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Good morning.

Long story short: I pulled on my starter rope too enthusiastically and it snapped. I opened up the fan housing, as instructed in the manual, but when I looked inside, the attached photos show what I saw.

I have looked high and low for some way to actually get to the half-inch of remaining rope on the spool, but it is "underneath" this thing -- a white plastic circular thing with some kind of clasp through the central bolt. When I say I've looked high and low, I mean that I've even tried to find photos on the web of this part of the MS 180C, and the photos I find do not look like what I'm looking at on the inside of my chainsaw. I went through YouTube and found a clip on repairing the starter rope for the 250 and the 180, but again, the insides of this guy's saw do not look like the insides of mine.

I have tried removing the three screws in the metal top plate, but that just removes the plate and reveals what looks to be a spring. I have tried to figure out how to take the clasp out so the white circular thing can be removed. No luck.

So, given the attached photos, where you can just barely see a little nub of starter rope that I can't get to so I can replace the broken rope with new rope, what would you suggest I do -- short of going back to the dealer with my head hung low in shame and asking him to do it for me?

Thanks.

Paul

Did you remove the centre clip (red arrow in photo) then lift centre part up (off) you should be able to see the end of the rope.
if you never done the job before it may well be better for you to take it to the dealer...! rope got to be the correct diameter and length and the right tension, can be fiddly...!

EngineMan said:

Did you remove the centre clip (red arrow in photo) then lift centre part up (off) you should be able to see the end of the rope.
if you never done the job before it may well be better for you to take it to the dealer...! rope got to be the correct diameter and length and the right tension, can be fiddly...!

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Okay, thanks! So you can actually remove that bent clip thing? I didn't want to tug on it with a pair of pliers until I knew it could come off. How exactly do you remove the center clip?

Many thanks.

Did I see the word MANUAL in post 1..?

Engineman, your first post was more helpful.

I realize that many people don't take the time to read the manual, or, when that proves fruitless, scour the web for hours for answers. That must be maddening to you. But some of us are just actually new to this kind of mechanical work with garden machines. We're trying to learn, but I guess everyone was a beginner sometime, right?

Yes, I looked in the manual. I am not an idiot. Like most non-idiots, the first thing I did was carefully look through the manual, particularly the place that seemed to have to to with the starter rope. I looked through it a few times, just in case I missed something. But there was nothing even remotely helpful there about removing the spring clip. And yet, here is this page you posted on how to do just this!! How could it be? What on earth is going on?

Well, maybe it's that the manual that came with my chainsaw is a different manual than the one you uploaded. The typeface is different, the header is different. Golly, maybe it's a different manual. Unheard of? I think not.

It must be terribly irritating to have to hear people ask these beginner questions. But as someone who probably knows a good deal more than you about a great number of things, I hope I wouldn't assume you were a chucklehead just because you didn't have my experience in the subject.

Cheers!

I take it that the manual you have is not a Repair or Shop manual, and is just the home owner one which has very little help in them, it was'nt a dig at you, just so many say they're have manual's but just don't read them...!.
I will give any information that I know and have to anyone who believes it may help them.

Did you really say this? It must be terribly irritating to have to hear people ask these beginner questions. But as someone who probably knows a good deal more than you about a great number of things, I hope I wouldn't assume you were a chucklehead just because you didn't have my experience in the subject.

You are a first time poster and then you question the experience of the member who helps you. You and your type are the reason many of the professionals on this forum have cutback on helping others around here. We don't know the experience of the people asking for help, or if they even understand our answers. If you had the experience on the subject, why are you asking the questions? How do you think he got the repair manual? I'm willing to bet that he has ten times the knowledge about small engine repair than you have experienced. Be careful what you assume and post, as they may not be correct and will make you look like the ...........

PS: make sure that you use a #4 starter rope when you replace it.

Rivets said:

Did you really say this? It must be terribly irritating to have to hear people ask these beginner questions. But as someone who probably knows a good deal more than you about a great number of things, I hope I wouldn't assume you were a chucklehead just because you didn't have my experience in the subject.

