Removing My Homelite 750 Clutch

[sawnami]

I needed to exchange the clutch between my 750 and a parts saw that had one that was in very good condition. I decided to try the parts saw first and it was a good thing. That clutch is TIGHT! I didn't have the Homelite clutch tool so I tried the old punch and hammer routine. It didn't budge.

I called a time out because I didn't want damage anything on either saw. I then read here that one poster removed the clutch shoes and used a non-Homelite tool to remove his. I also read that there was a hole in the recoil side housing and flywheel to hold the crankshaft with. Armed with this information I went back and tried with a little more finesse than before.

I recently had bought a truck load of SAAB, Peugeot, and Renault diesel special tools so I began to look for something that might work. I found a Peugeot tool that looked like it might work. I removed the outer spring then pried the clutch shoes free from the inner spring to leave the center hub bare. My tool fit pretty well between clutch hub fingers so I gave it a shot. It worked great! I decided to measure the breakaway torque with my Torqometer™ which is a dial torque wrench that measures torque in both directions. It took 95 ft lbs to break it loose! I don't think that a punch and hammer would ever have broken it loose.

Following are a few pics.

Removing the outer spring.
<a href="http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_5884.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/IMG_5884.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Removing the clutch shoes.
<a href="http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_5885.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/IMG_5885.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

The Peugeot tool. (The only thing good that I have ever found about a Peugeot.:hmm3grin2orange
<a href="http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_5886.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/IMG_5886.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

The tool fit into the clutch fingers.
<a href="http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_5887.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/IMG_5887.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

A 5/16" pin punch inserted throught the recoil side and into the flywheel on the parts saw.
<a href="http://s842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_5883.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i842.photobucket.com/albums/zz345/sawnami/Homelite%20750/IMG_5883.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[rmh3481]

That tool looks like an old Jeep 4wd clutch hub tool that I have. Next time you need to lock the engine down, consider a rope in through the spark plug hole. The purpose of the rope is to prevent the piston from reaching top dead center which then locks down the engine. It would have been bad to read that you broke the magnets out of the flywheel with that punch.

 

[Eccentric]

That tool looks like an old Jeep 4wd clutch hub tool that I have. Next time you need to lock the engine down, consider a rope in through the spark plug hole. The purpose of the rope is to prevent the piston from reaching top dead center which then locks down the engine. It would have been bad to read that you broke the magnets out of the flywheel with that punch.

While you make good points (and I have the same spindle nut tool you mentioned), he wasn't in danger of breaking his flywheel in this case. These saws have provissions for locking the flywheel using the same method he used. The hole in the crankcase cover and the recess in the flywheel (which is nowhere near the magnets) that he used are provided for that purpose. Look closely at his last photo. Some McCulloch saws (X-10 series) have similar provissions (and the factory Shop Manuals direct you to use them).