Re: replacing starter pull-cord on '87 Evinrude 4hp
Dan,
I just finished doing this job on an older 3.9 hp engine. It isn't really that bad, it can be done without taking the recoil starter mechanism apart. Remove (three screws) the starter housing and then clamp the cast aluminum housing down firmly. By hand, wind (tighten) the rotating plate (with the starter dog ears) being careful not to damage the tiny springs or the dog ears). Wind until you can fish out the starter cord through its original routing path. I used some extra long tweezers to fish the cord remnant out. Grip the remaining cord in vice grips and pull until you have fully extracted the cord. Carefully clamp the recoil starter plate in place and then release the tension on the starter rope remnant. Don't clamp down on anything delicate. Pull the now extended remnant of the cord out through the hole in the top faceplate of the recoil starter plate. You'll have to estimate how much rope was lost, loosen your clamp on the recoil starter plate and by hand give an appropriate number of additional turns (still tightening) to account for the shorter (broken) pull rope. Clamp the plate down again. tie a longish piece of carpet thread through the hole in a skinny flexible "zip tie" or some such. Insert the zip tie through the slot that had the rope coiled inside, it needs to go behind a roll pin before it reaches the opening in the recoil starter plate. Pull it up through the opening with a pair of needle nose pliers. Route the free end of the new rope as is appropriate for your application. Wrap the free end of the carpet thread (the part still outside the grove in the housing for the rope) and tie it securely around the end of the new starter pull rope, you can now use the thread to pull the starter rope into place, inside the rope groove, behind the roll pin and up through the opening. Work a small washer over the rope end that is now sticking up through the opening. Tie a simple knot in the end of the rope. TIGHTEN the knot using two pair of pliers. Slide the washer up to the knot, soak the knot and the washer in CA glue. If you have CA accelerator this part goes quickly. Snip off any excess rope past the knot. Pull on the starter handle until the end with the knot is securely in place at the more narrow end of the slot until you have taken the load off the clamp holding the recoil starter plate. Release the clamp and slowly allow the mainspring of the recoil starter to wind the rope into its proper slot inside the starter mechanism. If the tension on the handle is just right when you've finished this step, you're done. If it is too loose or too tight, pull the starter rope until it is fully extended, clamp down the recoil starter plate again, snip off the end of the rope you just glued to the washer, pull the rope out, add or remove winds of the mainspring as needed. Then repeat the above process.
Whatever you do, DO NOT loosen the bolt in the center of the recoil starter plate. That will allow the friction spring, the tiny return springs and the locator pin to all get out of position, putting them back properly is an exercise you'll wish to avoid.
Good luck.
Gary
