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Briggs and Stratton Pull Start Retrofit

dentedsub

dentedsub

Haberdasher
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Close but no cigar
My mom has an old B&S tiller that I keep fixing the pull start on. I'm wondering if I can cut the old assembly off the cover and just bolt a new one on? If so what part number would work best?
This is the cover
1000004984.jpg

It's already got holes like it was planned.
1000004986.jpg
 
Why/how does it break?
Perhaps you address the problem with it.
Indexing another recoil setup sounds like an excellent way to get pissed off...
Figure 8 knot and lube the first 2" of rope inside the spool helps.
Debur it also.
 
Usually it's the rope. I've never thought to lube rope before. Today it was the spring. Problem is the spool is held in by 4 metal tabs and 2 are broken from bending and unbending.
 
Used to be able to buy that cover but it's been years. Those engines are ~40-50 yrs old so not many around anymore.
Seems like the style after had a riveted recoil that used those holes but I can't remember for sure. Ever since I had a TBI my memory is pretty shit.

The old Briggs use a "clutch" on the recoil that is supposed to get a few drops of oil.
If it starts squealing, that's bad. It'll lock up the clutch and blow the spring, pulley, rope, cover, etc apart.
 
Been there,^^^
Op ,,, lubeing the rope where it rubs at the knot in the spool (where they allways break) helps.
Usually those housings are interchangeable in specific hp ratings.
Have a spare ready for next time?

If you take an old junker and remove the gizmo that the spool goes over (on top of flywheel) and put a t handle on it you can spin the spring to tighten it rather than fighting the rope.
You could fashion some new tabs for the spool and tack in place if it's binding up.
Or do like project farm guy and drill/gun it?:lmao:
 
that looks like that poor lawnmower that went through Small Engines class with me
it was hard to kill that thing, but I did manage to bend the crank eventually :grinpimp:
 
Bunch of parts for those on ebay, just type in the part number.
B&s made those flathead 5hp for so long , the old go cart motor , everybody selling stuff on there .
Hardest part for me was finding the part number on the rusty tin .
 
I looked today, but I tossed my extra,
I have 2 running & plus a few parts from one I junked.

I’ve added ballast & the extra tines to them.

I actually am swapping a new engine on one today but I discovered the bolt hole size is smaller on new engine for the belt lever engager.
 

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If you’re breaking your starter all the time, it isn’t set up correctly or the clutch is seizing on the crankshaft

I’ve rebuilt thousands of these years ago back in the 80’s as a tech and know how to set it up correctly and what to look for problems wise.

What’s breaking all the time on your starter? The rope or?!?
 
So here's what I learned and what I'm going to do/done. I couldn't find any pull string assemblies that would fit, mostly because they have the clutch as part of the assembly instead of seperate. Most of you probably already knew this. I found replacement assemblies for way too much money. I didn't think I would be able to find replacement parts for this motor because of it's age but as some pointed out there is a tone on ebay. So I ended up just buying a new spring on ebay. I put a new rope on it, figure 8 it and oil it, hopefully that and double check the housing for burrs will keep the rope alive longer. I think I'll tack a couple studs to the outside to bolt angle brackets to replace the tabs.
 
Anyone ever thought to try retrofitting a chinesium harbour freight pull start?
 
Drill out the rivets, use a cordless drill with the right size 12 point socket.
 
dentedsub said:
So here's what I learned and what I'm going to do/done. I couldn't find any pull string assemblies that would fit, mostly because they have the clutch as part of the assembly instead of seperate. Most of you probably already knew this. I found replacement assemblies for way too much money. I didn't think I would be able to find replacement parts for this motor because of it's age but as some pointed out there is a tone on ebay. So I ended up just buying a new spring on ebay. I put a new rope on it, figure 8 it and oil it, hopefully that and double check the housing for burrs will keep the rope alive longer. I think I'll tack a couple studs to the outside to bolt angle brackets to replace the tabs.
Click to expand...
Couple things. Make sure your rope is long enough. Too short and you’ll break it. When you wind the spring up (I can explain this more if needed) make sure that the rope doesn’t pull at the end of the spring. Basically, pull the rope all the way out like you’re trying to start the engine but with the starter housing off the engine. Once the rope is out full stroke, use your other hand to make sure the pulley can travel beyond that like one more revolution. This way you know the rope isn’t pulling to the end of the spring winding. No lube on the spring or spring area at all

Starter clutch on the crankshaft. If the engine is off the machine, lay it on its side with starter clutch pointing up. Otherwise you’ll need to remove the clutch. There’s a special tool to remove it, don’t beat on it with a fawking hammer as it’s just made out of aluminum.

