How to Replace a Small Engine Recoil Starter

If you own gas-powered outdoor equipment, such as a lawnmower or snowblower, you’ve likely experienced the frustration of getting the machine running with the recoil starter. You’re pulling the rope, and nothing is happening, or maybe the rope won’t pull out at all. Perhaps one of the most common (and most frustrating) scenarios is the rope breaking when you pull it. In this article we’ll go over why these issues happen with a recoil starter, the parts to inspect on your equipment, and how to replace them to get things back up and running again. This article will reference lawn mowers most often, but the general steps and fixes will apply to most recoil starter issues for other equipment like your leaf blower, chainsaw, string trimmer, generator, pressure washer, and snowblower. While the process may be similar, one recoil starter won’t work on every piece of equipment. Always make sure you’re buying the specific OEM recoil starter for your make and model of small engine.

What is a Recoil Starter?

The recoil starter, also known as a pull start or rope start, is a mechanism used to start combustion for a small engine. The pull start assembly is made up of the rope, a recoil spring, and a pulley and pawl system. When the machine is not running, the rope is wrapped around the pulley, and when the rope is pulled, it forces pawls to open and latch onto the crankshaft (or flywheel, depending on the equipment). Once those pawls are engaged, they are actively turning the engine over, as the crankshaft spins. With the crankshaft spinning, it engages the ignition system which creates the spark necessary for combustion to get the engine started. Once the engine starts, or you release the start rope, the pawls will retract, and the rope will be pulled back into the starter by the recoil spring.

Symptoms That Your Recoil Starter Has Failed

If you’re having issues getting your small engine equipment like a chainsaw, trimmer, or lawnmower started, it may be due to an issue with the recoil starter. The following are signs that one or more parts of the recoil starter has failed and will need to be replaced.

• Is the rope difficult to pull? This can be due to debris clogging the system, a damaged or misaligned spring, or a stuck rope.
• Is the rope not retracting? As indicated by the name, the rope should recoil or retract back in the mower once the cord has been pulled. If it is not recoiling, the cord might be tangled, the spring may be broken, or the pulley may be damaged.
• Has the rope frayed or broken off completely? This is a regular use part, and it will eventually wear down and break off from the repeated pulling motion used to start the machine.

How to Remove and Replace the Recoil Starter Assembly

It is very common for the recoil starter to be sold as a complete unit, instead of the individual components. For many small engine models, you will simply replace the entire assembly, which is a simple repair to complete. The steps will vary depending on the equipment you’re working on, whether a lawnmower, chainsaw, leaf blower or trimmer. However, the steps below will provide a general overview of the process for accessing and removing the recoil starter from your machine.

1. Ensure that the machine is turned on and fully cooled down and remove the boot from the spark plug for safety.
2. If working on a lawn mower or snowblower, remove the handle for the start rope from its holder, then unscrew and remove the blower housing to access the starter assembly. Depending on your model, you may also need to remove the fuel tank from the machine.
3. Remove any screws or clips holding the starter in place and remove the recoil starter from the machine. If working on handheld equipment like a chainsaw or trimmer, the recoil starter is typically found behind the housing, so that is the only component that needs to be removed.
4. At this point depending on your model, you can either install the new recoil starter assembly, or carry on with removing, inspecting, and replacing the individual components if applicable.
5. To install a new assembly, reverse the above steps by placing the starter onto the machine, ensuring that any clips, brackets, or mounting holes are lined up or snapped into place.
6. Reinstall the blower housing cover, reconnect the spark plug, and attempt to turn the engine over without starting the machine, to test that the rope will pull out and retract smoothly.
7. If the rope pulls out and retracts smoothly, then you can fully start your equipment to test your repair.

Parts to Inspect on Your Small Engine Recoil Starter

When working on any outdoor power equipment, always ensure that the machine is turned off and has cooled down before beginning. As an extra safety measure, we recommend removing the spark plug to ensure that the machine can’t be started. As we mentioned above, most recoil starters come as a complete assembly but depending on your make and model, you may be able to purchase parts separately. You can search with your model number to find the exact OEM parts intended for your machine on our site.

How to disassemble the recoil starter

1. The steps below are based on a lawn mower recoil starter assembly, and the exact steps will vary depending on the type of equipment you’re working on. Refer to your owner's manual to confirm whether you can replace the individual parts, or if your recoil starter is only available as a complete unit.
2. The first step for disassembling a recoil starter is to remove the tension from the spring. This is done by removing the handle and knot from the rope and allowing it to recoil completely inside the starter.
3. Next, remove the screw for the cap holding the assembly together.
4. Remove the cap, the pawls, the pawl springs, and the pulley from the housing.
5. Untie the remaining knot and remove the rope from the pulley.
6. Next is to remove the spring from the pulley. This will need to be carefully done, as the spring is still under some tension. There is likely a hook on the end of the spring that connects it to the pulley. Disengage this first, then use pliers to remove the spring from the pulley. If the spring was not connected to the pulley, this would’ve been the cause of your starter issues.
7. Keep the spring held in the pliers, as the spring is still wound and has tension. Hold it away from you and carefully release it onto the floor to allow it to unwind safely.
8. You can now inspect and replace any of the components that you noticed were damaged.

