How to Replace the Pull Cord on a Briggs & Stratton Lawn Mower

Briggs & Stratton builds a variety of small engines for use in lawn mowers, snow blowers, roto-tillers and other lawn and garden power tools. While a few of these Briggs & Stratton models have an electric starter, most of these engines are started by pulling on a pull cord that is wrapped around a spring-loaded pulley. Should the cord ever become damaged or break, you can replace the pull cord on a Briggs & Stratton lawn mower in a few minutes with some basic hand tools.

• 1

  Pull on the black rubber boot that covers the tip of the spark plug to disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug.

• 2

  Loosen and remove the three bolts that hold the starter shroud onto the top of the engine. Lift off the shroud and place it upside-down on a work table.

• 3

  Hold the shroud with one hand, and rotate the pulley in the center of the shroud counter-clockwise with the other hand until it stops turning. Clamp the pulley in place with a pair of wide-jaw vise grip pliers.

• 4

  Grab onto the knot in the knot hole near the center of the pulley, and pull out the broken section of pull cord. Remove the handle and the catch rod from the other half of the broken pull cord.

• 5

  Singe the ends of the new pull cord with a match. Slip the handle over one end of the pull cord. Tie a knot around the catch rod on the same end of the pull cord, then pull the handle tight against the catch rod.

• 6

  Insert the other end of the pull cord into the hole in the starter shroud, guiding the cord into the pulley and toward the knot hole. When the cord appears in the knot hole, pull out about a foot of slack with the needlenose pliers.

• 7

  Tie a knot in the end of the exposed pull cord. Pull on the cord from outside the starter shroud to seat the knot in the pulley.

• 8

  Release the wide-jaw vise grip pliers and allow the pulley to recoil and rewind the cord around the pulley.

• 9

  Replace the starter shroud onto the engine, and secure it by tightening the three bolts. Reconnect the spark plug wire to the spark plug.