Trying to recoil a spring on start rope on a FS 55

remove the recoil section from the unit and there should be a black plastic finger pivoted in the pull section
that throws out or is moved out and locks into the pulley housing
this is the lock/clutch that makes the recoil engage
check that it is not broken off , is in correctly ( part available from stihl or ant mower shop)

Go to you tube. On top line repair starter rope on --------

http://www.mediafire.com/view/uq3465d5wmlf83t FS55 manual

Go here: http://www.ehow.com/how_7013314_replace-stihl-fs-55-trimmer.html it shold be adequate.

Also, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaZp3P0XV5I

If you're pretty handy, you should be able to do this yourself. Once you get the housing off the motor, you may be able to dig the broken end of the rope out of the pulley and wind the spring back up with it, then feed it out the hole. At that point, you could jam the pulley with wooden wedges or something, disconnect the rope from the pulley, and feed in a new rope.

Your rewind spring is now sprung. Remove recoil assy ( the part your rope slides into). Remove all old rope remnants and rewind the spring. Install new rope, tie it off and slowly release spring rewinding the rope.

hello sir, i'm guessing the rope is broken , first you'll need a c-clamp large enough to clamp the spooler, needle-nose pliers,a small tipped screwdriver and a new length of rope.the safest way is to remove the rewind assembly cover leaving the spooler in place in its housing. try to remove the old rope with neddle nose pliers ans small tipped screwdriver.next hand spin the spooler to achieve spring tension until stops back off enough to line holes up, place c-clamp to hold it in place,now try to fish the new rope into the hole in the knot recess,trying to guide it to the exit hole in the cover, ( it's easier to feed the rope if you singe the end of the rope with a bic lighter and form to a point )and with a small knot at the other end,pull the rope all the way until you can seat the knot into the knot recess.next tie a loop knot into the other end of the rope,so the end wont be recoiled all the way into the housing.with tesion on the rope gently remove the c-clamp and let the rope be drawed in.if it draws all the way to the loop knot, check to see if the spooler is full if so,( not too full where rope is binding ) pull the rope about a foot and re clamp the spooler and install the pull handle, if rope is too long you may have to cut to length. if it doesn't draw all the way to the loop knot and the spooler is not full than you may need to add anoyher revolution to the spring tension in the same fashion as described above.there are eisier ways but that evolves removal of the spooler and repacking the reciol spring.( not for the novice ). hope this helps,MrFixIt,thank you. `

Are you sure you have the right length rope??? If you are sure the rope length is correct you may have wound the recoil spring too tight causing it to run out of travel. You want the recoil spring just tight enough to pull the rope all the way in.
Wayne

After trying to start several times, remove the spark plug and see if it is "wet" If it is you are flooding it. Do not pull the rope more than 3 or 4 times with the choke closed, whether it "pops" or not open the choke half way after the 4th pull and make sure you have the throttle trigger squeezed to give it gas

sounds like the spring is broken itself.there should be a hook at one end and a loop at the other end.the hook usualy breaks off but the spring looks good.replace the spring with part number..4140 190 0600 ....that is the stihl part number.let me know if this helped you...if not give me a quick mail and i'll try to help some more......