Let’s say you have the engine off and on its side. Remove the wire mesh screen off the starter clutch with the two or four small screws. Then, using a knife, fit it between the stater housing and the tin cap cover on it. You’ll see a small lip to get the knife edge into.

Once that is off, you’ll see ball bearings in the housing. Remove those without losing them. Then, remove the center piece that’s slid down over the crankshaft. Remove a small piece of felt that’s up inside the hole for the crankshaft to slide into. Clean the inside of that really good (brake clean). Clean the ball bearing up. Clean the inside starter clutch housing. Clean the crankshaft up, if it’s bad you may need to use scotch bright pad on it to clean it off.

Once it’s all cleaned, reassemble it. Place the crankshaft part of the clutch back over the crankshaft. You can put a very light vis oil film on the crankshaft and a couple drops or so in the felt pad and reinstall it. Once that’s back on, set the ball bearings back in dry no lube at all. Put tin cover back on, then the screen and screws.

The crankshaft part of the clutch spins on the crank once the engine is running. If it’s seizing on the crankshaft it’ll make a squealing noise and if too bad with destroy the starter spring winding it up backwards

Anywho, good luck on your mission
 
Clb said:
Been there,^^^
Op ,,, lubeing the rope where it rubs at the knot in the spool (where they allways break) helps.
Usually those housings are interchangeable in specific hp ratings.
Have a spare ready for next time?

If you take an old junker and remove the gizmo that the spool goes over (on top of flywheel) and put a t handle on it you can spin the spring to tighten it rather than fighting the rope.
You could fashion some new tabs for the spool and tack in place if it's binding up.
Or do like project farm guy and drill/gun it?:lmao:
Click to expand...
I got no traction with it.
Thatg9659 said:
Drill out the rivets, use a cordless drill with the right size 12 point socket.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you will...
 
So I found out it's not a good idea to put an impact on the square end either.
So I fixed the pull start and got 2 rows done when the motor seized. Started taking it apart, didn't see anything obvious so I tried to break it loose with the impact.
1000003388.jpg

Clutch didn't like it.
Found this on the connecting rod and crank.
1000003390.jpg
 
dentedsub said:
So I found out it's not a good idea to put an impact on the square end either.
So I fixed the pull start and got 2 rows done when the motor seized. Started taking it apart, didn't see anything obvious so I tried to break it loose with the impact.
1000003388.jpg

Clutch didn't like it.
Found this on the connecting rod and crank.
1000003390.jpg
Click to expand...
There’s a special socket that fits over the clutch to catch the dog ears of the clutch base to remove the clutch assy.
 
Landslide said:
There’s a special socket that fits over the clutch to catch the dog ears of the clutch base to remove the clutch assy.
Click to expand...
By dog ears, I mean the ears sticking out that have the threaded holes in them for the ball cover which also holds the square part in the clutch assy.

Maybe I’m typing my comments out for window trim instead of being helpful 🥴🤷‍♂️
 
Clean the aluminum off the crank with some sandpaper the best you can and put it back together and it’ll run again until it gets too low on oil again Briggs and Stratton don’t care much about precision machining It’ll be fine. Clean the starter clutch parts up and put the ball bearings back in it , put cover on and screen and screws and it’ll work again also. The flywheel screen screws keep the cover from coming off the starter clutch . unless the impact took too much material out of it for the balls to catch
 
Good to know. I didn't get a tone of time to google my options. I was hoping something like that would be ok because new crankshafts were a bit pricey.
The clutch is toast, each tooth has a nice round groove in it now. Good to know about the special wrench to take it off.
 
Our special wrench for,the clutch was (and still is) always just a big punch against the wide lug on the clutch and whack it with a hammer Clean the crank up and let it eat. If it knocks too much, then file the rod and cap to tighten it back up. Just keep oil in it and it’ll live a long time
 
70 tp said:
Our special wrench for,the clutch was (and still is) always just a big punch against the wide lug on the clutch and whack it with a hammer
Click to expand...
Bullshit, you damage the clutch housing that way and you can't get it back on the crank tight enough, fawking hammer mechanics :shaking:

NOTE: the keyway on the crankshaft is only for timing alignment purposes only, the taper is what holds the flywheel from spinning on the crankshaft. so both the flywheel and crankshaft need to be cleaned and free of oil residue - brake clean will work.
 
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