How to Fix the Starter on a Ryobi Trimmer 

Very informative and I like the calmness that Mark takes you through the whole video, very well done!

First I would like to thank Mark and all his useful videos, without which I would have never been able to do this. His videos provided clear procedures that were easy to follow, and he puts on a better, more professional video with each new one he produces.There are differences between the BC30 that I have and the SS30 in the video, so I would like to take this opportunity to go over the differences with anyone else who has this model.1. The clutch drum takes a T20 Torx head driver, not a T25 used in the video, but the rest of the fasteners are T25.2. The starter spring goes face down against the plastic ribs with the metal cover plate covering it, so the spring is not visible other than the spring's center tab showing through the hole in the metal cover plate. The part is shown this way in the parts lists, too. Then you can set the 6-7 turn preload in a clockwise (vice a clockwise) fashion, attach your starter cord, and the cord will retract properly (counter clockwise). For this part it’s definitely good to have a helper when tying the cord, I’m just not good at one handed tying like Mark.3. Mine uses the two clutch plates, too. Put the first one on in a reverse “S” shape like Mark does, and the second in a normal “S”. This way the two clutch plate surfaces with the small dimple will be facing each other. The dimples don’t have to exactly face each other, just the surfaces, so even if the dimples are 180 off it still works.4. I use mine as a pole saw and have several other Expand-it attachments, so make sure the clutch drum engages properly with the drive pin inside the pole and doesn’t get positioned off center.5. If your trimmer won’t start, try reversing the electrical leads to the cutoff switch, they’re not marked. The right way it will start (eventually), the wrong way it will never start.I also eplaced the fuel tank as the lines were old, cracking, and sucking air so I couldn't prime the carburetor. The new tank's designed with the lines already pre-installed, Mark has a video on this, too, it's not hard to do, Gave the outside of the carburetor a shot of carburetor cleaner to removethe varnish and cleaned the sponge style air filter. Now it runs and i have a pole saw again. Here's hoping this helps someone out there.

Great video, i wish you made all the videos that i've had to watch. your way of explaining is easy to understand and very thorough.

Thank You for posting this video on Your web site.I had tried every star screw driver I have . i did not have one that would fit down the clutch plate cover. I have watched other videos, but no one showed actually loosening the screw inside the clutch plate cover,,, and You also gave the size torx screw driver to use. thank you again.

Very clear and detailed video. Thanks, makes everyone an expert!

Fantastic, thanks for the effort you put into this - awesome and much appreciated.

Excellent tutorial, thanks for sharing

Hello. If you have the CS30 these instructions are almost correct, but not quite. You MUST put the recoil spring UP-SIDE-DOWN, with the metal retaining plate facing up. You will only see the small part of spring at the top and in the circular opening. The gap on the starter pulley WILL engage the spring. Now wind it CLOCKWISE. Follow the rest of the instructions. The instructions as given in this video drove me nuts until I flipped the spring and its retaining case over. If you look, now the recoil turns the correct way to engage the starter pawls on the flywheel. Hope this helps.

Hi Mark, a great video which caused me no end of consternation, for although mine is a British model, it is essentially the same. I think you'll find that when you dissembled the starter the spring was already upside down and you replaced the spring as you found it-upside down - then you tensioned the spring anti clockwise by 6 or 7 turns. When it came to releasing the spring - allowing the cord to be retracted, it released also in an anti-clockwise direction. That doesn't fit with physics! I guess you corrected your mistake between the winding and releasing but in the edit used the wrong clip. I watched it about a dozen times before I spotted the error. I was having a really hard time following your simple instructions - yet getting the wrong result. I post this not as a criticism because these videos are wonderful and have saved me a fortune - but for those who come after. Keep it up. All the best Jim

Thank you so much! Very good demonstration of what I needed to know!

excellent and very clear vid. thank you for your help

Nicely done. Thanks for the video, very helpful!

That is an excellent video. Thank you very much.

Great video, Thanks, it saved me a lot of headaches.

Great instructions, make sure the T-25 is long and narrow enough to fit into the clutch shaft.

Excellent video! I pulled mine down as far as the clutch cover but couldn't get that screw out. It's smaller than than the T 25, but bearing in mind, mine is a 3043S model.Maybe they changed screw size over time but none the less still an excellent video.

