Pull cord stuck

Could be just about anything. Have you got all the debris out of the engine flywheel? It could be the keepers on the pull string. Does all of the bolts line up right on the mower?

oh and welcome to the forum!

Pull Cord

thanks for the reply. It looks like everything is clear and the bolt holes line up. The little plastic prongs that come out when the cord is pulled seem to be what's catching on the inside of the piece they fit into. I can see the marks they're making and hear the click when they're extended and hit the inside of it. I'm not sure how the whole thing works, but it seems like they should turn that piece which would turn the fly wheel. But I can't manually turn any of it, so maybe it's not the cord - maybe the fly wheel is burned out.???

Oops - I just went out and released the brake on the fly wheel and it does turn by hand. Back to square one.

savanah said:

thanks for the reply. It looks like everything is clear and the bolt holes line up. The little plastic prongs that come out when the cord is pulled seem to be what's catching on the inside of the piece they fit into. I can see the marks they're making and hear the click when they're extended and hit the inside of it. I'm not sure how the whole thing works, but it seems like they should turn that piece which would turn the fly wheel. But I can't manually turn any of it, so maybe it's not the cord - maybe the fly wheel is burned out.???

Oops - I just went out and released the brake on the fly wheel and it does turn by hand. Back to square one.

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You're welcome. The flywheel is not messed up. Is it hard to pull? Or can you even pull it? It works like a set of gears kind of. When you pull it the little keepers get a hold of that gear and they turn it. When you let go, the gears have a curved edge to let the flywheel release. It's kind of hard to explain. It would be better if I could draw it. If its rubbing against something then something is broke. Maybe the bolt that holds the rope in is loose. Try and make sure all of that is right. If you can't pull it at all then your cable could be broke. Thanks Dusty

Pull Cord

Thanks again. The cord is definitely not broken - I can see it. When the whole piece is off the mower I can pull the cord its full length, but when I put it back in place, it'll pull a few inches and gets caught up on something. I think the little plastic things aren't able to get the gear moving so they prevent the cord from pulling any farther, so maybe it is in the fly wheel. When I turn the fly wheel by hand, it moves about a half rotation and stops - like there's something in place to keep it from going all the way around. I'll look around the fly wheel again to see if I can find anything jamming it, but I don't think that's the problem - the cord would pull farther out if that was the case. I'll fiddle some more and get back to you.

savanah said:

Thanks again. The cord is definitely not broken - I can see it. When the whole piece is off the mower I can pull the cord its full length, but when I put it back in place, it'll pull a few inches and gets caught up on something. I think the little plastic things aren't able to get the gear moving so they prevent the cord from pulling any farther, so maybe it is in the fly wheel. When I turn the fly wheel by hand, it moves about a half rotation and stops - like there's something in place to keep it from going all the way around. I'll look around the fly wheel again to see if I can find anything jamming it, but I don't think that's the problem - the cord would pull farther out if that was the case. I'll fiddle some more and get back to you.

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Your cable might be broke then. The cable that you use to turn it on and off. Its hard to turn if you can turn it at all then it could be the cable.

Well first what exactly is it doing? Did the mower run when this happend? How old is it?

Pull Cord

It was running before this happened - the guy who used it mowed a week ago and when he came back he couldn't pull the cord. I'm not sure how old it is - my daughter bought it used and has been using it for about 4 months without any trouble.

I just went out and tried moving the fly wheel by hand and loosened things up a little. I could then get it to move by pulling the cord, but the wheel would only turn about a third of the full way around. It hits something with a metal clunk that I can't see and won't budge any further, so it looks like it's not in the cord, but the fly wheel. I guess I need to try to find what it's getting stopped on.

FYI - it's a Murray 21" 4hp - it doesn't look very old.

Look in the deck and see if anything is catching it. I had this happen and you proabably don't want to hear this but I bent my shaft. It would turn a little bit and then stuck. Hope it's not but it could be. Lets go with the best first.

Pull Cord - we give up

Thanks for trying, Dusty. We called a repairman and he didn't show up, so we're taking it to somebody to see if it can be fixed.

Oh ok. Sorry for telling you to do this that and everything else. Its harder to tell something when you have to kind of imagine in your head. Hope you can get it fixed. And your welcome! Dusty

Did you check the blade or deck? It could be catching on the bottom of the deck. The baffle or blade could be bent and hitting. Or you could have some internal damage such as a broken rod. Hope you get it fixed! And welcome!

Old grass

I have read the posts on this thread and I hate that you have to take it somewhere to get it repaired. If there is internal damage the repair shop will probably tell you it would be cheaper just to buy a new one. Which is probably right, the repair will cost $50-$100 if it has internal damage. Then again it might just be a clump of old grass sticking and holding the blade. Lets hope for the best! Good luck.