011 AVT gas leak

[Chris J.]

Greetings, & thank you for reading this.

I'm a beginning chainsaw tinkerer/piddler, & please excuse me if I get the terminology and/or parts name wrong. I'm seeking advice and thoughts regarding a Stihl 011 AVT (1984 I think) that has developed a gas leak. I've visited this site many times, but I only recently registered. This site is, no question, the best.

I've done several searches here, but I didn't find anything quite like what I'm experiencing. My 011 leaks gas very slowly when off & sitting flat. If I turn it bar side down, there is a noticeable gas leak through the carter pin (I couldn't find this part in my official Stihl spare parts list), in the area near the tensioner pin. The saw will start just fine, but the idle is rough (adjustments don't 'hold'), the high revs will flucuate (adjustments don't 'hold'), and it will quickly idle down then die if I try to cut with it. When running, the saw will quickly go through a tank of gas.

The saw has a new fuel filter, & I've checked the fuel line in the tank & in the carb-all seem to be attached & in good condition. The saw was free, but I had it worked on ($170.00 +/-) at an authorized Stihl shop about three years ago. I don't remember what all they did, & I can't find the itemized invoice (yes, I'm kicking myself). If only I'd known about this site & Ebay.

In brief--When this saw was right, it would get up & go. Is working on a 20 year old 011 worth the effort, especially a d-i-y novice? I have time & patience, but am lacking in experience & money. I apologize for being long winded, & thank you for any advice that you can share.

Butch/MB--a belated thanks for the welcome to AS; much appreciated.

Chris Jones

 

[sedanman]

That saw relies on a central gasket to seal the halves of the crankcase, cavities in which form the fuel and oil tanks. If this one gasket is failed you can have fuel getting sucked into the crankcase, fuel mixing with bar oil, fluid leaks or an air leak. There might be very little money in the parts but this is a labor intensive job. The fuel leak when the saw is set bar side down is a result of the placement of the tank vent, normal. As fuel is drawn out of the fuel tank, air must be drawn in. The COTTER pin is used to create a very small hole for venting. The Stihl 009, 010, 011, 012 is a robust little saw despite the fact that some here hate them. I have a few and they get used often enough to justify owning them. Your saw needs a fairly major repai to keep it alive, continued operation like this will kill it, it is sucking air. I offer to fix the saw for free, you just pay shipping and parts. You will be very happy with your 011 when you get it back. I'll take photos along the way and post updates

 

[spacemule]

Originally posted by RockyJSquirrel
Hey Paul, I guess you proved me wrong yet again. A mighty generous offer, do you really enjoy working on them that much? Cool.

Rocky showing humility? Are you feeling ok? Did you get a new shrink?

 

[sedanman]

No it's a re-use, reduce, recycle thing. I hat to see that whish is repairable tossed in the trash when ther may be years of service in it with just a little effort. I did get Rob's 015 out of trash for him.

RJS, What notion did I shatter for you?

 

[Chris J.]

Thanks, RJS

I appreciate your input. I know from my searches & reading of many threads that you're an experienced climber who knows a lot about the smaller saws, as well as the larger ones. For whatever it's worth, from a newbe, I like my 011.

I freely admit that the biggest problem in the diagnosis is me. Maybe some history will help? The saw was running great until I attempted to lower (not remove) a stump at my in-laws house. I don't know what the tree is, but the wood was bone dry & hard. I kept the chain sharp (newbe sharp anyway), but I was doing a lot of horizontal cuts. After a while the saw started acting up (operator ignorance + bad technique + 20 year old saw). I eventually gave up & let the saw sit for a couple of weeks. When I tried to cut down a couple of small pecan trees (living, not dry) the saw conitnued to act up. At this time I noticed the unusual gas consumption, & that's what led me to for check fuel leaks.

I think that the hoses in the fuel tank & carb (from what I can see) are intact. Are there 'exact' points, such as known problem areas, where I can check for leaks? Sort of a process of elimination, start with A, then B, etc.? I realize that this pretty basic stuff for nearly everyone on AS, but your input is appreciated. Thanks again.

Trying to learn, Chris Jones

 

[Chris J.]

Wow, you guys are quick!

I was so busy carefully entering my reply to Brian/RJS that I didn't notice all the replys. A big thanks!

Sedanman--The offer to put this saw right is incredibly generous, & I'll gladly take you up on it. Please understand that I'm not trolling for free saw repair; if I had more experience with saws I would say first let me see what I can do. And, yes, my pride says the same thing. Fortunately, my ignorance doesn't override my good sense.

I only wish that I could be there & watch you work. Guess I'll have to settle for the photos that you mentioned--will you post them here for anyone interested to see? Reading the posts here is great, & manuals are okay, but hands-on experience with an experienced saw guy is the way to really learn. Tearing a saw apart & replacing parts is one thing; correctly diagnosing the problem & repairing it is something else.

