Pull cord won't retract

**Papaw50** · 02-27-2011, 02:08 PM

I'm new to the board.

I have a 2 cycle Hedge Trimmer someone gave me.
It had a broaken spring on the pull cord re-wind.
I had an identical spring, in good condition, replaced it and re-wound it, etc.

But after a few pulls, it hangs in the extended position.

The cord itself is somewhat stiff, would that cause it not to rewind?

Thanks,

Gary

**LawnWorld**

**173abn** · 02-27-2011, 03:16 PM

hey PawPaw50 welcome.that stiff rope may be your problem,I just put a new rope on this boat motor I'm working on and that solved the problem on it. russ

**mois25** · 02-27-2011, 03:51 PM

I agree with the previous poster. Just get a new rope and see how it works. You will realize it was such a simple thing to solve. All the best.

**JDgreen** · 02-27-2011, 04:25 PM

Originally Posted by mois25

I agree with the previous poster. Just get a new rope and see how it works. You will realize it was such a simple thing to solve. All the best.

I'm going to follow this one with interest, I have a pair of Craftsman 32 cc gas powered blowers, they are about 15 years old and the pull cords don't retract well. I took them apart last year to clean everything and gave the recoil springs an addtional turn or two, thinking they needed more tension, but after a month I was having the same problem again...

**JDgreen** · 02-27-2011, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by Papaw50

I'm new to the board.

I have a 2 cycle Hedge Trimmer someone gave me.
It had a broaken spring on the pull cord re-wind.
I had an identical spring, in good condition, replaced it and re-wound it, etc.

But after a few pulls, it hangs in the extended position.

The cord itself is somewhat stiff, would that cause it not to rewind?

Thanks,

Gary

I am trying to understand WHY the cord would be stiff, a new one would be the same way, if I am thinking right. On my equipment the older the cord gets, the more flexible it is.

**KennyV** · 02-27-2011, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by Papaw50

... it hangs in the extended position.

The cord itself is somewhat stiff, would that cause it not to rewind?

Thanks,

Gary

Take a candle and drag the rope across it. The wax is going to be just enough lube to allow the cord to work good...

KennyV

**JDgreen** · 02-27-2011, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by KennyV

Take a candle and drag the rope across it. The wax is going to be just enough lube to allow the cord to work good...

KennyV

Reminds of the trick I used on the double hung windows I used on the older part of the house, they were wood and vinyl Andersons, very hard to slide them up and down. Had read about the candle wax lube trick but instead I used a coating of Armor All on the vinyl sides of the inner frame, worked just great.

**Papaw50** · 02-28-2011, 09:07 PM

Candle wax didn't help, but it's good a tip I'll remember.

I thought ithe problem had something to do with compression.
I removed the spark plug and it retracted better for one or two pulls.

Then, even that became difficult, would'nt retract.

I took it back apart, down to the recoil spring, and found the shallow metal cup that the spring sets in was pretty dirty... ( I had oiled the spring earlier).

I cleaned all that out, and now I'm thinking dry is better, any thoughts on that?

Also, I'm interested in an easy way to rewind the spring inside it's metal cup.
Any tips on that will be greatly appreciated...

I can't rewind them by hand anymore (my hands are too weak)

Thanks,
Gary

**jteuban** · 02-28-2011, 09:24 PM

Try something as simple as wd-40. does it recoil part way or just nothing at all?

**Papaw50** · 02-28-2011, 10:22 PM

I used an off brand light lube like WD-40 when I first re-built it.

That's why I'm wondering if dry is better, perhaps graphite?

It recoils when I give the flywheel a couple of prompts with a screwdriver.

Right now, I can't re-wind the spring inside it's shallow metal cup...

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Gary

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