<<  Do any of  you sharp rotary mechanics live near Northern Indiana?

No, I live in central Ohio.

Now that you have beat on the thing, I would replace all of the
thrust parts
to avoid a failure later. When you pry on the counter weight you are
pulling
the thrust plate into a conical shape. It will spring back most of
the way when
you quit prying on it but then its too late. Scrap everything that
touches
the thrust bearings and the thrust bearings. That is to include the
hard washer
on the crank and the one on the counterweight.

Now buy the Racing Beat puller, or make one from a piece of plate
stock and 6
metric bolts from Sears. Put the nut back on but backed off of the
counter
weight about 2 turns. The puller needs to push against the end of the
crank. The
nut should not touch the puller. When the taper lets go there will be
much
energy stored in the puller plate and the counterweight. Without the
nut in
place to stop it, the counter weight or worse, the 45 pound fly wheel
will leap
from the crank and fall on your good foot.

You put on the puller and take a strain on the bolts, about 40
pounds. Use
anti-seize under the bolt heads and on the threads.

With the cutting torch and a rich flame and no cutting oxygen flow,
heat the
counterweight between two adjacent bolts. Don't be afraid to get it
too hot.
You will be replacing the rear seal anyway. Go all the way to red if
you have
to. The counterweight will jump off the taper with a bang.

Please to not beat on the counter weight/flywheel with a hammer. You
will
need to replace the thrust stuff if you do that too.
In any case where I have not installed the thrust parts, I have no
way of
knowing if another person beat the counterweight off with a hammer,
before I got
hold of this engine, so I scrap those parts that are suspect.

It comes off so easily this way it is just funny, after all of that
drama.

Lynn E. Hanover

Thanks for your comments Lynn,      First,  I doubt my conservative
taps on the counterweight damaged anything.   I was not able to apply
that much leverage in  prying either.   Once,  I figured out threading
in the bolts,  the counter weight jacked right off with light force.
I was using a short 3/8 inch ratchet at the time.  Having said all
that,  new thrust parts seem like a good idea so that is the way it
will be.
Question:  Is there any harm in putting the engine back together
temporarily without the seals and o-rings?   I want to install the
throttle bodies,  quickly reassemble the engine and work on the rest of
the  intake with Ed.    Also,  I  have about a year of work to go my
airplane before the engine will be run, so I might as well wait to the
last minute to buy the seals and o-rings.  There may be advancements in
these in the meantime.      Jerry

 
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