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Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Removing Flywheel on Villiers MK25 (Atco 28")

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Bear with me, I'm new to this, and am a novice! I'm better at cutting grass than repairing my machinery! I have an Atco 28" mower in decent shape but it has a weak spark. I've been reliably informed it is because it needs a need coil, (possibly condenser as well?) ? I've started to take it apart and have got as far as the picture below. I want to remove the flywheel to get access to the ignition system and check all the components and fit a new coil.

Before I get my lump hammer out and start smashing spanner ends - can anyone tell me how I get this flywheel off?

Thanks in advance.

Forums

wristpin Thu, 27/12/2018

If you have a weak spark, just try cleaning and gapping the points first. That can be done without removing the flywheel , but if that doesn’t work , proceed as follows.

Before you start have a good look at the flywheel and observe and note any timing marks in relation to Top Dead Centre of the piston. Better to confirm this information then, than having to guess it or work  I t out from basic information later.

Then As per the forum information. Undo the nut anti clockwise, it will come loose for a couple of turns and then go tight. It is then in the self extracting mode and further the anti-clockwise turning will pull the flywheel off the taper. You do need a good fitting spanner so that striking it does not damage the hex nut. A method of holding the flywheel ( not a bar through the fins!!) to apply an opposing force to the nut is useful.  On an engine of the Mk25’s size this can be a bit of a nerve wracking business  and it is sometimes useful to wind the extraction nut up tight and leave it for a while and then give the spanner another smite or two.