99 Speedster 787 PTO flywheel removal.

[prairieboy]

Shop manual said to turn counterclockwise to remove PTO flywheel but unless I didn't eat my Wheaties this morning this thing ain't moving. Looks as though it might be splined, but if it is tightened on really tight, anyone have any tricks like heating it up or trying to get it to budge.

I'm not Hercules but it just feels like I'm going to twist the crank right in half [emoji14]

 

[racerxxx]

I never heat them. I use an impeller removal tool on a breaker bar with a 3' cheater bar. With the engine still assembled I drop clothes line down the pto cylinder and then rotate the crank to "wedge" rope between the piston and head and keep stay constant pressure slightly elevating the pressure until it pops.

Is your engine still together and in the boat?

 

[prairieboy]

Uhhhh yeah about that. Crank totally removed - sitting in the vise.....

 

[racerxxx]

Lol, good luck. That is THE ONLY time I ever used heat and a 1" impact gun. No, that's not a mistake, a 1" impact gun. Not 3/8, not 1/2 but 1". The pto just laughed at it. I sent it to the dealer with the crank as a core and they got it off with an ass load of heat. I did not want to ruin my core. Personally, I would let it go and just buy a good clean used pto. It's not with the effort. Pto is the first thing you remove, before you do anything else, at least in my book. The original paint on the pto I'd something special, nothing sticks like it. I use it as my primer anymore.

 

[prairieboy]

Yeah, just got a little over zealous with tearing it down then realized I shouldnt have split the block. Oh well.

 

[prairieboy]

Just to confirm though, it is supposed to spin off right - lol.

 

[racerxxx]

Yep, it's ccw

 

[ialonso]

Yep, it's ccw

I have heard of folks using a chain wrench aroound the whole PTO also to get more leverage. Not sure how that's an improvement but thought I would mention it.

I've never done it myself but my mechanic had to do it once for me and he said it was a major PITA at the time. Since you have it out with the old crank, If you have time to burn (buying new might be a better use of your time from a $$ only, but some things can be rewarding even if not financially viable) I would use HEAT and force at the same time. I have had great luck using heat guns to loosen smaller stuff...no reason it shouldn't work. Gigantic leverage and heat.

maybe a jig/crate and weight of the car to hold it down....If it's on the old crank it may be an exercise of fun and wit to get it out.

Best of luck

 

[racerxxx]

I have heard of folks using a chain wrench aroound the whole PTO also to get more leverage. Not sure how that's an improvement but thought I would mention it.

I've never done it myself but my mechanic had to do it once for me and he said it was a major PITA at the time. Since you have it out with the old crank, If you have time to burn (buying new might be a better use of your time from a $$ only, but some things can be rewarding even if not financially viable) I would use HEAT and force at the same time. I have had great luck using heat guns to loosen smaller stuff...no reason it shouldn't work. Gigantic leverage and heat.

maybe a jig/crate and weight of the car to hold it down....If it's on the old crank it may be an exercise of fun and wit to get it out.

Best of luck

You are correct you can use the chain deal.......I don't like chipped paint or chew marks that looks like I let a metal eating beaver loose in my boat, LOL. That is why I remove them BEFORE engine dis-assembly.

 

[ialonso]

... That is why I remove them BEFORE engine dis-assembly.

Good Suggestion for future readers, but it won't help the OP. The egg has cracked, and won't be "un-cracked"

I say, with enough force and heat, it will give. What's the worse that can happen? can you live with it, if yes, try it all, if not, give up and hand over to a more brave/more insured party (I mean the mechanic)

 

[racerxxx]

Honestly, it's faster to resemble than to keep beating your head HOPING the next thing will work. Been down this road, I have a pto that likes to have paint fly off of since it was heated up to get it off the crank.

 

[ialonso]

Honestly, it's faster to resemble than to keep beating your head HOPING the next thing will work. Been down this road, I have a pto that likes to have paint fly off of since it was heated up to get it off the crank.

Honest, I'm making sure I understand...

Are you suggest he should reassemble the engine with the old crank so he can remove the PTO, then disassemble the engine to rebuild it? or do you mean he should buy a new PTO and discard the old one?, Or I misunderstood, and you mean something else entirely different?

Thanks!

 

[racerxxx]

I meant reassemble. But also mentioned earlier to just let the pto go with the crank. I super quick search this morning I found a 787 pto for $38 shipped. So, do you waste 3 hours trying to get the thing off or buy a good used one? That's $12.67 an hour, how much is your time worth?

 

[prairieboy]

I was able to finally get it off with heat and a pipe wrench with leverage. It didn't get chewed up at all but lost some paint.

It scared the hell out of me when it finally let go though. Just kept even pressure and then it just decided to break loose. Thought the pipe wrench had slipped at first.

 

[ialonso]

Great News! How did you finally keep it in place while you applied the pressure?

 

[prairieboy]

I used a bench vise