This thing is going to make me SNAP(per)

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

Model:281123BV

Serial: 41076273

 

So, my FIL picked up a pretty good looking snapper for 30 bucks.... guy said it needed carb work. Turned out it needed a new recoil start too, no big deal. Well the carbs on, got the pull start on. Got a few (3, maybe 4) starts out of it. 

 

Starting with the second start, the shroud (which the recoil housing screws to) started pulling loose. This would mean that I had to loosen, replace, then tighten it each time. This is because the bolts that keep the shroud in place do so by having a washer type head on the bolt hold down little plastic tabs. Apparently these tabs wear down over time, who’d have thunk that metal running plastic would wear it down? 🤯

 

Go to start it today’s making sure everything’s nice and tight. Shroud pulls loose with a metallic clang.One of  the hole for the mount (that’s what I’m calling it) broke. This is part of the block, and the only way to secure the shroud.  There are two on each side of the engine. As o go to pull the shroud off, I see the pawls for the recoil start fall. My recoil start that got here Tuesday, has broken. 🤬

 

I take usable pieces off the old one (only problem was the spring) and replace. As I’m securing the shroud, again, the other mount on the same side breaks. They were part of the aluminum block. 

 

Why you would have the recoil starts only point of contact with the machine be a piece of plastic, is beyond me. Why you would design the shroud to attach in such a poor way, is beyond me. 

 

How to fix this and make it usable, without buying a new engine, is also beyond me. 

 

Has anyone had this happen, and how did you fix it if you did? 

Edited June 29, 2019 by LengerichKA88
Added pictures

[wallfish 16,985]

Off the top of my head, I would drill a hole in a piece of steel flat bar (and do this for each busted hole) and tap the holes so the original bolt fits and mount it into the original holes. With the flat bar hanging down below those original holes, drill holes through the flat bar and into the head just below the existing holes. Tap the hole into the head and enlarge the second hole in the flat bar so a bolt fits through it. Basically bolting on a piece to hold the shroud. Maybe one solid piece of steel instead of two separate pieces would allow for another bolt or 2 and nuts to hold the plastic????

 

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

5 minutes ago, wallfish said:

Off the top of my head, I would drill a hole in a piece of steel flat bar (and do this for each busted hole) and tap the holes so the original bolt fits and mount it into the original holes. With the flat bar hanging down below those original holes, drill holes through the flat bar and into the head just below the existing holes. Tap the hole into the head and enlarge the second hole in the flat bar so a bolt fits through it. Basically bolting on a piece to hold the shroud. Maybe one solid piece of steel instead of two separate pieces would allow for another bolt or 2 and nuts to hold the plastic????

 

That should be doable..

 

I was thinking a piece of steel bolted to the inside of of the plastic shroud, with holes for the bolts, that way it’s not those slots solely holding on. 

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

@wallfish, with your general plan, and a look around the shop, I got ‘Er done. (With some instruction provided by my FIL) 

 

Now to order recoil guts... again. That I’ve got down pat though! 😂

thanks for the help!

 

[wallfish 16,985]

Maybe put a fender washer on that bolt holding the plastic to pinch more area of it

[LengerichKA88 1,883]

That’s not a bad idea