What a MESS !!!

[Dale]

Well as I stated in an earlier post, my father-in-law gave me a Stihl 015, and I couldn't keep it running... NO WONDER. I cracked the case open and wow, what a cruddy mess. Fuel line brittle and cracked, couldn't even see the carb. until I scraped away oil-caked dust. The entire saw needs a bath, which leads me to my next question. How do I TOTALLY clean this thing. I'm talking about the entire case etc... I'm going to get a tune-up kit for the carb. and I know how to take care of that. I'm just not sure what to use on the rest of the saw.

Another thing I was surprised to see was how the bar/chain is held on. I took the one nut off the cover and there is another metal cover held on with another nut. It had an arrow on the metal denoting which way to turn the nut to get it off (I believe counter-clockwise), but I tried holding that round cover with channel locks, and had a socket on the nut, but could not break the nut. My 028 doesn't have that round metal cover on the sprocket. You pull the cover on that and there is the chain riding on the sprocket... real easy.


Oh, and to ??? from the last post. My bad, as the saw is metal and not made of plastic as I originally thought.

 

[rivahrat]

hou could use a parts washier if you have one. i cleaned one up as much as possible by hand one time then put it in the dishwasher. it worked great. just run it empty for a cycle after you use it and it will be just fine. (dishwasher) oh and try not to let the wife find out about it.

 

[Dale]

Yeah, I just found out there are points/condenser behind the flywheel, so I don't want to get those wet at all.

I also found out that what I "thought" I had to take off in order to remove the chain/bar is the clutch (this is unlike the design on my 028). I came to realize that all I need to do is loosen the Tensioner screw to remove bar and chain... DUH !!!

 

[Lakeside53]

Ha! welcome to my world!!! Fithy encrsuted crusted gummed up saws is my living but I don't want to spend any money on it so can you fix it for $20? sure, but add a C note to that...

Don't worry about getting the points "wet" - they'll dry... with hair-dryer in seconds.

Put a drill/socket on the flywheel, and spin the motor (plug out) and check for spark. The condenser is often bad...

The carb is a little more of a pain than later carbs - the is a small valve deep down inside that will be full of corrosion/crud, you need to take out, and you might need the special impact withdrawal tool to do it. I might be thinking about the 020 carb but...

 

[sawn_penn]

hou could use a parts washier if you have one. i cleaned one up as much as possible by hand one time then put it in the dishwasher. it worked great. just run it empty for a cycle after you use it and it will be just fine. (dishwasher) oh and try not to let the wife find out about it.

I wouldn't use standard dishwasher powder. I've have a lot of trouble with dishwasher powder affecting cast aluminium. The surface seems to become dark grey and slimey.

Is this OK? Or should you just use the dishwasher on a hot cycle with a bit of "in sink" detergent?

 

[Lakeside53]

The commercial hot water parts degreasers (dish washer on steroids) use a non-foaming detergent labeled "automatic transmission cleaner', whatever that means, and they don't have a problem with aluminum. The problem with "home detergents" is they contain a bunch of other junk for "non-streaking" glassware etc. if you use a strongly alkaline dish washing detergent, it will affect the aluminum, but not to any degree if you make sure it is throughly washed off before the "dry" cycle. - might pay to not use the dry cycle anyhow - just take out the parts when hot.

I now skip the diskwasher (can't really use the same one as the rest of the house anyhow...!) and ust use a bucket or spray bottle of 2:1 or 4:1 diluted purple cleaner (strongly alkaline), and a garden hose. My aluminum gets shiny, but not black or gray as I wash it all off after a few minutes.

 

[slowsuki]

turn your hot water heater all the way up. then run saw under the sink use touthbrush to get the harder stuff.i have a big sink in garage that i hook a hose and spraynozal to works real good with hot,hot,hot water.never had any problems with points geting wet.

 

[Dale]

Lakeside... $20 + C Note = $120. I'm not sure a used 015 AV is worth that much, let alone paying $120 just for a cleaning The saw does run for xx seconds, then it conks out so I'm not suspecting coil though I am suspecting it is fuel related.

So just simply soak the saw in 4:1 waterurple solution and not worry about harming the points condenser or anything else ? I'll trust you on this.

You do have me concerned on what you mentioned about having a tough time accessing the carb.

I also have a broken spring on the flywheel, and was told to just let it go for now since it is a royal pain to replace the spring in that you need a puller and a press for the pins. I hate to let it go, but I don't have tools for some jobs, and would just as soon pay a couple bucks to someone that does.

