Stihl starter cord reel binding on post

[terrifictimbersllc]

Brand new MS880.  Less than 10 times started.  Starter cord wouldn't retract.  Took off side pull start assembly, and the only problem seeming to be that the nylon cord reel was binding very hard on the post.  Several drops of blue creeper didn't help.  Took off the reel can't see anything other than that it fits very tight on the post, which wasn't that way at the beginning during the first few starts.  Probably just going to ream it out lightly but I am wondering what happened?   Seems to me that the only way it could have got tight is if the nylon got hot somehow and melted a bit.   Anybody know why this happened?   

oh p.s.  The clips and spring were off of the assembly lying inside the flywheel housing when I took it off.
p.s.s. The hole in the reel is bunged up inside,  nearest the side where the clips/spring are.

[joe_indi]

Possible cause could be that starter grip was released when the rope was out and the engine had just started. The rope gets in between the flywheel and rotor and this causes the pawl spring out, rope rotor lifts a bit, pawls hit the flywheel and so does the rotorm

[terrifictimbersllc]

You mean I might have let go of the grip before the rope was wound back in?  (too soon?)

Right now am trying to recover from the excitement of rewinding the starter spring.  :D

psss   Now I just found that the spring and one of the pawls is broken and am heading over to the dealer to get new ones.  Thinking I want to have a complete starter assembly as backup will see what that costs.

[sawguy21]

I would have gone to the dealer and let him fix it under warranty. Too late now.

[terrifictimbersllc]

Not too late at all, not a problem.  Dealer fixed it this morning no charge.  Didn't care that I took off the side cover, reamed out the spool and rewound the spring. Looked at the saw flywheel, nothing was damaged with that. Replaced the pawls and retaining spring which were all broken.  I left with extra spring, elastostart handle/cord,  and a bunch of spare parts on order : pawls, rewind spring, spool.  I was going to order the side cover too so I could have the whole assembly ready as a spare,  but that was over $100.

No explanation except from Joe INdi above, thanks, that maybe I let loose of the cord rather than let it back in, I don't know.

[joe_indi]

You mean I might have let go of the grip before the rope was wound back in?  (too soon?)

that maybe I let loose of the cord rather than let it back in, I don't know.

Yes, I think the cause for all this was letting go of the grip while the rope was still out instead of backing it into its position smoothly.Not deliberately, the grip tends to slip out of the hands of any of us at times.

[CR888]

Not too late at all, not a problem.  Dealer fixed it this morning no charge.  Didn't care that I took off the side cover, reamed out the spool and rewound the spring. Looked at the saw flywheel, nothing was damaged with that. Replaced the pawls and retaining spring which were all broken.  I left with extra spring, elastostart handle/cord,  and a bunch of spare parts on order : pawls, rewind spring, spool.  I was going to order the side cover too so I could have the whole assembly ready as a spare,  but that was over $100.

When dealers give good service like pushing a warranty claim through, a customer ends up feeling like he owes the dealer and buys stuff from him as a rapport has been established. IMO the most successful dealers realize this thus staying busy and profitable. I wonder if you would have spent any money with him had he not helped you. I fix all my stuff now but that may not be the case had l found a quality local dealer like yours. Starters and their springs are scarier than they ought to be. I just bought two different diameter 100ft rolls of Sten's German made nylon starter cord and re-strung 20+starters on my various OPE engines. After about the third one you can do the rest half asleep. Some graphite powder lube would have been good for the springs.