# Weedeater - Difficulty With Pull Cord



## rightbackatyou (Mar 17, 2012)

Hello everyone,

I'm having some problems with my weedeater. The pull cord does not extract in a smooth motion and the weedeater wont start. To be sure, you can extract it and it retracts perfectly fine (which makes me think this isn't a spring problem) but when pulling it out its more of a jerking motion instead of one smooth, continuous motion like it normally is.

When I remove the spark plug its fine. Obviously it wont start, but the pull cord has a nice smooth motion to it like it normally does. When I put the spark plug back in the problem returns. Still wont run. 

Is this a problem with the cylinder? Or what else could this be? I'm stumped...


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## usmcgrunt (Sep 16, 2007)

Hello and Welcome to Hobby Talk.You didn't state what model the weedeater is.But,the cylinder bolts have a tendency to come loose on these small two cycle motors and will suck in air,cock the piston and cause the problem you are experiencing.Grab the spark plug and see if you can move the cylinder back and forth.If the cylinder is loose,try tightening the (usually two) bolts and see if that helps.Hopefully the gasket on the bottom of the cylinder wasn't damaged and the cylinder walls are not gouged.Let us know what you find and someone here will help you further.Good luck.


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## rightbackatyou (Mar 17, 2012)

Thanks for the welcome. Its a featherlite FL 21 if that helps...

I didn't experience any movement with the cylinder like you suggested. I'm going to take the whole thing apart I suppose.


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## rightbackatyou (Mar 17, 2012)

Any suggestions here as to what the problem could be? I don't think the carburater was clogged but I cleaned it anyways. Put it back together and still the same problem...engine wont start and there's not a smooth motion when yanking the pull cord. I don't have a spark plug tester but I can see and feel the electricity when trying to turn the engine over so it has spark...I'm just wondering what could be wrong with this hunk of junk


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## geogrubb (Jul 28, 2006)

rightbackatyou said:


> Any suggestions here as to what the problem could be? I don't think the carburater was clogged but I cleaned it anyways. Put it back together and still the same problem...engine wont start and there's not a smooth motion when yanking the pull cord. I don't have a spark plug tester but I can see and feel the electricity when trying to turn the engine over so it has spark...I'm just wondering what could be wrong with this hunk of junk


If it turns over easy without the plug and is difficult with the plug installed is a good thing in most cases, good compression is a good thing, however not so much if it isn't the fuel mix being compressed. Remove the plug and stick a paper towel in the plug hole, now crank it over a bunch of times, choke off and no throttle, if the paper towel is wet you have a hydro condition where as the crankcase has liquid in it, may be water or may be fuel mix, drain all the fuel from the tank, prime a bunch of times, set with sparkplug hole down, crank it a few times every few hours and if it the problem it might get you going. Have a good one. Geo


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## Patlia (Apr 10, 2012)

Thanks for the welcome. Its a featherlite FL 21 if that helps..


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