An electric/air impact gun will usually remove the flywheel nut, eliminating the need to wrestle with the ring gear holder etc…The same impact gun can be used on the OMC puller nut to pop the flywheel off…There is no need to remove the flywheel to check spark and it is OK.
But, again, have you checked it for spark? There is no need to remove the flywheel if spark is OK. How far into this thing do you want to get involved? You mention wanting to end up with a Homelite for power. Like Frank has said, the electrical parts for this engine are very expensive, if you can find them, I don’t think you will find a replacement powerpack for under $200. So, I would recommend checking for spark before digging much further into this project. Again, you will need to use a jumper to the pack post on that terminal board while cranking because you don’t have a wiring harness. You can move forward to evaluating the gearcase if you find good spark.
Perhaps I have not read your posts thoroughly, I don’t mean to keep repeating myself. I just don’t want to see you dig farther into this thing than necessary, especially if it has spark and shifts OK.
Once you have confirmed spark and gearcase operation, you can search for a decent used control box/wiring harness. Again, you will want to check shift switch operation with an ohm meter. These control boxes are getting tougher to find in decent condition, but they are still out there.
PS- Yes, these engines will run backwards, which is why that goof anti reverse spring is there and must be functional…
OK, just reread your posts. The ATF fluid may or may not work, but let’s give it another try. Are you sure the gearcase is full of fluid? The gearcase must be filled from the bottom plug until it flows for the top vent plug. In order to power up those solenoids, you must slide those rubber sleeves back on the shift lead connections coming up from the gearcase. This operation is tricky enough, try spraying a little WD40 into those sleeves before attempting to slide them back. Once the sleeves are out of the way, you can disconnect the two knife connections. There are two shift solenoid leads, one is green the other is blue. I can’t remember which lead is which, one is the neutral lead, the other is the reverse lead. When in neutral, only one lead is energized, both leads are engergized when in reverse. So, for now, let’s just energize both leads. I am assuming you will just jumper cables to crank the engine. So, the negative jumper cable should provide a good ground for the shift circuit. You will need to carefully run a jumper lead from the battery positive to both shift switch leads being careful not to let this connection hit the engine block/engine pan creating a direct short. Now you can connect your positive jumper cable lead to the starter positive. Then, while you are watching the prop shaft, have an assistant connect the positive jumper cable lead to the battery. You will probably see the prop shaft rotate clockwise for a few rotations until pressure is built up, then it will rotate counter clockwise in the reverse direction while cranking. Again, you will need a decent 12 volt battery that is fully charged, a little battery out of a riding mower/motorcycle won’t do. Once we confirm reverse works, I’m sure Frank will tell us which lead is the "neutral lead". Then, we can connect only that neutral shift lead to B+ while cranking to see if neutral works. Chances are pretty good that neutral will work if reverse works….Again, it is important to understand that both leads must be energized for reverse to work. If the gearcase fails these test, you can check the solenoids for continuity, we will research the resistance value of the solenoid, but I seem to remember a value of about 6-7 ohms. I would also drain the gearcase and refill with OMC premium blend before condemning the gearcase as well…
.
