Need help on Troy Bilt TB20CS Trimmer Pull Cord/Recoil Rewind Procedure

[Pauls_Workshop]

Hi, I'm new here and need some advice. I have a Troy Bilt TB20CS trimmer weedwhacker that had the pull starter cord broken. I managed to get it apart and got the clutch cover off and pulled out the recoil spring assy to put in a new cord. I'm stumped on how to rewind the cord and the spring and then get it back together with the cord properly wound.

I can turn the spring assy and it will pull the tied cord in with it and rewind, but I can't then get it back in place and mounted without it just uncoiling. There seems to be no way to do it from outside it's plastic housing once it is installed and the clutch put back on. I tried turning over the whole crank via a wrench on the clutch and that will also wind the spring, but again once you let go it just unwinds again. I tried this again and torqued the T20 screw that holds the clutch cover bell over the clutch to try to hold it in place and just broke off the T20 screw in the process. Please help with the best procedure on how to do this right. I'm stumped and surely doing this all wrong. I'm buying a new clutch cover with screw to get back where I was for $15 but need help here! thanks! - Paul

 

[mechanic mark]

http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/KnowledgeCenter_10001_14102_-1 Get all numbers from trimmer, go to owners center then manuals. If this does not help, call tech support toll free, also check to see if trimmer is still under warranty.

 

[Pauls_Workshop]

http://www.troybilt.com/equipment/KnowledgeCenter_10001_14102_-1 Get all numbers from trimmer, go to owners center then manuals. If this does not help, call tech support toll free, also check to see if trimmer is still under warranty.

Hi, thanks for your reply. It took me awhile, but I did find this manual that is not the same model but is very similar to mine.

http://service.mtdproducts.com/Training_Education/769-00943_SM_Trimmer_Starter_Systems.pdf

Pages 5-7 are about the re-winding process. I'm still not following how this can work though as the inner recoil pully and outer recoil pully are both free to move and unwind as soon as they are put back on the shaft. Once I put the recoil assy back on the shaft, it just unwinds. - Paul

 

[Fish]

Yeah, throw up some pics, and maybe some memory synapses will start sparking.

 

[Pauls_Workshop]

Yeah, throw up some pics, and maybe some memory synapses will start sparking.

The link to the manual is up above if you want to help! it isn't a big download. This one has the spring assist mechanism which is a bit different. - Paul

 

[Pauls_Workshop]

Ok folks, I put back together the recoil unit last weekend, but now I got new problems.

With the two spring coils on this unit, I found it is not like other older units I've worked on. You don't tighten the spring and hold it before you remount it and tie the rope as you can't. You just put the parts back together. When it is all together, you pull the rope and it will pull it back in (mostly). Enough to start reasonably well if not every pull.

Once I had it all back together though, and started up, I found it would not drive the end of the trimmer head properly. It would spin but at a very slow speed and without any torque. Touch the grass and it would stop the trim line completely. And the engine was vibrating badly. You could see the shaft moving back and forth along its axis up and down. Not sure what this problem is as I just put the original parts back together. Tried a different trimmer head on it also and same result. Nothing wrong with the trimmer head end. The clutch cover is the same as the original, so that isn't it. The engine runs fine and doesn't vibrate if the shaft is disconnected at the clutch cover (not connected to trimmer head). When connected, it vibrates bad and doesn't provide torque or full speed. I got this trimmer used and never had it running so I don't know it's history. Could something be wrong with the engine output shaft? Thoughts? - Paul

 

[mechanic mark]

Ok folks, I put back together the recoil unit last weekend, but now I got new problems.

With the two spring coils on this unit, I found it is not like other older units I've worked on. You don't tighten the spring and hold it before you remount it and tie the rope as you can't. You just put the parts back together. When it is all together, you pull the rope and it will pull it back in (mostly). Enough to start reasonably well if not every pull.

Once I had it all back together though, and started up, I found it would not drive the end of the trimmer head properly. It would spin but at a very slow speed and without any torque. Touch the grass and it would stop the trim line completely. And the engine was vibrating badly. You could see the shaft moving back and forth along its axis up and down. Not sure what this problem is as I just put the original parts back together. Tried a different trimmer head on it also and same result. Nothing wrong with the trimmer head end. The clutch cover is the same as the original, so that isn't it. The engine runs fine and doesn't vibrate if the shaft is disconnected at the clutch cover (not connected to trimmer head). When connected, it vibrates bad and doesn't provide torque or full speed. I got this trimmer used and never had it running so I don't know it's history. Could something be wrong with the engine output shaft? Thoughts? - Paul

Lawn Mower Parts, Small Engine Parts & Much More! | PartsTree.com - Briggs, MTD, Toro, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, Troy-bilt... I would remove driveshafts from housings and inspect for warpage, if you find driveshafts and housings ok I would go to autoparts store and purchase container of white lube, wipe down driveshafts with clean shop towel and do the same with inside of housings, apply white lube liberally to driveshafts, reassemble and give it a try.

 

[Pauls_Workshop]

Lawn Mower Parts, Small Engine Parts & Much More! | PartsTree.com - Briggs, MTD, Toro, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, Troy-bilt... I would remove driveshafts from housings and inspect for warpage, if you find driveshafts and housings ok I would go to autoparts store and purchase container of white lube, wipe down driveshafts with clean shop towel and do the same with inside of housings, apply white lube liberally to driveshafts, reassemble and give it a try.

Thanks for this advice. I did some more reading off the 'net on this model Troy Bilt. Apparently there are many who have complained about this very thing, that the trimmer will stop driving the head end at full speed or full torque every so often or after a while of use. I'm thinking this is a design issue at this point. Perhaps the length of the parts isn't quite right so the driveshaft will engage and disengage more readily than it should. I'm tempted to look at cutting off 1/8" or 1/4" length of the end of the tube at the head connection end to get more driveshaft engagement. Might fix it. The driveshaft will bend a little in use and never be perfectly straight. This bending I think wasn't accounted for in the design length of the trimmer and it wants to disengage at the clutch/engine end. Anyone have other thoughts here? - Paul

 

[primerbulb120]

If you cut off the drive shaft, tell me what happens! I have this trimmer and mine has some trouble engaging its attachments too.