Anyone know about lawnmower/small engine repair?

[DigMe]

I'm going to sell my old lawn mower but if there's a quick fix for my starting problem then that'd be great if I could fix it first.

Here's the problem:  When I pull on the starter cord the rope has tension and it retracts but I can tell that it's not catching on the flywheel or whatever it is that spins and causes the mower to actually start.  So I can pull it and it retracts but it doesn't start or even try to turn over.  I can tell it's just not catching on something like it should because there should be more tension on the rope than there is.  

If you know what's causing this please give me a fairly detailed explanation and repair method.

brad cook

[cfabe]

We'd need more info on what type of motor it is, but in general these things are really simple. Usually in the recoil mechanism there is some sort of spring loaded sprag that catches a slot in the crankshaft or flywheel. This is broken or not catching on yours. You'll need to take off the recoil starter and probably the flywheel cover to see what is going on. It should be fairily obvious how the thing is supposed to work, unless parts are missing or disentigrated.

[yesterdaysyouth]

starter pawl is broken or isn't retracting like it should, supposing it's that kinda setup...

take the top cover off and check it out, it shouldn't fly apart but that doesn't mean it won't...

good parts source ...
www.jackssmallengines.com

[Declaration Day]

It should be an easy repair.  The pull starter should be available as a complete replacement assembly.  Chances are you can unbolt the old one (usually 4 bolts), toss it, and have the new one on in a few minutes.  Good luck!