safe to shim a pullstart?

[Lessen]

ok guys, I finished installing new electronics and fabbing a new Rx box for my Maxx. Everything is waterproofed and I'm feeling confindent about running it in the weather now.

Anyways, I have a Force pullstart on one of my Picco .26's cuz I stripped the OFNA one last year. The Force is what my LHS had in stock. The problem is that is doesn't want to recoil after I pull it. Sometimes it does and sometimes it does just a little. When I went to remove it to inspect it... it recoiled as soon as I started to loosen the mount screws. so would it be ok to put a shim or washer between the pullstart body and the engine at the mounts? or would this lead to problems down the road?

 

[olds97_lss]

It would lead to a lot of excess dirt getting in there through the crack.

I think you could shim it, but clean everything first. After you have it installed, smear some RTV in the gap to keep out dirt, then you should be good to go.

 

[Lessen]

sorry Olds, but what is RTV?

 

[olds97_lss]

room-temperature vulcanizing silicone (RTV)

Sorry, just another way of saying automotive sealant I guess. I use the high temp sensor safe RTV for sealing up engines and whatnot.

Here's a link: Permatex Sealant

 

[Candyman]

If you're crafty, you could use some thin cardboard (like a shoebox) and cut a "gasket" out of it that's the same shape as the outer rim of the pullstart. Kinda like cutting your own exhaust gaskets. That way, when you mount it up, it will seal all the way around the pullstart.

 

[AC48]

I have had to do the same thing with a pullstart. I noticed the exact some thing, as soon as I loosend it just a tad it would recoil right away. I just put a washer inbetween every mounting hole, worked fine for me. It was on a junk engine, with that Picco you should take olds's advice and seal it up, couldn't hurt.

 

[Lessen]

If you're crafty, you could use some thin cardboard (like a shoebox) and cut a "gasket" out of it that's the same shape as the outer rim of the pullstart. Kinda like cutting your own exhaust gaskets. That way, when you mount it up, it will seal all the way around the pullstart.

hmmm... that might be worth a try, thanks!

 

[Lessen]

stripped it. time for PS #3

 

[olds97_lss]

Stripped what?

 

[Lessen]

the pullstart. I must have used too thick of a cardboard. I dampened it a little so it could compress some but it just was too heavy I guess. worked a couple times then... ZIP! oh well.. I wasn't impressed with that PS anyways. It had a twitchy recoil even when it wasn't installed. I ordered the correct replacement PS so that should be fine. oh well, it was worth a shot.