|
Remember,
they're made to be lightweight. So before the inevitible comparison with
your starts-every-pull lawnmower, be thankful you don't have to carry your
22 hp garden, 200 lb rider on your back.
The most likely problems will be the cord
breaking or the main spring snapping where it's tangs bend to hold it in
place. The cord breaking is obvious-it comes out in your hand. Spring
failure has two failure modes: 1) the cord won't retract at all, or 2)
after you pull it out, the handle doesn't retract all the way. You're left
with several inches (or lots more) cord hanging loose.
This unit is blessedly easier to work on than a
couple other that I've worked on although I'm certainly no master
mechanic.
The most likely rebuild parts, besides obviously worn
ones, are the spring and cord. Here
are the steps to replacing anything in the assembly:
-
After removing the starter assembly from the
motor, lay it down as shown and unscrew the only screw there, the
Pawl Cap Screw, which holds everything together.
-
Pull the pawl cap off along with with the
little center spring just below it. The screw has a wide diameter shaft
that allows the pawl cap to spin even though the screw is tightened.
-
The reel contains the pawls on top, cord in
the middle and main spring below. Take care that the main spring
doesn't fall out. If the spring snaps out of its metal housing, curl
up into the fetal position and cry. It may not be so bad but I have
thankfully not rounded that particularly nasty curve. While holding
the pawls in place, pull the main spring out (you may have to twist it
first) then lay the reel down with the pawls on top.
-
Replace the cord if necessary. Now is a great
time to do so because it's easy. Don't skimp on cord quality. Boating
cord (see Boaters World) is the good stuff, apparently. It can't
be too thick lest it not fit enough windings in the reel. Stretchy is
bad because it chafes while stretching.
-
Replace the main spring. Here's the trick:
use a very small piece of toilet paper to wedge in on the spring's
edge to hold it in place. That simple trick made rebuilding this thing
a breeze.
-
Put everything back together, preferably
using a dab of medium locktite for bolt.
Theoretically this should last for at least 100 hours but do have an extra
main spring and cord on hand. Enjoy your now-easy and reliable starting!
Getting the Parts
Thanks to Ron Hogan for
suggesting this source for parts. Apparently these recoil starters come
from stock units that share parts commonality and this one is a Tecumseh 590420A.
Other starter parts can be ordered here. |
 Parts
that you should have on hand: the main spring and cord.
Removing
this screw lets you disembowel the whole works. When you're done, pulling
the rope should allow all three starter pawls to pop out then retract when
you release the cord. If you have to pull the cord hard (fast) to get that
to happen, you probably forgot to insert the Pawl Cap Spring before
reassembling. Don't ask me know I know that.
The
3-Pawl Cap on the left is what comes with newer machines, replacing
the Single Pawl Cap on previous models.
This main spring is
broken. The tang that anchors the spring into its housing snapped off. It
would normally be protruding from the slit near the bottom.
|
