How to Tighten a Chainsaw Starter Spring

If there are difficulties during the start of the tool, power is lost or there are malfunctions in the fuel supply system, it is necessary to repair the chainsaw starter with your own hands or give the tool to the service.

how to tighten the chainsaw starter spring

Device

The chainsaw starter device includes the following elements:

  • ignition system screw;
  • return spring;
  • launch system coil;
  • deflector;
  • cap;
  • magneto;
  • drum;
  • spark plug;
  • the electronic unit;
  • wiring;
  • power button;
  • handle and cable.

Key parameters of the chainsaw launch system:

  • power. from 2000 to 2500 W;
  • maximum number of revolutions per minute. 3000;
  • weight. 0.5 kg.

After pressing the power button, the flywheel begins to rotate with the magnet that is on it.

An electromotive force appears in the system. The appeared current with the help of an electronic unit is converted into electrical signals that are transmitted to the driving elements. A spark forms, which provokes the ignition of the fuel-air mixture.

How to repair a starter on a chainsaw

The cause of a malfunction in the chainsaw launch system can be:

  1. Drive pulley. This part is subjected to high axial and radial loads, so before starting work it is recommended to inspect the pulley for damage and cracks on the back of the case. If necessary, repair the part or replace it with a new one.
  2. Spring mechanism. If it has lost its properties or there are cracks or breaks on it, it is necessary to replace this element. It is also recommended to inspect the attachment points for defects.
  3. Rope launch system. The rope should be inspected for wear and damage. If necessary, replace the part and install it on the pulley.

Diagnostics

Diagnostics of the tool launch system is carried out as follows:

Cord replacement

In order to replace the cord, the following tools will be required:

Replacing the starter cord is as follows:

  1. Unscrew the fastening screws that hold the side cover with a screwdriver.
  2. Then remove the starter from the tool body.

Spring repair

Procedure for repairing the launch system spring:

  1. Remove the starter from the tool body.
  2. Remove the protective cover.
  3. Wind the cord from the end of the pulley to prevent the mechanism from rolling.
  4. Thread the other end of the cord into the opening of the protective cover.
  5. Pull the cord 17-20 cm to check the rotation of the pulley of the spring mechanism.
  6. Check the operation of the spring after pulling and releasing the mechanism.
  7. Unscrew the pulley circle from the side of the generator by removing the 3 fixing bolts.
  8. Remove the pulley and cord.
  9. Check the condition of the parts for wear and damage and breaks. If the spring break is small, then the defect can be eliminated by welding.

How to put a spring

In order to install a new spring, you must perform the following steps:

Starter replacement

Procedure for replacing the chainsaw starter:

  1. Remove the assembly from the tool body.
  2. Unscrew securing bolts and dismantle side cover.
  3. Loosen the fixing screw that secures the starter.
  4. Remove the clip and the spring mechanism of the trigger system.
  5. Remove the pulley with the cord.
  6. Replace all worn and damaged items.
  7. Winding the pulley.
  8. Install a new starter.
  9. Replace the pulley with cord, clamp and spring.
  10. Screw on the side cover and install the assembly on the chainsaw body.

Before installing a new starter, it is recommended to inspect it for marriage, check the build quality and the presence of the guide sleeve.

Today we will consider problems with malfunctioning chainsaw starter and we will eliminate them. This type of breakdown is not uncommon during heavy use of a gasoline-powered saw. And in our case. at logging, this happens systematically.

I had a chance to repair starters from the Ural chainsaw, with which we felled, working in the leshoz. I was still very young and understood the design for the first time, myself. The malfunction has arisen as a result of breaking the "tongue" of the spring, which is fixed in the drum (housing). I remember how I was all in graphite grease (hands and face) trying to tame the "snake" (metal tape), which "fell apart" into rings and did not want to gather in the bay))). I think who collected (twisted) the spring, remember as cramps the palm of the constant resistance of the spring. Compounding repairs and a metal cable. Nevertheless, I successfully coped with the task, although it took me a lot of time and nerves. On chainsaws of world brands, the design is not so complicated and capricious.

So, the chainsaw starter is designed to start the tool. On gearless saws, it is located in the side cover on the flywheel side (left side of the tool). This is a purely mechanical principle of action. But in order to correctly and properly repair the starter, it is necessary to understand the principle of its functionality (work). I propose a thorough consideration of this issue.

On top of the starter cover (housing), the handle is located in a special seat on the cover. The handle is connected to a cord, which in turn is wound on a pulley and the end of the cord is secured with a pulley. When the operator (the user of the chainsaw) jerks the handle up, the cord unwinds along the pulley (coil), bringing it into a “centrifugal” state. The pulley has a ratchet in its construction (on the back). it is a gear with teeth rounded to one side. The gear teeth (ratchet) are coupled with the “dogs”, which are located on the drum (flywheel) of the crankshaft.