Inspecting the rope on your small engine recoil starter

If the rope for the starter has failed, you will be able to tell from a visible inspection. Look for fraying or thin spots, which will indicate the cord is close to breaking, if it hasn’t already come apart when you’ve attempted starting the machine. The rope may also be tangled or knotted inside the starter housing, but still in good condition otherwise. In either case, replacing or recoiling the rope properly is a simple and inexpensive repair. The steps below are based on replacing the rope in a lawn mower recoil starter, but the process will be similar for other types of lawn equipment.

How to replace the rope in a small engine recoil starter

1. With the starter assembly removed from your equipment, place it on a work surface.
2. Pull the rope out from the pulley, being mindful that doing so places tension on the spring.
3. When you reach the end of the rope, insert an object like a screwdriver into the pulley to prevent it from spinning. This should help to keep the tension in the spring.
4. Take the end of the rope that attaches to the pulley, untie the knot, and fully remove the rope from the pulley.
5. Before adding the new rope, the spring may need to be retensioned. You can do this by removing the screwdriver that was holding the pulley in place, and carefully turning the pulley until full tension is reached, and it stops turning.
6. Carefully release the pulley enough so that the hole on the pulley lines up with the hole on the starter housing, as this is where the new rope will be threaded into. Once the holes are lined up, again use the screwdriver to secure the pulley and keep it from spinning.
7. Take your new length of rope and feed it through the hole in the starter housing and the pulley. A pair of pliers may make it easier to hold and thread the rope.
8. Once the new rope is threaded into the starter, tie a simple knot at the end to keep it in place. A bit of superglue will ensure your knot stays in place, and your rope doesn’t come out of the pulley.
9. At the opposite end of the rope, tie off a section a couple of feet from the end. This will ensure the entire length of rope doesn’t recoil inside the starter.
10. While holding onto the rope, remove the screwdriver that’s holding the pulley in place. Loosen your grip on the rope and allow it to recoil around the pulley.
11. Reinstall the starter assembly onto your mower, then take the exposed end of the rope and thread it into the handle. Tie the end off and reinforce the knot with superglue if you prefer.
12. You can now untie the knot in the middle of the rope and secure the rope in the holder.
13. Test your repair by reconnecting the sparkplug and attempting to start the engine.

Inspecting the spring on your small engine recoil starter

The spring is a critical component for your recoil starter to function properly. If the spring becomes misaligned or disconnected from the pulley, or has been damaged, it will not unwind or recoil properly. This will make it difficult to pull out the cord, or the cord will not retract back into the starter once pulled, and you will not be able to start the engine. If you noticed during your inspection that the spring was disconnected from the pulley, you can reinstall and wind it back into the pulley yourself. If the spring is damaged or broken, it will typically require a completely new starter assembly be purchased.

How to rewind the spring in a recoil starter for a small engine

1. With the starter assembly removed from your equipment and disassembled (see steps above if not already done), place it on a work surface.
2. Locate the notch on the pulley and insert the hook on the spring into the notch.
3. Starting from the outside edge of the housing, wind the spring back into place.
4. Reinstall the spring and pulley back into the starter assembly, and retension the spring by carefully turning the pulley until full tension is reached, and it stops turning.
5. Insert a screwdriver into the pulley to help keep the tension on the spring in place.
6. Rethread the rope back into the starter, by feeding it through the holes in the starter housing and the pulley.
7. Tie off a knot at the end of the rope that is within the pulley, and another knot at the opposite end, a few feet from the end of the rope's length.
8. Carefully remove the screwdriver from the pulley and allow the rope to retract into the starter.
9. Reinstall the starter assembly onto your equipment and attach the pull handle to the exposed end of the rope before removing the placeholder knot.

To help keep your new recoil starter assembly in good shape, ensure that you use a good firm pull on the start rope. Repeatedly yanking on the rope or extending it fully will prematurely wear the rope and the spring and put excess stress on the system. A well-maintained machine should have the engine starting up within one or two pulls of the start rope. If you’ve replaced your recoil starter assembly and are still struggling to get your outdoor power equipment up and running, you will want to check out our other guides on other small engine components that may be giving you issues, like the carburetor, spark plug, or the oil and gas.