Cleaning a lawn mower flywheel rust caused by water or moisture and how fix it.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 18 ส.ค. 2018
- if you ever come across a lawnmower or even a chainsaw, weed wacker, or anything using an armature magnet configuration for spark. This is just a basic way to clean up the magnet.
Note: The explanation by me of what having a dirty or rusted magnet can cause a weak spark, is my opinion, based on past engines I have worked on. I have seen it many times, now that with being said. I have found that when equipment runs boggy or not at its full potential (with good plug, good fuel, good carb health, valve lash in check, and all other stuff healthy) I usually clean up the mag on the flywheel, gapped the armature after clean the base and everything is run fine.
This is only a suggestion to maybe help someone.
But, with that being said I will not tolerate any bashing or cursing towards me or anyone on any of my posts. If you disagree that's fine, post it, because we can all learn something new. All I ask is to be human and not an ass about it.
This is the following video with a clearer explanation of the air gap and rusts having an effect on it.
• Follow up of rust betw... - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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On the first pull my mower would run fine for like a minute or so then quit until I gave it 10 minutes, then same thing again. I cleaned the entire fuel system, spark plug, and air filter. I had spent hours messing with the SOB. I was just about to go buy a coil or throw it off a cliff. I came across this video and thought, well I've spent all this time jacking around with it so I guess I try this as my final effort. I was literally about to throw in the towel and this worked like a champ.
That is great news, glad it worked for you.
I NEVER leave comments but i understood every word. Loved that you reminded us about water. I work on cars so ive had to say that all the time. I liked the video
Thank you, Lisa.
My mower's is very rusted but never thought about the magnetic interference and was just about to order two new coils. Can't wait to get home and try this. Thanks for the great video!
Hope it helped you out.
Thx for sharing. this helped alot.I got my neighbours lawn mower running alot smoother because of this. It had been left outside for two years in the rain, snow without being turned over once. still needs a few other things tweeked but just doing this one thing alone made a huge difference in how the engine runs and sounds and the power its generating now. The regulator is charging the battery which it wasnt before too which is a bonus! new spark plug, carb clean and an oil change and shell be as good as new
Great news Gavin, glad to hear.
After servicing everything else with no start, I did this repair. Started first pull. Thanks!
Glad to hear.
Great video.. My grandpa taught me this technique when I was young and my mini bike always started easily
That is great to hear.
Been trying everything to get the mini bike running for the kiddos. Did a run through on it and cleaned everything. It had been sitting few years. Told my pops how it wouldn't started, and had mentioned to him the throttle cable was locked up. He had put 2 and 2 together quite quick and suggested it might be the flywheel is rusted. Sure enough! The false spark had me going through the carb more times than I'd care to admit. Gonna have the boy clean her up tomorrow, this should be what wakes the Ole girl.
I really like that you pointed out the water displacement in wd40. 😂😂👌👌
Thank you.
Great video man appreciate helping me restore my 70s dynamark, remember to wear eye protection if you’re using wire wheels guys the brushes fly out like needles sometimes brass and steel!!
Thank you.
Loved the video!..short..simple..to the point 😊
Glad you liked it!
be careful, wire wheel may weaken magnet. I use 220 wet paper and only rub one direction, compress air for fast dry
Thank you for the tip.
Good video. Had my x530 go out, and was getting what I thought was an insanely small spart on it.
Pulled the shroud, and that magnet was just covered with rust. Cleaned it, and replaced one of the ignition coils.
Flywheel gear is so nasty with rust, I'm wondering if I should pull it to clean.
Good idea about the WD-40, I was thinking of that.
Glad it helped
great video and great job, datsa my problem, im gonna do that, when it stops Raining, THANKS
You are welcome and hope it works out for you.
I moved the flywheel around a few times checking compression with the armature off. Does it have a correct position? What I mean, is it like a car engine where you can inadvertently put it in a 180 degree position (like timing) or does that not matter? Mine is a Briggs/Stratton Brute pressure washer. I can't get spark after installing a new armature/coil. My flywheel/rotor is a bit rusted but the magnet seems relatively clean (I did use some sandpaper to clean the entire rotor/magnet of rust). Spacing of armature looks good. It was working but I washed it last fall before I put it away in my garage. Checked compression (dry) and got about 75psi. I just don't see spark (and put in new plug).