But, as lumberjacks know, a pulley happens with a ratchet without characteristic teeth. gears. These are classic professional chainsaws, the ratchet of which is either a steel "cup" of small diameter with side cutouts (protrusions), or plastic analogs (grips). For example, on Calm 361, the ratchet has grips in the form of “dogs”. It is with these “notches”, “grips” or “dogs” that the adhesion to the “dogs” on the shaft occurs. The principle of operation of the “doggies” splines, I think, is understandable. when the shaft accelerates in rotation, the “dogs” slip through the ratchet.

Let’s take a look at the general starter circuit.

In addition, the starter comes with a damper spring, the so-called "easy start" Smart start.

Video: How to Tighten a Chainsaw Starter Spring


Symptoms

So, you have "covered" the chainsaw starter. If the cord simply breaks, then the malfunction is "obvious" and should be replaced. Other characteristic symptoms of a starter malfunction are as follows:

  • the shaft does not catch (the winding cord freely scrolls);
  • after a jerk of the winding, the cord does not unwind;
  • starter jams

Chainsaw starter repair

First of all, it is necessary to twist and remove the cover, make a visual inspection. A breakdown of the chainsaw starter can be different. a bursting spring, a defect in the pulley (“coil”), a worn-out cord.

Next, we prepare repair tools. these are screwdrivers and pliers. In the event of a break, you will need a new cord. I think that lumberjacks have a cord for the starter in stock. If there is no possibility of acquiring a factory cord, then you can replace the "forced" with a clothesline, choosing the appropriate diameter.

In the event of a break in the cord

We turn out the starter mounting screw, remove the clamp and the damper spring, if any, on your brand of chainsaw. We dismantle the pulley with the cord, untie or cut off the cord assembly, and remove it. Since the cord is torn, the spring is discharged, and, in principle, you can not be afraid of falling out of the spring from the cover.

We take a new cord, select the appropriate length (focusing on the length of the old dangling cord), divide, melt the ends of the cord so that they do not “shake”. We insert a new cord into the coil, tie a fixing knot and “hide” it in a pulley for unhindered passage of the cord along the brook of the coil (on some chainsaw models the cord is tied around a ratchet. this is provided for in the design). Pass the free end of the cord through the hole in the starter cover and push it into the handle. We fix the cord in the handle with the help of a knot. We wind the cord onto the reel (pulley) in the corresponding direction. We place the pulley in the starter cover over the return spring (and over the damper if present) and make sure the spring is engaged with the coil. slightly turn the coil in the corresponding direction. We fix the pulley with the fixing screw.

Next, you need to charge (cock) the spring. To do this, pry the free part of the cord with a screwdriver and pull it out. We grab the cord with your hand, put it in the technological half-hole, which is located from the edge of the coil. We make several turns by turning the coil (pulley) by the cord in the direction of tension.

How many turns do?

Too weak a tension will “break” the edge of the pulley housing, and too much tension will adversely affect the return spring. Pick up the tension yourself.

When the spring is charged, the starter is put in place. the cover is screwed to the chainsaw. During tightening, the mounting screws are slightly tightened, and the starter must be turned to fully fit and engage the pulley with the “flywheel” of the flywheel.

If the shaft does not catch

When trying to start a chainsaw, the jerk of the cord is "idle", i.e. no gearing with the shaft. The operator inconclusively makes jerks of the starter, the cord is unwound on the pulley without resistance and rewound. What is the reason?

The malfunction is in a burst damper spring ("easy start","soft starter"). If you remove the starter cover, then the breakdown is detected without difficulty, since most often the spring bursts closer to the cover. However, not the damper spring itself, but its mounting location may break.

If the spring burst, then only a replacement with a new one will help to eliminate the malfunction. That is why, I am not a fan of chainsaws with a soft start system. Of course, I do not impose my tastes and opinions on any of my colleagues. everyone has the right to decide his own preferences in this choice of chainsaw model.

Another reason for the lack of traction on the shaft may be a ratchet defect. We are talking about a ratchet model with a plastic gear, when the teeth for gearing have cracks and chips. In this case, it is also necessary to replace this unit. that is, the ratchet mechanism. And it is better to have a chainsaw model with steel ratchet.

By the way, the “dogs” on the flywheel shaft can also cover themselves. to burst the springs, which perform the return function and as a result, the clutch with the ratchet disappears. A similar malfunction has also occurred in my personal practice. The springs of the “dogs” were made from fragments of a cable (from cores). But it was worth an incredible patience, time and concentration. I am sure that you should not like to pervert and work out with another chainsaw.

Another reason when the shaft does not catch is the common mistake of collecting the starter again. fixing it to the flywheel. This picture is observed in inexperienced lumberjacks. The reason is the lack of engagement of the coil with the “dogs”. The fact is that during the final fastening of the cover, the user of the chainsaw does not check the engagement by turning the starter and the ratchet lies on top of the “dogs”, and in this case there is no engagement. An inexperienced operator is perplexed and does not understand the cause of the malfunction. It disassembles and reassembles until it realizes (or until a more experienced colleague tells you) about the proper assembly of the starter.

