Neal- Ok, with the "just enough information to be dangerous" in mind here goes.

Fist the new pull cord has to be the absolute exact correct diamiter. A little too thin the line will double wrap and a little too big and it will chafe on the guide and quickly part the line.

So, we now have the exact size pull line we need. Heat the end of the line with a lighter and put a piece of paper or rag in your hand and use it to grab and twist the end of the nylon line into a point. You want a longish kind of point. But not so long that the point won't make the turn through the rope end hole. So maybe a point about 3/8" of an inch long.

Pull the bonnet or cover from the outboard and look straight down on the outboard. The recoil housing will be held down with three bolts. Remove the bolts and put them in a cup for safe keeping. Hold the recoil housing in your hand and study it for a bit. When the legs are up you should look into the bottom of the rotating rope holder. Check and see if the old rope is still in the rope holder. It may have broke about half way and if so the old rope needs to be removed. The knot may have puled out and if so the rope will be completely gone.

Once the old rope is gone begin working the rope holder round and round about six times. This is normally done with your thumbs working the rope holder along, but some rope holders have a place for a wrench. Either way make sure you are tightening the spring and not loosening the spring. The direction the rope pulls from will be offset and this will tell you the direction to wind the cord.

You'll be keeping the spring from unwinding by holding the recoils housing with one clamped hand while you do the line feeding with the other.

Once you have about six or seven winds you'll find the spring will suddenly get tight. That is your sign to feed the rope through the pull cord hole aiming to pass through the rope guide hole and through the slot in the rope holder heading toward the knot hole.

Once you have the rope end near the rope knot hole you'll see the tip of the line appear. Grab it with a pair of needle nose pliers and pull it through the hole. Put an overhand knot into the line end and slowly let the spring free so the line is sucked into the recoil housing.

Replace the recoils housing with the three bolts.

Now you should have a line hanging from the recoil waiting for the pull handle. Pull just enough line to take some tension and put the pull handle in place.

In general you want as much line in the recoil as you can manage so when the line gets worn you can cut off the end and replace the pull handle without having to go through this recoils bit all over again.

That should do it.

Thanks for clicking accept and let me know how it goes.

Scott