How to Troubleshoot a Yardman 18 Snowblower: the Engine Dies When Engaging the Clutch

Find the spark plug on the right side of the Yardman's engine assembly and disconnect the thin, black ignition wire from the rear of the plug.

Trace the snowblower's ignition wire back and up to the flywheel. The flywheel is a circular part with an iron "shroud," or cover, over its top. Remove the bolts on this cover with a socket wrench.

Remove the cover from the Yardman 18 snowblower's flywheel.

Remove the snowblower flywheel's center bolt with your socket wrench. This bolt is revealed when you remove the flywheel cover.

Position a flywheel pulley over the Yardman's exposed flywheel and lower its two arms over the outside of the flywheel. Use your socket wrench to tighten the center bolt on the pulley. Continue tightening until the flywheel pops free.

Ensure the fins on the outside of the flywheel are smooth and do not feature any burrs. File down any burrs with a file. If these burrs existed, this is likely the problem with your snowblower.

Set the flywheel back into place and replace the flywheel's cover by reinserting its bolts with your wrench. Attempt to run the snowblower.

Remove the flywheel's cover and disassemble the flywheel with the pulley as before if filing down the flywheel's burrs did not correct your problem.

Remove the bolts on the snowblower's oil pan. The oil pan is situated below where the flywheel previously existed on the engine assembly. Use your socket wrench to take out the bolts. This reveals the clutch shaft.

Remove the bolts on the Yardman snowblower's clutch shaft with your wrench.

Use a rubber mallet to strike the top of the Yardman's clutch shaft, which is found directly below where the flywheel popped off. This action will dislodge the now loose clutch shaft.

Slide a replacement clutch shaft into the vacated area left by the old shaft. Tighten the shaft's bolts into the new clutch shaft using your socket wrench.

Reassemble the flywheel and spark plug by following your disassembly steps in reverse.