Concrete Saw: Starter Rope Pulls Freely or With Little Resistance

The purpose of the pulley is to house both the pull rope and the recoil spring. The pull rope winds around the outside of the pulley and the recoil spring is mounted on the inside of the pulley. If the pulley is broken, it can cause a malfunction which could result in very little, to no tension, on the starter rope when you pull it.
Access the starter by removing any covers. Depending on your model, remove the starter cover and inspect the pulley by carefully looking for a piece that may have broken off. A lot are made from plastic and over time, may break from fatigue.
To replace, pull the starter rope out all of the way and insert a small screwdriver to secure the recoil spring and pulley. Next, remove the rope then take out the screwdriver. To release any tension on the recoil spring, rotate the spring. Loosen the center bolt to take out the friction plate and pull out the old pulley.
To install a new pulley, align it with the housing post and rotate the pulley to tighten the recoil spring. Reinsert the screwdriver and attach the rope, allowing the rope to wind up slowly. Reinstall back on the engine.

The purpose of the starter is to turn the engine over, allowing it to run on its own. Pulling the rope engages the pawls inside the starter by centrifugal force, locking on the flywheel and causing the engine to run under its own power. The recoil spring then retracts the rope back into the starter. Replacing the starter is the quickest and easiest way of getting your concrete saw engine to run again (without repairing the starter itself). To replace the starter, first remove any engine covers in order to access the starter. Take out the bolts holding down the starter and set aside. Install the new starter. Once completed, put any covers back on that were removed to reach the starter.

After you pull the rope out, the recoil spring retracts the rope back into the starter. If there is no resistance on the starter rope, then there is no tension on the recoil spring and will need to be recoiled.
Remove the engine cover to expose the starter and then remove the starter from the engine. Take the center bolt and cap off and remove the pulley. If the spring is broken, it will need to be replaced. If not, the spring can be recoiled. The spring only goes in one way – on the locking tabs – so this is easy. Ensure the spring ends are bent properly to lock in the slots on the pulley and then on the starter housing. Remove the starter rope. Attach one end of the spring in the slot on the pulley and wind it up on the inside, not allowing it to pop out. Reattach the pulley to the starter housing and slowly rotate the pulley to get the spring to grab and lock in place on the starter housing. This may take some practice.
Next, you have to re-tension the spring. To do so, rotate the pulley in the proper direction so, when you let it go, it will retract the rope. Once you have determined the correct direction, wind up the spring about five or six times to create the tension on the spring. Insert a small screwdriver to hold the pulley in place, with the tension on the spring.
Next, reinstall the center screw and cap to secure the pulley to the starter housing. Insert the rope though the starter hosing and the pulley, making a knot to secure the rope to the pulley. Pull the knot back to the pulley, then hold the pulley tight and removing the screwdriver holding the pulley in place. Let the pulley retract, winding up the starter rope. Reattach the starter back on the engine and secure it down. Put any covers back on that may have been removed to access the starter.

When the starter rotates, centrifugal force pushes the pawls/ratchets outwards and locks them on the flywheel, causing them to rotate the engine to allow it to run under its own power. If a pawl becomes worn, or broken, it will not be able to engage the flywheel. This will cause very little to no tension on the starter rope. To check the pawls and replace, if needed, remove any covers to gain access to the engine and take out the starter. Next, pull the starter rope and watch for the pawls to come out. They should come out when rotated, but if not, they may be broken or something is impacting their operation. Take off any covers to access the starter then remove the starter. Uninstall the center bolt and cap on the starter. Remove the pawls and inspect them for damage or signs of wear. Insert new pawls and reinstall the centre bolt and camp then put the starter back on the engine. Put any covers back on that were removed to reach the starter.