Installing The Spring On The Trimmer Starter

Do-it-yourself gas drill starter repair, lawn mowers, trimmers

Today, we will consider the most common case when the breakdown is not so serious and show how to repair the starter with our own hands, if the cord breaks off without any destructive consequences or does not wind up due to the fact that the spring inside just flew off, out of engagement. At least initially I want to believe in it. But in order to find out whether this is so or not, you need to disassemble the starter.

Starter repair: disassembly

We unscrew the screw with which the pulley is attached to the starter cover. We take out the antennae, the spring. We pull out the pulley itself carefully so that the spring does not bounce into the face. Even with the most careful disassembly, it usually immediately flies out of the coil and abruptly unfolds into a long metal strip or twists into rings.

Pull out the white starter coil carefully. don’t get hurt by the spring!

If the spring bursts or one of its hooks breaks, then repairing the starter will not work simply and quickly. the spring needs to be replaced. In order not to spend money on buying a new starter, you can search only for it on sale.

If the starter spring simply fell off, i.e. one of the hooks is out of engagement, it is enough to insert it, if necessary, slightly tightening the hooks more tightly (just do not break it off!) Install the spring with the outer hook into the pulley groove and start twisting it, while holding with your fingers inside the coil and preventing it from jumping out of there.

Refueling the starter spring

Pressing the spring to the pulley, wind the spring inward in a circular motion

It may not seem so easy to insert the starter spring the first time, but everything comes with experience. With a little practice, you can easily wind the spring into the pulley in a maximum of a minute.

The starter spring is wound. It remains only to assemble the starter and charge the spring to the desired value

How to repair a gasoline tool starter with your own hands?

In the case of a break in the starter cord, everything is clear: we take out the old rope, take it that is suitable in length and thickness (you can use it for linen), pass it through the hole in the reel, tie a knot. Next, we charge the spring to the number of revolutions we need, only after which we fix the handle. and voila! details on how all this is done is clearly shown below.

Installing or replacing the starter spring for lawn mowers, motor-drill, trimmer

But what if everything is in order with the rope, and the reel (pulley) of the starter does not unwind? Let’s consider this issue step by step using the example of the starter of the gasoline ADA GroundDrill motor-drill, which has a pulley with two metal antennae for 2 hooks.

In the case of other types of manual starters of a similar design, which are widely used in gasoline lawn mowers, trimmers and motor drills, the whole process of repairing a starter will look similar, differing only in some nuances.

How to assemble a starter?

The most important thing in the process of self-repair of a starter is to assemble it correctly.

After the spring is fully wound, you need to carefully turn the coil over and insert it into the starter housing so that the second spring hook enters the housing groove.

When installing the pulley (in this photo. black), we look through the hole in it so that the spring hook falls into the groove on the starter cover

Then, if there is a spring under the screw, we first install it, not forgetting to put washers on top and bottom of the spring.

Carefully insert the cup with antennae into the grooves of the coil and tighten the screw.

Be careful not to drop the washer on the spring. Why is it important? The fact is that the spring scratches the plastic cup with its end, as a result of which the latter wears out and begins to press the screw more tightly against the coil. For this reason, a situation may arise that is very similar to a spring break: the handle is pulled out of the starter, but does not come back. However, loosen the starter screw this problem disappears. It is simple to fix such a starter malfunction: just pick up a spring of the same diameter, but a little longer, or put an additional washer. If we just loosely tighten the screw, then it will twist and fly out, and this will already increase the likelihood of the spring breaking, since the pulley will not fit snugly enough to the starter housing.

We screwed the coil to the body, now we need to tighten the spring. Before this, it is necessary to remove the starter handle from the rope in advance. If the knot is too strong, then you can simply cut it off or try to untie it, for example, using a pair of pliers. This is so that after you have cocked the spring, you can thread the rope through the hole in the starter cover. The other end of the rope must be fixed in the reel even before it is installed in the body; the rope does not need to be wound onto the pulley before pulling the spring. do this after.

Before charging the spring, estimate how many revolutions of the reel the rope should be wound. Let’s say the length of the rope at the starter of the Ada GroundDrill-5 motor drill corresponds to 5.5 turns around the reel. In this case, we make at least 6 turns of the coil in the direction opposite to the direction of winding.

