Do riding mowers have flywheel keys?
This step-by-step riding mower repair guide explains how to replace the flywheel key on a riding lawn mower or lawn tractor. The flywheel key is a small rectangular piece of metal that keeps the crankshaft and flywheel aligned when you tighten the flywheel nut.
What are the symptoms of a sheared flywheel key?
The symptoms of a sheared flywheel key range widely from a barely noticeable misfire to a no-start condition. In between these extremes the engine may misfire noticeably, run rough, backfire, be difficult to restart hot, or lack power. Advanced timing can cause engine overheating.
What happens when flywheel key shears?
Can a flywheel be replaced on a craftsman riding mower?
Replace a broken or sheared flywheel key using a manufacturer-approved lawn mower part. These repair steps show how to replace the flywheel key on common Briggs & Stratton engines used in Craftsman, Husqvarna, Toro, MTD, Murray, Cub Cadet, Troybilt and Ariens riding mowers and lawn tractors.
What is the flywheel key on a riding lawn mower?
The flywheel key is a small rectangular piece of metal that keeps the crankshaft and flywheel aligned when you tighten the flywheel nut. To protect expensive engine components from damage, the flywheel key shears off if the mower blade hits an object hard enough to make the flywheel slip out of alignment with the crankshaft.
How do you remove a flywheel from a riding mower?
Insert nylon rope into the spark plug hole to jam the piston and keep the crankshaft from turning while you remove the flywheel bolt. Leave some rope hanging out of the cylinder so it’s easy to remove later. Remove the flywheel bolt, washer and flywheel screen. Pull off the flywheel fan. Thread the flywheel bolt onto the crankshaft.
Why does the flywheel shear on a lawn mower?
To protect more expensive components from damage, the flywheel key is designed to shear if the mower blade hits an object like a rock or tree stump hard enough to make the flywheel slip out of alignment with the crankshaft. If the flywheel shear slightly, the engine runs rough or misfires.
Replace a broken or sheared flywheel key using a manufacturer-approved lawn mower part. These repair steps show how to replace the flywheel key on common Briggs & Stratton engines used in Craftsman, Husqvarna, Toro, MTD, Murray, Cub Cadet, Troybilt and Ariens riding mowers and lawn tractors.
The flywheel key is a small rectangular piece of metal that keeps the crankshaft and flywheel aligned when you tighten the flywheel nut. To protect expensive engine components from damage, the flywheel key shears off if the mower blade hits an object hard enough to make the flywheel slip out of alignment with the crankshaft.
Insert nylon rope into the spark plug hole to jam the piston and keep the crankshaft from turning while you remove the flywheel bolt. Leave some rope hanging out of the cylinder so it’s easy to remove later. Remove the flywheel bolt, washer and flywheel screen. Pull off the flywheel fan. Thread the flywheel bolt onto the crankshaft.
What kind of riding mower does Craftsman have?
I have a craftsman riding mower model #917270620 with a Briggs & Stratton 15.5 hp OHV model # 28N707. In the fall I was using it and it was running good.
