This particular machine has now broken 2 of the brakets that mount the blade to shaft while attempting to start it. Now without the blade the engine when it attempts to fire it pulls cord hard out of hand, it is as if engine is firing and going backwards. Is this possible? I have not removed the fly wheel yet, is there anything else I should look for first?

Darren, Toronto,Canada, September 2008

My Lawn Mower is doing the exact same thing. I have inspected the flywheel and it looks quite normal......What I think is causing my adapter to break is the the blade maybe out of balance....I'm going to try a new blade and see if that will work. I balanced the blade on a screwdriver and it was

over 7 Adapters broken, October 2008

On a rotary mower, the 'flywheel' is misnamed - it's not much more than a place to mount the mangneto magnets. The real flywheel is the blade - so the short answer is - yes - this is normal behaviour for a rotary mower engine with no blade. That does NOT mean, however, that the flywheel key isn't sheared - you still need to check it.

The blade adaptor is solid alloy. It is impossible for this to break unless the blade is subjected to a heavy impact - at which point it is SUPPOSED to break to protect the crankshaft.

Phil Saunders, September 2008