14 Series 4180 Powerhead
If the action of the starter rope 
becomes very stiff and the rope 
rewinds very slowly or not 
completely, it can be assumed that 
the starter mechanism is in order 
but plugged with dirt. At very low 
outside temperatures the lubricating 
oil on the rewind spring may thicken 
and cause the spring windings to 
stick together. This has a 
detrimental effect on the function of 
the starter mechanism. In such a 
case it is sufficient to clean the 
rewind spring with a standard 
commercial cleaner and then coat it 
with STIHL special lubricant. 
Carefully pull out the starter rope 
several times and allow it to rewind 
until its normal smooth action is 
restored.
: Remove the screws (arrows) 
from the rewind starter.
– Lift away the rewind starter.
Reassemble in the reverse 
sequence.
– Tighten down the screws, b 3.4
– Remove the rewind starter, 
b 5.2
Relieving tension of rewind 
spring:
The spring will not be under tension 
if the starter rope is broken.
– Pull out the starter rope about 
20 cm and hold the rope rotor 
steady.
– Engage the rope in the notch on 
the rotor, and make a loop.
– Use the starter rope to turn the 
rotor clockwise until tension is 
relieved.
5. Rewind Starter/Shroud
5.1 General
5.2 Removing and Installing 5.3 Rope Rotor