Stihl 880 will not start!!!

[Gary1D]

Hey, Gary!

The biggest problem for any 2-stroke is old fuel. Not that which you mix fresh, but that which remains in the carburettor after running. If it sits for a month or longer, you can be sure that the volatile part (the fuel itself) has evaporated, which leaves only the thicker 2-stroke oil behind. This residue becomes sticky and gums up the insides of your carb.
As a rule, each time I put my saws away for longer than 2 weeks, I will religiously empty the tanks and then run the saws dry. When they stop, I choke them and run them again. Sometimes I can get them to start 3 or 4 times "after" empty. (It is this residual fuel which is normally left behind in the carb).

You mentioned that once they are running they are fine. This is consistent with "gummed up" carburettors, which, when warm, allow the gummy goo to be dissolved and flushed out.

Maybe you could try this method too?

Hope this helps!

Mike
P.S. Stihl recommends not using any fuel older than 6 weeks from the date of mixing. No part of the fuel may be older than 6 weeks, since the lubricating properties are severely reduced.

Yeah, I suspected the gas too. I also read in the user manual that Stihl recommends high octane gas for those big saws. Trouble is, where I am you can't get high octane gas. The manual also recommended running the engine dry if you were going to leave it sit for 3 months or longer. Trouble is, if you can't get the @#!%! started, how to run it dry?
I bought two drums of gas that came right from the refinery and got them up to my village. Then I mixed the with Stabil to stabilize the gas. I also have a product called Octane Booster, but I've been advised by someone here not to use that on 2 stroke chain saws. I also got me some metal "Gerry" cans to keep gas that I've mixed, you know, the ones that are illegal in California for gas. With those cans you can't even smell any gas scent which means it will keep the gas longer. But these plastic "approved" cans nowdays are a bad joke.
What's troubling is that I have a Stihl MS 651, and it never gives me any problems. I also used to run two Stihl 090s for years sawing lumber and felling and never had any issue starting them either. Never. But these new saws are a different beast.
I downloaded a service video from Walbro's website on servicing their carburetors. I'm also stocking up on parts and new carburetors in case I have to go to that extreme. If I can just get these saws running, with all the advice here, I should be able to keep them running, Lord willing.

Thanks for your advice Mike. If I can get them started, I will surely run them dry before sitting them down for any length of time. Just as soon as I finish any sawing job and going to something else.

 

[lone wolf]

No. The plug is not fouled. You can squirt a little gas down the carburetor throat and she'll start for a second or two until the gas squirt runs out. It just doesn't get gas through the carburetor at all.

Is the choke closing 100 percent? You replaced the carb was this OEM or aftermarket? You say once it gets running it keeps running right?

 

[user 122190]

I was working on a neighbors Yamaha ATV and it was hard starting. I could get it to start with some quick start road it around quite a bit, did some general maintenance work on it and left it for the following day. Problem of my own fault was forgetting there was a pet-cock. My Can-Am uses a fuel pump so no pet-cock. So I forgot to turn on the gas, and had a terrible time getting it to run. It finally dawned on me to open the gas. What made me think of that was using Quick Start aerosol. I could keep the engine running with a steady stream of Quick Start. Once I stopped spraying the carbs intake the ATV would stop. Duh!

So for you, spray the Quick Start and keep spraying for 10, 15 or more seconds and the engine will be warm enough to run on it's own. I don't consider this a solution, but as another way to test what is going on. Good Luck!

 

[lloyd786]

Hello chainsaw enthusiasts,
I'm new here but not new to chainsaws. I'm 69 years old and still cutting. Back in the 80s I used two Stihl 090 power heads on an Alaskan mill and did a lot of sawing. Recently I invested in two Stihl MS780 saws which is the same as the 880 US model. I'm in West Africa. But I've had so much trouble starting these ******* saws. Brand new I started both when I unboxed them. Next day, one would start and the other wouldn't. In time, the first one that started wouldn't start, but I got the second one to start. After sawing some trees and leaving it for a couple months, now both saws won't start.
If I shoot gas down the carburetor throat, they run for a couple seconds then die. At one point I even replaced a carburetor, but it still didn't matter. I've made sure the tank vents are good, but really these are new saws.
Anyone else here have any similar issues and what you did to get past this? Any help will be appreciated since this has caused me a lot of wasted time and frustration. In all the years I've used the Stihl 090, I never had an issue starting them. There is something wrong with this machine.
Thanks guys,
Gary

Sounds like bad fuel

 

[Piotr Pakuła]

It's time for a new chainsaw ;-) and send me these ones :-D