Pulled the Honda/Craftsman cord to start 'er up, and the cord has very little tension on the return stroke. Pull stroke seems reasonably normal but the string won't rewind all the way. Leaves about a foot to a foot and a half loose. What makes it go tight? Springs? Pulled the cord, and the string doesn't go back. I can coax it back most of the way, but then when I pull again, it doesn't go back. Any debugging hints?

Yes, there's a spring, obviously. The idea (starting fresh) is to wind the spring up manually, hold it (tie it off) so you can attach the cord, and then let it reel in the cord to see whether the tension was appropriate. In your case, you obviously have the alternative choice to shorten the cord--but do it right and re-install the cord as suggested above. Probably a video of the process on youtube. Good luck! Bill

Never disassembled lawn mower - what makes the cord go slack?

Mar 13, 2017 25 Replies

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Danny D. 9 years ago

Here's a closer shot of what you think may be a "washout port":

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Seems like overkill for something that can be flipped over like this:

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The red baffle is too big and only half round, so it's not a filter, but it might be an anti-slosher.

I hate those gas can nozzles (as I'm sure you do too), so I just remove them and pour into a funnel and make a mess no matter how I pour the gas.

I have a few Honda tool engines, and I think they're great! I'm a believer in both Honda and Husqvarna.

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clare 9 years ago

Replacing the spring and cord without lubricating the pivot won't make it any better - - -

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Danny D. 9 years ago

In hind sight, leaving it outside in the rain all winter wasn't a good idea.

What happened is, as you had surmised, I think, is that the spring rusted, causing friction.

Adding copious amounts of motor oil made it work nicely, but maybe I put too much oil as it's a dirty environment (time will tell); but it's working beautifully now.

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Thanks!

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hrhofmann 9 years ago

Go to Harbor Freight and get a cheap tarp and cover the lawnmower with it. OR, a giant washtub upside down over the motor would help.

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Tekkie? 9 years ago

Looks like a hose connection to flush the discharge when done mowing.

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clare 9 years ago

Better yet, a small shed.

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