Tricks to get a good running Poulan 4218?

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Just getting them to run at all can be a chore at times. Can't bump up compression and you really have to watch out porting that you don't decrease compression any. Generally just tune them well, use good fuel and mix oil.

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Stop wasting your time a get a better saw. You will be much happier in the long run.
 
I have 4 of these poulan strato 42cc saws. two 05, 13, 15. . All of them given to me for free. Two rigid and two AV. 05 is a rigid wild thing, 05 AV is a blackhawk 13 AV poulan pro had a burned P/C. Only by luck I picked the chrome bore cylinder piston set to rebuild it.. To me they are OK. 2 are 18", 2 are 16". I recently got some woodland pro 3/8lp full chisel. I like that chain a lot. Saws start easy run clean and last week I was bucking 12" to 20" red oak and maple for a test. I finished testing the poulan 3800 20", husky 272xp 20", husky2100CD 24", The stihl 039 did not seem to want to oil so I put it aside.
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My friend Art with the concrete jack hammer doing wood duty.
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Art was holding the sticks with his small volvo excavator I was running the saws
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I tried to study and determine how to tell by model name or # and version IPL if they are chome bore or plain. no system or patterrn detected?
I was even wondering what the name or code for this family of saw and the name of the early 1950-2150-2175-2375 & craftsman etc. I think I have 7 of the early ones.
 
I have a pre-strato Wild Thing in my wall hanging with much nicer saws, with a gutted and drilled muffler and big retune it runs well, hands go numb fast and I'm sure it causes nerve damage. But it runs okay. If there is ever a time when it fails to start..i will yeet it into the trash and never think of it again.

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You guys might get a kick out of this. An owner of a Craftsman 4218 could not start it and actually broke the handle off the cord trying to get it running. He said to me, "Edwin it's all yours, I'm through with it." Then he walked away.

I discovered a loose spark plug that I tightened. Then I re-attached the handle:
Craftsman 4218.jpg
The saw starts and runs perfectly today and has hardly a scratch on it. Thanks for looking.
 
Muffler mod and a proper tune goes a long way on these.

I don’t understand, but I swear these saws need to be tuned every tank until they are broken in. Once you’ve got a few gallons of gas through them, they are usually good to go.
 
I had 3 of these that I ran for years. If they are starting and running, I like them. If they have had about $70 bucks of parts thrown at them, they sometimes will come to life. Other times... **** i don't know. Toss it in the fire. If you're going to run them, get a pile of them to rob parts off of so you don't have to get fisted at sears.com.
 
I have a 4218 that I can’t get running at all. Can get it to fire but it’s can’t get it tuned to stay running and eventually I can’t restart it. I’m gonna give it one more go and then done with it. Pissed I threw money at it but i think it may have a bad seal or something. Only saw I’ve not been able to get running.

The other “cheap” polyandry I’ve had have all been simple. Something with the 4218 though...
 
I have a 4218 that I can’t get running at all. Can get it to fire but it’s can’t get it tuned to stay running and eventually I can’t restart it. I’m gonna give it one more go and then done with it. Pissed I threw money at it but i think it may have a bad seal or something. Only saw I’ve not been able to get running.

The other “cheap” polyandry I’ve had have all been simple. Something with the 4218 though...
That sounds like lack of compression. My rule is that if they have less than 110 lb compression, they are history and not really worth rebuilding. Save it for parts if another one comes along. One time I tried rebuilding one and while tightening the cylinder mounting bolts I heard a crack! The party was over. and that's the last time I ever tried to rebuild one.
 
Another common issue is the inner part of the stupid ass double wall fuel line collapses. Then you need to replumb it. I have one that wouldn’t even purge because the line was collapsed right above the fuel filter.
 
I have a PP4218 that was given to me...2 turns out on both hi / lo adjustments, currently stock muffler and it runs and starts like a Swiss watch. Maybe I have a good one, it's about 10 years old
 
Another common issue is the inner part of the stupid ass double wall fuel line collapses. Then you need to replumb it. I have one that wouldn’t even purge because the line was collapsed right above the fuel filter.
I've run into that also. Fuel line problems are the #1 thing that gives up on these saws, and of course they use a fuel line size that nobody seems to carry. The connection to the tank is usually just a drilled hole. Sometimes I enlarge that to fit the line that I have. And, of course, the primer bulbs either crack or fall apart on a regular basis.
 
You guys might get a kick out of this. An owner of a Craftsman 4218 could not start it and actually broke the handle off the cord trying to get it running. He said to me, "Edwin it's all yours, I'm through with it." Then he walked away.

I discovered a loose spark plug that I tightened. Then I re-attached the handle:
View attachment 858709
The saw starts and runs perfectly today and has hardly a scratch on it. Thanks for looking.
Is that a stratosaw?
 

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