Hi, so new to this forum and glad to find some unbiased opinions on equipment. I have a Bolens BL410 that has died. Ran great till the pull cord wouldn't retract. Replaced the pulley and cord, pulled the cord several times and it retracted. Install the housing screws and it binds the cord. Back the screws out a bit, and the cord full retracts. Assuming the starter housing cover is warped somehow, since the pulley is scored from the pawls. Found a post here saying that was a common issue, and of course, the part is obsolete (unless y'all are aware of some obscure source...no luck with power vendors or eBay hits). I did get creative and put some washers in-between the housing and the frame, and that seemed to help with the rope. However, then the engine was hard to pull, then gave a bit before becoming hard to pull again. Ideas????
Bolens BL410, 21B-121R-765, 31cc 2-cycle garden cultivator. I was given this machine 2nd or possibly 3rd hand, and someone wrote on the owner's manual "BL 410, REV 200, S/N 1C145 DG0790"
Wow, that's awesome. What do you think is wrong with the machine? The groove around the top of the starter pulley is deep, and in the few minutes I had the machine running, the new one is already scored.
The engine runs great. It was a "gift" (hmmm?) and wouldn't run so I already replaced the carb, fuel filter, primer, lines, air filter, plug and cleaned it up. Ran just fine till the pull cord wouldn't retract. That's how I got into this mess. Found the starter pulley heavily grooved by the pawls, so replaced it and the cord. As soon as I put the starter housing back on, I pulled the cord and it starts hanging, leaving about 2" out. Loosen up the screws, and the cord snaps back in. Somebody on this forum said the two issues it could be are the starter housing warping, or the pawls on the flywheel. Hopefully somebody can guide me. Buying a new one looks like a possibility, but I'm now known much for giving up!
Oh, and just thought of something else I noticed the up-teenth time I took it apart. The flywheel pawl springs - one is more lax than the other, but they are not restricted in any way.
