Patience is a virtue

Everyday I've been putting a couple of drops of penetrating oil onto the crankshaft/flywheel interface.  And everyday I've been giving it a few knocks with a hammer to see if it will separate.

Ideally I would have deployed a proper flywheel extractor but alas I didn't have one of this size to fit (the Vespa PX extractor is slightly too big) and I didn't have facility to turn my own so I have had to resort to the poor-mans bodge and rely on lifting the whole assembly up by the flywheel and hitting smartly and squarely on the crankshaft end in the hope that the engine would drop away under its own weight.
This is really a two man job; one to lift the flywheel, and one to hold the drift while hitting with a hammer. As much as i tried to persuade my daughters to come and help me for a moment, they always seemed to have more important things to do (wash hair, watch tv, read magazine etc) and so I was left to my own devices..... and a device I made up.

I used a bit of welding rod to make a little support frame to hold the drift upright, leaving me to lift the engine with my left hand and hammer with my right hand.
Every day a few more taps and every day a bit more penetrating oil.
And today, with only the gentlest of hammering, the flywheel and the crankshaft separated.  Beautiful.





So what did I find?  Nothing unusual I don't think.  Its pretty grubby (and sandy) in there, but it all looks to be there.

















The starter sprocket attached to the flywheel on the other hand is most odd.  This looks like the work of tinkerer.... and perhaps its going to need the work of another tinkerer to make good again.



 I really hope that I get to find and buy another engine some day so I can make good at least one runner.