SUCCESS!!Ijust opened it back up after soaking for 2 days.Noticed the pin was missing!The pin came out and was laying on top of the bearing.
Pullstart works like a champ once again!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/2761257...n/photostream/
Thanks a lot for the replies. Thumbs up to Proptop!
ORIGINAL: proptop
Yep...after looking at the pics again, there's a pretty good chance that the pin is just stuck.
On those "Force" engines, the crankpin is open, or a blind hole, with a very small spring in there, and a small hardened steel pin resides in that hole.
The backplate's starter disc has a semicircular slot or groove machined in it (easily visable in the photo ) but what's not easy to see, is that the groove is ramped, to provide a cam like action.
As the backplate rotates (by the pulling of the starter cord ) it engages the spring loaded pin.
It's not the best set-up, but it works...
I do some part time "Mr. Fixit" work for a LHS and (besides having a couple of OFNA LD3's of my own, w/ Force .12's ) have seen this happen a few times.