Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): lawn mower pul cord, vise grip pliers, rope thread

Question
i'm trying to replace my pull cord on a murray mower with a b&s engine.  I took the flywheel off and the spring popped out!  how do i reassemble the parts to get it to work?

Thanks

Answer
Hi John,

If the spring is not broken, then carefully wind it back in. You might wish to replace the rope also, if it shows signs of wear. Below is my proceedure for replacing a broken recoil rope.

You will need to remove the entire cooling shroud. There should be 4 bolts
on the sides. You might need to remove the fuel tank also.
Pre-wind the recoil reel by hand [about 6 turns, to set the spring tension] and clamp it with Vise-Grip pliers. Remove the old rope. Thread the new rope through the shroud housing eyelet and to the reel hub. Let
the reel re-wind itself until it is full. If there is not enough spring tension you can wind it a couple of turns more by slipping the rope around
between the reel and shroud. Re-clamp the reel. Cut the rope to length and thread it though the handle. At all knots, burn and melt the rope with a lighter to prevent untying. Re-assemble.

Let me know how you make out.
Michael