PM610 recoil bolt keeps tightening up

[Dennis Gauge]

Working on my $5 auction buy PM610.

Pulling on the rope causes the nut to tighten and after 3-4 pulls the recoil is seized completely.

I checked the IPL and I was missing a bushing under the big washer. Found bushings that met the spec at the hardware store. Bought 2 just in case.

Used a brand new nylock nut.

One bushing did not make any difference. The nut still gets pulled down and seizes the recoil.
Two bushings did not make any difference. The nut still gets pulled down and seizes the recoil.

I've pulled it apart and everything is present and accounted for per the IPL. Plus one extra bushing. What am I missing or doing wrong?

The saw does run and sounds good with a prime.

 

[PaulO2000]

I have a Timber Bear and PM 610, both purchased used and without knowing history and I'm currently working on the Timber Bear. I think I may have the same issue or the recoil spring has lost its spring.
I had a heck of a time getting the nut loose to open up the spring. I had to use some heat to finally get it off. The spring is not broken. and I have use silicone spray to lubricate both it and the pully post.

I have included pics of the spring. My question, since I don't know what a spring should look like, does anyone know if this spring is sprung or should I continue to look a why the pully post nut is over tightening?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Are you missing some parts or is there damage to the central bore of the rope pulley?
I find these help- compare what you have to the exploded parts diagram.

(sorry tried to link an ipl but it did not work)

As it sits the tension is off the spring. The way I do it is to reassemble the starter assembly fully, feed all the rope through the hole on the starter cover and grab the rope near the pulley to tension the spring, clamp the under tension pulley with the thumb of one hand, untwist the rope and feed it out of the recoil cover with the other. Release the clamping hand on the pulley and the spring will release- thus pulling the rope back into the pulley.

 

[PaulO2000]

Thanks Hedgecutter. I did something very similar to what you described, basically tensioned the spring before winding the rope on the spindle and a little silicone spray lube. It works fine now. Turns out my issue was not a tighening bolt.
Now I just have to figure out why my Timber Bear is leaking bar oil. I need to take off the bottom plate and see what I see. Also, it started to smoke from around the muffler. I'm thinking a seal is blown. I'll look for a similar thread or start a new one when I get a chance to work on it.

 

[heimannm]

There were two or three different starter drums (pulleys) used on the 600 Series saws with slightly different bore/tapers. I don't have the numbers memorized but what you are describing certainly sounds like the drum/pulley on yours is meant for the smaller starter post.

If you can't come up with another resolution let me know and I can dig into the two starter drum (pulley) part numbers and see if there are some visual clues as to which you have/need.

Mark

 

[heimannm]

There were also two different systems for attaching the starter drum/pulley. Earlier saws used the carriage bolt through the starter post, later ones had a screw into the post with the washer and spacer. If I remember, there were plastic and aluminum drums for the through bolt versions, and only plastic for the screw versions.

Mark