Flywheel

Due to the high winds (see last post), we were forced to go indoors. One of the great mysteries that have stayed in the back of our minds was the nature of the 40HP beast that has found a corner in the basement. Should we dare disturb it? We decided that fate was in our favor.

When I left the car originally, I had removed the distributor, hoping to fix it in the near future. It was an easy fix, it just never got done. We found amongst our treasures enough bits to make a working distributor to replace its broken counterpart. Additionally, we had in the same troves a couple 12V starters, plug wires, plugs, and a 12V flywheel. The bell housing that we were to use was generously donated by a friend when he shipped us the transmission.

I should explain that during our planning stage, we agreed that since we were going to dedicate ourselves to a complete 12V system, we should scrap the 6V starter that had so faithfully served us. The only problem with this idea is that the 12V starters have a different gear than the 6V equivalent. Thus, the 40HP flywheel would not fit the 12V starter. It would have to come off.

We adjusted the valves, set the timing, and got everything ready, saving the flywheel for last. We spent the rest of the available time trying to get the flywheel off. It didn't come off. I left Steve with this sacred assignment.

I cheerfully went about my weekday, only to hear the fated news. I received this photograph before I went home that day. Luckily, Sears has a no-questions-asked return policy. Either a 3/4" socket or a 1/2" breaker bar would be in order, whichever came first.

The next day, we continued. By the time we had gotten the flywheel nut off, we had two buckets of grain, Steve, and parts of the engine stand holding the engine to the floor. To hold the flywheel in place, we bolted a monkey wrench against the heater boxes. More of the engine stand was used as a cheater bar.

To end the ordeal, we used a pry bar to pry the flywheel off the dowels while we rotated it. A warning for future travelers of this strange path: the 6V flywheel is a lot heavier than the 12V counterpart!