HELP! 1983 185s pull start will not work

[Mike33]

For a while now, I have been trying to get the pull start to work on my 1983 185s to work. I have reassembled and cleaned every part, but when I pull, the rope comes out about 2 inches and then it won't pull out any longer. I have tried to pull with and without the decompression system but the results are the same. The pulley housing isn't cracked and the spring is wound. The only thing I can think of is the rope which is brown and not very flexible, but I dont think that could be causing it. Help

[ps2fixer]

Test the recoil off the engine, do you have the same issues? If so diag it off the engine where you can see what's going on. I haven't rebuilt one of these styles of recoils, but I can only thing of two main reasons the rope would stop short, either the rope length is too short, or the recoil spring is wound really tight and you're running out of room for the spring to coil up more. What I normally do is get the length of rope I want on it, then coil up the spring so the rope has just enough pull on it to make the handle return all of the way, maybe + 1 turn. You can do that assembled on most recoils.

The "dogs" inside should spread out in a short turn too, that's a good thing to check when it's off the engine. Of course, if the engine is locked up, the recoil will grab it and not turn the engine over, so that's another possible case, but I assume it's a running engine.

[MrConcdid]

I'm betting you have the spring in backwards, and its tightening as you pull the rope.

https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-symantec-ext_onb&hsimp=yhs-ext_onb&hspart=symantec&p=youtube+d-ray+atc#id=2&vid=5679e079aadefe17b07b42ccb4087c16&action=click

watch this video and the part 2

MrC.

[Mike33]

It pulls normal off the machine

[ps2fixer]

It pulls normal off the machine

Does the engine spin freely by hand with the cover off (turn the part the recoil grabs)?

[Mike33]

Yes, but it has a lot of compression. This engine runs really nice, it just took forever to get the pull start to work so that is why I am trying to figure this out

[ps2fixer]

Odd, if the recoil starter works fine off the machine and the engine turns over fine by hand, then about the only thing I can think of is the recoil starter is binding up somehow while under load. Haven't really had that case come up yet so not real sure what could cause it.