Given up on repairing Briggs recoil spring, what to do about the mower?

[afrig]

My grandfather passed away last year and when I was cleaning out his shed I found and old Murray 20 Briggs mower. It had sat with gas in it for years. I dumped out the gas and put in fresh gas and after a few pulls it started right up. Of course there was smoke, but it started. I needed a lawn mower too because I had just bought some land and was starting the process of cleaning up a clearing where I will build a small structure.

So I mow my place a couple of times and notice the chord is rotten and about to break in a spot. After mowing a bit the chord broke. I had no idea those old Briggs used a metal coiled band as a spring. I pulled off the top cover and bent the band. I bought a new band hoping I could replace it and realized I'd bought the wrong band. This one had a bend on the end that connected to the plastic reel. I though I could make it work but once I finally got it in just didn't sit or wind right. I was able to manually wind the plastic wheel for a while until the band bent. So then there was no tension on the plastic reel so even if I wound it up once I pulled on the string it'd just fly out all loose as I pulled.

I put off fixing it all winter. Monday I bought the right band for it and finally got it in and it was retracting great. But the piece of the band that connected to the reel ended up pulling out of the reel and the space it sat in was too wide to hold it. So I bent the band and hooked it to the reel and got it all working to where it was retracting but I could tell the spring wanted to pull out of the reel. Which it did.

I've given up on fixing it. I've just sunk too much time into it and if the chord ever breaks again I just can't go through this again. It's a heck of a little mower. Just what I needed. It isn't the fanciest but I like it.

Is there anything I can do? Any way to rig it to where I can pull it and start it and then just manually rewind the wheel when I need to start it again? I hate to trash it.

I was thinking about buying one of the newer Briggs engines and putting it on the body of mine. But I haven't called to check on prices to see what'd that cost. And I haven't checked if any would fit the body.

What are my options? I really need a mower. It saves me so much time than using my weed eater. This one runs great I just don't have a way to start it.

Thanks.

 

[Rivets]

Don't know if I can help you, but I'll give it a try. Repairing recoil starters should not be as difficult as what you are going through. If the engine runs good let's give it one more try, working together and with this manual. Section 7A shows how to repair a broken spring. Please post all the engine numbers and if this is not the correct manual, I'll find the right one. After reading it over post back and I'll walk you through the procedure. Your only other option would be to see if any of the repair shops have a complete used starter laying around. Let us know how you would like to proceed.

https://doc-04-5o-docs.googleuserco...253/*/0B6NaqjIxWV1ycG8wd0s3Z2Q2X00?e=download

 

[bertsmobile1]

Is there anything I can do? Any way to rig it to where I can pull it and start it and then just manually rewind the wheel when I need to start it again? I hate to trash it.

I was thinking about buying one of the newer Briggs engines and putting it on the body of mine. But I haven't called to check on prices to see what'd that cost. And I haven't checked if any would fit the body.

What are my options? I really need a mower. It saves me so much time than using my weed eater. This one runs great I just don't have a way to start it.

Thanks.

There are a couple of things.
The simpleist is to use a battery drill and a deep socket on the end of the standard Briggs starter clutch.
They make it a funny shape to discourage people from doing this but it works Ijhave done it hundreds of times .
Just be careful about the socket fling off as you withdraw it.
Mine is glued to the short impact grade extension.
Do not try it with an electric corded drill for safety reasons.
The other is to get a pulley from a tool shop then either cut out a hole to fit over te started clutch so the grub screw in the pulley will bite into the Briggs clutch or get a deep pulley and thread it of fit directly on the crank shaft like they did when your grandfather was a lad.

