Small Engines (Lawn Mowers, etc.): starter recoil kickback, recoil starter, cold engine

Question
i have tecumseh engine 8.5 hp on my snow thrower. it's only been used 5 times and has worked great. it has an electric starter which works fine. my problem is that i also use the hand recoil starter if it stalls out and it has always worked fine. i went to pull it the other day and it can pull out very slowly with a lot of resistance. i can't pull it fast enough to start it and if it turns the engine and make a start , the coil practically rips out of my hand. the fact that it runs fine and starts witht he elctronic starter tells me that the engine is sounds but i need the recoil starter to work as well. any ideas?  thanks, paul

Answer
Hi Paul,

It is usually hard to crank a large cold engine with a recoil.  The cold oil makes cranking slow.  If the engine can't be cranked fast it starts hard.  

The recoil pulling out of you hand when it starts, indicates a dry and sticking bendix.  The bendix connects the flywheel and crankshaft to the recoil and normally allows only one way rotation.  Disassemble, clean and oil it.

If the engine pulls the recoil out of you hand before it starts, then a sheared flywheel key is the culpret.

Let me know how you make out.
Michael