If the starter sticks

The picture, when the starter is jammed, looks as follows: the operator jerks the cord by the handle, and the cord either does not move at all (the pulley does not turn), or with great difficulty “passes a short distance” and finally stops. Of course, no return movement of the cord to its original position occurs.

I am sure that most lumberjacks are familiar with this picture. The cause of the malfunction is the deterioration of the pulley, and more precisely in the support casing, which holds the cord in the "stream" of the pulley. The cord extends beyond the edges of the housing, creeps out, it is rubbed between the edge of the casing and the pulley, and the cord loses its ability to curl up to its original position.

To continue work, it is necessary to rewind the cord to the pulley, “charge” the spring. To start a chainsaw, it is necessary to “catch” the engagement, carefully pulling the cord by the handle up and only then pull it. The cord must be in a taut position when jerking to prevent it from falling out of the coil body. This method will help only for a short time using the tool, as the wear of the assembly is unremovable. it is necessary to quickly replace the starter coil with a new one.

Attention should be paid to one important nuance: during dismantling of the pulley it is important that the return spring (if it is intact) does not fly out of the seat. Otherwise, you get tired of collecting the spring in the bay and put it in place. In order to avoid the return spring falling out of the seat, it is necessary to discharge it first. This is done as follows: the cord (closer to the handle) is picked up with a screwdriver and placed in the technological half-hole of the pulley. Next, you need to pull the cord and make several turns in the opposite direction of winding, until the spring is loose. Another option is to unload the spring. cutting the cord at the base of the handle, but by doing so you will sacrifice a small piece of the cord. When removing the pulley, you need to make sure that there is no clutch between the spring and the pulley.

If the return spring burst

The return spring is used to wind the cord onto the pulley and is located under the pulley. If it burst, and this depends on the resource (as a rule) of the tool operation, then there is only one way out in this situation. replace the spring with a new one. It’s possible, of course, to distort and “blind” a fragment into a short analogue, but this is only when the “edge” is really necessary and the work on the cutting area needs to be completed. The end of the spring band will need to be annealed to take the form of a locking hook. Such forced absurdities occur, as a rule, on a shift and the “Russian peasant” has to “surprise the world” (or amuse) with his ingenuity. But in fact, to eradicate the need to feed the family.

If the spring burst, then for replacement we remove and discard its remains. In its place we install a cove of a new spring. We cover the spring with a protective cover.

The coil (pulley) is mounted on the spring (over it). After that, it is necessary to rotate the pulley, making sure that the coil engages with the return spring. Then we proceed in the sequence indicated in the chapter “In the event of a break in the cord”.

Write comments, supplement if I missed something, didn’t finish it, or made a mistake somewhere. I will be glad to our discussion.

Why do I need a manual starter

An electric starter is provided as the main starter. However, do not forget that in the event of a battery malfunction, it will not work to start equipment with an electric starter. For this case, a manual version was provided as a fallback.

A striking example of the use of a manual starter is portable power plants. It is easier to use a manual starter on them, because it makes it possible to conveniently start the engine and operate the generator.

Manual starter failure associated with spring

The tight spring of the starter with a hook is the main structural element of the manual starter. In addition to the spring, the starter also includes the following components:

  • Ratchet;
  • Cord with reel;
  • Screw for fixing;
  • Recoil spring;
  • Plastic ratchet fuselage.

Repair of the spring. the main component of the manual starter, comes down to replacing the element.

Here’s how to replace it:

  • A screwdriver unscrews the pulley screw;
  • Then the spring itself is removed.

On chainsaws, for example, it is an element in the form of a circle, inside of which a flexible spring is wound.

Repairing a manual starter may also involve replacing the cord. If it is not wound correctly on the spring pulley, the generator will not start.

Here are a few rules for winding the cord:

  • Winding the cord from the end of the pulley (done to avoid scrolling);
  • The second end of the cord is held in the opening of the lid;
  • Winding the cord should go all the way, that is, how long the rope is;
  • After winding, the cord is stretched 15-20 cm to check the rotation of the spring pulley;
  • After winding, you should also check how the spring works after pulling and releasing (if everything works well, it is recommended to wind the cord one more turn).

In portable power plants, spring and cord repairs are carried out as follows:

  • From the side of the generator there is a pulley circle fixed by three screws that must be unscrewed;
  • Remove the pulley with spring and cord;
  • Check the condition of the cord, which can be completely removed from the side of the holder (the upper cap of the holder is removable).

Note. Often the bundle of the cord, which secures it from above, weakens. To remedy the situation, you need to heat the end of the nylon rope with a lighter, and then wind a new knot.

As for the pulley with a spring, it changes in the same way as described above.

Terms of Use

According to experts, a high probability of spoiling the spring appears during improper use. To be able to competently work with a manual starter costs a lot.