Bryon,
With what you have described, no your not out of time. What was the gap that you set it at? ideal depending on the engine size and type is usually .006 to .008 between the magnet and the armature. Once the gap gets bigger you will erratic spark or no spark condition. Now make sure the kill switch wire is healthy and not grounded out somewhere. The system is pretty simple but can be a pain too. Now, nothing says that your new armature could be bad, have had that happen to me a few times, straight out of the box. There are some good links to show how to ohm's check your (armature)coil. Your compression seems a little low, but not knowing the exact model makes it a little hard :). if you have a 6.75 brute you might want to check the gap of the valves and rocker arms to make sure they are correct.
So, I would recheck the kill switch grounding, the armature ohms, the armature gap and get it between.006-.008 (business card or 3x5 is close) and check for the spark with a spark checker like from Autozone or any auto parts store, it better grounding for the plug, seeing the actual spark and less like to be shocked :). Hang in there and feel free to ask anything if you think it can help.
This is the worst case
You can be off time, but only the shear pin has sheared at the flywheel at the crank mating spot or somehow the shear pin, the flywheel was installed incorrectly, but being that it's a pressure washer, I'm thinking not, because you would still see spark. Now, internal the timing gear assy and or camshaft could have failed too and you would need to drain the oil and look inside with a borescope(you can get a cheap off of Amazon or eBay that works off of the phone or tablet) or pop the valve cover off to see how much the travel is in the valves and rocker arms. But, you would be hearing a clanging around inside and or the engine would be hard to pull , this would not really interfere spark, but compression and starting But, that's the extreme of it.
Just wondering if I need a new engine for my Cub Cadet 524SWE that does not run. When I spin the engine with a drill & socket it used to spin freely (but would not start) now it spin freely at first then the engine locks up with a tight spot and turns the drill out of my arm. I checked my belts and flywheel key and they were OK. Just wondering why the engine is doing that. Thank you.
Sounds like it could build a lock in the piston, the exhaust valve might not be releasing the pressure from the piston. It might be a good thing to check is the valve lash, by removing the valve cover and seeing if the valves move. Then if you see movement while turning the flywheel (pull the cord) , then they might need to be adjusted. if no movement then that points to a bigger problem inside the engine like the cam is worn or the timing gear might be worn. Also, do a spark check to see if the spark is there, could be a timing issue. Hope that this might help you. Sorry for the late reply, been on the road.
Thanks, this helped. My troy bilt power washer with a briggs and stratton has a pan around the flywheel with a lip that curves up. Makes it real fun to try and get it clean with the little bit of space between the pan and the edge of the flywheel. What are these guys thinking when they design this stuff?
Fantastic! You gotta love engineers, I deal with it every day. My brain hurts sometimes trying to figure what they are trying achieve.
Good video , thanks alot Tommy
That's great!
Very helpful, thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I did this on my mower. Flywheel magnets were very rusty and also so was the magneto just used a small dremel sander attachment and that cleaned it up like new :)
Thanks for sharing glad it helped.
Sounds like a great idea with the Dremmel. However, I’m confused about the gapping of the flywheel. Any tips on performing that?
@@MrRedHotChiliManWhen gapping any magneto I use a business card. Then put the magneto in place and tighten the bolts that hold it on. Then slide out the business card. Then I test by turning the flywheel to observe everything is OK. Theres no rubbing of the magnets on the coil.
This method usually works for me
@@mowtoegee7049 okay, thanks for the rundown. Seems easy enough.
Go ahead! Thanks for the tips
You are welcome.
I have found that using a coating of any kind will keep the magnet from getting rusty. Just that simple fella. WD40 is very temporary fix at best. An epoxy coating will last the test of time.
Thanks for the tip
Great video thank you! Will this rust also affect the charging ability?
I believe so and my reason is that usually when I come a cross this. I'll test the volts to the battery as it charges and they're low or just what is in the battery. So then I'll pop off the flywheel and see corrosion on the stator and or magnet, clean them and just do an ohms check to see if its within limits, then put back together and usually it's good to go(have had some fail). It just depends how aggressive people are washing the engine, if water gets under the flywheel and over time it will cause issue. I have had people bring me engines with the shrouds missing either the upper, lower, or all missing, and water has got under. Also, seen it where if the engine sits outside all the time. Hope this helps.
