How to Replace a Craftsman Lawn Mower Starter Pulley
- 1). Pull the rope out of the recoil housing and cut the handle off the rope with a utility knife.
- 2). Remove any accessories that block access to the mounting bolts for the recoil pulley housing. In most cases, this will require you to drain the gas tank and then remove it. The gas tank secures with screws. The amount of accessories you must remove will vary depending on the model of mower you own.
- 3). Remove the screws that secure the recoil pulley housing to the top of the engine and then place the housing off to the side to expose the recoil pulley.
- 4). Pull the pulley up and off the motor shaft. In some cases, if the pulley does not easily pull off the shaft, you will locate a setscrew in the groove of the pulley that locks the pulley onto the engine shaft. Loosen the setscrew with a screwdriver and then pull the pulley off the shaft.
- 5). Tie a knot on one end of the replacement recoil rope and slide the rope through the pulley until the knot butts up against the bottom side of the pulley. Wrap the recoil rope around the pulley until you have 3 or 4 inches left unwrapped.
- 6). Slide the pulley onto the motor shaft and secure it with the setscrew if necessary.
- 7). Thread the end of the rope through the eyelet hole in the recoil pulley housing and then mount the housing back onto the engine.
- 8). Thread the end of the rope through the plastic pull rope handle and then tie a knot in the string. Pull the knot into the recess in the handle to lock it in place. Use the handle attached to the original rope if you do not get a new handle with the replacement rope.
- 9). Reconnect any accessories that you removed to gain access to the recoil pulley housing bolts.
Source...