.

[@wrightly96TN]

man, i don't know why you don't make more videos. from just 2 or 3 or your videos, i've learned a TON. very good and informative

[@1cbjack]

I have an old non running mower with a very hard to turn flywheel, thinkI I will investigate further regarding the flywheel key, might be the cause! thanks for the clear, concise and well photographed video!

[@irarajabi256]

Of all the videos I watched, yours was the most perfect one. Thank you. Now I am going to start fixing my own lawn mower. Thanks again.

[@jeff3813]

Great video. If it wasn't for folks like you I would be paying to get simple things done.

[@chrislee8390]

You're a good teacher. Very well made video.

[@mikesmith979]

The best yet mate . Watched others and they skip the main points on replacing the key , easy if you know how but I have never replaced one before , very detailed .

[@wayditay9288]

Really good instruction vid. I'd add only one tidbit that will save the threads on the crank end. Use a small hunk of hardwood and give a gentle wollop on the wood instead of the bare metal. Along with the properly positioned prybar (small crow bar works) the flywheel will be off in no time.

[@lquinlan5]

You always do a wonderful job of explaining things for us DIY individuals to understand, Thanks

[@grantbenham8673]

Excellent video - thanks for taking the time to share.

[@chan108dra]

you are simply genius --- I have KZbin many to change the fly wheel key ---your is he best precise

[@tomreyes4908]

Good video. This helped me find the reason why it was not running..

[@jeffmeyers4954]

Super cool video, I didn't know they had a tool that holds the blade while you loosen and tighten the nut on top of the crank, clever invention. I just used a pry bar in the fins with a large screwdriver while taking the nut off with a socket and breaker bar. Since I have metal plates and all kinds of junk in my garage I can make a blade holder like that . Also you can use two middle sized "C" clamps to hold the blade from turning, by using the same basic installation of that tool you had.

[@lukebares86]

nice video, informative, good pace, good camera quality. Thanks much!

[@prifil095]

Great explanation, good job

[@useysr.st.julien9423]

great job ,love the video .Helped me save my 15 yr old lawnmower. Keep the videos coming.

[@bullwinckle2003]

Awesome Josh. Now I have a quick goto instead of searching for hours.

[@thomasmarthers5396]

GREAT Video, doesn't get any better than that, you didn't stutter or anything, Great, I am doing this tomorrow on a friends mower, especially since can't use a Gear puller, and don't want to drill holes and thread it to get the gear puller attached, once again Great Video, Clear Picture, GREAT, most a bad video

[@gallery13MPLS]

Josh videos clear and concise thank you

[@michaeljdestefano1208]

Thanks for taking the time to make a great, informative video!!

[@hopesalas5899]

It was very helpful. I just fixed my lawnmower with your help. Thank you! :) Hope S.

[@thecornishdairyboys5679]

brilliant .. saved my dads favourite and beloved mower from the scrap yard

[@dianecan1454]

Wow!! Thanks for sharing this video!! Thumbs up for sure!

[@johnnieyoung6576]

Nice job in explaining and demotion.

[@sledgehammer6759]

Great video , thanks for posting , I have a 6 h.p. craftsman like that one .

[@devronmclaughlin4327]

Thank you a million, you really help me on solving this problem

[@stacywheeler1236]

Exceptional video! Thank you!

[@johnogugu2018]

Thanks Josh. Great video very very helpful. Saved me $$

[@PeterGalbraith]

Fantastic help! Thanks so much!

[@christophbecker411]

Thanks a ton for this,vid, really great explained and worked out very well :-)

[@pind98]

Very well done , simple detaild ,educational Thanks Josh

[@TheDadofsix]

Great video - well done and informative

[@geojor]

excellent instructional video, thank you...

[@JohnnyFreindly01]

Great video. Thanks for the info!

[@martystevens3969]

A block of wood on top of the crank can be used to remove the flywheel. Put a pry bar under the flywheel while pushing up and hit the block of wood with a hammer. The flywheel will pop off!

[@cherokeefiddler]

Nice job on this repair. What camera are you using? The zoom action is very good. Thanks.

[@darrelhays8926]

I need to do that. Made it seem easy

[@save2rave61]

I was in a hurry and broke a fin on fly wheel. Still runs fine.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

The flywheel nut gets re-tightened to 55 ft pds torque on 90% of those type engines, for those wondering and then searching other video's or google at the end to find out.....

