Flywheel puller needed?

[Geoff Branch]

Have a '66 250 with a dead charging system. Two lead system. One lead ohms out at a little over zero. The other is open. I have a parts bike, on which both leads ohm at a little over zero, so I think I have a good one. The question is: Can I get the flywheel off without purchasing the (expensive) puller? Thanks.

(Newbie) Geoff Branch

[BevHevSteve]

Well yes....... but............ one can always use a hammer and screw drivers to pry etc but you run the risk of killing unobtanium parts etc while you are at it................ So why bother when I stock these tools at a reasonable price....

http://www.shop.bevelheaven.com/detail.aspx?ID=518

[chimera]

Before resorting to heavy handed methods, try this: After removing the nut and primary drive gear, tap on the outer circumference of the flywheel (with blows parallel to the crankshaft spindle) with a hard plastic hammer. No plastic hammer? Use a piece or hardwood between the flywheel and a metal hammer (both the brass and aluminum flywheels are easily dented by metal hammers of any kind). You usually don't have to hit very hard or very often to dislodge the flywheel from the taper on the crankshaft. Heat from a propane or oxy-acetylene torch on the flange that's rivited to the inside diameter of the flywheel (where the puller would thread onto) also helps. Don't get it so hot that the metal blues. On magneto systems (SCR, Diana, Mk3) remember to record the position of the flywheel in relation to the crankshaft before removing the flywheel. The flywheel is not keyed to the crankshaft. The flywheel must be timed so the peak of the sine wave corresponds with the points opening in order for the ignition to produce a decent spark.

[RT'S4ME]

I have no idea why Taglioni or whoever decided to #1. Not key the flywheel /Alternator to the crank, there may be a good reason, but I would like to know what it is. #2 Why they not only virtually required a very special tool to remove the magneto AND made it almost impossible to use any other type of puller to get it off either. Not only is there virtually no clearance to get a two or three jaw puller behind the magneto, but they beveled the back side of it so a two or three jaw puller will slip off anyway. I guess they wanted you to take it to a trained professional at the dealership rather than resort to the hammer and chisel method. But here we are 30 years later dealing with a headache they probably did not plan on.

If you decide to heat things to try and get it off, do not get very carried away as you have some expensive electrical coils underneath so don't make your problem bigger by going overboard.

As a side note, I have a dealer price list from 1968 and the tool is listed to buy, back then it was $47.00. Last week one went on Ebay for $168.00.

Get the tool and stop butchering the bike to get it off. These are not throw away Hondas!

[Geoff Branch]

I tried making a puller...and I'm pretty clever.....but it didn't work. Then I bought the real thing from Bevelheaven and am really glad I did. It's nicely made, comes with brilliant instructions and warnings, and popped off two flywheels in a matter of seconds. I made up a clutch holding tool out of old clutch plates and it worked just fine as wine. I had originally thought I would sell the puller on ebay....but I like it so much I may not. It was $103, plus $10 shipping usps....and came from Sam Frank's Disco to Massachusetts in two days!!!!! Worth the price, believe me. Thanks to everyone for the advice!!

Geoff Branch

[chimera]

RE: keyways in the crank spindle for timing the flywheel: keyways introduce a pretty serious stress riser in any shaft. With a big, heavy flywheel like the bevel singles employ, Taglioni probably didn't want to compromise the crank by calling out a keyway (especially since the primary side spindle is hollow to feed oil to the primary gear). Indeed, three jaw pullers don't work and run the risk of breaking the magnets in the flywheel, loosening rivets, etc. Look at just about any flywheel and the attachment for the puller is adjacent to the taper on the shaft it locates on. Everything I've ever worked on required a special puller for the ignition flywheel but at $10-$15 for little 2-stroke pullers it's worth it even if it's used only once. The rather expensive Ducati puller is just the price we pay for having the spindle supported by bearings on both ends and running the primary gear outboard of the flywheel (requiring a rather deep puller). Ducati probably could have designed a puller attachment that wouldn't have required a puller that is so expensive to produce. In many areas, design overruled ease of maintenence/disassembly.

[rnoel1969]

Buddy of mine in Wisconsin had one made for his 450R/T. It works great. He lent it to me and the machine shop didn't really charge him that much to make it. Try that avenue.

[[email protected]]

Gosh. Brings a lot of memories flooding back. In my shed in the back garden converting a CZ lookalike Sebring into a Spaggiarri lookalike..

I bought a puller back in 77 and it cost all of £15!! ($25). So the bevelheaven tool looks an absolute bargain. It really is the only special tool you need for this engine. All others can be cobbled together easily - eg clutch holder is two old clutch plates bolted together onto a handle, or a UK twopenny bit! Sounds like it is worth every penny.

Wish my white finger problem didn't mean I was restricted to L twins these days.. Maybe a 350 for short rides, Hmmm

[rnoel1969]

Wanna buy two 1971 450 R/T's? One together and one a parts bike>

[[email protected]]

Wanna buy two 1971 450 R/T's? One together and one a parts bike>

Where are you? (pray you are outer Mongolia!)

[rnoel1969]

I live outside of Nashville, Tennessee