It's that time of year. I's a small operator - only have 2 working saws.
Last Friday, I rode my saws hard in the rain and locked them away wet in the shipping container - like always.
It was no surprise to me that after sharpening them up on my snowy tailgate and heading out this morning
- both carburetors/fuel lines froze up after about 3 minutes of running.
45 years of chainsaws, and I had never had one freeze - let alone 2!
I took them back to my shop and thawed them for an hour in front of the wood stove.
They worked fine for 5 hours after that.
Has anyone ever put methyl hydrate in a fuel tank in the winter? If so, how much do you use? Thanks.
You can't start winter season with saws that were sealed in a tote from a wet fall day. That's breaking all the rules. I start fresh and clean and dry carbs & saws.. pull the inlet needle and jets and screens out and rinse and dry everything. Heated carbs are good in that situation as they will be dry if you finish cutting with heat on. Any doubt then fire them up as soon as you take them out of the shop (heat) and flick on the heated carb.
Good to go through your carbs anyway for other crap. Beats doing it in front of a fire at -20 to -40 when you are paid on piece work and you just had time off, holding a position and waiting for freeze-up?
At about 30 grand pro saw hours in 30 yrs, I have about 6,000 winter hours in northern BC and Alberta over 12 seasons spread out through seismic, mountain pine beetle (MPB) and pipeline. In G&O and MPB work then Its always past the rain season when we start.
I don't do wet snow!!!
I did a few times in early 90s trying to beat the snow to get tree thinning jobs done. Wet snow in the saplings is nasty. As soon as your saw touches it then snow dumps. Would make a coat out of a black garbage bag so it would slide off your back as you have to try and cover side cover with body. I have made plastic raised snow covers from milk cartons for over recoil cover. Worked good.
My first contract in '92, buddy had a 044 that would freeze up as soon he shut down.
I didn't have any experience then for the northern fall season. I think it was in the edge of freezing, before the wet snow. Got to consider the wind factor when it ramps air. I know Stihl guys that run Husqvarna in the winter. I had no problem with my 262 or 266 in that temp whilst getting through that last week. That was the last yr of leaded fuel in Canada as it changed in '93. Likely it was September so we may have been running summer fuel,still?
It's the fluctuation in the weather that give you trouble as the season goes on as In end of a cold snap.
So say you started in a cold snap with clean dry carbs then I keep the saws outside in the bush.
non-heated carb then always keep it away from heat, especially moist heat like gas vehicle exhaust.
I file by a fire If it makes sense but move it away asap.
Get a lot of powder in the starter cover too when felling. That's when the Iso helps but with fluctuations and all, then it's worth doing the carb(s) again before long.
Some jobs that we had, had heated shops and brought saws in at times then I always toped up inside and idle saw in the back of truck on the way to work to climitize it back. Never fails. Ride In an open box with wind factor and you may get problems. Fire the saw up to see if it's working and then take it for a cold ride then your will have problems. After a cold ride back from the bush..no prob unless you were already experiencing problems. I had a hard time buying into some of this stuff but gladly I was proved wrong.
Anyway, Methyl hydrate is supposed to break down the oil.
There was times I went to Canadian tire and three gas stations in the way to camp..trying to get Iso.
Then I get a 6 pack of Methyl. A bottle is vehicle tank size so good to put in squirt bottle for saw.
I would get about 130 days out off a slashing/felling saw ( ported 357.) About 200 or about 1200 hours from a ported 372
My top ends were immaculate.
New rings and on a new body.
I would squirt Iso or mythel right down the carb and bring up the revs then dround it and let it sit for 5 min
to stop it from racing lean and fluttering down.
I care about making money and not wasting time in front of a fire warming the saw up for what is just going to happen again--or playing mechanic when it's
go- time.
The only part that are breaking down from the alcohol in my saws short lives-- is the diaphragm stretches. One carb or kit on hand.
Some people are not going to have a saw for 20 yrs, right.