Start rope recoils but wont catch until half way pulled

[BoatFisho]

Have a 30hp that when I go to pull it, it doesnt catch until about half a pull out which makes starting hard. Any ideas of possible causes?

 

[Artie1036]

I would say that you probably have a stuck pawl. That could just be anything from just being dirty, to a broken return spring on one of the pawls.

 

[BoatFisho]

thanks artie, what is a pawl, i mean what do they look like, is it the only part it could get stuck on. when you release it pull it you can feel it slip nicely over the gears, but when you pull it, it keeps just slipping over the gears until it finally engages.