Hello all...
I was given a "Viking" mower with a Briggs & Straton Quantum 40 engine. The previous owner snapped the blade plate right off the boss, which sheared the head off one of the smaller bolts that anchor the plate to the boss.
I've removed the shattered blade plate. But I want to remove the boss so I can drill out and remove the sheared bolt. How do I remove the blade plate boss and the little keyway piece from the shaft? Do I hammer the boss upwards (towards the pull-start)? Or do I have to somehow "pull" the boss downwards (away from the pull-start)?
So what method do you guys use to remove the boss - and is there anything I should be aware of before I go belting it with a mallet? (And how do you refit it and its keyway?)
Also... I know you cannot run a two-stroke engine with the blade plate removed - ie. It needs a load to run/idle. Is this also true for a 4-stroke?
The reason I ask is, the engine is quite good and I'm thinking of making my kids a simple go kart. I was thinking I might just fit a small pulley onto the shaft. Then the kids pull down on a lever to tightens a fan belt against the pulley to move the car forward.
So would the 4-stroke engine idle with the belt loose until they pulled the lever to pull the fan belt tight?
Thanks for reading.
