Echo CS-400 Carb mod gone wrong

[GhoSt85]

Hey Guys/Gals,

About 4 days ago, I was a proud owner of an Echo CS-400, which it also happens to be my very first saw. Well, after reading reviews upon reviews, I convinced myself that before anything wrong happens to my beautiful little saw, I would do the carb mod. After all, I'm just taking two plastic pieces out. What harm can I do?

Well... Turns out, I might have the worst luck ever. Pretty broken hearted and angry at myself. Should have just left it alone. It was running just fine, but what is done is done and I want to fix it. I hope you guys can help me out as I have never owned nor tampered with one. So here is my story...

To be honest, I did struggle a bit to get those plastic pieces out, taking out the L one, the little trim that holds them in came off. I figured no big deal, I'll just press it back in. Put it all back together and this is where it all begins.

It started right away but it went full throttle on me, seconds later the area underneath the chain started smoking. I was like Oh Crap!!! Turned it off right away. Waited till the smoke went away, adjusted the L and tried it again. It turned on for a few seconds then died. Since then, I've been adjusting the L trying to keep it on but at this point, I feel like I am shooting in the dark. I've Adjusted it so much I don't even know where I stand on it and no real clue what to do to start fresh, I would like to be able to close it completely and slowly begin to open it.

Other things that has happened while adjust the L, the engine will rev up and rev down a few times and die. During one time, I saw the chain moving at the speed of snail while the chain lock was set. And to get it started every time, I have to pull the choke, pull the rope. When I hear it begin to catch on, I close the choke pull the rope two or three times and it starts.

Oh and I'm getting a bit of a leak of oil from where the chain meets the body. I don't get it, the most I did was lean it on its side at about a 45 deg. Oh, another thing that happened was that the chain became real loose all of a sudden.

I just don't understand??? How could taking two plastic pieces cause so much damage??? If someone could please help me out. I'm not scared to get my hands dirty, I just have no clue what happened or what to do.

So if someone could please help me out, I would greatly appreciate it as I am pretty sad about this.

Thanks in advance

Jesse

 

[alleyyooper]

You have to learn to read between the lines here before you attempt to do things similar to your saw. What these guys mostly have not said is they read the plug color before removing the tamper stoppers to adjust the carb. There is just no reason to do it if the spark plug color is the color of a nice cup of coffee with plenty of cream or they modded the muffler.
They also never write about once they remove those tamper stoppers they mostly will turn the adjustment screws in to get the initial setting in case like you they need to start over.

You broke a little piece off the tamper stopper you say which probably lodged in the throttle linkage causing the high over revving. You had the chain brake set so the smoke you saw was the power of the engine turning the chain despite the chain break being set. After messing with it a bit you stretched the chain or the adjuster loosened up to cause the chain to look stretched. Ya your going to have chain oil leaking since the engine is reving a bunch and chain not going any place but the pump is still pushing the oil like it is supposed to.

Al

 

[ATH]

Try Here for your best answers

 

[alleyyooper]

Try where? I see no here.

Al

 

[ATH]

Click on the link (it leads to the forum instructions that asks chainsaw questions be posted in the chainsaw forum)

 

[Brushpile]

I just don't understand??? How could taking two plastic pieces cause so much damage??? If someone could please help me out. I'm not scared to get my hands dirty, I just have no clue what happened or what to do.

And this is why we can't have nice things!

 

[GhoSt85]

---

Al

Hey Al,

Thanks for the response. I guess I needed more reading before I attempted it but there are some good news!!!! During the week, I read more, when outside stared at my saw, then I read some more. Downloaded the diagram for this thing, studied it and then decided to tackle each problem individually. First thing I did was open it back up and look at the rubber piece that connects the carb to the motor. Once I saw no cracks, I screwed in the L clockwise till it stopped. And slowly began to turn it counter clockwise, and it started sounding better. Stopped when it stayed on. By this time, I had oil everywhere coming from under the chain, studied the diagram and took it apart. Upon seeing it and tinkering with it, it all made sense. I thought I had burnt something up. Then I cleaned it up adjusted it with some slight play on the chain and tightened all the bolts. Played with the L on the carb until I could get it to rev up smoothly. So here are my current two problems:

1. When I turn it on, it goes full throttle until I press the trigger. So I will check the linkage.
2. When I rev it or begin cutting, then release the gas, I get some back firing.

Thanks again for your help.

Try Here for your best answers

You know, I went through the forum categories and I didn't scroll down far enough, I stopped scrolling after the sponsored section. Thought the rest were just vendors and ads. Sorry.

And this is why we can't have nice things!

Although that may be true lol, I did step up and did some more research to try and figure it out. Most of my searches made this seem like a walk in the park, to automatically do it as soon as you get it because there is a high risk of ruin and to tune it, its just an 1/8th of a turn away. To be fair, most of the threads, the owners did have some experience with chainsaw but us new guys have to start somewhere. Luckily I didn't burn my up lol

GhoSt

 

[Brushpile]

You've not made mention of adjusting the h screw. How come?

 

[SliverPicker]

Sounds like your saw is running very lean and perhaps it even has an air leak.

If if ain't broke don't fix it.

 

[alleyyooper]

The nature of all my chain saws when starting cold with the choke on is to run at high throddle. I suppose if one were to hit the trigger after setting the choke it would not do that. I let mine do that to warm up quicker.

You really should find some one to work with you who does know a bit about small 2 stroke engines, chain saws.
You best be checking the plug color before you burn that saw up. The plug should be the color of a nice cup of coffee with cream.

Here is a link to a chart of spark plugs and what is wrong with the jetting and what is good.

http://www.dansmc.com/spark_plugs/spark_plugs_catalog.html

Al

 

[U&A]

And this is why we can't have nice things!

at the expense of GhoSt85 (so sorry) this made me LOL big time.

in the end we are all friends if we can take it and dish it out too.

 

[U&A]

I have also learned the hard way like you have (not with chainsaws) about modding things WAY to soon. one example is my professionally painted ( I was the pretend professional testing KRYLON) Ruger 10/22 desert tan. it looks like a bag of A$$.