# Recoil starter dog / pawl frozen SOLUTION



## CarlNH (Aug 22, 2015)

This applies to recoil starters generally, but posting this here.


Honda HS828 tracked snow thrower

Used it successfully for 1~2 hours to clear 1 ft+ powdery snow, which of course was blowing everywhere.

Put it away in unheated garage when done, that night was below zero.

Next day went to start it up to trim some snowbanks, and the recoil pull start did not engage.

Turns out this can happen: the mechanism can get moisture / snow in the housing where the pawl sits, freezing it up and preventing it from slinging out to engage the flywheel.

Solution is to thaw this out. I have read that a hair dryer or similar is sufficient.

What I did was to remove the recoil starter housing and bring it inside.

3 x 10 mm hex bolts; 2 up, one below. The one below is inside the lower sheet metal housing, but there is a convenient access hole to fit a hex driver through (covered with a rubber plug that is easy to remove and put back)

The upper right bolt also helps hold the bracket for the electric starter switch, and when putting things back together I had to loosen some of the other bracket bolts (also 10 mm hex) in order to get the layers of sheet metal to line up properly.

This generally applies to recoil starters from other makes / models, not only this Honda HS828 snow thrower.

Hope this helps someone.


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## Kiss4aFrog (Nov 3, 2013)

I've also had good luck with spray windshield deicer. Spray some in there and let it work for a few minutes. You can also drag a hair dryer out and use that too.


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## Johnny Ro (12 mo ago)

Good posts above. I am envious of your tracked blower. I wish knew where to buy the Yamaha version in USA. 

My Toro 821 single stage, same thing today. designed for I think 16 inches, dug through 30 inches of fluff in the Boston blizzard of 2022. Forward, back, forward yesterday eve. Did the job well.

On restart in the morning the cord does not catch. She has electric start so quickly did the cleanup runs, and spent half hour thinking about it and taking apart. Did thaw properly in heated rear shop of garage when held over the propane furnace. Inundated with wd40, which will go sluggish but maybe avoid hard freeze next time. A learning event. Fun to watch the two teeth pop out when pulling the thing on the bench.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

On my old Honda HS80, I would take a teakettle of hot water out into the garage and pour it in the top of the recoil starter. Instant fix.


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