arien snowblower

jimb58

my snowblower has electric start and when i tried to start it it sounded like a rattle in it and then a winding sount so i tried to use pull handle to start and it worked a few times almost started then the handle would not budge when pulled like it was stuck on something any idea what happened and is it an easy fix

Nestor_Kelebay

The "rattle" and winding noises make me think the drive on your electric starter motor is toast. There are only two bolts holding the starter motor on to the engine, but it's important that you don't mix them up cuz they're of different length. Maybe just limp through the winter using the recoil starter, and then take the electric start in to be fixed in the summer. It probably just needs a new drive.

You might be better off to just take the recoil starter off the engine and take it to a lawn and garden shop where someone can repair it for you.

It's my understanding that the recoil starter fits over the engine crankshaft and is held to the motor block with a few screws. You just remove those screws and the recoil starter housing should pull straight off the engine's crankshaft. (But, maybe confirm that with the mechanic at your local lawn and garden shop.)

http://www.helium.com/items/1107175-...starter?page=3

You could also just buy a new recoil starter and put it on yourself and not worry about fixing the old one.

http://www.lawnmowerstuff.com/156-Tecumseh_Recoil.html

Essentially, a recoil starter works by having "dogs" on the inside of the recoil starter grab onto the engine's crankshaft as you pull the recoil starter's rope. Doing that both turns the crankshaft of the engine and winds up the spring of the recoil starter. When the engine starts, centrifugal force disengages the dogs from the engine's crankshaft and the spring pulls the rope back on to the sheave in the recoil starter housing.

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