You are a first time poster and then you question the experience of the member who helps you. You and your type are the reason many of the professionals on this forum have cutback on helping others around here. We don't know the experience of the people asking for help, or if they even understand our answers. If you had the experience on the subject, why are you asking the questions? How do you think he got the repair manual? I'm willing to bet that he has ten times the knowledge about small engine repair than you have experienced. Be careful what you assume and post, as they may not be correct and will make you look like the ...........

PS: make sure that you use a #4 starter rope when you replace it.

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Maybe if you read it again real slow you will understand what he was saying.

What he was saying was. Don't put him down and assume he is dumb because he does not know about small engine repair because there are other things he knows more about than you.

Again your social skills make you look like a azz.

Man you know all about fixing things but the way you act like your better than everyone and people should kiss your azz so you will help them makes a first time poster not want to ask for help.

The guy was just saying don't talk to him like he is beneath you

He came here for help not to be insulted.

Get off your high horse

(( cowboy up and get over it ))

Cars, thank you for the nice compliments. Please check out my other replys, I'm sure that you can find some others where I gave the wrong advice. I need you input to point out more of my faults.

Rivets said:

Cars, thank you for the nice compliments. Please check out my other replys, I'm sure that you can find some others where I gave the wrong advice. I need you input to point out more of my faults.

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Your welcome any thing to help.

Man not saying you don't know what your talking about. You know your sh it when it comes to small engines.
But maybe just relax a little

I understand its hard to be nice to people heck but I been trying

(( cowboy up and get over it ))

Of the thousands of people who read my posts, very few have replied with displeasure to the way I answer. I'm not changing something that doesn't need changing. To those who don't like my posts, there is a control button you can use called "Ignor" which you can and you won't see me anymore. Will continue to call out posts that I feel could be unsafe, disrespect those I respect, or post things that will cost people more money than they should pay. Wannabes will always receive my wrath. To those that don't like it, I think my signature tells everyone who I am and what they can do with my posts.

And I will continue to call you out every time you disrespect some one for no reason. You and your little group of clones that mess each other talking about the rest of us assume you know better than the rest if us

(( cowboy up and get over it ))

Cowboy up and get over it

I am having the same issue with the same saw. My owners manual blows. It shows nothing on how to remove and repair the pull cord. I've taken the saw apart and gotten down to where I can access the slot the pull cord goes onto but I can't get the remaining piece of cord removed. Can I get a suggestion there? Also I assume it would be beneficial to buy a new pull cord from my Stihl dealer so I have correct length and diameter cord.

GDINUNZIO said:

I am having the same issue with the same saw. My owners manual blows. It shows nothing on how to remove and repair the pull cord. I've taken the saw apart and gotten down to where I can access the slot the pull cord goes onto but I can't get the remaining piece of cord removed. Can I get a suggestion there? Also I assume it would be beneficial to buy a new pull cord from my Stihl dealer so I have correct length and diameter cord.

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If you do decide to buy starter rope from Stihl make sure you go ahead and buy more than what you need. Around double would be about right. It goes for $2 a foot. That way if you have this problem again with either the same saw or another one you will have some spare as to eliminate down time.

I am having the same problem replacing the cord. Unfortunately, I too only had the owners manual and the DVD which did not help, but I gave it a try anyway, since I have replaced other starter ropes before in other pieces of equipment. However, my recoil spring popped out and I was totally unable to find information on that subject (except statements that told me to be careful when removing the spindle so the recoil spring doesn't pop out)
I decided to call the customer service number at Stihl and got a live person right off the bat, who was very helpful and reassured me that it was possible, although very difficult, to rewind the spring back into place. It took a long time but I finally did it. I have the new cord in place and everything put back, but I don't understand how to "tension the spring" or "cord". The customer service fella explained it during my second phone call to him but it was too many steps for me to remember and I am embarrassed to call a third time. I did call a third time, and still do not understand the instructions. Can anyone help?

This is very easy to do. Now if I knew how to tell you how to do it. Ok on the spool that holds the rope there is a notch on the outer edge. Line it up with the hole on the cover that the rope foes threw. Use a screwdriver and pull the rope out so you can hook it into the notch. Pull all the rope out. Now hold the rope and the spool and turn it counterclockwise about 6 times. Line the notch back up with the hole and pull the rope back threw the hole. Remember to hold the spool while you do this. Not sure this helps