I'll do that. Thank you!
chainsaw won't start and I'm running out of ideas
- Thread starter jklier
- Start date
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I'll do that. Thank you!
Or...somehow your flywheel spun a little on the crank and your ignition timing is way off.
And when you put the plug back in, use no choke, and hold the throttle wide open, and see if she wants to fire.
I'm going to check the flywheel key in the morning. If I'm getting 150 psi compression would there still be a reason to look at the piston? I thought scoring on the piston would lead to bad compression.
The coil is about all that's left to consider. I'd like to find the resistance specs so I could check it.
Thanks again!
Thing is when it is flooded you should never add any fuel. As stated pull with throttle held wide open. If no start pull plug. Wet? Still flooded.
Understood.
We can do this. If it starts with the throttle wide open, keep it there until all the smoke and fumes get cleared out and it starts screaming. If you were close to 89403 you could bring it over. Mike
You are probably being led astray by ignition issues but if you follow the above advice on making SURE that it isn't just badly flooded, you should suspect timing and then maybe coil and yes a good ignition will fire a 1/4" gap in free air. A basic check on a slipped flywheel is to rotate the engine in it's normal direction and when the magnets in the FW are aligned with the ends of the laminated pole pieces in the coil, the piston should just be coming up to TDC. Is that a points ignition? Are there any wires that come from under the FW?
BOOM! It started. Making progress. After sitting out all night, upside down, plug out, with a fan blowing over, it started like a scalded cat on the first pull with the throttle wide open. So it was definitely experiencing a flooded condition. I think there may have been another issue that was corrected with the replacements. That failure led to it getting flooded. I had no idea it still be flooded after so many hours with the plug out. Thanks everyone for steering me that direction.
Now the issue is it won't stay running. After it starts at full throttle it will run balls out for about 5 seconds then die. If I keep trying to start it will only sputter a bit. If I give it a squirt from the primer bulb it appears to go back to the flooded condition where I have to give 5-6 good pulls then it runs balls out and quits. As mentioned earlier in the thread this is a new, aftermarket carb so it may be out of adjustment.
Now the issue is it won't stay running. After it starts at full throttle it will run balls out for about 5 seconds then die. If I keep trying to start it will only sputter a bit. If I give it a squirt from the primer bulb it appears to go back to the flooded condition where I have to give 5-6 good pulls then it runs balls out and quits. As mentioned earlier in the thread this is a new, aftermarket carb so it may be out of adjustment.
OK let's address this. When it dies does it burble like the choke is on, then die, or just suddenly die like it runs out of fuel? Set the needles to 1 and 1/4 each and try. If that does not at least make it kinda sorta run then you have other issues.
sounds like running out of fuel to me. So, open each one 1.25 turns from closed, correct?
bert the turtle
ArboristSite Operative
I had a trimmer that gave me fits trying to figure out. Good fuel, good air, good spark. But it wouldn’t run. Turned out to be mud daubers had plugged up the exhaust.
Bobby Kirbos
Scrounger of Cellulose Based BTUs
Good point. What is the status of the muffler - free flowing or gunked up?
Okay, at both needles open 1.25 turns I can keep it running at part/full throttle. (The right needle was only open about half a turn from the factory). Even after keeping it running for a few minutes at part throttle, it won't idle. It just dies. Getting there!!
There is another screw for higher idle setting (it is like holding the throttle part open). Try turning that screw in until it idles. If this does not work them I would suspect the carb is bad or there is a leak of air getting into the saw somewhere.
BTW check to make sure your fuel tank is full. If the filter is out of the liquid even a little, it will not run correctly.
Actually that could be it. The tank is pretty low. I'll go pick up more fuel tonight or in the morning then report back. Thanks again!
If you have not monkied with the OEM carb settings check them and set your new carb to the same.
You might consider re-installing your OEM carb for a test. If it's worse consider installing a kit in the OEM carb if the kit can be had at reasonable cost.
Was the new carb a $10 with free shipping China clone type??? (just curious here)
Chaina is getting better at cloning carbs but I still don't completely trust them YET.
You might consider re-installing your OEM carb for a test. If it's worse consider installing a kit in the OEM carb if the kit can be had at reasonable cost.
Was the new carb a $10 with free shipping China clone type??? (just curious here)
Chaina is getting better at cloning carbs but I still don't completely trust them YET.
Clifford NC
ArboristSite Lurker
That happened to me too, on a weed eater and blower. Ran great when I cleared the exhaust ports of dirt!
yeah I'm also curious on the carb. What part did you use, and was it an exact OEM clone, or slightly different, etc?
when I fixed this P4018WT, the replacement carb had decent reviews on amazon and was cheap, was in a kit with other little goodies that got this saw up and running. everyone said you had to trim the top cover for the throttle linkage. totally true, and it fired right up, tuned easily. the throttle linkage isn't as smooth as the OEM Zama carb, though. I rebuilt the OEM carb later on and may slap it back on, but I gave the saw to my BIL who knows nothing - he hasn't used it much but did just say he "adjusted the screws" so who knows..... maybe he'll destroy it.
when I fixed this P4018WT, the replacement carb had decent reviews on amazon and was cheap, was in a kit with other little goodies that got this saw up and running. everyone said you had to trim the top cover for the throttle linkage. totally true, and it fired right up, tuned easily. the throttle linkage isn't as smooth as the OEM Zama carb, though. I rebuilt the OEM carb later on and may slap it back on, but I gave the saw to my BIL who knows nothing - he hasn't used it much but did just say he "adjusted the screws" so who knows..... maybe he'll destroy it.
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