tohatsu / nissan 2-stroke pull starter re-assembly problems

I installed a new pull rope on a m18c tohatsu, (same as 9.9 and 15hp 80s through 2002) and having trouble getting the "ratchet guide" spring assembly to function correctly. The spring assembly is tight and seems to be working.

I compared the pull start to a nissan 30hp 2 stroke and it is almost identical style of how it goes together. So most mid size tohatsu and nissan should be the same style.

What happens is if I tighten down the bolt (from the bottom) and nut (on the top) fully then the pull rope will not go back in if it is pulled out fully. It sticks and wont recoil if you pull the pull rope very far out.

However if I leave the bolt and nut a little loose then the plastic ratchet wont spin outward and engage at all. But the rope will rewind just fine.

All the parts are thereand in the correct places. Here is a link to a page with the diagram of the complete assembly brakedown.
http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Tohatsu/Outboard/2002%20And%20Earlier/M18C2/RECOIL%20STARTER%20STARTER%20LOCKS/parts.html


I have ordered a service manual but it will take a few weeks to get here. If anyone can help with any advice at all or descriptions from what the service manual says about how to reassemble this thing properly, and how tight to go with the bolt/nut, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

You are not supposed to tighten the bolt that far. The nut is supposed to lock it in place.

Thank you for the reply. I have had it apart a bunch of times, and have tried what you are suggesting, with the bottom bolt a little loose and the top nut tight.. . However if I don't tighten that bolt to at least slightly more than hand tight, then the plastic ratchet that is supposed to spin outwards to engage will not spin outwards when you pull the rope.


And when the bolt is tight enough to make the ratchet engage, then the rope will not rewind once it is pulled about 3/4 of the way out.

Thanks again for any input.

I have disassembled and greased it, and the "spring assembly" (called ratchet guide on the tohatsu diagram) is tight and not bent out of shape.

I am uploading a few pages from the Factory service manual that may help:

Thank you very much for the diagrams. It turned out to be either the rope I reinstalled initially was slightly too big and binding up, or, more likely, the "ratchet guide" may have been slightly bent and or not fitting very well in the grove. I flattened it in a vice and all is working.