Rewinding the coil spring in a recoil starter???

[kebo]

How is it done? Is it even possible?? This is the one thing that I have never gotten the hang of. There has to be a special tool or technique for it!! The pull rope on my parent's mower broke, so I took the engine cover off to get to the recoil mechanism. One screw in the center, so I loosened it. Once I got it off, I gently pull up on the recoil pulley, and of course the recoil spring inside lets loose like a jack in the box popping open even though I put hand underneath the pulley to try and stop it!! I HATE THOSE FRIGGEN THINGS!!! How in the world does one get it back together???? It's a B&S 6hp on a Craftsman mower if that makes any difference. Thanks!

 

[zzvyb6]

Start from the ouside and work your way inwards. A large jaw ViceGrips can help keep sections of the job in place.

 

[2720wes]

I rewound a BS 8hp engine a few months back. Don't know if it was the right way or the easiest but it worked. Yours my be different than mine but I think they are all similar. Just take the inside clip of the spring and run it through the slot in the housing and clipped it to the inside spring/rope holder, wind it the opposite direction that the rope winds-up and when its almost as tight as it will go, make sure the end clip on the spring hooks to the outside housing, then clamp everything down so nothing moves, insert the rope and knot it then hold onto the rope and loosen the clamp and it winds the rope and is as good as new.

You Tube has some videos of the process, makes it look easy. If you have an old clutch, the piece the spring/rope holder goes on, weld the top piece of the clutch to a t-handle and use that to wind-up the spring.

 

[RandyT]

The old style briggs springs are best slid through the little slot on the outside edge of the starter housing and locked into the starter pulley and then turn the starter pulley to pull the spring in and make sure you hang onto the other end with a locking plier to prevent pulling into the cover by accident. the new sussa starters the spring sits inside the starter pulley, start the spring into the notch on the starter pulley and continue to wind around in circles until you have the spring wound back in, then insert the assembly into the housing and install the bolt that holds in in place and then wind until tight and back off one turn, and then use something to hold it in place while you slid the rope through the rope hole in the housing and into the hole in the starter pulley and tie a knot in the rope and then remove what is holding the pulley and the rope will wind back in. If you have to replace the spring or pulley they come as an assembly already wound together.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Every time I rewind a starter coil I feel like I'm caught in some kind of 3 Stooges meets Twilight Zone nightmare. I've found the same as other posters... Put the assembly together and then wind it.

 

[Travelover]

I worked in a lawnmower shop as a kid. The correct way is to pull the spring in with the pulley as you wind the pulley, which has been is installed in the shroud. Then insert the rope end into the pulley. When you release the pulley, the spring pulls in the rope.

 

[jonyyuma]

You can buy the new spring already coiled up, if yours is kinked. Be sure you have it firmly enguaged, before cutting the tie wires. or it will be bigger than your hat>>.

 

[kebo]

Ok, got it back together with the new nylon rope on it!!!! :thumbsup: I have to admit that I didn't do it myself though. Got frustrated with the darn thing and took it to a small engine shop near where I work. The man actually showed me how to do it. He rewound the coil spring onto the pulley from its outside edge to the inside, you start by pushing the outermost winding of the coil sping into the recess area it fits in on the pulley, and then work your way to the center. The trick is you have to rotate the pulley in your hands as you work towards the center. Once you get the spring all wound inside the recessed area, then it's a matter of aligning the pulley into the housing and dropping it in, making sure the inside (center) part of the coil spring catches on the little tab that locks that end of the coil in place.

Once that was done, he wound the housing around the pulley (CCW?) to preload the coil spring. I don't think he went as many turns as it would go, but rather backed off one or two turns, and then locked it in place by sticking a small philips screwdriver through the pulley and into the housing. You should also have the hole in the pulley for the rope lined up with the hole in the housing. This is so you can cut the old rope off, and then slide the new one in. Measure how much new rope you need by comparing it to the old rope. Slide the end through the housing and through the pulley. Tie a knot in the rope inside the pulley, and install the handle on the other end by sliding it on and tying a knot in it.

Once all that is done, pull the screwdriver out and gently let the coil spring retract itself, pulling in the new rope at the same time.

I also learned that you really don't need to remove the pulley anyway to do this, for this B&S motor anyway. In short, it's a matter of unwinding the pulley and lining things up, lock it in place, cutting off the old rope, sliding in the new rope, and then tying off both ends and releasing the lock so it will wind in the new rope.

I wish I could have videotaped it!! The best part was he only charged me $5 to do it, well worth it!! :laughing:

 

[Iplayfarmer]

... The best part was he only charged me $5 to do it, well worth it!! :laughing:

If I could get it done for $5, I'd take it in every time. Even know a process that works, it's still worth $5 to have someone else do it.

 

[jonyyuma]

That chore is a bargain at $5.oo.. I have had the honor of letting the spring loose, many years ago..Never release a fishtape, with some retraint on it...