# Ryobi Trimmer (multitool) Pull rope starter replacement



## Jall Mnone (May 6, 2011)

Can't believe the entire machine has to be disssembled to replace the starter rope. The start assembly is in the middle of the engine case "housing" and the case appears to be only one piece. help! 

I would prefer not to open the case with a hammer.


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## 30yearTech (Sep 14, 2006)

Use a torx driver (T-20) I believe. A hammer will make it much harder to put back together.


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

If you're talking about the recoil that's between the flywheel and the driveshaft tube, they've made that style since the '80s. They were a pain then, and from what I've seen on the MTD-Ryobi units, hasn't changed much. The flat rate back then was .7 hr., or 42 minutes. Try telling a customer who bought it for $60 back then, it'll cost more than half that just to fix the recoil.

The newer ones, as with the older ones, you'll have to disconnect the throttle cable, but the newer ones you typically can do that from the control end fairly easily. And of course there's the kill wires. The bottom line is, you have to separate the driveshaft housing from the main engine housing. This needs to be done to remove the clutch drum, which has a screw down inside of the center tube that holds it to the crankshaft. PAY ATTENTION, there's a thrust washer betwixt. It likes to stick to the drum and fall off later - it must need a vacation or something. After removing the drum, THEN you have to remove the clutch. Sometimes the thrust washer sticks to that. The clutch unscrews, so you'll have to hold the crankshaft in some manner. You can use a piston stop, but you may be able to jam the flywheel with a screwdriver. The screwdrive method is not for the novice. It must be done opposite the magnet side so as not to damage the magnets, and never ever on a standard fin else you'll break it off. There's a beefy side opposite the mags. After the clutch assy. is removed, then you have reached your goal. You can remove the recoil assy. If it's an MTD unit, you have covers on the back end (air filter cover and more) that need to be unscrewed too.

Now you know why it was a 42 min. job BEFORE it got more shrouding as with the newer units.

Hope I didn't confuse you, but it is an involved process for that unit....
Paul


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## paulr44 (Oct 14, 2008)

P.S. Did I mention your hammer method will work too? See how flat you can make it. OR, put the unit in a log splitter, have a beer and buy a new one. That works too....


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