rope
Should just be a knot unless somthing melted. To install a new one, tie a knot at the end, pull the rope through the hole in the pulley and wind the rope up on the pulley leaving about a foot of rope out, install the pulley and don't put the rope through the starter casing yet...instead, leave it in the gap between the installed pulley and the starter casing and wind the pulley backwords against the spring until you feel you have enough resistance to pull the rope in, hold the pulley and feed the rope through the hole in the casing and tie a knot or two so it can't go back inside. Install pull starter. If you're good you won't even have to remove the pulley and deal with the spring...just leave the entire mess aasembled and feed the rope in and tie the knot without ever removing the pulley or spring. Good luck!! Iv'e watched my father in law do this on bikes, atv's and sleds for years and I do it myself now.
Big John