D starter handle

[Kidneycutter]

Hi, gotta stihl 064 which kicks back really hard on start up. Put a elastostart handle not OEM and it’s broken - the saw just pulled the rubber straight through the handle.
was wondering wether the d handles have a bit of give?

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

No give but much easier to pull over with full grip.

Stihl 460 rescue saw handle

Put one on a 066 for same reason like you that didnt have a decomp.

 

[2dogs]

The d-handle grips work very well especially with bulky gloves, just a bit large. Regarding those after market elastic pull ropes I found them to be absolute garbage, some lasted just a few days. I only buy Stihl now.

 

[Squareground3691]

Yep

 

[MFV]

I would like one of those for my 880

 

[jakethesnake]

I’ve got one on a 288 with no decomp. Still a bear to start but makes it a little better

 

[HansFranz]

I have a 660 with the decomp plugged, so I got a D-handle from a 460 Rescue, and then modified it to incorporate a spring...kinda like an elasto-start. Works pretty well. You can view it here:

https://i.ibb.co/1dPKc1P/D-Handle-Elastostart.jpg

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Hi, gotta stihl 064 which kicks back really hard on start up. Put a elastostart handle not OEM and it’s broken - the saw just pulled the rubber straight through the handle.
was wondering wether the d handles have a bit of give?

Is this a new to you saw- or one you have owned from new?
The reason I ask is there can be some ignition changes done to 064's and early 066's that although they run afterwards, they are what one might refer to a female dog as to start.
Could it be that before you got the saw, a faulty coil may have been swapped out with a coil not perfectly mated to the flywheel and you are having to start the saw with a slightly different from original spark timing?
Or one with a sheared key.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

I have a 660 with the decomp plugged, so I got a D-handle from a 460 Rescue, and then modified it to incorporate a spring...kinda like an elasto-start. Works pretty well. You can view it here:

https://i.ibb.co/1dPKc1P/D-Handle-Elastostart.jpg

Genius rednecking.

Going to embed your pic.

 

[HansFranz]

Genius rednecking.

Going to embed your pic.

View attachment 1002913

Thanks. What you see there between the rope knot and the spring is a "flange nut" that I filed the corners off of, so that the "nut" part just fits inside the spring, with the "flange" part facing upward.

It probably takes ~ 30-50# of force to completely compress that spring, so it probably only "bottoms out" if the engine kicks back before TDC ... but when it does, it definitely saves your fingers some pain.

To start the 660, I generally put it on full choke, then (slowly) pull the rope just hard enough to turn it over a couple times, to get fuel into the cylinder. Then I let the rope recoil fully, and keep taking the slack out of it until it's right before TDC with the rope fully recoiled. Then I just yank it far enough (say 12" or so) to pull it past TDC once or twice. Definitely makes starting that puppy less dramatic. (Mine has a LOT of compression.)

 

[Kidneycutter]

Is this a new to you saw- or one you have owned from new?
The reason I ask is there can be some ignition changes done to 064's and early 066's that although they run afterwards, they are what one might refer to a female dog as to start.
Could it be that before you got the saw, a faulty coil may have been swapped out with a coil not perfectly mated to the flywheel and you are having to start the saw with a slightly different from original spark timing?
Or one with a sheared key.

Hi, I bought this not long ago for a modest sum. when I brought it home I checked the flywheel gap, removed the flywheel and everything seemed to be original and the key hadn’t sheared. I’m pretty sure I checked the part numbers to see if they were right.
the saw has a new cylinder and piston not sure whether it’s OEM or not but the casting looks like good quality.
I wondered whether the ports could be slightly different and this might effect the timing slightly?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Hi, I bought this not long ago for a modest sum. when I brought it home I checked the flywheel gap, removed the flywheel and everything seemed to be original and the key hadn’t sheared. I’m pretty sure I checked the part numbers to see if they were right.
the saw has a new cylinder and piston not sure whether it’s OEM or not but the casting looks like good quality.
I wondered whether the ports could be slightly different and this might effect the timing slightly?

Sounds good, not saying you have another issue- all might be correct, just letting you know there can be other issues that can cause hard starting- another is carbon build up in the combustion chamber.
Main reason for my contribution is, I am currently building an 064 from the ground up and I am using later style cases that accept both styles of coil, original flywheel and universal coil. The check is to find piston TDC and compare the magnet position of the flywheel relative to the coil.
Post a photograph of the magnets and coil at TDC and @L34 can confirm if it looks correct.

As for aftermarket Elastostart assemblies- bin them- they are shite.
I fitted one to a 281 and pulled the handle off of the rope first pull. Fitted a genuine Stihl one to the same saw with no further alterations and it is a gem to start.

 

[L34]

BOB!!! lol

 

[L34]

Here's mine.(For Bob).

 

[Sierra_rider]

The d-handle grips work very well especially with bulky gloves, just a bit large. Regarding those after market elastic pull ropes I found them to be absolute garbage, some lasted just a few days. I only buy Stihl now.

Yep, the aftermarket elastostart handles are crap, the rubber doesn't take long to crack and then break. The genuine Stihl Elastostarts are freakin' awesome and last a long time...even my 372 wears a Stihl Elastostart handle lol.

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Even OEM ones give up the ghost.
Most I take in need replaced. They dont get them back on them either.

This one was tied straight through and it was broken rubber etc.

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Even OEM ones give up the ghost.
Most I take in need replaced. They dont get them back on them either.

This one was tied straight through and it was broken rubber etc.


View attachment 1003148

Yes, I agree- they do- after a few years of service- not first day. first pull failures!

 

[RedneckChainsawRepair]

Yes, I agree- they do- after a few years of service- not first day. first pull failures!

This one on G888 aftermarket one still going strong. Just luck of the draw.

I dont even like them myself oem or afm. But came with it.

 

[gnef]

The elastostart separated on my first 661 after just a few weeks of use because I wasn't using the decomp valve. I bought stihl d handles for both my 661 saws, though I wish I had heard of Cobra before I did, as they are aluminum versions, and I am still thinking about replacing the plastic ones with the aluminum cobra d handles.