Chain Saw recoil start reassembly - Help!

RayP(MI)

Well-known Member
Don't ask, but recoil start came apart on me - This particular starter has the recoil spring against the inside of fan cover, topped by a mylar washer, and then the cord spool goes on top of the washer. Then there is a screw which screws into center post of cover to hold whole assembly together. Any cute techniques to getting that spring coiled tight enough to drop into cover, and attach outside to notch in cover, and inside to notch in rope spool? Seems I don't have enough hands/fingers to get all the pieces together!

That screw came up missing, which probably caused the center post in the cover to break off. This was on a Poulan Pro 330, but same part number matches Electrolux and Husqvarna, so probably entire assembly is used on several brands. Got a new cover, and probably will epoxy old one back together as a backup...
 
Most of the springs I worked on had their own "cage". For a spring that doesn't, all I ever did was keep winding until I had it plenty small enough to fit in the cover, and had a pair of needle nose pliers handy to grab it near the hook and set it down in the cover. If the bend/hook on the inner end of the spring is correct, then the pulley should set right down in the spring. Then after it's secured, you can pull the rope up through the groove in the pulley and wind up the spring as much as you like.
 
Got to coil it pretty tight to even make it fit in the space provided in the cover. Hard to coil it that tight in fingers - even harder to drop in place.
 
I take them apart regularly on my chainsaws for cleaning and a little oil. Start with the outer end and coil it into the housing until it's all in. Then put the pulley in with the rope wrapped. Pull it out just enough to get the rope out and wind the spring a few turns and see how it pulls the handle in. Then give it one more turn at a time until it keeps the handle in place.
 
I had to put one back together on one of our gas powered tappers a couple weeks back.To small and slipery to hang onto and coil it back up flat. I went to my woodworking shop and picked out a couple small scraps of 1/2" plywood, about 4" square. I put a screw near the top of the two of them leaving just enough room between the scraps to allow the spring in. I wound it tight enough to easily fit in the starter housing and tied the spring coil with two bread ties. I took the screw out and removed the spring and sat it down in the housing and locked the outside hook into the housing with needle nose pliers, and then carefully removed the bread ties, and sat the cord real down over the spring hook in the center of the spring and gave the spool one turn to pull the cord tight and buttened it up. Had no problems the rest of the season.
Loren
 
Will zip ties work to hold it compressed? I've used that method before with success--get it in place, then cut the tie (or sometimes 2) with a set of end or side nippers.
 

It's really not that hard. You grab the center "hook part" between your index and thumb on your off hand and start pulling and wrapping the outside until you have the smallest coil of spring you can get. Then you either put it in the recoil assy or grab it with needle nose vise grips and spray it all over with WD40. Then tape it with electrical tape. The WD keeps the tape from sticking to the spring. Then you can put it in the recoil, cut the tape and carefully slide it out. I have arthritis and it's a chore but it's not that bad.
 

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