@@jetzombie Thank you sooooo much....gonna check that!
Anytime, just let me know if need anymore help.
Rust inhibits magnetic fields. This is a flux field, it does not make “contact” as such.
Charging on my Husqvarna Intek V-Twin is via a stator winding bolted in place and a magnet assembly on the inner surface of the flywheel.
If you remove the flywheel, being very careful to mark its timing position, yes, cleaning the coil surfaces AND the magnets will produce a better charging circuit.
Will this work for cleaning the ignition coils if they are rusted as well?
Yes, I clean both usually.
I cleaned both of mine.
My Honda ride on hf1211 struggles to start when hot. It’s just had a new starter motor. Someone suggested a rusty flywheel could be the cause. Any thoughts? I’m thinking either this or it needs a new ignition coil. The engine is a Honda GXV340. Thanks
It could be a coil issue, the best way to check is when the engine cuts off to use the spark checker and see if you'll see a spark. If not, then it could be the coil when it heats up and causes a short. Usually, the gap issue from the rust on the flywheel would be noticeable at start-up with a weak or no spark. Now, if you have a spark, then it could be a carb issue with a vaper lock from the heat and causing the engine to shut off too. There could be an issue with the fuel boiling from heat not leaving the area. Check to see if the shroud has grass and or dirt blocking the air from being pulled down by the flywheel fins that cool down the engine and area.
Hope this helps.
@@jetzombie very helpful thanks. I’ve ordered a new coil and will see if that helps things. When I take the flywheel off, I will clean off any rust too. 👍🏻
Hope all is running again.
@@jetzombie Yes! New solenoid cured the issue. Should have replaced them both together really….
You think dielectric grease would
Be better ? Thanks in adv!!!
I think it would a better way to protect the magnet.
My fly wheel broke replaced it with another won't start back fires that's all took back to shop replaced again and same thing won't start what should I do ?
If the flywheel and sheer where replace and at the proper slot (timing slot for flywheel, sheer key, and shaft to be inline) and still having issues. Then It could be a few things like the flywheel might be the wrong one, the sheer key slipped and or broke again( very strange), or it could be something internal that may broke, Not knowing how hard the engine was running when or what caused the flywheel to break, also what type of engine it is makes it hard to determine what could be the issue. If in a duel piston engine the internal timing could have slipped causing the issue of the engine now after replacing the flywheel. It's hard to say with limited info.
Is the fly wheel suppose to move freely? Changed the sparked plug, cranked my engine and still does not turn effectively.
Are you trying to turn it by hand? If no, it might not be engaging the flywheel (bendix gear/gear reducer issue, also could be starter brushes need to be replaced).
If you are trying to crank it by hand and it's not turning, take a plug (or all or them out. It shouldn't be easy to turn because of the engine compression.
If it still won't turn then check your engine compression and/or fuel filter. It could be hydro locked from too much pressure build up.
Kelsey, said it perfectly.
Hi I got a lawn tractor and it won't start when it's warm when it's cold there's no problem and there's also no spark when it's warm I checked the coils and they're fine do you know what could be the problem can you please let me know thank you
Jake, what model of the engine do you have. Like is it a briggs, john deere, kohler , or any brand? Also the size in HP? It sounds like it could be a coil or grounding issues. You can have a good showing coil, then when it heats up the resistance can change and fail. Then it cools back down and shows it's fine. The best way to find out is to do a resistance check on the coil when it's cold and hot( when it cut off). The kill wire could have a small cut or pinched and cause it short to the engine. It could be also the plug failing too when it gets hot( have another plug ready to go in when it shut off) that's a way to show it's the plug. The ignition set up is pretty simple to troubleshoot if you know what to look for.
It's a poulan pro 300ex I think its 19.50hp
Like in reply I think it points towards the coil ( armature) is failing when it gets hot. When it cuts off on its own. Unplug the kill connector on the armature and see if you get a spark. If you get a spark, then the kill wire is grounded somewhere ( it has contact to ground out the engine) and needs to be fixed. Now, if you don't get a spark, it shows that the armature is failing after it gets hot. Then you need to ohms check the armature to see what you are reading(normally 2k and up for Briggs you'll need the spec per the engine manual and it's not in the mower manual. It will say coil test).
