How to Replace a Pull Start Cord
- 1). Remove the part of the engine that houses the pull start cord. This is usually a metal cover over the entire top of the engine. It's likely that cables, brackets, or other things are attached to this housing cover. Look carefully to find the bolts that attach the housing directly to the engine and remove only the necessary bolts. If you remove a bolt that does not directly attach the housing to the engine, it's wise to keep the bolt with the part so reassembly will go smoothly.
- 2). Place the cover upside-down on your work area. You will see the underside of the spool. Do not remove the spool from its place in the housing because this would cause the pretensioned spring to unwind. Using pliers, grasp the cord by the knot on its end and pull it out of the spool. If the cord becomes lodged or tangled in the spool, go to Step 3; if it slides out easily, go to Step 4.
- 3). Cut or untie the knot on the end of the cord on the underside of the spool. Wind the spool manually in the direction that it would go if you were pulling on the cord to start it. Watch through the hole to see where the cord normally comes out of the engine cover. When you see the end of the cord, hold the spool still with one hand and grasp the cord with the needle-nose pliers. Pull the cord out with the pliers.
- 4). Wind the spool in the direction it would go if you were pulling on the cord to start it. It will become tighter as you wind it. Wind it until it stops, then allow it to slowly retract one or two revolutions. Stop the spool where the holes line up, allowing you to thread the new cord through from the outside of the engine cover into the receptacle hole in the spool.
- 5). Clamp the spool in place. This will take some creativity as engine covers come in many sizes and shapes. A C-clamp is the best option, but take care not to clamp so tightly that you would crack the spool, as most are made of plastic. Another way to hold the spool in place is to wedge a flat screwdriver between the spool and the housing.
- 6). Hold the spool in place and thread the replacement cord through the hole on the outside of the engine cover into the receptacle hole in the spool. If it will not slide through easily, use the needle-nose pliers to help it along. Pull it through 2 to 3 inches.
- 7). Tie a double knot on the end of the cord. This knot must withstand the pulling force you will require to start the engine later.
- 8). Unclamp the spool and let it wind the cord in slowly. Attach the cord handle on the outside of the engine cover. Cut the cord leaving 2 to 3 inches excess and slide the handle over the cord. Tie a double knot in the cord to secure the handle.
- 9). Place the cover back onto the engine.