[@jftman53]

I hope mine is like this. But I tried spraying starter fluid into the sparkplug hole, put back the SP and it didn’t even sputter. I know I have spark from coil and at Spark Plug. Is there a reason why the spray nozzle does not go into the cylinder head chamber deeper? I moved the piston with the pull string thinking the tip of the nozzle would go deeper but it doesn’t.

[@ramondelrosario8846]

thanks josh !! great help

[@emerywkruse1358]

Yea that's true and your right stay safe out there

[@gashawmekibib1781]

Thanks for the video. It is very help full. However After replaced the fly wheel key I am still having a problem pulling the rope to start it. It hasn't loosen up. I don't know what else to try. Looking for ward to hearing from you.

[@joshuafine8170]

You say the rope hasn't loosened up. Are you saying it's hard to pull? If so, I would first check your flywheel brake. Start with the u-shaped handle you have to squeeze with one hand while you pull the rope with the other hand. Make sure the cable that's attached to that handle is moving freely( they have very strong spring at the other end, so it's going to be a little hard) They can get rusted up and stuck. Follow that cable down to the engine. Its attached to a spring loaded brake shoes ( you'll have to remove the top cover of the engine to see it good). With the handle squeezed make sure that brake shoes is being released off of the flywheel. Second thing if would try is removing the spark plug and making sure the spark plug wire is moved clear out of the way of the spark plug hole. Try pulling the engine over and see if it's any easier. Let me know what you find. Be careful!

[@martinevan4237]

Great Video!

[@Bill-fe2cz]

Thank you. Just learn something new.

[@misterrightfix4129]

Job well done! Thank you.

[@BILLYS187]

Thanks for the video.

[@danmccormick588]

Excellent. Very informative :-)

[@leeb.7188]

My flywheel key didn't easily slip down like yours did in the video. I aligned it as shown, and also went back and double-checked that it is the right size. Should I use a punch and hammer to pound it in? Otherwise it won't go down into the slot. I jiggled the flywheel and tried different directions on the key, but it won't slide in. Thank you.

[@bradleycasady9810]

What did u end up doing.?

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Torque spec for re-tightening the flywheel nut, for the Quantum???

[@anniversary4]

Great video Josh! Thanks for the effort. I'm working on a neighbor's Billygoat lawn vac with a Honda 6.5 HP GSV190 LA N1L engine that dam near breaks your hand and pulls your arm out of its socket. Have it to the point where the flywheel is accessible but the timing key seems in place. My main problem is removing the flywheel which is very stubborn. The flywheel has 2 "puller" markings on the outer edge of the flywheel and a lot of plastic in the center. My puller is just like yours which will not reach out to the place where the puller should be. Does anyone know where to get a puller for Honda? I tried their amazon and Honda web site with no luck.

[@stacywheeler1236]

Hello! If the Lawn tractor won't just go ahead and turn over, then what order would you troubleshoot? Solenoid, flywheel key, etc. Thank you very much. Stacy

[@leeb.7188]

I was trying to change the flywheel key on my Briggs 6.50. It doesn't have threads in the flywheel, so I tapped each side with a 1/4 - 20 tap. I went too far with one side, and the bolt went clear through the flywheel. Now I have a bolt-sized hole at the bottom! Can I fix this with JB Weld or some such product? Or will the mower run with the hole in the bottom of the flywheel? I didn't really think I was over-turning it. I'm not all that strong and was being very careful. Do I need to buy another flywheel? Thank you very much!

[@ExponentialImpact]

Josh, what does it mean when you hit a brick and then the unit starts pouring out oil of the intake filter?

[@anupamdasgupta4252]

M Craftsman lawn mower (195 cc) recently hit a tree stump and stopped working. I replaced the fly whell key and the blade. It runs but it is blowing lots of smoke and also leaking oil on the mower deck. What could be the problem?

[@recruit69]

Hi Josh I was curious about a cub cadet lawnmower I have, it has the kick back symptom so I removed the fly wheel and saw that the crankshaft has a built-in key. Is there a separate key for it or is that how contemporary lawnmowers are crafted? Any help would be appreciated!

[@richardcole6566]

Josh, remember to clap off bailer and remove spark plug. before doing any repairs on push mower

[@leeb.7188]

If I wasn't clear (below), I had purchased a Briggs and Stratton flywheel puller, but because there were no threads in the flywheel, I decided to tap my own, and one of the bolts went clear through the flywheel. I did get the flywheel off, but it is now damaged by the bolt-sized hole.