 

[afrig]

Don't know if I can help you, but I'll give it a try. Repairing recoil starters should not be as difficult as what you are going through. If the engine runs good let's give it one more try, working together and with this manual. Section 7A shows how to repair a broken spring. Please post all the engine numbers and if this is not the correct manual, I'll find the right one. After reading it over post back and I'll walk you through the procedure. Your only other option would be to see if any of the repair shops have a complete used starter laying around. Let us know how you would like to proceed.

https://doc-04-5o-docs.googleuserco...253/*/0B6NaqjIxWV1ycG8wd0s3Z2Q2X00?e=download

I'd have to get a new plastic reel or find a way to bend the banding some way to make sure it stays attached to the reel. The main problem is that I keep running into more problems. I'll get is fixed only to have it break again some other way. It's just outdated technology. I bought the correct band Monday and it was great when I first got it all in. But after a few pulls the plastic was eaten away and no longer wide enough to hold in the end of the band. So I bent the end and it worked but it's just a thin metal band and the bended end isn't very strong and has give so it came out. Plus the metal cover the reel goes in just holds the wheel it with metal tabs that will eventually break. And like I said I don't want to go through this again down the road when some other problem arises. It's a pain to get the banding in there at all and then once I do I give it 3 - 4 pulls and have to do it all over again because of a new problem. Below is a video of exactly what I have and how to fix it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adnDwQGzcZo

I'll try and download that manual once I'm home from work. I'm just really defeated at this point and on top of it I got home Monday literally just after picking up the new recoil spring and there was a note on my door. I currently live in an apartment. The old manager let me keep the mower without gas in it and the handle removed in this oversized closet on the main floor of my section of apartments. But the new manager isn't the nicest woman and she told me I couldn't keep in there any longer. So that on top of all of the time and effort I've put into fixing it I'm just kind of fed up. But I'll give it one more try tonight.

@bertsmobile1

Thanks for the ideas. I live in an apartment and don't have a lot of tools because I just don't have the space for everything right now. And a drill isn't once of the things I have. I do have some deep sockets though.. But I don't really like the idea of starting it that way much anyway honestly.

What kind of pulley do you suggest? Earlier in this reply I linked a video that shows what I have. I'd appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks a lot for the replies.

 

[Mikel1]

I'll try and download that manual once I'm home from work. I'm just really defeated at this point and on top of it I got home Monday literally just after picking up the new recoil spring and there was a note on my door. I currently live in an apartment. The old manager let me keep the mower without gas in it and the handle removed in this oversized closet on the main floor of my section of apartments. But the new manager isn't the nicest woman and she told me I couldn't keep in there any longer. So that on top of all of the time and effort I've put into fixing it I'm just kind of fed up. But I'll give it one more try tonight.

Well then that sucks.
Like Rivets suggested a complete used starter assembly is a good idea. Since the plastic pulley is messed up your going to need another.
Those metal bands can sometimes be a pain to deal with.

 

[afrig]

I wanted to thank everyone for the support and motivation. Especially to primerbulb120.

I just bought a new recoil spring and pulley and sat down last night and got it together. Took some doing but I got it! I got the blower housing back on the mower and fresh gas in it today. Just started her up. So the 27 year old mower is running again!

There is a new problem though. The throttle lever on the handle is connected to a wire that pushes and pulls this metal piece that has a spring on it and that spring is supposed to tension and detension in order to open and close something.

The throttle lever is messed up and not pushing or pulling the wire but I can just move the metal piece with my hand to throttle the mower. The problem is the mower is throttling funny. I get it going and it starts to die down so I throttle the mower down a bit and its fine. I keep having to mess with the piece that has the spring attached to it in order to throttle the mower up and down to keep it going

The spring is very worn out. Almost like its almost not doing anything. Im hoping I can replace that itll be fine.

At least its that much more ready for the summer! Recoil was Hell but thanks to you guys I just told myself I was going to fix it and I did. At least it's running!

 

[Mikel1]

Since it had gas in it for years you may need to clean the carb out.

 

[afrig]

Since it had gas in it for years you may need to clean the carb out.

I was thinking about that. It ran fine last summer. Never had this throttling issue. I'm sure it's something with the carb. I may pull it apart tonight if I find the time. Thanks!