# Tecumseh HS50 Recoil Starter Help Needed



## threeputtpar (Jan 16, 2014)

So the starter rope finally broke on my old Estate 523. HS50-67292J is the engine number, and after removing the pull starter and rewinding the coil spring and knotting up the rope the pull starter is not working as it did before the rope let go.

When I first put it back on, I would pull the rope and the two dogs would not engage in the notches of the flywheel cup. It would pull out all the way and the coil spring would recoil the rope, but no matter how fast I pulled the dogs wouldn't catch.

So I decided to push in on the center of the recoil housing thinking that it wasn't aligned and then the dogs would catch and turn the motor over, but only for a couple of tugs until the center of the housing would flex back to its normal position and then it would not work.

I did get the roll pin, washer 1, spring, dog contact plate, and washer 2 assembled back together correctly, so I'm stumped as to why it will not engage properly. I even tried to pound the roll pin in different distances to see if it made any difference. I used this machine all last year and pull started it every time without any issues.

Is there some process to align it once removed? I should have shot some pictures last night but I was on kid duty. I'll try to get some pics over the holiday if it doesn't get solved. 

Thanks guys.


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

file new notches in the starter cup if you believe the starter is fine


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## SteelyTim (Nov 14, 2014)

I've had this problem when either the spring washer holding the dog assembly was on backwards, or when it wasn't pushed in far enough.


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## threeputtpar (Jan 16, 2014)

SteelyTim, can you elaborate more on the spring washer? One washer was concave and the parts diagram really doesn't show which way it should go. Thanks.

Now that I take another look at the parts diagram, I'm wondering if the dog springs are not installed on the dogs correctly. It all blew apart when I first hammered out the rolled pin, so I may not have them attached the right way.


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## greatwhitebuffalo (Feb 11, 2014)

threeputtpar said:


> So the starter rope finally broke on my old Estate 523. HS50-67292J is the engine number, and after removing the pull starter and rewinding the coil spring and knotting up the rope the pull starter is not working as it did before the rope let go.
> 
> When I first put it back on, I would pull the rope and the two dogs would not engage in the notches of the flywheel cup. It would pull out all the way and the coil spring would recoil the rope, but no matter how fast I pulled the dogs wouldn't catch.
> 
> ...




hmmm....I really like the Tec. pullstarter as it can be removed from the engine, without removing the entire flywheel cover. Tec. pullstarter has it all over a Briggs.

if the rope breaks, the recoil spring should return to the neutral position i.e. spring tension

pull what's left of the old rope out, cut a section of new rope, and see how many times it coils in the diameter of the pullstarter reel before it is all in there, do this by coiling the rope around the outside in a ring just to see, you don't have to actually install the rope yet, just lay it on to and go around and see how many revolutions the rope will go 

then add 1 or 2 revolutions, that's how much you must wind the spring and entire assembly, IN THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF THE ENGINE, so that it preloads the spring, and returns the handle to the housing, and still holds tension.

now wind up the spring that many turns- then go in through the window of the pullstarter with needle nose vicegrips, and hold it there- and put the rope in and knot it. make sure you also have the handle on the rope too.

now gently undo the vice grips, and using your hand as a brake, slowly let the spring wind up the rope

the end result is it's all coiled on there and you didn't have to completely disassemble it.

you can also salvage a rope that broke, but just using the shorter piece that's still in there for the time being, if it's long enough to start the engine


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## SteelyTim (Nov 14, 2014)

Geez, y'know, I wish I could remember. I dealt with this not a month ago. I *think* that the pointed end goes up towards you if you're holding it in your hand, but don't quote me on that. 

If the dog(s) pull out to where they should be contacting the flywheel cup, you have them on correctly. If the spring washers are on the wrong way, the dogs will barely pull out.


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## threeputtpar (Jan 16, 2014)

SteelyTim said:


> If the spring washers are on the wrong way, the dogs will barely pull out.


Thank you, as I think this is what my problem is. When I hold it in one hand and pull the rope with the other just the very tips of the dogs come out. If I set the housing on the ground and with one hand press down on the retainer that holds and engages the dogs and pull the rope with the other hand then they come out all the way. I must have the washers mixed up and/or backwards.

I may see if I can find an appropriate spring at the hardware store and see if that also helps. The one in there I thought has very little tension in it.


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## SteelyTim (Nov 14, 2014)

Those springs don't have a lot of tension in them, they're probably fine. You've got a washer or spring washer backwards. The dogs should snap out within about 1/4 of a turn. If not and you can't figure it out, shoot a pic of the style of recoil you have, and I'll grab mine from the garage. The style I worked on just recently has flat dogs, though some are pointed. Same basic principle though.


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## Shryp (Jan 1, 2011)

For future reference, you don't need to take the recoil apart to do this. All you have to do is take the 4 bolts off that hold it to the housing. Some have a slot in them to wind the rope and if they don't you can melt one in with a soldering iron. See these videos here. Also, you can pre-wind it like stated above.

https://www.youtube.com/user/donyboy73/search?query=tecumseh+recoil


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## threeputtpar (Jan 16, 2014)

Thanks for the help guys, but I found out the problem was the two washers. One was very thin and the other was thicker and I had them in the wrong sequence on the rolled pin. The thin one didn't keep the dog keeper off of the plastic housing enough to allow proper movement so the dogs weren't able to engage. I switched them around and all worked great.

Hopefully this helps someone else in the future. I did watch donyboy73 videos on how to assemble it but he didn't say the washers were different.


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