ORIGINAL: Super08
This stretching the spring sounds strange to me. It sounds like they are not pushing the cap on all the way. It is most beginners number one mistake. It will hurt your hand pushing the cap on all the way. You should not be able to see any of the hex at the base of the sparkplug it it is on correctly and it is even harder to get off like Jody has shown above.
You are right about this being a novices #1 mistake... I recently got a DLE55, my first big gas engine, and when I first started it in my yard.... it started easily, however. the cap fell off! After the second time I assumed I was doing something wrong... and I pushed the cap on with much more force than before... and pop... it snapped all the way on where it has remained ever since!
I am really impressed with the power this engine has (Vess 22B)... on my third gallon and this thing starts easier than any engine I have ever owned! After the choke and pop... one flip every time... thirty seconds of warm up and it is ready to do anything... and I mean anything... my 3D flying son can think up! Good luck getting that plug worked out.
DAn