175 tri-moto is very hard to start. HELP PLEASE

[bushwacker51]

My brother in law broke the pull starter on my yamaha 175 tri moto. I fixed the starter cord and went to start the trike and it pulled real hard and then the engine backfired throuh the pipe. It also pulls back real hard on the rope starter. It reminds me of my 250r when I had the timing advanced to far it would kick back and backfire. I have changed the plug, took the flywheel off and the key way is okay also I also cleaned the carb. I took the air cleaner off and shot some carb cleaner down the carb and got it to fire. Once it fired and the motor ran it sounds great. Once you kill it you have to go through the whole process again and when it kicks back it likes to break your hand. I had the head shaved and it feels like it still has tons of compression and it is still a fairly fresh motor. Any help would be appriciated I am going nuts trying to figure out the problem. Thank you Glenn O

[MTS]

Put it in gear and see if you start driving backwards.......i think its possible on those to wind the pullstart backwards and actually start it like that.

[Unclediezel]

I dont recall if you have one or not.... But it sounds like your compression release is stuck. You mentioned the "KEY" is fine , so that rules out timing, unless the plate itself moved.

[bushwacker51]

Well I thought you where full of crap when you said the motor can start backwards. So I asked a friend and he said its true they can start backwards. I forgot I had another pull starter and checked it and sure enough I had the recoil spring in backwards . I feel like a total dumb azz. Thank you for your help. I was going crazy trying to figure out the problem. So its true they will start backwards. Glenn O

[Unclediezel]

On a non -reverse equipped 2 stroke---Yes....

Years ago my friends did this to me on a lil 1980 YZ 80... puhs it backwards and Bump start it...... I got on , gassed it and SURPRISE!!!!!!!.

Since yamahas pick -up coils only go on one way, its not as likely, but if you put the pick -up plate on backwards on a honda, it flips the timing 180 degrees out of phase, and it will run backwards.-----FYI---this ONLY APPLIES TO 2 Strokes....