Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): 2 Stroke Piston Question, extreme stupidity, conrod

Question
Hi - Firstly I must confess to an act of extreme stupidity - I ran my 2 stroke Victa Mustang without oil in the fuel and damaged the piston in the process.  I was faced with a $300 repair bill and decided I had nothing to lose by attempting a repair job myself.  I have dismantled the engine and exposed the piston and crank.  Now to get the piston out of the cylender - I believe  I need to disconnect the conrod from the crank.  This conrod does not unbolt - it is one complete unit.  My question is - How do I get the conrod off the crank?.  Another question is - should I even be attempting to repair this mower?

Answer
Hi Mark,

Don't sweat it, it's been done before.  If the connecting rod doesn't come off the crank, then it is made as a one-piece assembly.  The piston should remove from the conrod but you will of course, need to remove the cylinder to do this.  You can try tapping the piston out with a block of wood and a hammer...Unless the cylinder and crankcase are one piece.

As far as the value of doing all this?  It depends on the age and condition of the mower.  Also the cost of parts and value of your labor.  All compared to the cost and hopefully trouble-free long life of a new one.

Best,
Michael