Many of the major brands of lawnmowers use a Briggs & Stratton engine to power their equipment. When repairs are required on the steering wheel or the rope breaks out, it is necessary to remove the starter cord cap from the Briggs & Stratton lawnmower motor. Removing the cover does not involve any disassembly of the Briggs & Stratton engine to access a pair of the setscrews. Although there are several sizes of Briggs & Stratton Mower Motors, the removal process is generally the same.
Instructions
1 Unplug the spark plug wire from your Briggs & Stratton lawn mower. Open the fuel tank and set up a can of gasoline next to the mower. Siphon gas from the lawn mower's gasoline tank into the gas can with a hand siphon.
2 Locate the fuel line at the bottom of the lawnmower's gasoline tank. Place a rag under the area where the fuel line is connected to the gasoline tank. Turn and pull fuel hose from nozzle into fuel tank.
3 Loosen the two hex-head screws securing the retaining tank clamps with a pipe wrench. Lift the side of the gasoline tank closest to the motor with your fingers and then angle it up and away from the engine.
4 untie the knot at the end of the starter rope where it fits inside the rope pull handle if it is not broken. Hold the cord firmly so it does not fall back into the starter housing. Re-insert the rope through the pull handle and tie a knot in the end if you are not replacing the rope. Allow the rope to come back slowly until the pull-rope handle is against the cover.
5 Remove the five hex-head screws securing the top motor cover and starter cord cover with the socket wrench. This is a two-piece cover. The starter cord cover is emergent riveted to the main deck and does not require removal unless it has a damaged casing that needs to be replaced.
6 Lift the motor cover slowly to avoid spring concession under the recoil starter wheel disengage.
Tips and warnings
Drill the rivets with a 1/4 inch drill bit if you are replacing the entire rewind assembly.