Pull cord broke

Stan in Oly, WA · Apr 11, 2013

The pull cord on my lawn mower broke. The amount of lawn I haven't been able to cover with something else takes me ten minutes to mow, so a walk behind, non self-propelled gas mower is plenty---but I've got to be able to start it. I was able to get the plastic shrouds off easily, but the steel assembly over the thing that the cord wraps around appears to be riveted in place. It looks like if I could reach in with needle nose pliers and pull out the piece of cord with the knot on it, I could fish new cord in, knot it, and wind it around the whatever it's called. But it must be wound up now, so it isn't moving.

I'd welcome any constructive advice.

Stan

Gary from Muleshoe · Apr 11, 2013

I have the kind in my mower and it happened to me. I was able to get all the old rope out. Then I wound it to tighten the spring, lock it in place with a screw driver, fish the new rope in tied a know in it and let it wind up. Still working fine. Takes a little patience but it can be done. Also I did take the time to lube it up good while I had it off.

Stan in Oly, WA · Apr 11, 2013

Thanks, Gary. That's encouraging. I can usually fix this kind of thing if I'm doing it right. Where I get into trouble is when I make a mistaken assessment of what has to be done, or when there's an important piece of information I don't know about. I'll probably do it exactly as you describe.

Stan

Tom in TN · Apr 11, 2013

Stan,

I've replaced LOTS of pull ropes over the years, and in fact, I need to replace one on my rototiller right now.

Every one that I've ever done has a chimney-like part sticking up that the pull cord runs into and out of when the cord is pulled/released. That chimney-like part is riveted onto a metal shroud that covers the top of the engine. The metal shroud is bolted to the engine with four small bolts which are on the side of engine, not on the top.

If you remove the four small bolts you can lift the metal shroud off of the engine and then you'll have easy access to the recoil mechanism/pull rope etc.

Maybe yours is different, but I've never seen one that wasn't as I've described.

Good luck,

Tom in TN

Anonymous-0 · Apr 11, 2013

Don't know what engine you have but don't take the whole starter apart. Just take the shroud off with the recoil in it. Don't loosen the recoil bolt. If there's slots or holes on the shroud, it's not too hard to fix. Wind up the recoil and use a screw driver or a punch, through the slots in the shroud, to hold the recoil(from unwinding) while you fish a new starter rope through the shroud lining up the hole in the recoil. You may have to redo it to tighten the recoil more if the rope doesn't return fully. I fixed one of my pumps this way. The time before I had to take it to a small engine shop because I tried to fix it without knowing the proper way. I loosened the nut and had the spring pop out and I was pooched.

JRSutton · Apr 12, 2013

same here - never met one that didn't come off with a few nuts or bolts.

You really do want to get to the pulley itself to do it right.

Knots are only going to drive you crazy, even if there is enough to tie onto.

I'd suggest youtube. There are a LOT of great how-to videos out there - probably for the very mower you're working on.

Do it right and I think you'll be surprised at how easy it was. The starter assemblies are designed to allow for cord replacement.

Billy Shafer · Apr 12, 2013

That is the way I do it. Works fine

36 Coupe · Apr 12, 2013

Newer mowers have rivets that have to be drilled to replaced.The last one I did had a large rivet that had to be cut.New rivet cost 4 bucks.I quit mower service after that one.

S2710 · Apr 12, 2013

Older couple have a beautiful lawn which the wife takes care of. She can't pull the rope to start the mower so he took the rope and recoil out and now she starts the mower with a socket on a drill.

Bob

old · Apr 12, 2013

O have fixed many of them over the years. Yep take the part the rope is on and turn it the same direction as it would move when you pull on the rope and watch for the end to show up at the hole it should come out of. Then use a wire or other such thing to fish it out. Over the years I have picked up more then 10 mowers that people threw away because of that type of problem

mkirsch · Apr 12, 2013

Since you can get the starter mechanism off the engine, that's as far as you want/need to go. Believe me, you do NOT want to take the starter apart any further... Suffice it to say, "SPROING!!!!!!!!"

Replacing the starter cord is going to be a little tedious and tricky no matter what. You'll have to do some fishing and wedging and probably a lot of cussing and swearing in the process.

Believe me it gets easier as you do more of them.

Pull cord broke

Stan in Oly, WA

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Gary from Muleshoe

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Stan in Oly, WA

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Tom in TN

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Anonymous-0

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JRSutton

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Billy Shafer

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36 Coupe

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S2710

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old

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mkirsch

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