Hi,

I snapped the rope off on the recoil starter and it went inside the housing. When I tried taking off the cover, it is stuck on and only comes off about 1/2".

Any ideas? Will it hurt anything if I pry it off with a screw driver?

Thanx in advance.

 

I don't know if the 185s has an identical pull rope to my 185 or not but they all work the same. When you pull the rope a tooth (or teeth) pops out and grabs slots in a housing that is around it. If one of these teeth are stuck prying may bend that housing, and being a 30 year old part for a trike, it may be hard to find a new one. I'd try taking something and try to turn the spool for the rope backwards (opposite the way it turns when pulled) while moving the whole cover/spool assembly back and forth.

 

Thank you. But I can't even get the cover past the Neutral Indicator stem to twist it or turn it.

I had just got done replacing the camshaft and pulse generator. Got it all together and the first pull snapped the rope. Ugh!

 

Mudmike,

Thank you. It worked like you said. A little shimmy and a couple bangs with a rubber mallet got what ever was sticking, unstuck.

However, when I took the recoil out to get the broken rope, the whole recoil spring came undone.

How do I get that back in there? A special tool?

 

I'm laughing cause you made me remember the first time I took one apart it did exactly the same thing. I couldn't help but stare at it blankly for 20-30 seconds before my brain kicked back in ond the only thing it could think of was yell MOTHA F@#%ER.

Ok, now to put it back you need gloves cause the thing is sharp and safety glasses cause there is a good chance of it unwinding in your face again. First make sure the 2 ends are still bent around like they are suppose to if not you are going undertake a headache with a bad part so you get to do it all over again. There are 2 methods i've seen work.
1) Start the outside part of the spring in the slot where it goes. Then slowly coil the spring back inside itself.
2) I prefer to wind the spring into the tiniest coil possible and carefully lower it into the housing. Then before you let go use your other hand to hold it flat. Now slowly let pressure off the spring until your fingers are trapped and ease them out one at a time placing each on the top of the winding

 

to hold it flat before removing the next.

Both methods are tedious and both have a chance of the spring unwinding in your face, but I have seen both work.

Just make sure you put the spring in the correct way cause it will easily go in backwards so that you gotta do it again. Don't ask me how I know LOL.

Putting a rope back is also simple. First if it is shorter than 4 1/2- 5 feet get a new one. I think mine was like $10 at yamaha (honda looked at me like I was an idiot when I asked for a pull rope). Next feed it through the housing and tie it to the spool. Secure the handle to the other end now unless you wanna risk doing this again. Install the spool (mine had 2 washers one was round the other had a hole shaped like a 'D' and you put it on the shaft then turned it. Yup that is all that kept it on there. Now there should be a notch on the spool line it up with where the rope comes through the housing and use something like a screwdriver to pull 6-8 inchs through.

 

Wind the spool against spring pressure 3-4 turns (there will be a small piece trapped between the spool and housing). Realine the notch with the hole hold the spool in place with one hand while pulling the rope back out of the hole with the other. Now let go and watch the rope wind itself. Repeat this until the entire rope is wound. Remember to wind it an extra turn or two at the end so your handle doesn't flop. Reinstall the unit back on your trike.

I'm not gonna complain but others might these technical questions should be posted in the atc forum. If you click Forums above then general discussion it will take you to a menu with one labeled ATC.