How to Troubleshoot a Troy-Bilt 4-Cycle Gasoline Trimmer Starter Rope

The starter rope on a Troy-Bilt 4-cycle gas trimmer gives the operator the ability to manually crank the engine fast enough to start combustion. The rope, attached to a pulley, spins the flywheel and crankshaft until enough magnetic energy builds to fire off a spark. When this starter rope stops working properly, the operator won’t be able to get the trimmer started. To troubleshoot, or isolate the problem, the operator will need to disassemble the starter system.

Screwdriver
Scissors
Replacement rope (if necessary)
Replacement starter assembly (if necessary)
Engine grease

Instructions

- 1
  Unscrew the four screws in front of the engine. Pull the shaft out of the engine housing. Disconnect the ignition wires to remove the shaft completely.
- 2
  Unscrew the starter cover, also on the front of the trimmer, and remove it from the engine. Turn the cover over to work on the starter rope.
- 3
  Hold the cover in one hand and pull out on the starter rope. Check the rope and the movement of the pulley. Cut the starter rope at the base of the handle and at the base of the pulley if it doesn’t spin properly.
- 4
  Take the starter rope off the pulley. Unscrew the pulley and remove it from the starter post. Inspect the condition of the pulley and replace if it’s cracked, bent or warped. Pry the recoil spring out of the center of the pulley.
- 5
  Inspect the recoil spring. Replace the entire spring cassette if the ends are bent or the spring looks broken. Lubricate the starter post with the engine grease. Reassemble parts in reverse order.

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