Have tools ready to access the armature and do it when it shuts off or even if cold to get a base number. Ohms meter set to 20k, take red(positive +) to the boot where the spark plug clips to( make sure it clean, no rust or corrosion) hold it to it. Then the black (negative -) to the base of the coil( armature) where the screws (usually 2 ea.). Scratch the area near one of the screws and have clean contact. You don't need to remove(armature) to do this. If it's 0 or OL it's bad for sure and needs to be replaced. Hope this helps.
i pulled the fly wheel cove off of a B and S v_ line 25 DYS4500 and now i cant get it to seat down so i can get the filter back in any video of this
Check the shroud cover and make sure the tangs go on the outside and see if the coil wire is getting pinched, sorry so late on the reply, youtube didn't let me know. if you have anymore questions let me know, good luck.
Thanks 👍
Anytime!!
Hi could i use a brass brush or does it have to be stainless steel? Thanks!
Really, any brush will work to remove rust. Just clean it afterward with acetone or similar cleaner.
Thanks@@jetzombie
Damn, I gotta do this ASAP! I rinse my 20 year old tractor engine weekly, even the cowl cover. All of a sudden, my tractor started idle surging. Outa nowhere. Ran great for YEARS. I'm wondering now if this is the culprit. I'm hopeful, since a carb teardown revealed nothing
It could help.
I try to do engine cleaning what ever it is (small or large) with compressed air, leaf blower (to get rid of stuff like grass and grime) and degreaser or carburettor / throttle body cleaner to get rid of gunk. Something about a stream of water going near the engine makes me feel uncomfortable
Not enough magnetic flux is flowing through the gap to the magneto to energize it to a full energy transfer. There is no “contact” between it and the magneto.
What you “will” get is sufficient energy transfer at a lower engine rpm, meaning, engine startup.
Very little physical momentum needed to turn it over to get proper starting conditions.
One other one I got had less than .001 gap and couldn't get it to start. So I cleaned it up and re-gapped to .006 and it started up and ran fine, still running fine.
Do I need to clean the entire flywheel or just between the magnets?
Magnets, but clean the rest would not hurt.
I cleaned that surface all around the flywheel.
I also cleaned the surfaces of the magnetos facing the magnets. All that rust is a resistance to a passing magnetic field.
Very helpful tip,,,do you clean the whole flywheel with with wire wheel?
That's great, I brush off anything that may be sticking out. But focus on the coil and magnet area.
@jetzombie thank you sir
Wish I saw this before I tore down my pressure washer engine.
Well, at least you can remember it for next time :), hang in there.
This is why, whenever I wash my lawnmowers, which I do occasionally, I start the engine immediately afterwards and let it run for five or 10 minutes, so it will blow everything dry and heat up and evaporate water.
Yeapper.
Is it just the magnet part that needs cleaning or entire wheel
Just the magnet, but you can clean the rest of the wheel if want.
Thank you.
You're more than welcome.
I'm glad it helped.
Hey thank you
You are so welcome, Terrell.
does it matter if you paint the flywheel or not? if you keep the magnets clean?
Not really if the is not rust under the paint and the gap is correct.
Thank you. I have a flywheel that was rusty and I cleaned it and treated it with phosphate/cleaner. I’m just wondering if I should spray a coat of paint to keep it from rusting again
Do you just clean around the sides or the top of it as well?
All around the area, both sides and the top.
@@jetzombie thanks, just two more questions Do you just blow off the excess dust with compressed air and what do you clean your stainless brush with?
@@MrRedHotChiliMan Yes, I just blow it off with air and clean my brush with plain acetone.
@@jetzombie great, thanks again.
@@MrRedHotChiliMan You're more than welcomed.
So in theory if my kill switches good my wire to the kill switch is good. And I just replaced the magneto and the spark plug. And I get spark out of an old weed eater. I should clean my flywheel from the rust in theory I should get spark again. Because I have no spark after replacing the magneto and setting the distance.
Could also be a grounding issue with the base or the coil even if new could be bad.
any oil or dirt will inhibit the spark more than rust will. that's the bigger problem. (and that iron is just cheap cast iron -- so oil can get into the metal.) it seeps into the metal at a level you cannot see. .
Never had any issues after using WD--40, but I could see what regular oils would cause an issue.
if your magnet looks like that, you should carefully check the armature.... it will very likely be rusted as well.
