rweaver,I believe this is the type in which the starter rope turns a gear that that inturn rotates the flywheel? Are the parts plastic?Are you sure the spring is broken?
Hi, RWeaver. You are correct to be scared of that li'l monster!Once while rehabbing a small OMC that had been swimming I took the recoil starter apart, including releasing (I couldn't call it removing) the recoil spring to fly about and scare the heck out of me.Putting it back took several hours and would have made a hilarious video. I tried at least a dozen ways that didn't work before I hit on hooking the center to the "tub" that holds the spring, then winding it on about 5 or 6 inches at a time. You can't imagine the relief I felt when the outer end slipped into the tub and hooked onto it's stud.Wear safety glasses, gloves and a long sleeved shirt. Bring plenty of patience with you when you set at it. It can be done.Maybe someone else knows an easy way to do it. None of my manuals gives the first clue other than saying something like "reinstall the recoil spring". Yeah, big help.Good luck, you have a real challenge ahead.Red sky at night. . .JB
I'm far from and expert, but I've had a few round with these things and found a way of assembling them that works for me. I'm glad that no one has videoed me working on these springs, or recorded my comments when they got lively.
I've had my best luck by winding the spring flat on the bench and then clamping a vice grip at one place on an inside and outside edge of the coiled spring to hold it together. Then there's a process of firmly holding it down, releasing the vice grip, pulling it tighter and clamping it again a number of times until it fits into the back piece of the recoil unit with the vice grips attached and the outside retaining loop over the notch. Finally, with some care, I release the clamp and notch the the plastic pulley in place on the middle loop, slide in the bolt that holds it on walk very carefully over to the engine.
Assemble the manual starter to the engine, having the inner sping loop inserted over the related pin, BUT leave the starter spring UNWOUND and simply hanging thru the slot of the manual starter housing with the long length of the spring out side of the manual starter.
Now, using ingenuity, force that plastic gear up into the flywheel teeth, jamming it so that it will stay engaged in those teeth.
It is now simply a matter of putting a wrench on the flywheel nut and turning it in the proper direction to pull that spring into the manual starter housing which will properly rewind it.
Rewind Spring Replacement Evinrude 4
Linear Mode
