Honda clone engine pull rope snatches back.

[Grayman7]

Hello! I'm new to the forum and I thought I would jump right in and ask a question.

I'm having problems with my 6.5 hp Honda Clone engine's pull start. Randomly when you go to start it the pull rope stops and is yanked out of your hand. It hurts your wrist and it has smacked into my engine and broke my plastic throttle lever, choke, and idle adjuster. Basically its a real pain...

I tried to figure out what was wrong with it by taking off the pull rope and examining it. When I opened it there were two black plastic piece that were kind of banged up sitting inside the case. I thought that they must of broke and were getting caught on something while it spun and causing it to seize but I put it all back together and it still wrenched my hand.

Any help is appreciated

Edit: I did some more research online and some people were saying that the flywheel key can shear and cause this. i'll check that asap.

 

[thisismyusername]

Hello! I'm new to the forum and I thought I would jump right in and ask a question.

I'm having problems with my 6.5 hp Honda Clone engine's pull start. Randomly when you go to start it the pull rope stops and is yanked out of your hand. It hurts your wrist and it has smacked into my engine and broke my plastic throttle lever, choke, and idle adjuster. Basically its a real pain...

I tried to figure out what was wrong with it by taking off the pull rope and examining it. When I opened it there were two black plastic piece that were kind of banged up sitting inside the case. I thought that they must of broke and were getting caught on something while it spun and causing it to seize but I put it all back together and it still wrenched my hand.

Any help is appreciated

Edit: I did some more research online and some people were saying that the flywheel key can shear and cause this. i'll check that asap.

Post some pictures with the cover taken off, also when you say 6.5 honda clone you mean the predator 212 right?

 

[2SlickNick]

Sounds like your valve lash needs to be adjusted.

 

[Denny]

You're not pulling it right! Seriously! The proper way to pull start an engine is to pull it over gently until you feel it start to stop on the compression stroke. Let the cord back in then pull back out until the pawls engage then pull as hard as you can as fast as you can. Just pulling it like an idiot will break things on the engine and maybe even you. A lot of Harleys have broken a lot of ankles over the years. I hope this helps you.

Denny

 

[Russ2251]

Sheared key, above all else, is likely.

 

[Poboy kartman]

I agree with a sheared key....causing a timing issue....

It could also be a valve lash problem....

 

[OzFab]

...then pull as hard as you can as fast as you can.

In my experience, it doesn't take much effort at all to pull the starter cord; the only time I've had a problem, either hard to pull or snapping back, the flywheel key was sheared...

 

[Rickracer]

Sheared key, loose flywheel, causing spark timing event to occur at the wrong time.

 

[BirdFanatic]

Your timing is off need to check valve lash that coulds be your best bet .

 

[Poboy kartman]

Yoyr timing is off need to check valve lash that couls be your best bet .

Really Cam?? There's no excuse other than laziness for such a post, technology now does it all for you...."Spellchecker" is your friend....

Not a big deal....but you'll never improve yourself without trying.....

 

[chancer]

I wish this guy would report back. I have a spare engine that does that crap, I had never heard of this before. Good answers from you all just curious if it was the sheared flywheel key.

 

[Russ2251]

just curious if it was the sheared flywheel key.

You can bet the beach front property that it is.
Check yours yourself, unless your afraid of what you'll find.

Edit:
There is one other possibility for the cause which no one has mentioned and has come up previously.

 

[Grayman7]

Hey! Sorry for the slow reply. I got really busy and didn't have time to mess with it. Thanks for all the replies.

I checked the flywheel key and it looks fine to me, however i'm going to have my father look at since he has a lot more experience with small engines than I.

I will look into the valve lash, once I google what that is

Whenever I start it slowly pull the rope until I feel tension then yank it. I've never had any problems using this method on other engines.

 

[Russ2251]

Is engine easily spun if plug is removed?

 

[Poboy kartman]

Yes.....oh sorry.....Nevermind!

 

[chancer]

I aint skeered. It is just an old engine sittin in the shop. When I get bored I will have to check it out.

 

[Grayman7]

Is engine easily spun if plug is removed?

I will try to check that tomorrow.

Update: I checked the valves and they were off. I changed it too 0.002" intake and 0.003" exhaust. I ran out of daylight before I could put the pull rope assembly back together and test it. I'll try to do that tomorrow.

 

[Poboy kartman]

I will try to check that tomorrow.

Update: I checked the valves and they were off. I changed it too 0.002" intake and 0.003" exhaust. I ran out of daylight before I could put the pull rope assembly back together and test it. I'll try to do that tomorrow.

Well.....what really causes problems with the valve lash settings isn't so much. a few thousands off.....but being set without being TDC on the compression stroke......

So....it's important that the engine be so positioned when adjusting them...TDC on the exhaust is a mess......

 

[Grayman7]

Hey guys. Still having problems. So I know its not the flywheel key. I'm pretty sure the valve lash is correct. Anything else that could be causing this? i mentioned in the first post that the pull rope assembly had some black pieces break and fall out, but I didn't think they affected much. Heres a picture of the pieces, if you think they could be causing my problems.

http://i.imgur.com/z1uV4i9.jpg

 

[OzFab]

Those look like the starter pawls, which engage into the cup attached to the flywheel when you pull the starter rope; without them, the engine will never start...

The fact that they're loose could be the problem but, it's more likely because of the problem...

How do you know it's not the flywheel key (just curious how you came to that conclusion)...