The pull cord on my small 3000 watt generator has broken. I will be starting the generator with a cordless drill until I go to town for a new cord.
Any number of things can go wrong when starting and running a not fully assembled engine. The fan blades inside the removed pull starter plate will take fingers off or worse while it's running. It can also grab a piece of loose clothing and pull you in.
Precautions are taken to keep human and pets away from the unsafe engine. Don't try this at home.
In the picture above you can see that I have already removed the pull cord cover.
In the picture below you can see the broken pull cord.
In the picture above - upper center - you can also see the hole that pull cord is pulled out of. The cord should be pulled from the left side in this picture. I usually have the generator turned around the other way so that the exhaust blows away from the cabin, I did not pay close enough attention and was pull starting the engine from the wrong side. The cord was rubbing against the metal, a fatal mistake for my pull cord - it was just a matter of time. The generator will still be turned to blow away from the cabin, but I will be sure to take more care with the pull cord after I've fixed it.
Click the picture below to watch the Video of me starting my pull start generator with a cordless drill:
You may find my previous post about pull starting a small engine useful:
https://steemit.com/homesteadersonline/@jackdub/back-acres-how-to-pull-start-a-small-engine
Have a great day!