How To Repair A Lawn Mower Pull Cord

If you ain a pull start lawn mower y'all will eventually observe yourself holding the severed handle of a cleaved starter cord. Here in Florida, ii thirds of the year is 1 continuous lawn mowing session. That translates to lots of string tugs. Thankfully, starter string replacement is simple vesture and tear maintenance that you tin can hands practise yourself. We're not yanking your cord when we say the pelting keeps coming and the grass keeps growing; so let's replace this broken starter cord!

Rip Torn – Replacing A Broken Starter Cord

This ripped cord has been forced into retirement.

Afterwards weeks of perpetual rain, we finally got a break in the storms. Then came a unlike kind of pause. I went to mow the spongy, puddle-pocked mess I call a m and noticed my mower's pull cord was frayed where information technology enters the recoil starter housing. "That'south going to need replacing in the next few months". Nope, snapped on the very first pull!

I see you hiding in in that location, silly cord, trying to avoid work.

This detail small engine part goes by many different names, depending on your source: starting cord, starting rope, pull cord, lawn mower rope, recoil starter rope, rip cord, etc… Many retailers lean towards "starter string", so we often will as well. Whatever you phone call it, the replacement process for a starter cord is pretty much the same across the board (fifty-fifty for other equipment, similar cord trimmers, pressure level washers, chain saws and generators).

Housing Project – Accessing The Starting Assembly

This mower'due south starter housing is mounted with 3 bolts.

If you've never dealt with a broken pull cord, it may be worrisome to have one break on you. But don't sweat it; it's a simple, minor repair that tin can exist done in twenty minutes or less (or your next one's free!).

Brainstorm by pulling a few bolts and detaching the recoil starter housing from the engine. The spring loaded cord reel (spring caster) is attached to the underside of the housing. Don't separate the pulley from the housing unless you're actually having a trouble with the bound assembly. If the pulley isn't turning hands, y'all can try spraying some lubricant between the reel and housing to gratis it upwards.

One time the bolts are removed, the housing lifts right off.

While you have the housing off, become ahead and clean out whatsoever grass, twigs and other debris that have managed to work their style inside.

Pull The Plug On The Old Pull Cord

Removing the sometime starter cord.

Detach the bad string from the reel and the pull handle and then tie the broken ends together. Mensurate the old cord and cutting a new piece several inches longer than the original (to account for the knots at each finish and where information technology broke). Actual length is not disquisitional; try to stay within about 6 inches of the original starter cord and you lot'll be perfectly fine.

Unwind the cord from the reel. So grab the knotted terminate and pull it through.

Depending on your starter handle, y'all may need to drive the knot out with a slotted screwdriver and mallet then yous can grab agree of it to remove the cord.

I was going to buy a replacement starter string from the dwelling house heart. But the ones in stock were inexpensive, sparse plastic rope (and come with a new pull handle, which I don't need). Instead, I used some appropriately sized paracord that I already had in the shop. As a bonus, if you want to add together a picayune visual popular (bling bling!) to your mower, paracord comes in many dissimilar colors and patterns.

To determine the length, I tied the old cord back together then added about 5 inches. (I needed nearly 8 feet of cord.)

May I Have Your A-tension? – Tightening The Coil Spring

Wind the spring pulley.

Before attaching the new lawn mower starting cord, we need to tension the whorl bound behind the caster. Flip the housing upside down and rotate the pulley in the same direction it would turn if the cord were being pulled (counter clockwise).

I used a screwdriver to concord the pulley withal while tying off the end of the cord.

Keep winding until the leap feels like it'southward budgeted its limit, existence careful not to allow information technology go. Now back the pulley off a full rotation, plus enough extra to marshal the tie-off pigsty in the pulley with the cord guide pigsty in the housing.

Go on tension on the cord and permit it to retract into the housing.

Thread your new starter cord through the housing and reel and so tie a knot in the end. Gently allow the pulley to spool the cord. But get out some hanging out so y'all can adhere the pull handle.

Attach the pull handle.

If, like mine, your mower has a loop on the handle bar that keeps the pull cord close at manus, at that place may exist a good foot or so of string than doesn't current of air onto the reel (that'south OK). If your starter cord does try to retract all the way into the housing, you lot tin can temporarily clamp the line (or tie a loose knot) to keep the cease hanging out while you adhere the handle.

Concluding Check & Reassembly

The recoil starter automatically couples itself to the top of the engine every time you pull the string, so there should be no alignment issues to worry nigh. Only set the housing back in identify and reinstall the bolts.

Before putting the starter back on the engine, verify that the fully-extended cord reaches its stop before the leap does. In other words, when you lot pull the starting cord all the way out, the pulley should be stopped past the knot at the end of the cord, non by the gyre bound. If the spring bottoms out earlier the rope does, the pulley probably needs another turn or 2 of tension.

New Lawn Mower Starter String – Finished!

Practiced as new!

Personally, even though I've always done my own lawn mower repairs, I don't exactly love working on them. Just if I had to choose a failure to tackle, replacing a mower starter string would reign at the elevation of my list. Whether y'all're replacing a cleaved starter cord or just upgrading an quondam worn one, now that you know how easy information technology is you lot'll never have to pay a repair store to do the job for you. That'southward the Home Fixated way!

Steve fabricated his showtime woodworking project at age 9 (in 1982) and whittled his first wooden chain at eighteen. He was also a consumer electronics repair tech and store owner for a little over 20 years, until his impending obsolescence became impossible to ignore. Since and so, Steve has focused passionately on manipulating his wood... in his workshop. Don't judge him.

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