As of now the saw has the handles removed, & the b & c. Is there anything elase I can do or try, or should I stop before I get in over my head? How do we proceed from here? Please let me know.

Grateful to all, Chris Jones

 

[sedanman]

Chris, Send the saw to me, less bar and chain. I will fix it, give you a total for the parts and return shipping and send it back to you. I will post the pictures here for all to see. If I thought you were trolling for a free job, I would not have offered to fix it.

Paul Archer
111 e Willow st
Beacon, NY 12508

 

[matthias]

Sedanman will just have to give that saw a mean look and it will probably fix itself. Looking at his eyes is like looking at the sun. If you do it too long you might get hurt. No offence Sedanman...please.

 

[Chris J.]

Will ship on Monday...

...and again thanks for your help. I'll owe you a steak dinner & the beverage of your choice.

Thanks to all. AS rocks!

Chris Jones

 

[Mange]

This is not someting you will experience every day, if ever again.
And If you like the saw perhaps with a little love, why not.
Hats off for you Sedanman.

Mange

 

[bcorradi]

Very Generous

I agree that is awefully generous of sedanman to fix his 011.

If you need any parts at all for it, I have quite a few 009's, 010's, 011's, and 012's.
Take care,
Brad

 

[sedanman]

Chris, Your 011 AVT arrived today. I'll do some pressure testing tomorrow and keep everyone posted.

 

[Chris J.]

Thanks!

I was hoping that FdX would deliver it today.

Just realized that it's after 1am ct; no wonder my wife thinks that I'm nuts.


Thanks again, Chris

 

[bcorradi]

Late night

Well at least you can tell your wife your getting your 011 fixed of a hell of a dell anyhow.
Take care,
Brad

 

[sedanman]

Chris, I got the saw torn down and air tested. Both pressure and vaccuum tests pass. Your saw has 155 psi compression. There is some evidence of dirt ingestion though, saw should still live a happy life. I found the inlet screen in carb filled with debris and the throttle cable is bent/frayed. I will be cleaning and re-assembling your saw this weekend. I will make some test cuts befor sending it back.

 

[Chris J.]

Thanks for the update

very much appreciated. I am now going to avoid cutting on old, dry, hard tree stumps.

Now the hard part, at least for me: What did I do wrong to get the carb so dirty? I'm guessing that a steady supply of sawdust (instead of chips) didn't help anything. Should've kept a closer eye on the air filter? Replaced it altogether? Any thoughts, theories, suggestions, etc. are welcome. If I'm setting myself up for a cyber butt kicking, so be it.

Again, many thanks. Chris

 

[sedanman]

The crud on the inlet screen is almost unavoidable, the filter in the tank has to strike a balance between filtering and keeping up with the fuel demands of the engine. The inlet screen is a little finer and serves as the 2nd stage of filtration. Usually it takes a long while to plug the screen. The dirt ingestion to the cylinder is another matter. On the 009-012 series the bottom of the air filter is where the dirt collects, you can check the top of the filter and never see dirt. When the filter gets restricted the saw will try to get anywhere it can, from around the filter. The unfiltered air has abrasive particles in it that wear the piston and cylinder. Though your saw has very good compression, it has some fine vertical scratches in the cylinder visible on the intake side. If you keep the air filter clean then it is a relatively low resistance path for air to take to get to carb, keeps dirt injestion to a minimum. Your saw has an "s" clutch which indicates it is not one of the newer 011s. It is in average condition for its age. I will take and post some pictures as It goes back together.

 

[sedanman]

I would not let the condition of the cylinder bother me much. But there are a few temping bits on E-bay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4317827424&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

Could be nearly new for cheap.

 

[Chris J.]

Thanks for the filtration lesson.

I looked at the eBay auction. Nearly new is tempting, but the 011 will probably hold up fine for no more than I use it. I recall seeing a metal plate that had a series of numbers stamped on it, ending with 1984?. I hope that I didn't imagine that; might've read it on another brand of trimmer or blower. Did Stihl ever put the year of manufactor on their saws? There was a thread here asking about Stihl serial numbers & possible date codes, but I don't recall everything that was discussed.

Thanks, Chris

 

[sedanman]

Chris, I had a feeling that this saw was not going to be used in a day-to-day professional manner, otherwise I would have pushed harder for the piston/cylinder. If I owned this saw, I would run it as is until it showed loss of power, this would be a LONG time with the amount of cutting I do and the 'fleet' with which I have to do it. Stihl keeps the date of manufacture a secret from the consumer nowadays, it keeps customers from beating the dealer up on the sales floor. "Come on, knock a hundred bucks off, this thing is last years model"