Outdoor Power Equipment and Small Engines - pully on 3.5

hi i have an old 3.5 lawnmower the string broke and i put in a new string but it wont recoil now.The hardware store where i live said the spring could be rewond how would i do that.Its a tecumesh i believe has a picture of an indian on top.Also the on off cord seems to be stuck i tried oiling but no luck.

I'm not sure what you mean by the on/off cord...Explain better. With the rewind starter assembly off the engine and upside down on your bench, remove all rope from the sheave (pulley), while holding the housing turn the sheave as far as it can go counterclockwise, back it off far enough (never more than one revolution) for the rope hole in the sheave to align with the rope hole in the housing, have the proper length of rope with a single knot tied off at one end and thread the opposite end through the sheave first and then out the housing hole, pull the entire length of rope out, tie your grip to the end and your done. Having a second person to assist is helpful for the first timer.