"The Weed Eater - Again . . . "

Had to tear down the wead eater power head again. Nothing wrong with the motor or carburettor, it is the pull start mechanism.

It is not a complicated thing, just have to figure out how to get into it and out again. First you have to take the trigger throttle/kill switch/handle off. Not hard actually, only five screws, four hold the handle assembly together and on the output shaft. The fifth screw is short and in fits a screw hole on the shaft to hold the handle in one spot. So when reassembling the handle one has to center that screw over the specific hole in the handle. The trigger throttle goes back to the power head carburettor and the kill switch fits in a little pocket on top of the handle convienent for the thumb to turn off the engine.

Next one has to remove the base where the power shaft fits on to the power head assembly. There are three screws holding that in place. Kind of chinsey, but it seems to work. Under the housing is the clutch.

There is a spring assembly that threads the power shaft drive assembly together. It is a flex cable and the end is squared off so it fits in a shock spring that fits ovet the end of the clutch housing. Easy in and easy out.

But now one is left with the silver clutch output assembly where the flex shaft feeds into and is held in place by the shock spring and housing assembly - nice lose fit as described above.

But how do you get the clutch housing off? Aha, there is a secret. One uses a torex bit screw driver and goes down the housing shaft. There is a screw that holds the housing on to the spring clutch assembly under it. You can not see it, you have to know its there. Unloosen the screw and it comes off. The screw is retained inside the clutch cover assembly so you never ever see it. This is where most home tree mechanics get stymied, took me a while to figure it out but I did.

Now one sees the clutch spring assembly. It is a centrifical expanding clutch. The springs hold it in the non-engaged position. When RPM goes up the mass of the assembly overcomes the spring load and engages the clutch assembly housing by explanding outward which inturn powers the flex shaft. Simple. Good design.

Once again, one has to resort to magic. A pair of lock pliers applied to the shaft of the spring clutch assembly and a large pair of water pump pliers are used here. The threads holding the spring clutch assembly are always counter to the rotation of the engine so are tight at all times. But with the water pump pliers, I grip the outside of the spring assembly and turn, and off it comes. Just unscrews off the flywheel shaft.

Now I can remove the front of the motor housing which houses the recoil starter asssembly. The flywheel has two spring loaded swing arms that reach out and engage a prawl assembly. So that when one pulls with authority, the prawl is engaged by the swing arms. The prawl is a star shaped nylon item and subject to wear and tear. It is a matter of clearance and reach.

Any way, one bends the swing arms so that they will engage the prawl when activated. The manufacturere cleverly does not tell you about this and after a year or two of operation, it kind quits doing its job. The result is the normal user will (a) take to be repaired or (b) junket for a new one. Repair shops are hard to find and expensive and so it usually becomes a matter of getting a new weed eater. Planned obselence is work.

Well it is all back together now but too cold to try out. Will do so tomorrow and get her going again. Then I need to change the oil, it is a four cycle engine of 50CC capacity. Works good when it is running. Lots of power.

Spring has sprung, grass cutting season is upon us once again. Never ending cycle . . .