Ryobi 46cc chainsaw hard to start

[AcesHigh15]

Hello all,

Last year I bought a ryobi 18" 46cc chainsaw against my better judgement... but for light home use what could go wrong? The saw has maybe 2 to 3 hours of use on it.. and now it is near impossible to start. It is so hard to start that it is stripping the starter gear.

When the spark plug is out it pulls with ease. I replaced the starter assembly and put in a new spark plug, there was no change.

I stripped the engine right down to the crank case, bearing seem good.. there was next to no fluid in the crank case so i think that eliminates hydro lock. The piston rings were free moving and intact. The exhaust and port were not clogged as well as not much carbon build up in the cylinder or on piston.
I cleaned it all out regardless., no scoring either.

When I cycle the engine with the exaust and carb off i can see the piston move down to the exhaust port.. and up to the intake, and as soon as it goes past and in to compression it is super hard to crank. Even after cleaning.

It did not run like this when I bought it and got progressively worse, I use only ethanol free gas with synthetic oil.

Anyone have any idea what it could possibly be? It seems to me that it is just compression but why would it get tighter over time? Any help would be much appreciated

Edit: I should add that it does run when i can get it started and it runs great.. but at the cost of destroying starter gear after gear.

 

[AcesHigh15]

Bump!

 

[dougand3]

If saw was factory fresh, compression will improve after 5-10 tanks as ring seats. May be carb issue - too dry in cylinder? Next cold start - try a tsp of fuel mix in carb throat first and see if recoil pulls smoother.

 

[AcesHigh15]

If saw was factory fresh, compression will improve after 5-10 tanks as ring seats. May be carb issue - too dry in cylinder? Next cold start - try a tsp of fuel mix in carb throat first and see if recoil pulls smoother.

Yeah it was a brand new saw. Spark plug is always dry... maybe it is not enough mix. I have tried spraying wd40 in there just to see but didnt help.

 

[TBS]

I'd start looking at the fuel lines and primer bulb also the carburators on these can be real funky and sometimes need readjusting when after the first use.

 

[AcesHigh15]

I'd start looking at the fuel lines and primer bulb also the carburators on these can be real funky and sometimed need readjusting when after the first use.

You thinking not enough fuel getting into the cylinder as well?

 

[TBS]

Thats what it seems like. Try a splash of mix down the carb to see if it starts easier.

 

[AcesHigh15]

Thats what it seems like. Try a splash of mix down the carb to see if it starts easier.

Is that just a matter of opening up the choke and putting a little fuel in behind the butterfly? Ive tried doing this through the spark plug hole with no luck.. would going thru the carb make a difference?

 

[TBS]

Imo less chance of fouling the plug going through the carburator.

 

[AcesHigh15]

Imo less chance of fouling the plug going through the carburator.

Will give it a try.. thanks!

 

[jltrent]

Check compression......

 

[deezlfan]

If that Ryobi is based on one of the Homelite TTI designs, I predict that the problem is crank seals. I've been given dozens of those in like new appearance and they all failed a crankcase pressure test. Some were burned down and some just wouldn't run but none were worth the cost of replacing the seals considering the probability that the replacement seals would have been of dubious quality.

 

[AcesHigh15]

Thats what it seems like. Try a splash of mix down the carb to see if it starts easier.

This seemed to help. I reassembled the engine and put about a teaspoon of mix into the carb. It pulled over like it used to when I bought it, however something still seems to be kicking back and damaging the starter gear. Is there a way to tweak the carb so I dont have to pour gas in it everytime? What about the kickback?

 

[dougand3]

May be slipped flywheel and out of timing. Check your key.

 

[AcesHigh15]

May be slipped flywheel and out of timing. Check your key.

Key looks good.. maybe kickback isnt the right term... seems to be jamming or slipping every couple of pulls.

 

[dougand3]

May be the pawls aren't engaging the pulley smoothly.

 

[hangfirew8]

It pulled over like it used to when I bought it, however something still seems to be kicking back and damaging the starter gear. Is there a way to tweak the carb so I dont have to pour gas in it everytime? What about the kickback?

I had to check this post to see if I had written it. Mine does exactly the same thing. I pulled out my busted UT10522 today and put new fuel lines, ported the muffler, and put on a new $30 RUIXING carb. Started right up after 5 pulls and got a great 3 minutes of run time out of it, until it stalled while adjusting the carb. Then ran into this issue where I go to pull the cord (picking up slack first and not pulling to the stop) and it skips or grabs back... reversing... violently. And of course, it doesn't want to start again.

It did something curious, still pulling fuel up the Tygon line and steaming it out of the back of the carb, making spitting and bubbling noises.

I think it'll run again once cool, maybe for another 2-3 minutes, but I'm not even eager to try. I already busted one starter on this cheapie, and I know if I continue I'll bust this one, too. And maybe my hand. Again. My impression is they used the same starter as the 30-40cc models and it's not up to the compression. A compression release would help a lot, but it's not worth buying one. Maybe if I already had one lying around, I'd drill&tap and try it.

Maybe some people have had luck with this model, but I have nothing good to say about it. The reports of bad seals don't encourage me any. Being so cheap, it is VERY challenging to repair without getting more into it in parts than a new one costs. If you happened to get a runner, good for you. Mine ran one day, and never since.