If you own a manual start lawn mower, eventually you will find yourself grabbing the cut handle of a broken starter cable. This results in a lot of cable pulling. Fortunately, replacing the starter is simple wear and tear maintenance that you can easily perform on your own. We are not pulling on your rope when we say the rain keeps falling and the grass keeps growing; so let’s replace that broken jumper cable!
With the end of the mowing season insight, your mower may suffer from wear and tear. Unfortunately, this can lead to the development of faults, and one particular fault that you may encounter is that the jumper cable breaks in your hand when trying to start your gasoline lawnmower.
While it can be frustrating, if you can get to your mower’s pulley, there is no reason why you can’t fix the pull cable yourself and get the mower back on. It should be noted, however, that the specific starter cord replacement process will likely vary depending on the make and model of your device. But with the indicators below, repairing the part should be relatively easy.
Remove the old starter rope
The first step in repairing a pull cord is to remove the rewind assembly from the mower. The way to do this varies depending on your mower model but is usually secured with three or more screws.
Some mowers have a cover that covers the top of the mower. In these, you will need to find and remove the screws that hold the cover in place. If your rewind unit is secured with rivets instead of screws, see “No screws?” “Below.
After removing the rewind unit, turn it over and look inside to find the knotted end of the broken cord.
Grasp it with a pair of needle-nose pliers and pull it out. You will pass the new replacement starter rope through this hole.
Tie on the handle
Remove the old mower’s pull cord from the handle, thread it through the new cord, and tie a single knot. Make sure the knot is tight. Pull it through the handle to help tighten the knot.
Load the return spring
The next thing you are going to do is load the return spring. Turn the recoil in the direction that protrudes from the coupling legs. Coupling lugs connect the recoil to the engine and turn the flywheel.
Continue to turn the recoil, making sure to apply enough pressure to prevent the spring from loosening and bleeding your joints.
Once you feel the full tension on the spring, locate the hole in the pulley through which the starter cable passes. Line it up with the outside hole in the launcher’s body.
Thread the new drawcord
With the two holes aligned, run the new cable about 12 inches. Make sure the cable is not tangled, then slowly release the pressure on the recoil, letting it wind the cable for you until the handle is resting against the recoil.
Then tie a knot at the end of the cord. Pull-on the handle until the knot you just made snaps onto the recoil pulley. Let the cable retract slowly.
Cut an extra rope
Remove the screwdriver and let the rope grip the wheel. After returning everything to its previous position, cut it if there is an extra string.
Precautions:
At the start of the replacement, specify a place to hold the screws. This will prevent you from losing the screws.
Be careful when removing the screwdriver from the internal spring so that your finger does not stick to the spring.
Get the user manual from the manufacturer’s website. If you have a problem while you are working, the user manual will tell you how to fix it.
What if the cable is too long?
You don’t have to go back and start all over again. Mark with a Sharpie marker where the wire meets the kick. This is where the handle should be.
Pull the cable while maintaining tension on the recoil. Tie a loose knot near the wrong side.
This gives slack to tie a new knot where you made your mark before. Tie a tight knot and pull the cable outward, again maintaining some pressure on the recoil so that it does not break. Untie the temporary knot you made earlier.
Why is my pull cord stuck?
There are many reasons that can cause the drawstring to seize. Some of them are:
Old grass or debris can be stuck inside the starter pulley.
Broken return spring
Damaged pull cord
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Old grass or debris stuck inside the pulley:
Sometimes there is a buildup of mud and grass inside the starter pulley. To remove this dirt and grass, you need to open the mower starter housing by following the steps above and then remove the debris with a screwdriver.
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Broken return spring:
This is a rare scenario, but the return spring inside the starter housing can break in some cases. You need to check the starter housing, in this case, to rule out the problem.
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Damaged traction cable:
A lawnmower that has been used for a long time will in most cases damage the traction cable. To solve this problem, you need to refer to the previous article.
Final verdict:
The process we are discussing is the general process of replacing a lawn mower’s pull cord. But keep in mind that the whole process we discussed is for small lawnmowers.
If you have a large lawnmower, you should definitely try to have it repaired by a qualified mechanic. In the case of a large mower, it can be dangerous to repair it.
Hope this article has helped you know how to replace pull cables on lawnmowers.