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Home›Repair guides›Recoil Starter Installation

Cummins/Onan AK — Recoil Starter Installation

For the Cummins/Onan AK.

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Before you start

  • Failure to center the starter properly will damage the starter! Incorrect alignment may be caused by distortion or shifting of the blower housing on the engine.
  • Improper disassembly may allow rewind spring to release wildly and cause personal injury.

Procedure

  1. Remove the flywheel screw. Leave the existing rope sheave in place. The washers and screw are also reused.
  2. Secure cup #2 by placing lockwasher #26 and flatwasher #24 between cup and capscrew #23.
  3. Assemble the mounting ring #3 (sometimes called bracket) to the starter (if not already so attached) using the four screws #4.
  4. Select the correct one of four possible positions to give the desired direction of rope pull.
  5. Place three U shaped speed nuts #22 on the engine housing with the longer end of the U nut toward the inside.
  6. Place the starter against the engine blower housing and check to see that the centering pin #19 engages the center hole of the cup-and-flywheel-mounting capscrew while the starter mounting holes align.
  7. Use the three sheet metal screws #21 to mount the starter securely to the blower housing.
  8. Operate the starter to see that the installation is satisfactory.
  9. After the starter is mounted on the engine, there should be clearance of about 1/8 inch between cup #2 and rotor face #17.
  10. A minimum clearance of 3/32 inch between capscrew #23 and starter shaft must also be maintained.
  11. When operating the starter, slowly pull out at least six inches of cord, then give a fast steady pull.

Specs & torque values

  • Clearance between cup #2 and rotor face #17: about 1/8 inch
  • Minimum clearance between capscrew #23 and starter shaft: 3/32 inch

Source: manual:925-0500 Onan AK-series Genset Service Manual.pdf. Figures and steps are as documented; always cross-check against the official manual and any later revisions for your exact serial number before servicing.