2005 avenger flywheel problems

[40inchtwister]

hey guys while running through the trails i hit a big bump and my argo died.. found out that the magnet on the flywheel hit the coil and busted it off .... im not near it right now and im trying to order parts but they want a spec number off the engine.. does anyone have one around this year ? i belive it has the kohler 25hp carb in it.

[MaxRules]

Did the magnet come off and hit the coil, or was it able to hit it without coming off? I see a problem coming up on some of the Briggs powered Argos and that is the fact that the crankshaft bushing is wearing out and allowing the flywheel to have a significant amount of up and down movement. Briggs has a nice roller bearing on the clutch side of the engine, but only a bushing on the flywheel side. When you turn an Argo, a huge amount of pressure is put on the clutch side of the crankshaft as it boggs the engine. That pulls the crank and makes it wear on that bushing faster than normal. I am not seeing this issue on the Maxs, where the engine is not bogged down by turning. You can check the wear on your engine by simply grabbing the clutch and moving it up and down. When the problem is severe, you can actually hear the crank banging around at idle. I'm not sure how the Kohler Aegis is built or if this will be an issue for that engine.

[mike bar]

If the magnet is ok glue it back in place, providing the magnet is on the inside of the flywheel. The mark where it used to sit should be there. I just buffed mine with 600 grit, Cleaned it with laquer thinner and stuck it back on using silicone and spring clamps. Let it set for at least 24 hrs. Hope this helps.

Mike

[stumpgrinder]

hey guys while running through the trails i hit a big bump and my argo died.. found out that the magnet on the flywheel hit the coil and busted it off .... im not near it right now and im trying to order parts but they want a spec number off the engine.. does anyone have one around this year ? i belive it has the kohler 25hp carb in it.

Not trying to be smart about it, but how did you "find out"... considering the circumstances. Did you tear that far into out on the trail... or are you taking someone's advice? While not completely out of the question, the likelyhood of that happening is pretty slim, and I'd hate to hear about the trouble you went through to get your parts only to get back to your machine and that not be your fix.

The only reason I question it is because I've beat the snot out of 25 & 27 Kohlers in a mud boat... I mean hitting petrified stumps with a direct drive, no rubber tires between the engine & the stumps. And not just a few occasional licks, I mean dozens on a daily basis as a commercial fisherman, fishing crawfish deep in the swamps. I can think of several things that have happened to cause an engine to stop running on me in the field, loosing a magnet has never been one.

[garbie]

Did the magnet come off and hit the coil, or was it able to hit it without coming off? I see a problem coming up on some of the Briggs powered Argos and that is the fact that the crankshaft bushing is wearing out and allowing the flywheel to have a significant amount of up and down movement. Briggs has a nice roller bearing on the clutch side of the engine, but only a bushing on the flywheel side. When you turn an Argo, a huge amount of pressure is put on the clutch side of the crankshaft as it boggs the engine. That pulls the crank and makes it wear on that bushing faster than normal. I am not seeing this issue on the Maxs, where the engine is not bogged down by turning. You can check the wear on your engine by simply grabbing the clutch and moving it up and down. When the problem is severe, you can actually hear the crank banging around at idle. I'm not sure how the Kohler Aegis is built or if this will be an issue for that engine.

MaxRules
Have you ever done the bushing and bearing in a briggs? I have an 18hp vanguard that has the exact issues you describe. I had the flywheel off a while back and noticed the movement, I had assumed it was a bearing going. It has gotten bad enough that I am leaking oil on the pto side and can hear it clunking while idling. Is it worth it to rebuild, or am I better looking for a replacement?

[MaxRules]

Hi Garbie, I think it is worth doing a basic rebuild to fix that issue. The most work comes from just getting the engine out of your Argo. Once the engine is on the bench it's fairly simple. You'll probably want a Briggs service manual so you have all the torque specs and info you'll need. The 18hp engine is quite expensive to replace completely so as long as you don't have other hidden issues I think the rebuild will be cheap in comparison.