So let’s get started. Without winding up, insert the rope into the groove in the reel specially designed for it. Everything is ready, we proceed to tensioning the spring. To do this, we rotate the coil counterclockwise. in the direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the coil when winding the rope. It is more convenient to do this not on the knee, but by pressing the starter with one hand to the floor, and with the other turning the reel directly by the rope attached to it. If experience is not enough, then you can rotate the pulley itself with both hands, but the rope will get in the way, which can create additional inconveniences. After the required number of turns is done, we pass the end of the rope through the hole in the starter cover, put on the handle, and fasten it with a knot. It is more convenient to do this together with a partner so that the end of the cable does not accidentally reel inside the starter.

By the way, on your own you can make some modifications to the design of the starter in order to more reliably fix the end of the spring inside the coil. At this point, who has enough imagination for that. Now I will explain why this is needed. It often happens that the spring in starters of this type, after the first such independent repair and installation of the starter on the unit, flies again after a few jerks. the hook does not hold in the coil groove. And this is despite the fact that the coil almost snugly adheres to the starter cover and the spring there certainly should not hang freely up and down, and even more so until the spring leaves its engagement. It turns out that when the cable is pulled, the spring pulls out, pulls it out of the groove. In this case, you can do the following: cut out a narrow strip of metal, which in thickness could squeeze tightly into the groove of the coil along with the spring hook itself. So the hook will not dangle freely in the groove, which means it will not be so easy for it to break out.

A metal plate tightly inserted into the gap between the spring hook and the groove walls will securely hold the spring

Another solution to the problem: drill small holes in the coil on both sides of the groove and, inserting the spring hook, fix it with a thin wire threaded through these holes. But here you need to contrive to make sure that this wire does not touch the inside of the starter cover when you rotate and thus does not slow down the pulley. Alternatively, loosely tighten the screw or replace it with a similar slightly longer one. You can think of an option with the installation of some kind of gasket between the lid and the coil.

Does your power tool starter design differ from the above? Faced another malfunction, or do you know the best way to repair a starter yourself? Ask questions, share your experience with others. together we can solve the problem of frequent starter breakdowns once and for all!

How to assemble a new lawn mower starter?

To assemble the starter, do the following manipulations.

• Pass one end of the cord through the opening at the beginning of the spool and tie it in a knot. The knot must not pass through the hole. Otherwise, you will disassemble the starter again.
• Wind the cord onto the spool itself.
• Install the spring into the starter housing, hook one end of it in the groove and wind it. For convenient winding, twist the body counterclockwise.
• Place the ratchet on the spring.
• Hook the return spring to the ratchet itself, attach it to the spool.
• Install the main spring and housing with the assembled ratchet, connect the starter parts together and tighten with the main bolt.

After assembling the starter, pass the free end of the cord through the hole in the housing for the reel. Re-pass the same end through the hole in the handle that is pulling the cord. Tie a strong knot on the handle. Check the operation of the starter handbrake.

How does the starter for lawn mowers or trimmers work??

The starter is a generally uniform and universal mechanism for lawn mowers, trimmers, gasoline and diesel generator sets. It is not a problem to equip them even with a car, motorcycle or scooter, if your vehicle has free space for its installation. It was not for nothing that many Soviet cars and trucks were equipped with a starter tool that remotely resembles a crowbar bent twice.

The starter assembly has the following parts:

• Ignition spring with hook;
• A cord wound on a spool;
• Return spring;
• Drive ratchet and main spring;
• Mechanism body protecting the ratchet;
• Locking bolt.

How to replace or replace the starter spring?

If everything is in order with the rope on the starter, suspicion falls on the reel itself. It is driven by a tape spring, coiled into a roll. Certain steps must be taken to change the spring.

