Mercury 4hp 2 Stroke OB

[Hunson]

Hi,

When we bought our boat last year it came with the above mentioned outboard.

The thing runs lovely with no problems. Over the course of the 4 months we sailed/motored with the engine, one problem we came across was that the pull cord was not retracting all the way back in once the engine was started. Cord comes through a dog leg and pull upwards from engine.

I have today lopt off about 6 inches of cord but the return spring still seems to be reluctant to pull the cord back again.

Its about 10 + years old. Is it time to replace the cord with new, though it doesn't look too old itself.

Any suggestions gratefully accepted.

 

[VicS]

Very possibly it has had a new cord fitted or it has been removed and refitted and that the recoil spring was not "wound up" enough when it was fitted. The cord itself is not likely to be the cause of the trouble.

Take care if you try to sort it out. Recapturing a spring that has escaped is not always easy!

 

[Hunson]

/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif oh didn't I mention that had spent an hour or so trying to get that back together. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

One thing I noticed about the spring is that the outer coils are very tight, but the inner coils are not so tight. Should this be the case.?

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
One thing I noticed about the spring is that the outer coils are very tight, but the inner coils are not so tight. Should this be the case

[/ QUOTE ] Well that tells me what type of spring it is its. Like a big clock spring. It's a long time since I had one apart . (not something you do a second time if you can avoid it)

No it should not be the case it should be more tightly wound up (like a clock spring is wound up) at least so that when the cord (original length , nor shortened) is pulled fully the coils of the spring are almost completely wound up in the centre. You need to leave a bit to spare otherwise you might break it but it needs winding so that it does just pull the string back in firmly.

How you go about that on your engine I dont know but dont let the whole thing escape what ever you do. I think in the trade they have a machine for doing it.


It might be worth asking for advice on the Mercury forum at iBoats

or on the forum I only learnt about this evening Marineengine.com

 

[Hunson]

Thanks VicS,

Will go and do some investigating.

 

[VicS]

I have now had a look at the recoil mechanism of my old outboard (the new one is an Evinrude and does not have that type of spring, totally different mechanism in fact)
After removing the unit from the top of the engine
What I can do with mine is pull the string right out. Hold the mechanism firmly with both hands to stop it recoiling, then with the other two /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif remove the string. I can then turn the mechanism further to tighten the spring (It will go up to another 2½ turns in fact) then refit the string and slowly release it to wind the string in.
You only need to tension the spring enough to wind the string back in firmly.

Note that apart from removing the unit from the engine I do not need to dismantle it any further.

The one thing to avoid is taking out the screw in the centre. If I do that then the spring is out of there like freeing a caged tiger!

Too late, oh well I really was not going out into the garage dismantling outboards at half past midnight.

 

[Hunson]

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif There is never enough hands to go round with fiddly jobs.

Here is my caged tiger as you can see there is a lot of slack in the center of the cartridge (for want of a proper name).

Pic

I only seem to get about 1 and 1/2 turns back when the cord is pulled.

There is a lot of sprung steel in there for not much recoil. Although it does snap out quite nicely when out the cage. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Gary

 

[VicS]

Yes well what you have to do is put the thing back together and wind most of the the spring up onto the centre then fix the cord to it so that there is sufficient tension in the spring to wind the cord in fully. I can replace the cord on mine without doing any more than removing the unit from the top of the engine. Dismantling it to the extent you have dismantled yours is a definite mistake, I discovered by experience.

 

[Hunson]

[ QUOTE ]
Dismantling it to the extent you have dismantled yours is a definite mistake, I discovered by experience.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thank you for the kind words of encouragement. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I had the same thoughts the first time the tiger jumped from the cage.

I also didn't need to go delving into the tiger cage, but unfortunately like the cat curiosity got me as well.

So if I may recap my uderstanding. I need to reseat the central tab into its stopper and wind up the spring so it tightens.

Then to replace the cord in its slot and knot and let it retract as the spring the unwinds.

I think that sounds right.

Gary.

 

[Hunson]

Many thanks VicS, that had done the trick. Though now I think the cord may be a little bit short, but will find out over the weekend and give her a spin up with some fuel.

/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[nyx2k]

i did the same thing last year as a friend snapped the cord on his yam2hp and foolishly i said id fix it. very fiddly but managed it in the end