PP5020AV paw spring

[PTmowerMech]

The spring under the hub on this saw... When I tighten down the screw that holds it to recoil, it tightens everything down. When I keep the screw loose enough to pull the recoil rope, after a few pulls, the recoil is tight again.

I'm not missing any parts, as seen in this diagram. 33 through 36.

What am I missing? Why does the recoil not recoil.
I replaced the "hub spring," (part number 581481601) because it was smashed out of shape. But that didn't really change anything.
The recoil spring is still in good shape.

 

[ILENGINE]

PT is has been my experience with those starters when the hub spring gets overtighted as in your case it also damaged some other component. Either the hub, the main rope pulley or the center nose on the starter housing is warped. I would also bet that if you took the hub spring out and put the hub back in place it will bind on the center nose of the housing.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Yesterday, when I put the new hub spring on, I was pretty careful about not tightening it down too much. And each time it tightened the recoil, I'd have to take the cover, and loosen it a bit to get it to recoil. So I was surprised to see the new spring bent out of shape.
Looking at everything this morning, my inexperience in this keeps me from seeing anything wrong.

I found a small steel bushing on the ground, that I thought might have come from inside the hub. But the ID was too small for the screw that holds everything together.
The way this is put together, seems that if things like the inside shoulder of the hub got warn, it would keep from tightening down on the recoil.