THANKYOU SO MUCH!!! xcellent ,informative, WELL DONE VIDEO. kEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ANDTHANKS FOR POSTING

Good clear instruction thank you.

Very good vid and most usfull I am no longer worried bout doing the job, thanks

What an education to watch a professiona,l how come its taken years to find this channel. Well Done

Thank you Mark, Just the video info I need........cheers. John P from Downunder

Excellent video, thanks!

That was enough to fix my blower. Thanks a lot.

Muy buena la explicación del instructor y con gusto lo voy a llevar a la práctica, muchas gracias.

nice job ...you make it look easy

Wonderful Video Mark.

good job very helpful

The man is offering good, free advice and you feel the need to insult the way he speaks and by the way I'm sure he didn't design the trimmer. What a pity.

I have that exact same trimmer. Used it once and for some reason forgot about it and kept using my old one. Now that it sat unused for almost 10 years, it needs a lot of work.

Well done thanks

great video . the driveshaft on my Homelite strimmer F3040 is stuck / attached to the clutch bell. I can see from your super video that there is a screw holding the clutch bell in position . Now I am going to check out the removal of the driveshaft . Thank you so much for your support.

Great video. I need to replace the ignition module. Do you have any instructional videos on this? Thanks!

I have the Ryobi 875r 4 stroke a bit different than the one in your video had a broke pull cord. The return spring popped out it wasn't like yours easy out and easy in. when it came out, it uncoiled and I nearly lost my mind in the first 5 minutes of trying to get it back in. 3 spring clamps and a small zip tie made it possible to recoil the spring tight enough to get it in.. Any way thanks for the video it sure helped. when I need some parts I'll get them from you.

Good video, Thank-You

Thanks for great video. Just one thing when replacing the clutch which way do the plates go back? I woulds very much appreciate an answer. Thanks again.

very helpful,good vid,thankyou.

The top spring is part of an easy start system. When you pull the starter rope it puts tension on the top spring which then transfers this energy to the starter spring and finally the crankshaft. Basically it makes it so you don't need as much strength to pull the starter rope. Thanks for watching, -Mark

Hello Mark, my question on the same Ryobi trimmer that you work on in the video, I am working on the same model. I've replaced the pulley assembly and rope, spring seemed good. my problem is when I pull the rope it rewinds very slow and at time I have to slightly pull it to make it go in. Do I NOT have enough tension, I turned it 8 full turns! thanks in advance for your support retired diy'er

when you put tension on you rotate counter clockwise, yet when you release the rope to wind it pulls counter clockwise. Wouldn't the tension be opposite? What am I missing.

Are you turning the pulley clockwise? Ryobi bc30 can't get tension like the video says

Outstanding!

I have an old weed eater featherlite trimmer that needs the starter pulley replaced. How many turns are required to correctly tension the return spring?

awesome! thanks!

Can you guys do a tutorial on replacing the starting cord on the Ryobi CS26 (26cc curved shaft trimmer) please?

Could you do this same process with a craftsman 25 cc weed Wacker I'm having a lot of trouble

Great instructions. I bought the spring and put it in even though in my case, it's not the spring. I took it apart and once I has stuff loose, it recoiled. So I put it back together, and it did it again. The recoil clicks, the recoil seems to jam, and the rope won't go back in. Can you tell me what other parts it could possibly be? Thanks again for the tutorial. It was helpful, even if in my case it's not the spring.

Excellent.

Can you advise me what size priming buld this model has. My priming bulb has split but according to ryobi, i have to buy a carb body at almost £35. A bulb will cost a couple of £s. looks almost identical to mine. Many thanks from the UK.

@bmchughs2011 . . . plates themselves are worn and need to be replaced. Hope that helps and thanks for watching! -Mark

Also, in the new starter assembly I purchased, it appears the pull cord is also to fit through a hole in the black plastic that mates with the string hole in the cover. The cord has a lot of friction through that hole, and how am I to feed it through prior to securing the assembly hold-down screws?

@PGXI Thanks! -Mark

mark do a video on how to remove fly wheel thx

Can I use a long phillips head screw driver instead of a T25? Got to go out and purchase one tool? I have a CS30 trimmer and the chord is not winding back up after start.

