Hard starting 044

[whatsnext]

I bought a home owners 044 with 24" bar this afternoon. $175.00 so I really can't complain. Got it home, cleaned the filter, put in fresh gas and a new plug, checked the compression(130lb), file dressed the bar and then tried to start it. All it wants to do is flood. The plug I pulled out looked nice and tan. My usual starting method of full choke till it chuffs and then half choke doesn't work because two or three pulls on full choke floods it. Draining the gas and pulling like crazy will eventually start the saw and it then sounds great till it runs out of gas. Once it's warm the saw sounds fine. Kick butt, really. Is there some trick to cold starting an 044 or am I missing something with a carb setting? Also, will this saw make me want to retire my 036? I'm a firewood cutter, not a logger.
Thanks, john............

 

[Lawn Masters]

Perhaps you should rebuild the carb, I imagine that would help to some degree.

 

[ozflea]

Get fit or buy a Mc.

Mc Bob.

 

[Al Smith]

Leave it to Oz.About the Stihl,most likely a warped diaphragm.The rebuild kits are cheap.Yes it will out cut an 036,with no problem.

 

[Lawn Masters]

Put a dual port muffler on it, and it'll give a few diffrent saws a run for their money.

 

[whatsnext]

Get fit or buy a Mc.

Mc Bob.

One of the best things about owning a real saw, like a Stihl , is that they start so well. The more I think about this saw the more likely it is that I will ditch the triple air filter set-up and just go with one filter. I don't see much point in the wristband like outer filter and it may be causing some restriction on the intake side and I see no point at all in the course green foam block inside the main filter. That could explain the flooding. Thanks for the help everyone, John........

 

[rupedoggy]

Leave the coarse green foam block. That catches spitback and keeps the other filter from getting oil and gas soaked. I would check the lever height in the carburetor metering diaphram. If it is too high the engine will flood. Sometimes the screw that holds the shaft backs out a little and lets the lever ride higher than it should. Like what was suggested, a complete carburetor rebuild should catch all these problems and more. Mike

 

[spacemule]

One of the best things about owning a real saw, like a Stihl , is that they start so well. The more I think about this saw the more likely it is that I will ditch the triple air filter set-up and just go with one filter. I don't see much point in the wristband like outer filter and it may be causing some restriction on the intake side and I see no point at all in the course green foam block inside the main filter. That could explain the flooding. Thanks for the help everyone, John........

If the filters were causing it to flood when starting, they'd be causing flooding when running also. Follow the advice and rebuild the carb--quick, painless, cheap, and effective. What more do you want?

 

[Al Smith]

One of the best things about owning a real saw, like a Stihl , is that they start so well. The more I think about this saw the more likely it is that I will ditch the triple air filter set-up and just go with one filter. I don't see much point in the wristband like outer filter and it may be causing some restriction on the intake side and I see no point at all in the course green foam block inside the main filter. That could explain the flooding. Thanks for the help everyone, John........

Now I have to be on the side of my down under bud.Them dangened Stihls don't start any better or run any better than a Mac.They all work off the same design,Stihl just took it a bit futher,due to the fact they out lasted "big Mac"In my observation of saws ,for about 40 years,90 percent of the hard starting problems can be directly related to carb issues.Now,bear in mind,I own both Stihls and Mccullochs.I think they are both great saws,but they both have thier idiosyncrasies.

 

[scottr]

044 air filter

John , take the felt band (outer filter) off and pull out the inner foam element . If you hold the main filter up to the light you'll see a coarse weave cotton element that would not be a good stand alone air filter . You're suppose to use a oil on the cotton element for it to properly work . The Bailey's felt (no oil ) aftermarket air filter might be what you want .

 

[Dadatwins]

Sounds like a carb kit rebuild candidate to me also. As for the extra filters, they can't hurt the saw, as long as you keep them clean. Anything that keeps dirt out of the intake system will help. Not sure about oiling any filters on these saws, not something I have ever done and not seen it in the manual. 044 will definitly outcut your 036 but I would keep them both, 036 nice mid saw for smaller stuff and keep the 044 for the bull work. Good luck.

 

[FiguredwoodsVT]

I have found on my 044 that the idle screws have worn over time, so as the saw they would move, changing the idle, I tore it apart and put new springs on the idle screws, and it has ran perfect since. It is a good saw, plenty of power for a hoemowner, it should make cutting firewood simple.

 

[scottr]

1995 Stihl Instruction/Owners Manual

Dadatwins , if you'll turn to page 45 there's a caution ,"Caution: Do not install the HD air filter in a dry condition . The filter does not operate without oil . Use only STIHL HD air filter oil ." You only oil the cotton element . Do not oil the foam and felt elements .

 

[whatsnext]

Good news

The saw seems to have fixed itself. I hate it when they do that. The gas that the old owner left in it didn't smell bad but there might have something wrong with it that kept it from firing. Two pulls this morning and it came to life exactly as you would expect. Cool. I'm going to take it to my test log and see how she does. Thanks everyone, John......


/I'm guessing that McBob knows I was just pulling his string in my earlier post. I have a 10-10A sitting around somewhere so I'm still part of the Mac clan.

 

[whatsnext]

Wow.

This is a chip making son of a gun. I had to stop cutting or my test log would have been gone.

 

[WRW]

Dadatwins , if you'll turn to page 45 there's a caution ,"Caution: Do not install the HD air filter in a dry condition . The filter does not operate without oil . Use only STIHL HD air filter oil ." You only oil the cotton element . Do not oil the foam and felt elements .

My understanding was that Stihl went away from the oiled filters some time back.

 

[scottr]

Year

Bill , I bought my 044 in 1996 and the manual is dated 1995 . In a recent Bailey's ad they had a 044 aftermarket felt airfilter that did not require oil .

 

[WRW]

scottr,
Yeah, my local dealer was giving away the oil back around 2001. I was given the part number for the replacement filter, but never felt the need to change it out.

 

[scottr]

Replacement filter

Bill , do you know if the replacement filter is felt or paper ?

 

[WRW]

Scott,
I honestly couldn't tell, as I never ordered it. I have, since then, retired and did not keep the replacement part number.