OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Engines Questions On Briggs & Stratton Engines Briggs 450 starter rope cover

Hi again
I was mowing with my B&S 450 series powered mower this afternoon when there was a bit of a bang..the starter rope handle went flying off and the mower made an awful racket as the rope spun around inside its cover. I've taken the plastic cover off only to discover that the recoil starter cover seems to be pop-riveted (although what looks like pop rivets are unusually shiny?) to the top of the motor cowling. Why this is so I have no idea..can anyone tell me what I should do here? I need to replace the rope, it's pretty much stuffed....

Hi, did you hit something with the mower???


Sounds to me like you hit an immovable object and the keyway sheared and the motor kicked back taking the cord with it.



The starter is riveted to the housing but the housing is bolted to the mower 2 bolts front 2 bolts back. You need to strip off the tank (you dont need to dissconnect it you can just lay it over to one side as long as its not too full of fuel) and get the oil dipstick tube out of the way to get the cowling off the engine. Its easy to do the cord then.
Before putting it back together i would be undoing the nut that holds the starter cup on the top of the motor and checking the keyway. No point not doing that as if you put it togetehr and its sheared it will do the same again and it will try and take your hand with it. It hurts.

Thanks for info. I took the tup off and the two white throwout arms and their cover were in the cup. The cover (aka Plate-Pawl Friction Part No: 692299) is a bit of a mess, the bolt hole in it is chewed out.

I just noticed there's no spring recoil feel to the pulley, does that mean the spring is stuffed?

Oh im sure it did say 850. 450 is a different story.

I have not heard of them having issues.

Sounds to me like its wound backwards, what i said above still goes except for the tank and cover stuff. Take the starter cup off and check the keyway.
Winding the starter the wrong way will make the spring jump off its pin/slot as its meant to go the other way and pull onto the pin and wind tighter, even with the cord fully retracted there will still be tension holding the spring on the pin.

You should be able to buy the friction plate, Pawls and if i remember right there are two little springs on the pawl pins as well.


Or get a whole other assembly, anything that uses the top mounted starter with the cup will work. One off an older sprint motor will fit.


What is the motor on???
Did you hit something??

I'm heading out today to see what the local mower shops have, not much of a window before rain is predicted again ...

The motor is on a Pope mower, and I didn't hit anything that I know of, ,y lawn's pretty flat and clean.

Still check the keyway. Its easy to do.


The only way i could see it doing what it has done would be if the motor spun backwards.