Home › Forum › Ask A Member › Advice for cutting a flywheel off › Re: Advice for cutting a flywheel off
Echoing David Bartlett’s comment: the key to striking the end of the crankshaft to shock the flywheel loose is to apply a sharp, hard, fast hit – I use a light ball pein hammer. A sledge or a lead hammer will deliver a heavy blow, but it will not be a sharp shock. If you have not done it already, swing the hammer as fast as you can, but don’t take a full "take that!" swing, just a sharp snap of the hammer head.
I have not experimented with using an air chisel with a blunt tool. My guess is that it will not deliver enough force to work.
If you decide to cut it off, work with great care. I’d use a Dremel with a 1" reinforced cutoff wheel. First cut away the flywheel near the center. When you get near the shaft, work ever more slowly. I don’t know whether a few shallow grooves cut into in the shaft will weaken it, but there is a lot of stress there. (I have not done this, but I have cut some major steel with a Dremel. It just takes a while.)