How to Fix a Murray Lawn Mower Pull Starter

Always disconnect spark plugs before replacing a pull starter.

Murray is a popular brand of lawn mowers, using gasoline-powered engines. Most of the small engines on Murray lawn mowers are started with a rope pull starter. Over time, particularly if the engine is exposed to weather, the rope can deteriorate and break. It takes only a few minutes to replace the pull starter rope on a Murray lawn mower.

Things You'll Need

• Wide-jaw locking pliers
• Needlenose pliers
• New pull rope with handle
• Socket set
• Lighter or matches

Instructions

1. Grasp the rubber boot on the end of the spark plug wire, and disconnect the wire from the spark plug.

2. Loosen the three bolts holding the starter shroud onto the engine. Lift the shroud off of the engine and place it upside-down on a work table.

3. Hold the shroud with one hand and rotate the pulley inside the shroud counter-clockwise until it will turn no further. Clamp the pulley in place against the shroud using the wide-jaw locking pliers.

4. Pull on the knot in the knot hole near the center of the pulley with the needlenose pliers to remove the broken rope.

5. Insert the end of the new starter rope (with the handle on the opposite end) into the hole in the starter shroud. Feed the rope until it is visible in the knot hole.

6. Grasp the rope through the knot hole with the needlenose pliers, and pull out about a foot of rope.

7. Tie a knot in the end of the rope. Singe the end of the rope with a match or lighter to keep the rope from fraying.

8. Pull on the rope from outside the shroud until the knot seats firmly in the knot hole.

9. Release the wide-jaw pliers, allowing the pulley to recoil the rope.

10. Place the shroud back onto the engine, and secure it by tightening the three bolts you loosened earlier. Re-connect the spark plug wire to the spark plug.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh-approved rope for replacement in your engine. Using an unapproved type of rope for the repair may not last as long as a genuine starter rope.

• To prevent the engine from accidentally starting, always disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug when working on a lawn mower engine.

References

• Murray Lawnmower Guide
• Fixing a Broken Starter Rope
• Lawnmower Pull Rope Repair