Tecumsem TVS90 recoil help needed

[w989531]

I have a Canadian Tire lawnmower powered by a Tecumseh TVS90 engine. To my surprise, when I started it this evening, the recoil rope broke. I have removed the safety cover to view where the cord should attach, but my concern is where the heck does this cord actuallt attach to the recoil so that the cord will still retract when released.

I have searched the Tecumseh archives, but there is no mention of this model number there. I viewed one of the Acrobat files there for a model number that is quite close to the TVS90, but there is no mention of the recoil or how to fix one...

Thanks,

Doug

[Eric in North TX]

How I usually do it is; get a new rope, remove the cover from the engine, wind the recoil with the thumbs till it has sufficient tension to wind the rope back (pretty tight) line the holes up and feed the new rope from the inside (you may have to heat it with a lighter to make a point on the end) pull it through leaving enough to tie a good knot. Let it go slowly, you don't want to suck the whole rope inside. normally you will have too much rope, slide the handle down the rope tie it off with another knot, trim trim the excess. Pretty simple eh.

[Chris Lewis]

According to :

FYI: "TVS90" isn't an engine model, it's a whole series of engines. I believe it has a meaning in terms of engine internals, and IIRC, covers engines from 3-8 HP or something like that. Both vertical and horizontal, half a dozen different carbs, dozens of different applications and accessories, including many different starter arrangements.

As such, you can't use it to order parts, because two different TVS90 motors can have a totally different set of parts. You use the TVS90 designation in order to order the right service manual, but you'll be flipping pages back and forth for example, trying to match the carburator configuration you have on your particular motor.

The engine label will have at least two other numbers on it - one will be a serial number, and the other will be a true "model number".

Fortunately, none of this matters when buying a starter rope.

Small engine dealers will sell you a generic cord set.

You could use rope of your own, but it may be difficult to find rope of the right diameter, and it should be braided, probably nylon for abrasion resistance.

[w989531]

Thank you both for the prompt replies. In my usual fashion, I neglected one fact:

The pull rope appears to be fine...just broken off at the recoil end. There is still what appears to be enough rope to fix the problem, but I may also be 100% wrong.

My plight is that I do not know where/how to physically attach the rope to the recoil assembly. I realize that I am asking a lot, but I really do not want to inflict any damage to the mower...although that would mean that I would not be able to mow for a while...8-)

[Chris Lewis]

According to :

The rope wraps around a pulley. The pulley will have some sort of attachment point where you'll probably need to tie the rope. The direction you wind the cord will be obvious from the geometry of the exit hole and the direction the recoil spring winds. Be _careful_ with the spring. Try to avoid releasing it. Recoiling it is a PITA.

As a FYI, this has a description of how you look for Tecumseh parts - you need the "Spec Num" (Specification number).

[w989531]

Thanks very much, Chris...and the tohers that took the time to respond. It is genuinely appreciated...

Regards,

Doug