• Remove the starter from the lawn mower.
• Remove the starter coil.
• Unscrew the main bolt holding the pulley to the housing.
• Pull out the gripping tendrils and spring, the ribbon spring is almost fully extended or coiled with larger diameter rings.
• Hold it in advance.
• Check if the spring is intact (there may be rusty streaks, fractures, etc.). If the hooks at its ends are broken, it will not be possible to bend new ones. high-carbon steel breaks when you try to bend it. Loose hooks are suitable for slight bending.
• Make sure the auxiliary (regular) spring and washers are in place. These parts protect the coil body from being punctured by the ends of the main spring. If the washers and spring are broken, and there are no new ones available, do not tighten the coil bolt tightly, but watch it. it can unscrew and get lost.
• If the main (flat) spring is damaged, insert the same new one. Place the hook on the end of the spring in its place and bend it, inserting coil by coil into the space where it should be.

The rewinding of the spring takes a minute. Dexterity in this action is acquired quickly.

How to replace or replace the starter spring, see the following.

Worst failure scenario

There are times when the starter is still operational, but a worn out cord can break, for example. The ratchet has not yet had time to work when the engine is started, and the remnants of the cord are immediately wound around the coil, the return spring loses its hooks, the grooves in the starter housing break. Bottom line. replacement of both springs and housings.

Lawn mowers starters: device and installation features

The recoil starter for lawn mowers or petrol trimmers is a mechanical unit that includes a pulley fitted to a ratchet. A rope is wound on the pulley in the initial position. At the start, it is pulled outward. The pulley is spring loaded. as soon as you let go of the end of the rope, it will reel back. A flat strip rolled into a ring is used as a spring. It resembles a spring in a large mechanical watch that is wound once a day. The starter itself is located more often at the rear than closer to the front end of the mower or trimmer. To correctly perform all manipulations with the starter for lawn mowers, you need to know the features of the device and installation.

How tight the spring is cocking?

It is possible to give the spring the necessary potential force necessary for a clear and quick winding of the cord by determining the length of the cord in turns. To prevent the cord handle from drooping, add 1-2 more turns to the number of turns. So, if the cord has a length of 5 turns of the coil, then when charging the spring, turn the coil 6-7 full turns.

Assembling the starter lawn mowers

When servicing and repairing a starter, it is important to assemble it correctly. as if the assembly was carried out by the manufacturer. Any part that is incorrectly installed will prevent you from fully using your trimmer or lawn mower.

• After winding the spring, turn the coil over and position it so that the second spring hook falls back into place. To control the correct installation of the spring, there are technological windows on the coil itself.
• Install the starter pulley and make sure that one of the spring hooks fits into the groove located on the starter cover.
• Insert the spring and washers on the sides to prevent the spring from rubbing off the plastic compartment in which it is located. If the spring is broken, but the other is not the same, an additional washer is placed instead.
• Insert the antennae cup into the slots of the coil.
• Install the coil in its place, tighten the bolt until it stops, but without fanaticism.

If you do not shield the mainspring with washers from the compartment where it moves when winding and unwinding the starter cord, the reel will often jam when you try to start the trimmer or lawn mower. Loosening the coil bolt will result in its loss.

How to assemble a lawn mower trimmer starter, reel in.

How to change the starter cord?

It happens that it is not the spring that is to blame for the inability to start the starter, but the cord itself. It can seize or even break. Disassembling the starter lawn mowers or trimmer is versatile in its steps.

• Remove starter block from trimmer or lawn mowers.
• Remove the main bolt holding the handbrake.
• Pull out the spool and unwind the remnants of the worn out cord from it.
• Untie the knot on the cord handle and pull the end out of it.
• Untie the knot at the other end (at the beginning of the spool) and remove the old cord. Knots that have become tight are untied with pliers or pliers.
• Tie a knot at one end of the new cord, pass it through the hole at the beginning of the spool (closer to its axis).
• Wind a few turns of the new cord onto the spool. If it is long, then cut off the excess.
• Load and charge the spring-loaded cord tensioner (if removed) and spring-loaded elements in the correct sequence.
• Replace the spool and thread the free end of the cord through the starter outlet and handle.
• Reinstall the starter block.

Twist the starter by the cord, start the engine on lawn mowers or trimmers. The larger and more powerful the engine, the more jerks of the cord will be required at startup, the norm is no more than 7 times. The result is a quick and smooth start of the motor, the readiness of the unit for operation.