Question: why cant a C-clamp be used (if you had a helper) to hold the coil spring under pressure while you install the rope and tie the knot? Will that work ?

Great video, I followed all steps and everything works until I put the housing back together. When I pull the rope it does not coil back. When I take the housing off, the starter assembly does coil back perfectly. Any suggestions? is the pully cap worn or bad?,....I'd appreciate any comments.

The newer RY30550 doesn't have the screw through the center of the clutch assembly, any suggestions on how to remove the clutch to get to the starter assembly on the newer model?

I had a problem because the screw by the exhaust had corroded to a point where it was impossible to remove. It took me ages to drill it out, The strummer on the film looks new so looked easy. Second issue was that my spring assembly was different and more tricky to put back. You had to put the string on before tensioning and the assembly was a different way up. Now I have the starter fixed but the strimmer head doesn't rotate. I guess I have reassembled the clutch wrong. It looks idiot proof in the video but on second look he took care with the placement of the two plates and got them at right angles to each other. I'm not sure how the clutch works.

Hello there, ery interesting! I actually have another problem and cannot find an answer to it. I have a bushcutter that I use all the time and I always mix the gas and the oil myself. Yesterday I made a mistake and put too much oil into the gas. The bushcutter worked for a while and then stopped. When I finally found out about the mistake I had made I emptied the gastank and refilled it with the apropriate mixture. The engine still does not start. How can I solve the problem? Thanks in advance. Corinna

@olivetribe Thank you! -Mark

My strimmer didn't have the top cover on and had no spring inside it should it have and where can I buy these pieces if so

would it be possible to put the spring in backwards...meaning I start the engine backwards? The reason I ask is that my clutch doesn't seem to be engaging...Is there a trick to this...do both clutch plates make an 'S' as you look at them, or does one may be a 'Z' and one an 'S'. Great video...no way I would have gotten this far without it. I know these may be crazy questions...but I can't figure out why my trimmer doesn't engage. THANK YOU

Mark, I have installed my starter spring when I pull the cord it does nothing. Once the starter cord is released it will crank the engine, but only if the spark plug is removed. I have watched this video more than a few times and have pulled apart my trimmer even more than watching this video. Any suggestions before I go completely nuts? -Curtis

Good video mate but by this stage I've usually doubled it over my knee whilst inventing new names for the thing.

at 7:45 after you tie the rope and release, the tension pulls clockwise, which makes sense since you turned counter lock wise to load the tension. Then the shot shifts to another frame showing the tension pulling counterclockwise when the rope winds. Please explain as am having trouble . Thanks

I have a BC30, but where do you get the extra long T25 torx head bit to remove the screw on the trimmer clutch? I went to Harbor Freight and could find no such animal, and the set I bought are still too big around to fit down the hole. I was also disapponted that the t- handle on the pull rope came apart so easily, requiring this difficult to procure tool to repair. I like the idea from one contributor below concerning the Husqvarna, which only requires 4 screws to access the starter, much simpler and less complex.

Great video volume and camera work is excellent. Can you tell me what to do if The recoil clicks, the recoil seems to jam, and the rope won't go back in consistently Can you tell me what parts it could possibly be? Thank you

my ryobi will try to turn over on full choke but seems like the clutch doesn't even engage when I pull the cord on half choke? what can I do to repair it

mine looks the same but a differnt modle plt3043ye maybe because im,e in the uk same carburettor & im,e looking for a carburettor gasket &diaphram kit but dont know what it is can you help please? absolutely brilliant video's thanks

i love how easy yours comes apart. mine is a pain in the balls. the clutch is made of a spring wrapped around two plates that are locked to the shaft somehow

How do I get the housing to go back on a ryobi ry28005 and get the starter baffle to line up so the screws will go back in?

can you help to have the vedio for the troy bilt 4 cycle TB575ss how to fix the starter and how to fix the gas pumb

i have a ryobi cs30 and the trimmer clutch is not engaging the piston. I was hoping it was just the starter. any suggestions?

the hardest part is at 6 min when you tension the spring. There is a totally easier way to do this. Knot the line into the pulley, pull in 6 inches of slack and look for a notch in the pulley to hook the line too. Turn it cw about 6 turns and you got it.

Is it bad to let the engine run bare without the nut or clutch

Mine was the same way. Sharp ccw blow of the clutch with a hammer. Mine broke loose first blow.

