stubborn flywheel!

bandy · Post by **bandy** » 02 Aug 2008 13:46

Hi Everyone ,although i'm new to this forum,i have been a Morini owner for some months (Strada then X Kanguro)..and i've joined in the hope of getting some much needed advice.

I have just acquired a 350 engine with a failed cambelt,stripped the heads and luckily all seems to be OK,the problem i have is with the flywheel,it will not budge!!..i have stripped the threads on 2 pullers,and at the end of my tether even called into NLM for some advice and spoke to Stuart,and the 2 mechanics there and they said try another puller and tension the bolt ,and then give it a good whack with a big hammer and it should jump off,..it did'nt.

I have read somewhere on this forum about the last resort of welding the puller in place,and then trying,does anyone know if the heat generated in this method would damage the stator or anything else ,and has anyone actually done it?are there any other ways that anybody knows of to get it off?

Please ,any advice would be greatly recieved,thanks in anticipation.

Jim.

hendre · Post by **hendre** » 03 Aug 2008 07:30

Hi, welcome to the forum.

I think patience is the key here. Just put the puller on and put as much tension on as you can. Buy a good quality penetrating oil and squirt it on the centre and if you can reach it with a straw also on the back. Then try to tension the puller a bit more every day and put a bit more penetrating oil if nessecary. In the long run the puller will win from the crankshaft.....
A light tap on the puller centre every day before tensioning will also help a bit but time to let the penetrating oil do it's job here is the key.

Hope you're not in a hurry

EVguru · Post by **EVguru** » 03 Aug 2008 07:47

Yes, I've done it.

http://www.realclassic.co.uk/morini06051101.html

The only welding process suitable is MIG.

I'd still give my standard advice. The best tool for flywheel removal is an impact wrench, air or electric. With my air gun, I've never has the slightest trouble removing any flywheel into which the puller properly fits. Mine is adjustable for torque and I use it to put the flywheel back on too.

DON'T use the type of impact driver that you hit with a hammer. Hitting the end of the crank is bad for the bearings.

bandy · Post by **bandy** » 03 Aug 2008 12:49

Hi,thanks for that guys,i've left the engine with my local friendly garage workshop,with the instructions to weld the puller onto the flywheel etc..i'm still a bit dubious as to whether the heat from welding will damage the alternator windings,fingers crossed!...i'll let you know what happens.

Jim.

EVguru · Post by **EVguru** » 03 Aug 2008 14:03

You want to get them to pull the flywheel whilst it's still hot. That way you remove the heat from the coils as fast as possible and have the best chance of the flywheel coming off.

bandy · Post by **bandy** » 03 Aug 2008 14:38

Thanks paul ,if all goes to plan i should hopefully be able to grind the knackered puller off and re-use the flywheel.

Jim.

bandy · Post by **bandy** » 15 Aug 2008 14:03

I've managed to remove the flywheel with a bit of heat,stator coils look OK,my latest problem is lining up the timing marks on the pulleys so i can fit the new belt...i can see a big dot on the top pulley ,which aligns with the mark on the casing,and i can see the dot on the casing above the lower pulley but there are no dots or marks of any kind that i can see on the lower pulley!... how can i work out which of the splines to line up with the dot ?.....somebody help me please!!!

Jim.

EVguru · Post by **EVguru** » 15 Aug 2008 14:25

There should be a mark on the lower pulley, but you sometimes need to remove the circlip, spring, and belt falnge before you can see it (you've got to remove them anyway).

Here's a link to a German 'How to' site;

http://www.angelfire.com/mo2/sr500/Zahn ... iemen.html

If the existing belt is timed right, then you shouldn't have any problems anyway, you can always make your own marks.

A trick I've used (usually where engines are supposed to require special cam holding tools) is to slit the belt along its length and remove about 2/3rds of the width. You then slip on the new belt before cutting the remains of the original and then sliding the new belt all the way on.

bandy · Post by **bandy** » 15 Aug 2008 14:33

Hi Paul ,Thanks for that ,the trouble is the old belt had slipped round on the bottom pulley,several teeth had stripped off,so i'm not sure that the current position the belt is in is correct, i doubt it!...

Jim.

EVguru · Post by **EVguru** » 15 Aug 2008 14:49

H'mm you'd better check the valves aren't bent.

Nine time out of ten you get away with it, but there is also a more subtle result. The pushrods ends are designed to compress onto the shaft if there is valve to piston contact, saving more severe damage. The pushrods are then shorter, but the ends can also continue to move in future and you'll never hold valve clearances.

bandy · Post by **bandy** » 15 Aug 2008 15:00

The valves are OK,and I've acquired fresh pushrods,so hopefully it will just be a case of setting the timing up..Does anyone out there know how to work out how to align the pulley mark settings please?

Jim.

EVguru · Post by **EVguru** » 15 Aug 2008 15:40

Set the valve clearances to 1(one) millimeter and check the valve timing with a degree wheel

Like this one http://www.tavia.com/free_degree_wheel.html

The timing specifications are in the blue manual and also on the Dutch site http://www.motomoriniclub.nl/tabel.html

It should be fairly obvious when you've got it right. If you were fitting a different cam you might have to turn the bottom pulley round to get the timing spot on (that's why it's got so many keyways, it's a vernier adjustment system).