[duriancake]

Hello

I'd be grateful for help/advice on this. I have a 2 year old ryobi which pulled and started yesterday but the cord mechanism is stuck today. This has only ever happened once before about 2 months ago but which freed up after a few minutes of jiggling with the pullcord. But unfortunately it hasn't released at all today despite lubrication and attempts to free the cord with a screwdriver. I've now removed the motor from the shaft and taken off the screws holding the casing. But I can't get to the pullcord mechanism as there is a part (?? a driveshaft cover ??) which will rotate but has no visible way to be removed/prised off. I've attached a pic below - it's part no.51 which is furthest on the left in the diagram. Any help/idea on how to proceed will be appreciated.

Many thanks.

[smud6ie]

Hi, your picture is not clear enough to see properly but am I right in thinking that the pull cord is the shaft side of the engine?
If is is then it may be the same set up as a strimmer I repaired last year,a lot of these machines are made in the same factory and then badged for different outlets.
The one I did had a Torx headed bolt which was invisible ,quite deep inside the centre of the shaft but once that was undone it fell apart.

good luck
smud6ie

[duriancake]

Thanks smud6ie. Sorry about the diagram size - I had to reduce it to get into the email attachment. I've attached new pics below to make it clearer. It's the alumimium coloured circular piece with the spindle that's the problem. I've looked down the end of it again tonight and as you say there's a fastener or pin in there. It doesn't look like a bolt at all. It's round though and unfortunately I can't get a torx or any other shaped bit into the spindle as the body of the bit is too large. But I've tried a small flat/philip headed screwdriver which fits into it but this obviously doesn't loosen it as the pin is round. I suppose I might have to just ask the gardening eqpt repairers or perhaps ryobi in UK may have a technical person I could ask. Alternatively I'll see the motorcycle engineers this week as I've also currently stripped one of my bikes down to the cylinder head to have a helicoil done. I'll keep you posted.

[smud6ie]

Thats the same beast as the one I did.    I have a set of torx bit screwdrivers  which I used to find the right size of  the head ,then I had to  grind down the shank of the correct torx bit which had been too big to fit insde the shaft to enable me to put some power on it,I can't remember off hand if it was right or left hand thread though.

smud6ie

[duriancake]

Thanks again smud6ie!!

I'll see about getting a set of smallish torx headed screwdrivers and hopefully can avoid having to grind down the shank. When you did that job, did you find that the pullcord spring mechanism had jammmed and needed releasing or replacing? I've been wondering if it's just a case of cleaning it all up and also lubricating the cord with silicone oil as the machine is still relatively newish and just gets used at most 10 times a year. Thanks again very much for your help.

[smud6ie]

On the one I did the rope had snapped and mechanism had not jammed but I had to take it all apart to rewind the rope back on again. there could be several reasons for yours jamming,a starter pawl stuck or broken or the rope throwing a loop backwards to name a couple.Once you the clutch drum of(that the piece you are trying to get off) and  the plastic cover is removed it  could all spring back but you will have more idea when its apart.

smud6ie

[duriancake]

Thanks smud6ie. I haven't managed to get the tools yet, but will let you know how I get along once I've opened it up. Cheers!

[duriancake]

Hi smud6ie

Just to let you know where I am with this and hopefully you can give me a few more pointers. I managed to get the clutch drum cover removed after finding the right tool for it. It's a torx T25 sized bit (same size as the screws holding the case) and it's right threaded. The challenge was to find the tool that would fit inside the spindle and had to eventually take it to machinemart where we found the shank of the screwdrivers were just too large and eventually got a torx key set that  were narrow enough.

On opening it up the pullcord mechanism is faultless and the problem is that the crankshaft stops rotating at 180 degrees in either direction. I've checked the piston and bore and it's not jammed. I haven't taken off the cylinder head to see if the piston and oil rings are intact, but there's no abnormal noise, grating or abrasion within the bore so I don't suspect these. The connecting rod is fine as is the flywheel. The problem is just that at TDC the crankshaft stops rotating so I guess it's a bush or bearing that stops it. I'll have to remove the alternator and get to the bushes or bearings but before I do so I would be grateful for any helpful advice you may have or experience of this problem in case I'm going off at a tangent. I've attached fresh pics to help.

Thanks.

[smud6ie]

Hi, we are getting into an area that is a bit  complicated to keep asking and answering  questions on the forum, if would you like to pm me with your tel number I will ring you to establish exactly what you have tried and what else you can look at.
Regards
smud6ie

[duriancake]

Thanks smud6ie for offer.

Sorry I've not PM'd you. It's been busy lately but managed to have another look at it this evening and decided to remove the cylinder head which revealed the problem and the cause. Turns out that a circlip had broken off resulting in the gudgeon pin drifting out to the left of the piston and causing a 1.5cm long score on the cylinder bore. It was getting caught just past the intake/exhaust port where there is a bit of a shelf and therefore externally the crankshaft and flywheel weren't able to rotate past 180 degrees. Phew.. good to have located the problem at last. I've been searching the net for a new cylinder-piston kit as I might as well replace the piston and rings too, plus the gasket and circlips. However if the parts turn out to be prohibitively expensive then may have to reconsider the economics of it and look at a new machine instead. Anyway thanks again for all your help. I can probably say that this thread is closed now.

Cheers.