Found a college friend who helped out but still don't know how to tell engine mfg. and carb mfg.. Here goes! Seperate housing from shaft using hex head set (allen type) (sometimes a torx 25)or screwdriver sets w/proper head (3 or 5 screws) remove gas tank (2 torx 25) use care regarding hoses and placement of tank to avoid spillage or fire hazard. Remove three corse thread allen head screws from plastic covering near muffler. Now you can see gas cable and electric cable union. I took apart plastic clip and very carefully removed trigger cable (plastic) stop so I could lower cable below bracket and remove cable end dog leg from carb thus seperating head from shaft. I removed the plastic guide on the shaft using steady upward pressure revealing the 3 inch 4 sided metal cone with a hole that will allow a 20 torx long allen or slim 20 torx screwdriver unscrew the threaded retainer holding the cone in place (mine stayed in the cone ).
Remove the spark plug and turn crank to lower piston into shaft. Stuff apox. 2 ft 1/4 or3/8 cotton rope into spark plug opening leaving a tail outside the opening. Turn shaft until piston bottoms out against rope (NO BROKEN FLYWHEEL FINS THIS WAY) Look for arrow on clutch and hit block of wood with hammer in arrows direction. Two tapps and mine spun loose. Unscrew clutch and remove large washer between plastic housing and clutch. You can now remove large plastic housing and see the pull rope coil retainer held in by 2 screws. Remove them to see plastic rope holder. Lift out noting (mark spool and housing) position. Thread and tie new cord using knott and knott placement as noted. Wind spool pully until rope fills spool (I did one extra turn for slack removal then used needle nose pliers to thread thru opening in large plastic piece while holding spool down with dowl rod in mouth.(might be easier way like third hand). Threaded pull handle and replaced retainer using thread lock on screws. Pulled it a couple of times to check and then adjusted the handle on the rope. I reversed the order for reassembly. 12 primes 10 pulls this baby runs. For how long who knows? Over all, It took about an hour to figure out what I was doing.. It was the Two days chasing down allens, torx, rope, thread lock, two screws that walked off while I was chasing stuff (USE a CARDBOARD SODA CASE FLAT AND MAGNET TRAY TO HOLD PARTS AND KEEP SCREWS FROM RUNNING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROJECT) reading web sites to no avail,
calling Sears to discover they have no online repair manual, want four plus dollars for screws, and ship all units out for repair with up to a 45 day wait and a pretty hefty up front charge. MY estimate of 49 hours at 10 dollars an hour plus 38 dollars in tools, mileage, gasoline, oil, band-aids,long distance phone calls etc.. I figure I might break even if I use it every day for the next ten years and the good ole PLASTIC does not crack. Does any body make one out of metal anymore. If you know of a long lasting one please let me know especially if the manual does not say "for occassional use only"!!!!!!!!! "HAPPY TORXING"
Jethro Wildflower
October 2007
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