So having decided that the starting handle supplied with the engine was not really up to the job, a suitable replacement was sought.

Thankfully, good old eBay came up with the goods. I was able to source a more or less new starting handle for £14.00 including delivery.

Although it doesn’t show up in the photos, there are one or two small holes in the old handle due to rust. It possibly looks like this was a home made or cheap handle as it is made from much thinner stock.

The new handle is much more robust than the old one, it seems to be a modern remanufactured version, made from a heavier gauge of steel. These handles retail at £25.20 plus postage, so to get one for £14.00 all in is more or less half price!!