Husky won't pull

[Ohionut]

Hi.

Husqvarna 440 has been a real trooper for years.

Background:

1. Yesterday, Saw has been starting perfectly.
2. The kill switch (ground?) wire screw came out, so I removed the top and pulled the spark plug out to stop the engine.
3. Replaced lost screw
4. Today, with cold saw (hadn't started today) pulled the plug just to look at it—it appears fine, and I reinstalled the plug.
5. Put everything back; tried to pull the rope—freewheel it won't budge.
6. Removed rope mechanism to free rope; reinstalled, won't budge. I repeated this three times.
7. Even with the plug removed, the freewheel won't budge. Manually, I can move the freewheel in reverse (?) maybe 270 degrees.

How did I screw this up?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

I cannot view the attached video.
If I had to guess, first one would be something lodged between flywheel and case- like a stray bolt- jamming at a certain point of the 360 rotation.
If the starter behaves normally off the saw, pawls are not damaged- we can assume all is well there.
If with the starter removed from the saw, the flywheel cannot be rotated 360 repeatedly- something is either lodged behind the flywheel or inside the cylinder- either fouling the flywheel or the piston/crank.
If removal of the flywheel does not allow engine rotation- odds are its internal and expensive.

For future reference- usually pulling the choke on will kill a saw engine when the kill switch fails.

 

[Ohionut]

Thanks, Bob!

Actually, maybe it's the ground screw that dropped out that's jamming it?!

Is removing the flywheel simple?

 

[Bob Hedgecutter]

Possibly is the ground screw and possibly attached to the flywheel at the magnet.
If you cannot pick, shake, rattle or roll it out as it sits- flywheel removal is the easiest route.
Kind of depends what knowledge you have, what tooling you have as to if it is easy to remove or not- I take lots of flywheels off per annum- so its easy- if you have not done it before it can be a challenge.
Husqvarna 440 are fairly small and fairly easy to dislodge- should be videos on it on the internet- loosening the nut, grasping a firm hold of the flywheel and belting the not fully removed nut with a soft faced hammer usually does it. Have to hit good and square, not hit the pawls and not damage the nut or crank shaft threads.

 

[Ohionut]

Yea, after I asked how to remove the flywheel, I found many helpful videos online—sorry

I will try to dislodge before removing, but I think I may have now solidly wedged it in wherever it is.

The removal does appear relatively simple.

Will shout back when fixed.

Thanks so much—I hate to buy when I can fix it first!

 

[Ohionut]

Bob, I love you, man!

If you can't see the attached photo, it is of the underside of my flywheel with the kill/ground screw held by the magnet at 12 o'clock.

Because of you, I not only (hopefully) will put it back and restart, but also have the original kill screw.

Yer the best!