[@leeb.7188]

Trent Dunaway Thanks, that was my concern. I bought a used flywheel off Craigslist.

[@momstheword11]

what does it mean when the rope is hard to pull/won't come out more than a foot? also, I turned it over and pulled all dried grass out from underneath then tried to start it; the rope came out a bit more easily (still hard to pull though) but did not go back in. could you tell me what is this from, means what as a symptom? thx~ I really like your video

[@Msleelee9487]

will i find this tool in the tool department or by the lawn mowers so i can go right to it our Home depot people hide so i will have to find it myself anyway Thanks i ordered my flywheel keys getting 3 cause i have 2 briggs and strattons this mow was givin to me and haven't run for over a year and so i'm changing a lot of stuff so Thanks

[@leylajolly]

subscribed and liked!

[@wodanick]

I have a Husqvarna push, and my flywheel key broke in half. My flywheel is stuck on the crank and I can't get it off. I've tried the leverage and pound method to no avail, and I don't have a puller. Any suggestions?

[@stevenk9466]

Please remember to disconnect the spark plug wire whenever you work on a lawn mower.

[@stuartervin2992]

Ty that really helped.

[@miracle3me696]

Wanted to hear it fire!!

[@philr9407]

Fantastic !

[@michaelobrien3384]

should you remove the spark plug for safety?

[@johncollins8304]

I had to remove the flywheel key and inverted cup to get access to the ignition module to check the air gap: there wasn't one! It was in contact with the flywheel -- so no spark, no start! Maybe the previous owner would have seen this if it weren't so difficult to access. When I've made the adjustment I've been wondering how to torque back the flywheel nut, maybe use blocks to stop the blades turning. But you don't bother, just use an impact driver. Any comment anyone? Thanks.

[@jh-xk2ch]

[@MikeyB63]

what if the flywheel is plastic the middle part

[@Royce017]

What is the bar tool called?

[@shogunMR]

pry bar can also use a crow bar

[@MowersNBlowers]

You're more likely to have an impact more than a blade locking tool.

[@alva6990]

Great video

[@leylajolly]

thank you!

[@punafaavae6390]

Hi Josh

[@MikeyB63]

brutes 725 I think or 752

[@MrExplorer054]

Why is my craftsman lawn tractor smoking, not always just ever few minutes.

[@wcjcnc]

You really don't want to marsh mellow the top of the crankshaft. lol

[@MPPsalm]

You don't have your spark plug removed during the removal....nice vid though.

[@Kbalzkbalz]

7:41 dude sticks his hand to manually turn the blade. Notice, spark plug is plugged in.. what a goof, bye.

[@joshuafine8170]

Kbalz - the flywheel brake is still applied plus it's activating the kill switch. In 18 years I've never cranked nor seen one crank doing it that way. With that being said it's always better to safe than sorry👍. Disconnect the spark plug wire first.

[@Kbalzkbalz]

yeah I'm not trusting my hand to that. Brake could fail, kill switch could be loose/out.. never know when you pick one off the side of the road.

[@ClassicTV4U]

So true...BUT he did mention that, on that particular mower, the blade was not installed, which is why he didn't use the blade lock...without the luxury of that air impact wrench, he would've needed to hold the flywheel (or blade) to break the flywheel nut loose.

[@salpolichetti5599]

He beaver took the spark wire off

[@salpolichetti5599]

He didn't take the spark plug off

[@rayriley3366]

Very dangerous. Gives warning on how important it is to remove the spark plug wire and then proceed to do the video WITH the spark plug wire connected. Dahhhh

[@johngardner2807]

You NEVER pry or Hammer the flywheel ! The 2 holes,on each side of the crankshaft, are for threading with a 1/4-20 tap,so you can use a puller. Doing it your way,stresses the crank,and the flywheel,and can also cause cracks in the block, or other damage. A stressed flywheel can shatter,and hitting the end of the crankshaft,can damage the threads,or,worse,change the clearances, if it stresses the counterbalancers,on the crank. Not very professional work.

[@MowersNBlowers]

I've done it over 50 times and never had any damage. Taryl has done 1000's, never damaged the crankshaft.

[@BenjaminGoose]

Thank you!