Excellent video, if your goal is to have a piece of string jammed into the cylinder, unable to be removed. On my way to buy a new string trimmer as the old one is now completely useless.

I have a Ryobi Model CS26, which seems a little different. The drum is held in place by a spring clip that is basically inaccessible. But the unit can be removed after taking out the 4 screws that attach the starter assembly. My problem is that after successfully replacing the spring, I don't know how to feed the starter rope through the cover hole and attach the four starter assembly screws without the rope binding up.

Mark - Great video...one I have been looking for a long time. Question....on my Ryobi I can pull the cord out but for about the first 18 inches or so it wont engage and then it does. The cord recoils just fine. Any idea of what the issue would be? I am guessing its not the spring as it recoils just fine. Is this more an indication that the clutch parts are worn out? Thanks for the help and I will surely come to you guys for my parts once I can figure out what it is I need. Thanks again! Joe

It is a T25 Torx driver. -Mark

hay mark how do you get the flywheel

Just ordered some eReplacement parts and I'm ready to replace the starter cord. I have a Ryobi CS30 RY30120 trimmer. I got the Torx clutch screw out and the clutch off. I cannot get the clutch assembly off, it does not have the two plates that are shown here. It has some kind of spring assembly. RU-vid won't let me post a link to the part diagram here but it is Part Number: 300960002 on eReplacement parts website. . Anyone have a clue how to get this off? Thanks

"Make sure to hold on with one hand to keep up the tankshin"

that use screwdriver to remove the round piece ?

I can not see any reference to the "spring" part number anyplace. I have the SS30-RY30544 model which looks identical to your video. I have looked at all your referenced locations but see no part reference from the clutch back to the engine. My manual has the same parts diagrams I am finding on the web with no reference to the "Pull Start Recoil Spring". Any help on ordering a new spring for this model would be great? Thanks in advance.

I have the same issue. Does anyone know the answer on what could be wrong?

That is f ing cool

I have the same clutch. I can't figure out it's removal either? Can anyone help us?

I need to the backside f the carburetor housing that sits in the crankshaft housing. I am not sure what the the top metal clip is supposed to look like and how it us oriented. I think mine got bent and disoriented when the piston connecting rod twisted and broke. Also what I a good way to check for spark?

does it have to be that surten tool or can you use something else if you do not have that tool

I have a Green Machine 26cc trimmer with a similar problem but the pull cord does not engage? It pulls and retracts. And i can't find a diagram for assembly and or disassembly. Any ideas? Thanks just in case!

hello i'm bob my problem is that the starter cord most times will only pull out about 12" or so. it has done this since it was new. is there something i can do about this

@bmchughs2011 It wouldn't be possible to put the spring in backwards. From your description, it sounds like your trimmer simply has clutch problems on top of the starter issue that you went to fix. The clutch plates have some little dots on them. The dots should be facing towards you when you install the plates. If they're facing the wrong way, that would explain why they're not engaging. If you find that you installed the clutch plates correctly after all, then it's possible that the . . .

I have a Ryobi 875r that has been a super workhorse the 15 years I have owned it. Trimming, roto-tilling, blowing and vacuuming, this machine does it all. I watched the video "How to Fix the Starter on a Ryobi Trimmers". Before I watched the video, I actually managed to remove the clutch by inserting a screwdriver through the housing and engaged the flywheel. (my 875r uses a torx 15) I like the "rope trick" better. My question is do I use a punch and mallet like on that video to remove the clutch plates? They are little different than the video, two plates held together by two hefty springs. Please advise, also any tips on changing the short block? I am a current customer of ereplacementparts.com and will be ordering the short block from your fine company. I appreciate any tips you can give, thanks

The video was very good. You replaced the main spring but never said why. You lifted the old one out and put in new one but I did not see what was wrong with old one. It looked not to be broken so what was wrong with it?

I am unable to get the pulley to engage and put tension on the spring. I purchased a new spring. Any trick I am missing?

This is why only use Echo whips.

do you have video of rlt30cesa starter

I put a carb kit on my walbro carb, but it's leaking gas, what could it be? the carb is for a ryiobi weedwacker.

what the special tool called T 25 ......... please

Feel free to check out the video description for links