Homelite c71 pull cord rips out of hand

[alex1988]

Recently acquired a fantastic mammoth of a machine. The c71 from family member. Upon removing the cover and air filter the fuel hose and upper part of the engine appear in very good condition. The saw has been stored for a very long time but no fuel was left in the tank thankfully.

The oem on off switch was broken and it can use some new paint.

Here’s the issue…. The pull cord 1 out of 5 or so pulls will rip out of my hand after being pulled so hard it’s frightening. I’m scouring the internet to see what it may be or even a repair manual…also I should say the saw does run but intermittently so I would rather not throw it away.

 

[pioneerguy600]

It is usually a timing issue, timing too far advanced so it is getting spark before the piston is closer than 20 degrees before TDC. if it is a points condenser sparked saw check the point gap and set it to the specified gap of .015

 

[cbfarmall]

It is usually a timing issue, timing too far advanced so it is getting spark before the piston is closer than 20 degrees before TDC. if it is a points condenser sparked saw check the point gap and set it to the specified gap of .015

Agreed. I've seen flooded saws also act this way. Doesn't sound like you've got through the carb and fuel system yet. Recommend checking all this stuff. The odds are low that this saw sitting as long as you say will need nothing to run.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I have read where the air gap between the flywheel and coil is fixed on this saw and not adjustable so no recommendation on adjusting that. A wet cylinder can also be a bear to pull the engine over but a kickback I think would involve spark just a tad too soon. I would also recommend checking that the key on the crank is still in its place and not sheared off.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Had the same problem with my Super 1050. I found someone had put a module on it. I took it back to points, made sure the timing was right, and added a snowmobile starter handle to grip it with all 4 fingers. Check to see if your point gap is too close and opening too soon.

 

[Kenskip1]

How about pulling it with the ignition switch off? This could tell you something!

 

[Okie]

I've seen saws kickback due to points being too close in gap, spark plug gap really close, and ignition modules used to replace the points flywheel kiy partly sheared and this is usually due to someone not properly torqueing the flywheel nut or oil/grease on the shaft taper. The flywheel key main function is to make sure the flywheel is installed with correct TIMING. The taper and torque is what actually secures/holds the flywheel in place.

Kill the spark and see if it's any easier to pull through.

If you don't stumble across a solution remove the key and play with the flywheel timing.

BUT:
If it briefly runs and it's been stored long time you need to most likely do the carb, fuel lines, etc first and then if runs iffy do a pressure/vac test of the crankcase.