Engine Cord not retracting all the way

[sdlawn]

Hi all,

My father in law has been operating my Yardpro mower to cut my lawn (http://mowerpartsweb.com/MANUALS/AYP/371580.PDF). I went on vacation and came back to find it is now possibly broken. I went to pull the cord to start the engine and there is not much tension as there used to be. It also seems to be longer than usual. I remember sometimes when it gets stuck in the pulled position the tension is similar. So I checked to see why it wasn't retracting all the way and noticed there is a piece of metal around the cord that stops it from retracting any further. So I am thinking this piece of metal got moved somehow, but its pretty hard to move by hand so I didn't want to force it without making sure that is the problem. See attached pics.

So is that my problem? And how do I move the metal back in position?

 

[Rivets]

First take two pliers and open it up to remove it. Second throw it in the garbage. There really is no need for this stop and they are not used any more. If at this point the rope does not retract all the way, you may have a problem, but I doubt it will be serious. Report back.

 

[sdlawn]

ok i removed the stop and now the cord retracts all the way. The only tension I feel now is the retracting mechanism. There used to be more tension that seemed like the motor was turning. I pull the cord and absolutely nothing happens. The cord retracts just fine. I checked the belt and turned it by turning the blade and it looked okay. That is as far as my mechanic knowledge goes. What else should I check? I did change the oil, filters and belt this season. I have been meaning to change the spark plug, could that be an issue?

 

[Rivets]

Sounds to me like you may have a broke starter pawl, if the engine is not turning over. You will need to remove the shroud to get to the starter, to inspect, as the starter is riveted to the shroud/housing. Not hard to do, just take your time.

 

[sdlawn]

Sounds to me like you may have a broke starter pawl, if the engine is not turning over. You will need to remove the shroud to get to the starter, to inspect, as the starter is riveted to the shroud/housing. Not hard to do, just take your time.

Ok here are pictures of what I think is the starter pawl. It looks like the screw in the middle doesn't hold the metal plate anymore because the inside of the metal plate looks broken. The rest looks okay but I am not sure. Is that the problem and what part do I need to buy?

Also, I attached pics of my spark plug. I read you can tell engine issues by looking at the spark plug so I wanted to know if the spark plug indicates any other issues.

 

[Rivets]

You are going to need a new starter, not. Worth trying to repair. Take the starter and the manual to a good repair shop and .they can order you one, if they don't have a used one laying around. Spark plug looks like it is r,inning a little hot, but nothing I have any concerns about. Keep the fins clean.

 

[sdlawn]

Are you saying I am not going to need a new starter? Or are you saying that I am going to need a new starter and it is not worth repairing?

The starter includes the rope up to the pawls correct?

When you say take to a repair shop to order, you mean just to pay for the part right? The install is straight forward right?

Also, what are the fins?

____
According to sears.com chat, this is the part
https://www.amazon.com/Recoil-Starter-14-165-01-S/dp/B00M8LRKAC
Does that look about right?

Just as an aside, I paid 200 for this mower 5 years ago, is it normal for issues like this to come up after 5 years? Or is there a more expensive lawn mower that can go 10+ years without any issues.

 

[bertsmobile1]

So you paid about 1 days wages for it 5 years ago and now it needs a new $ 30 starter.
I don't see a problem with that.
If you want a mower to go 20 years without any failure you are living in lar lar land.
A commercial grade mower might come near that but they cost about what most expect to buy a ride on for now days.

So yes you will need to buy a new starter.

The cost of warehousings & logistics + invoicing individual starter parts now days is 4 times the gross mark up and that is before the workshop charges 1/4 hour labour so almost no mower company still supplies individual starter parts.

Even replacing a starter rope is a loss making enterprise as I charge $ 10 and by the time you pull the starter off . Clean the debris out from around there , get a new rope , wind it in and knott it off 15 to 20 minutes have passes , 10 of which are not charged for.

 

[sdlawn]

So you paid about 1 days wages for it 5 years ago and now it needs a new $ 30 starter.
I don't see a problem with that.
If you want a mower to go 20 years without any failure you are living in lar lar land.
A commercial grade mower might come near that but they cost about what most expect to buy a ride on for now days.

So yes you will need to buy a new starter.

The cost of warehousings & logistics + invoicing individual starter parts now days is 4 times the gross mark up and that is before the workshop charges 1/4 hour labour so almost no mower company still supplies individual starter parts.

Even replacing a starter rope is a loss making enterprise as I charge $ 10 and by the time you pull the starter off . Clean the debris out from around there , get a new rope , wind it in and knott it off 15 to 20 minutes have passes , 10 of which are not charged for.

This is my first mower so I wanted to make sure this was normal and not a bad (cheap) choice in mowers. Thanks for the reply!

 

[Rivets]

As Bert said, you need to purchase a new starter. The mower you purchased is one that I would call a disposable mower, meaning if you get 7-10 years without a major repair, you have gotten your life out of it. Your problem is not major repair. The fins are the area around the cylinder which allow for a greater amount of air to pass through to cool the engine.