Help bring my 254xp's back to life...

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husqy254xp

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-Copied here as advised this is best place on forum for this. -

Hi all, new to the forum today, long time lurker. Hope this will be another forum I frequent to learn and hopefully help others.

I got a couple of 254XPG's back in 2004, they have been sat in the garage since last month when I finally decided I wanted to get them up and running. I have another saw I use for clearing and firewood which has been very reliable but after doing some reading up about the 254XP's I thought they sounded like excellent saws and deserve to be restored.

I picked the better of the two, and the most intact and fitted a carb kit to it, new NGK plugand gave it all a good clean up, bottomed out the L and H and then turned them back out to where they were, I can't remember now but it wasn't far away from the factory run in spec.

Got some brand new fuel and mixed up some fuel, poured it in and went about starting it... Smile now fading from my face.

After trying the method in the manual and also adding starting strategies from my own knowledge I was actually physically sick feeling, it was like an intensive workout. I pulled the plug and it was wet, which I expected as there was vapour coming from the silencer.

I let it all dry out, turned it upside down with the plug out and pulled it over, got maybe a tablespoonful of fuel out of it. I let it air dry for an hour or so, put it all back together and gave it another go. After a while I it started to kick, this renewed my enthusiasm and I kept going. Eventually low and behold she revved into life and ran... for 10 seconds. I could not get it to restart, so took the plug out checked it wasn't flooded and left it overnight to dry.

I would try it every other day or so when I was bored and after some carb tinkering eventually I got it to run, it would run but I had a feeling it would not idle, so I held it on a light throttle until it warmed up then gave it the beans and it revved up like a champ and ran very cleanly after the initial heavy smoke, probably from the flooding.

I have tweaked the carb some more and got it to start and idle well at the weekend but eventually it died at idle and would not restart. After some time, maybe a couple of hours I could get it to go again, I sat it down and let it idle which it did fine and also revved nicely, on letting go of the throttle it would die. Once it died it was not going to restart. I have not looked at it since Saturday now.

The carb was sat for 12 years with fuel in it I would say so I am almost certain the carb is not happy. The fact it can run and will run beautifully makes me think there isn't much else wrong with the saw other than fuel issues, it will even run with the decompressor fully in, it's a bit sticky - I need to "set" it so that it's just about to pop out, thus when I start it is will throw it out itself.

I have spent a lot of time tonight investigating the carbs, various posts on this site state that some of the bigger carbs are a good idea on this saw. I spent a lot of time on eBay and various suppliers but it seems that carbs for these are not that readily available and it looks like I will have to buy in from the US (I have contacted a seller selling a genuine Walbro 262 carb about shipping). I can get chinese knockoffs on UK eBay fine but I am thinking I might as well get a good one.

The other saw will need a new piston and cylinder as the piston is badly scored but that can be the second one to rebuild.

So I know I am new, but we all have to start somewhere, so I am looking forward to reading from the wealth of knowledge on this site.

Thanks
 
I presume you rebuilt the carb correctly and set the correct height on the metering needle. Depending on which Walbro carb you have will determine the height of the metering needle. Too high would cause a flooding problem. Also recheck the Lo and Hi speed needle adjustments. Again incorrect adjustments will affect starting and running. Again I don't now which Walbro you have so I can't offer any advice other than to say that 1 turn open on both generally is a good starting point. I likely would change the fuel line and filter as a general rule esp. on a saw that sat for an extended time.
 
I presume you rebuilt the carb correctly and set the correct height on the metering needle. Depending on which Walbro carb you have will determine the height of the metering needle. Too high would cause a flooding problem. Also recheck the Lo and Hi speed needle adjustments. Again incorrect adjustments will affect starting and running. Again I don't now which Walbro you have so I can't offer any advice other than to say that 1 turn open on both generally is a good starting point. I likely would change the fuel line and filter as a general rule esp. on a saw that sat for an extended time.

AH now we are getting somewhere - I didn't set any heights!

I changed gaskets on both sides and the diaphragm, the little mesh filter, the needle, the little arm and the spring. I just screwed it all back together at that.

I will get the carb code from it when I am at my workshop.

Thanks for the point in the right direction.
 
Check the fuel line and impulse line. I had a saw with a pinched fuel line and it would start with some persuasion but die shortly after. But you could look at the plug and it would be wet. It could be that you are getting enough pressures at higher rpm to pump fuel but once they drop it will run out of fuel.

I'm not sure what carb is in these saws but I would also check the metering lever as stated in previous posts. Also make sure that it's not the hook and latch style diaphragm/lever. Very common for this to be missed and it not get connected properly. On these there is a slot in the lever and the diaphragm actually hooks into it. Sometimes it gets put on on top of the lever and keeps the needle open flooding the saw.
 
As said check fuel line and lever. Make sure intake block is installed correctly. My saw has a Walbro HD 35 carb. It is very sensitive to adjustment. The low setting affecting the high and the high affecting the low. The richer I got on the low the richer the high got. I had to work the two in unisone till it ran and started good.
 
Hi guys, thanks for the latest posts.

Carb is an HDA35B.

How do you calibrate the lever, with the pin end held down press the other end down with a flat object to bend it slightly? I don't have it in pieces so I am just trying to remember what I saw.

If I took that side apart again would I get away with sealing it up with the same kit, or would I need another new carb kit?
 
OK guys it looks like I have got it going.

Perseverance! After getting it to go those last few times it has now started 3 days running 24hrs apart as it should. Could I be as lucky as to have managed to draw enough fuel through the carb to help un-gum it a bit?

So pretty pleased about that, I went and bought a chain and bar - thing doesn't fit! I will start a new thread.
 
Well, that's the first of the two running.

Runs very well, not had a major logging session yet but cut a fair bit of wood with it and very happy.

I will start on the second saw after Easter.

Thanks for all the input.
 

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