 

[sedanman]

STOP! I would not submerge a chainsaw, nor would I advise anyone else to do it. Scrape as much crud off as possible and then get an air comressor and blow the rest off. A bit of brake cleaner will looses the stubborn stuff. If yo udon't have access to air, clean as best as possible and bring the saw to you local mechanic and ask him to blow the saw off, hand him a few bucks and say thank you.

 

[Crofter]

I dont think you should be wetting the coil and electronics with water or any other liquid. Its not the points to worry about. The coil module should be pretty well encapsulated as new but soaking it is a good way to find out if it is developing any flaws in the sealing of the insulation. Unless you are trying to make it pretty for show all you have to remove is accumulations of crud and oil that will interfere with cooling. You are after all going to put it back to work not take it to bed with you!

 

[Dale]

I certainly don't want to create more work for myself, so I'll go the "dry" route... scrape the crud and hit it with air. Thanks to all.

 

[sugarbush]

I certainly don't want to create more work for myself, so I'll go the "dry" route... scrape the crud and hit it with air. Thanks to all.

You can't get your saw wet? wow, I've been completly submerging saw's for along long time to find air leak's, there made to get wet. if the logger's in washington had to quit every time it was wet outside they wouldn't get much done. Or the boy's in snow country couldn't set there saw down, well i'm sure you get my drift. ( no pun ment)

 

[Crofter]

............I've been completly submerging saw's for along long time to find air leak's,................. there made to get wet. if the logger's in washington had to quit every time it was wet outside they wouldn't get much done. Or the boy's in snow country couldn't set there saw down

I think there is a big difference in snow and rain on an assembled saw, compared to completely immersing one. I am not going to deliberately immerse my saws coil and electronic system in soaps, water, chemical solvents etc.

 

[sugarbush]

I certainly don't want to create more work for myself, so I'll go the "dry" route... scrape the crud and hit it with air. Thanks to all.

Ment to give you my cleaning formula: One gal. fueloil/One qt. gas. I use it in a plastic tub with a screen in bottom. use same solution over and over again. buy part's brush at auto part's store. rinse well then blowdry with air compresser.

 

[sugarbush]

............I've been completly submerging saw's for along long time to find air leak's,................. there made to get wet. if the logger's in washington had to quit every time it was wet outside they wouldn't get much done. Or the boy's in snow country couldn't set there saw down

I think there is a big difference in snow and rain on an assembled saw, compared to completely immersing one. I am not going to deliberately immerse my saws coil and electronic system in soaps, water, chemical solvents etc.

Sorry to differ with you but water does not hurt a chainsaw coil or electronic's. if point's, yes, blow dry and your good to go. Better yet change over to elec.

 

[Crofter]

Lol! don't apologise for differing; your saw, your call! I think I would take the coil off before submersing a saw in water to find any leak I could not find with a pressure / vacuumn leakdown and bubble squirt.

 

[sugarbush]

Lol! don't apologise for differing; your saw, your call! I think I would take the coil off before submersing a saw in water to find any leak I could not find with a pressure / vacuumn leakdown and bubble squirt.

Frank, if I repaired saw's useing your system, my time alloted for warranty work would be used up just finding the problem. find an old worthless saw and pull the coil , drop in a cup of water over nite, check spark next day, It'll work. most coil's you couldn't do that with but i'v never seen one fail because it got wet. peace my friend.

 

[sugarbush]

Frank, if I repaired saw's useing your system, my time alloted for warranty work would be used up just finding the problem. find an old worthless saw and pull the coil , drop in a cup of water over nite, check spark next day, It'll work. most coil's you couldn't do that with but i'v never seen one fail because it got wet. peace my friend.

Should have said never seen a 2 cyl. fail geting wet but 4 cyl. i think would. this one finger pecking is a trip.

 

[Crofter]

I think most of the coils woud survive the water immersion and new ones definitely should. The encapsulating epoxy keeps the water away from the electronics that do not like water. but after a few thousand heating and cooling cycles and vibration etc., little openings start to appear. Immersing in water is a good way of finding out whether you need a coil now or in 3 or 4 years. Time restraints do lead to shortcuts no doubt. My camera and watch claim to be water proof too! I try to remember not to take them in the bath tub with me though.

 

[Dale]

Hey Crofter, I'd bet that if Brian ruined a "semi-good" coil from a customers saw by immersing it in water, he would happily tell the customer that the new coil is on him... no charge......being the honest technician that he is.:greenchainsaw:

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm sure there's more than one way to skin the cat. Just gotta try one out. Appreciate all the responses.