# Need Craftsman weedwacker help pls..



## cfuser (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi all, I feel so lucky to find this forum.

It's been a bad week, everything I touched last week broke. The last thing was my Craftsman Weedwacker.

It's a 24cc model 358.796100

It's been a great weedwacker, so I really don't want to retire it (plus it doesn't help I have been unemployed for 2 years and can't really afford a new one).

Anyway, here's the deal. I went to start it and it pulled as normal, it almost started so I took it off of full choke and went to pull it expecting it to start and the rope just pulled as easy as if it wasn't connected to the engine anymore. The rope is still there and intact, it just does not turn the engine. I checked for compression by turning the shaft and the engine is fine. I assume there is a clutch or something that broke on the inside?

Anyone have any ideas, I'm fairly handy. 

Thanks.

Rick


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

I am going to guess that the flywheel dogs are stuck. What you will have to do is remove the engine by removing the one screw in the back that attaches the rear cover to the front cover... it is locted up by the spark plug. You will then need to remove the 4 screw that hold the engine to front case. You should then be able to remove the engine part way and see the flywheel dogs... then are two small lever type devices on the flywheel that have springs around them. Blow off any dirt/dust and you can free them with your finger. Spray a very light coat of WD40 on them or better if you have some graphite dry lube. If using WD40 (it does attract dirt), blow it off again to remove the WD40. Some will be left behind to lube the dogs. Make sure they work freely, then put it back together. In the majority of cases that will solve the problem.


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## cfuser (Aug 31, 2010)

Hi Hankster,

Thanks for your help. At least it got me in the right area and told me how to take the dang thing apart. Dogs are good (and clean), it was the pull rope hub. It has a couple of broken cogs on it so it never catches (plastic). I might run to Sears tomorrow and see how much it costs, then I have to figure out if I can get it back together (I took some pictures). That spring went sprung when I removed the hub, but after some screwing around with it, I got it back in there (not a fun job).
Thanks for all your help.

Rick


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## hankster (Jan 1, 1998)

The pulley is only a few bucks and isn't that hard to install.


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