Lawn mower 16 yr old Honda keeps breaking starter rope about twice a yr.  Big pain to replace.  Replacement rope is from Honda place and still breaks too often. 

Trying to replace with the old school pulley looking thing on top of crank that you wind a piece of rope around and pull.  

Need help with right name so I can try to  order one. 

I thought they were called slanly "cat head".   Anybody know right name. So I can google it up.  

Thanks

Pull rope? What's that? I turn a key and the engine starts on my lawnmower. 

 

 

Seriously...

 

You might look at the routing of the rope and see if there is a place that got a sharp edge or excessive drag across objects that causes the rope to fail. My old log splitter engine was very prone to this problem just because of the angle the rope left the housing and my pure height of pull upwards. When I got the new 6HP HF engine I turned the starter so the rope is pointing up and rarely now does the rope fail. 

Is it possible to get a better quality rope and adapt it to the Honda?

 

MoparMan like this when time to mow  and shreds plastic Ford badges. They shoot all over the place.

Edited October 24, 20186 yr by JAG1

51 minutes ago, JAG1 said:

Is it possible to get a better quality rope and adapt it to the Honda?

 

MoparMan like this when time to mow  and shreds plastic Ford badges. They shoot all over the place.

Better rope... that might be the answer.  

Had to replace rope on a two piece ladder.  Picked up some stuff at a commercial fishing place.  Really tuff stuff, I'll see if they have rope that small diameter.  

Maybe something like a winch rope for ATV, should be thin enough and if you get 50 feet it will last while

6 hours ago, JAG1 said:

Is it possible to get a better quality rope and adapt it to the Honda?

 

MoparMan like this when time to mow  and shreds plastic Ford badges. They shoot all over the place.

Maybe I should send him some spares.

Oh he'd love that. 

Around here the lawn mower shops have different size 'pull rope' on bulk reels. That's what I buy and keep 7' or so in my cabinet in case of emergency.

 

20 hours ago, 015point9 said:

Lawn mower 16 yr old Honda keeps breaking starter rope about twice a yr.  Big pain to replace.  Replacement rope is from Honda place and still breaks too often. 

Trying to replace with the old school pulley looking thing on top of crank that you wind a piece of rope around and pull.  

Need help with right name so I can try to  order one. 

I thought they were called slanly "cat head".   Anybody know right name. So I can google it up.  

Thanks

I don't know if this would help or not but I began looking as soon as I saw your post. Thought about older outboard motors and found this on ebay:  

VINTAGE EVINRUDE MOTORS OUTBOARD BOAT MOTOR ROPE PULLEY COVER PLATE

 

This is $40.00 but you can see from the design that with some tooling and material how you could take a 1/4" piece of plate turned on a lathe with 2 holes drilled apposing one another and finish slotting with a file, add spacers to under side to bring it up, weld it or bolt it to adapt to your engine and get a good pull rope with a wooden handle and you are on your way. Well this isn't much but I understand where your at. 

 

Maybe a piece or 3/4" material since you need an edge to make a groove for the rope.

 

I wish I could help, I have a friend with a mill and lathe here in AL. You would have to design it to work on your engine. If you don't know that I don't make a lot of sense you will after reading this. 

 

Edited October 24, 20186 yr by Greenlee

One of my chores growing up was mowing the grass. The old man had an old, even then, gas powered reel lawn mower. Had one those pulleys like you describe and was real pita for me start. That mower weighed more than I did. Any time I would tell pop I could not mow the grass because it would not start he would walk me out there and just look at thing it would start on its own. Bit of an exageration on part but it sure felt that way.

 

My advise would be not to do it unless my old man is going to show up at your house. If he does, call me.

26 minutes ago, dripley said:

One of my chores growing up was mowing the grass. The old man had an old, even then, gas powered reel lawn mower. Had one those pulleys like you describe and was real pita for me start. That mower weighed more than I did. Any time I would tell pop I could not mow the grass because it would not start he would walk me out there and just look at thing it would start on its own. Bit of an exageration on part but it sure felt that way.

 

My advise would be not to do it unless my old man is going to show up at your house. If he does, call me.

Good advice, I might not be in the ball park with what needs to be found. Most Honda engines bust right off but I'm sure there are some that you have to call dripley's dad over to have a talk with it. Are there any pictures that we can see what's going on

As kids we used to get other kids to hold on to spark plug wire and then pull the cord.  Used to be able to bait them in..we told them after just one pull of the rope, you'll be able to see color in your TV at your house.  As only the better side of town had color TV back then.  

Here's another one I found on eBay, 

SIMPLICITY, ALLIS CHALMERS TRACTOR ROPE START PULLEY 154384 *NOS PART* H-14

 

  $27.00

31 minutes ago, 015point9 said:

As kids we used to get other kids to hold on to spark plug wire and then pull the cord.  Used to be able to bait them in..we told them after just one pull of the rope, you'll be able to see color in your TV at your house.  As only the better side of town had color TV back then.  

I fell victim to similar traps but not for color TV viewing afterwards, I bet shows looked great in color, how long did the effects last? lol 

Vintage Genuine Kohler Engine Recoil Starter Rope Pulley 220377  $35.00

Edited October 25, 20186 yr by Greenlee

Wow, I was way off with my response. I thought you were looking for the rope itself. Sorry about that. I have 2 mowers and a generator with the hook pulley thing. I have no idea what the right name for it is.

22 minutes ago, dave110 said:

Wow, I was way off with my response. I thought you were looking for the rope itself. Sorry about that. I have 2 mowers and a generator with the hook pulley thing. I have no idea what the right name for it is.

Ya hard to name.  I thought it was called fathead polly But Searching cat head and lawn mower turned up sick things. 

Going to get strong rope and for fun of it turn to antique farm engine page, bet someone will know.

Edited October 25, 20186 yr by 015point9
Info

@Greenlee"  fell victim to similar traps but not for color TV viewing afterwards, I bet shows looked great in color, how long did the effects last? lol "

 

Daughter in law gives me big frown when grandkids ask me about me being "evil " in my childhood.  But today all grown up (I hope)  feel guilty stepping on a bug.

How about nice smooth braided stainless steel cable if it could be adapted properly. Now that would get my color back. Lol.

23 hours ago, 015point9 said:

@Greenlee"  fell victim to similar traps but not for color TV viewing afterwards, I bet shows looked great in color, how long did the effects last? lol "

 

Daughter in law gives me big frown when grandkids ask me about me being "evil " in my childhood.  But today all grown up (I hope)  feel guilty stepping on a bug.

Let's leave the past alone, there might be a few other little evil ones trying a sales pitch on spark plugs and color TV

Okay, I thought of this too but this guy beat me to it, here's the link to a YouTube Video that addresses your start issue with the Honda