4 hp johnson recoil starter problem

[hardwater fisherman]

my motor is a 4w77 four hp 1977 weedless gearcase the recoil is very weak more so when it is cold. i need to pull it and wind it back by hand. if the motor runs for a while it almost works like it should. i still need to play with the rope to get it to return. i had it apart and it appears ok. maybe i need a new spring. do they get out of shape? i rewound the spring and that did nothing. if anybody has any thoughts let me know thanks.

 

[F_R]

Re: 4 hp johnson recoil starter problem

Did you put the flat washer back in between the pulley and spring cup? What did you lubricate the spring with?

 

[hardwater fisherman]

Re: 4 hp johnson recoil starter problem

yes i did put the washer in and i put grease on the spring. not sure if it was the correct grease it is the same grease i use for my wheel bearings.

 

[Rick.]

Re: 4 hp johnson recoil starter problem

Did you clean all the parts for the recoil. They do get gummed up and it sounds like your problem in that the warmer it is the better it works. You can put a rag under it and spray WD40 into the mechanism. If it works better then it was just gummed up. You can also tighten the spring a little but winding your rope a few more turns. You can do that without removing the recoil. Best of luck. Rick.

 

[hardwater fisherman]

Re: 4 hp johnson recoil starter problem

thanks for the help its working well now. the problem was the u shaped retainer clip slipped off the center of the pulley.