How to Replace the Starter Rope on a Poulan Chainsaw (Model P3314)

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The starter rope wraps around the pulley in your engine's starter assembly. When the rope is pulled, it rotates the pulley, which rotates the starter hub. The hub has teeth on it, which engage with pawls on the flywheel. This turns the engine over, allowing it to fire and start.

Starter ropes wear over time. With enough use, all starter ropes will eventually wear thin and fail. This wear can be greatly accelerated by aggressively pulling the rope, or by pulling the entire length of the rope out of the starter.

This article provides step-by-step instructions for replacing the starter rope on a Poulan chainsaw.

Let's get started.   REMOVING THE STARTER ROPE [top] 1. Remove the top cover.

Remove the (3) screws securing the top cover to the saw.

Lift the top cover away from the saw.

  2. Remove the starter assembly.

Remove the (4) screws securing the starter assembly to the (side) of the saw.

Remove the starter assembly from the saw.

  3. Discharge the starter recoil spring.

Pull (and hold) the starter rope (about halfway) out of the starter assembly (as if starting the engine).

Fold the starter rope in half and tie a (temporary) knot in the rope as close to the starter housing as possible.

Allow the rope to recoil into the starter assembly until the temporary knot engages the starter housing.

Slide the starter handle away from the knotted-end of the starter rope.

Untie the knot in the end of the starter rope (or use scissors to cut the knot, if necessary).

Slide the starter handle off the starter rope.

Untie the temporary knot in the middle of the starter rope.

Release the starter rope; allow the rope to recoil all the way into the starter housing.

  4. Remove the starter rope from the starter pulley.

Unwind the (entire length of) starter rope from the starter pulley.

Remove the screw securing the starter rope to the pulley.

Remove the starter rope from the starter pulley.

  INSTALLING THE NEW STARTER ROPE [top] 5. Recoil the starter spring.

Maintain a firm grip on the starter pulley while rotating it in a clockwise direction. Be careful not to release the pulley during this step. Doing so can result in injuries to your fingertips.

Continue rotating the starter pulley in a clockwise direction until it cannot be rotated any further.

Once the spring is fully tensioned; rotate the pulley in a counter-clockwise direction until the hole on the pulley (for the starter rope) aligns with the eyelet in the starter housing. Do not release the pulley at this point.

  6. Install the starter rope.

Keep pressure on the starter pulley (to prevent it from uncoiling), and thread the end of the new starter rope (from top to bottom) through the opening in the starter pulley.

Use long-nosed pliers to extract the starter rope from the bottom of the starter pulley.

Thread the end of the starter rope through the eyelet on the starter housing (from inside to outside).

Pull the starter rope through the starter housing until approximately two inches of rope remain exposed above the starter pulley.

Loop the exposed portion of the starter rope around itself and tuck the loop into the groove on the starter pulley.

Secure the starter rope to the starter pulley with the screw. Do not allow the starter pulley to unwind at this point.

  REASSEMBLING THE UNIT [top] 7. Reinstall the starter handle.

Fold the starter rope in half and tie a (temporary) knot in the rope.

Allow the rope to recoil into the starter assembly until the temporary knot engages the starter housing.

Thread the starter rope through the center of the starter handle.

Tie an overhand knot in the end of the starter rope.

Tuck the knot into the recess in the top of the starter handle.

Untie the temporary knot in the middle of the starter rope.

Allow the rope to recoil all the way into the starter housing.

  8. Reinstall the starter assembly.

Install the starter assembly to the engine.

Pull the starter rope slowly until the flywheel engages the starter assembly.

Secure the starter assembly to the engine with the (4) screws.

  9. Reinstall the top cover.

Install the top cover onto the saw.

Secure the top cover with the (3) screws.

Do-it-yourself repairs like these are easier than you might think: From lawn machines to cordless drills, kitchen mixers to outdoor grills. Our "how-to" articles walk you through each repair from start to finish.

So, doing-it-yourself means never having to do it alone.

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