Yeas, I should have pointed that out too.
my neighbor says to clean the whole flywheel, not just the magnetic area
You can if want, but as long as it is not close to the armature I wouldn't worry about the whole flywheel, just the magnet.
3:28 you said doo doo
Yes yes :)
Are we in kindergarten, should we all start laughing cause he said doo doo
Mine is fully rusted.
That's fine, little more elbow grease and you can clean it up. Recheck the gap and you should be good to go.
u just need to clean the magnet not the whole thing
The flywheel does not contact the magneto! There is a 10 to 12 thousand clearance. Coupling is magnetic and rust does not effect this.
Like beating a dead horse. It s your opinion on weither or not, like it is mine. I posted the video to help and so far more yeahs than neays.
Rust doesn't affect the spark from the magneto on the flywheel. There is no contact between the flywheel and the coil.
True there is no contact between the armature and magnet of the flywheel when it's gapped right. But, when rust is on the the magnet and the flywheel it disturbs the proper distance needed for the magnet and armature to make the proper spark. It cause a resistance field and will change the power of the spark and weakening it.Like when doing a spark check, the color of the spark will change to from a blue white for a strong spark to a more orange color and less powerful.
Yes it does Kenny, it effects the resistance, meaning poor spark, it's the first thing I do when overhauling an old rusty mower, then the carb, then the tank then the filters, last of all a new plug, most fire up first go
The rust is an inhibitor to magnetic flux, which you don’t want. Clean all of it off.
The only way to see what real difference in the peak voltages attained is with an oscilloscope, but, I can’t envision anyone doing that with a Briggs and Stratton engine.
It does "something" I just did this to my Husqvarna zero turn yesterday. It had no spark from the plug. I cleaned the flywheel and armatures and it cranks and runs now.
Zero electrical theory!!! How would a clamp on amp work? Or a CT in a protective relay circuit? How about across an air gap in a potential transformer? Read up in a book called electricity 1-7, under "induction".
If I have the time I'll read it. I didn't post it to give a science or physics lesson, I keep it simple to help people and it has. Most people could care less about the science behind it and just want an idea on how to get there machine or equipment back up and running.
Doesn’t mater much
Noted.
Not very clean
Nope, but seen worse.
BS!
Then make your own video with your opinions and maybe you'll have more than one subscriber. Have a great day :).
@@jetzombie well the thing is... Iron oxide or rust is not magnetic... Thats it 😁. So if rust is not magnetic... It can't and won't interfere with magnetic field 😄🙃😉
The magnet uses induction. There is no contact. The surface rust does nothing. Possibly changes your ability to gap as tightly. The difference between a clean surface spark and a surface-rust spark is almost none. All these references to "contact" are absurd.
I corrected what contact meant in the video. My reference to contact should have been more clear of where the magnet and armature line up I'll admit that as my screw-up. But the rust on the magnet and armature does play into the resistance of the spark, with reduction of the needed air gap and makes it weak weak spark. Oh and if didn't work then why do so many people come back to say thank you for pointing it out.
@@jetzombie You are literally talking about the difference in magnetism between surface rusty metal and clean metal (without contact). There is no "resistance of the spark". The coil itself has resistance, not impacted by surface rust. The spark gap would be the closest thing to what you are attempting to describe, also not impacted by rust. Go stick a rare earth magnet on some surface- rusted steel and tell me how magnetism doesn't work on it. It's the magnetic field from those two magnetic poles going past the coil assembly causing induction. The rust is a non-factor unless it's pitted. People must be having success because they are re-gapping the coil after cleaning the surface rust, would be my guess.
We keep going around in circles on this. My thing is that the build up of rust and or debris will cause the air gap to change and that will affect the power of the spark produce by the coil. I've seen it many times, even not cleaning the rust or debris and just re-gapping, the equipment will run fine for a little while, but not long. So I always cleaned the area re-gap and use a water displacement agent to protect and prevent.
So, rust can affect, but only if pitted, well most that I've seen that are this badly rusted are pitted.
There are numerous forums, groups, and video's that talk about this issue. Some for and against this issue and whether or not it works. That's what makes this country so great we can agree to disagree. Have a great day.
Worked for me and didn't redo tapping ,not so absurd!