Homelite Super EZ Auto Returns From...Wherever

[jnewell]

Homelite Super EZ Auto - 1974 serial. Had been left in the back corner of the laundry room in an old family place in Maine that we sold last fall. I rescued it and only just got around to looking at it this weekend. The paint is somewhat worn but all things considered it's in pretty decent shape. I blew out the cylinder head and sprocket areas with compressed air then put some 32:1 fuel and b/c oil in it and gave it a pull - almost feel over when it started right up. Here's the thing - I absolutely know that I was the last person to use that saw, and I also know that after I bought a 2051 back around 1990/1991 I never touched that old Homelite again. Truly amazing that the carburetor isn't a solid block of lacquer, among other things. Anyway, a few questions if I may:

1. I made up some 32:1 from some 95 Octane Husky premix by adding enough oil to bring it up to 32:1. I assume there's no problem with that...?
2. Starter recoil is a tad slow. Best practice to clean that up? If I take the cover off, are pawls and springs going to fly off into space?
3. It smokes a bit at idle - is that expected? All my 2-cycle machines these days run on 50:1 and I'm wondering if the extra oil just makes it a bit smokey when idling.
4. I think there's a fuel leak from the front of the power head. Not dramatic, but noticeable. Easy fix?
5. I'm very competent with motor vehicle engines and have some experience with small 2- and 4-cycle engines. I will probably take the carb out and give it a very thorough cleaning and some new gaskets. Good/bad idea? I was also wondering whether inspecting the piston/rings/cylinder/head is worthwhile - I assume disassembly and reassembly there is straightforward?
6. What's the recommended chain for these saws today? I give that saw a lot of credit for spinning a big hunk of chain like that...wondering if best to replace with OEM-equivalent chain?
7. Any additional comments, cautions, etc.?

Many thanks!

 

[rabbit box]

I use a 50:1 mix, always have. I use a Oregon D59 chain. Call Oregon. Oregon is good people.

 

[lostone]

1: That's a bit rich on the oil mix, use a good oil and mix 40:1
2. You will be fine to remove the cover by removing the screws on the outer edge of the case, the two screws near the rewind spring adjust the tension if you remove them just hold in on that cover and you can spin it to put more tension or less tension on the spring.
3: because of the rich mix and maybe the carb need cleaned as well and after sitting that long I would do a rebuild.
4: Put some mix and see if it will swell the gasket but more than likely you will have to split the tank and change the gasket. (Check Leon's chainsaws for parts). https://www.leonschainsawpartsandrepair.com/store/c28/Homelite_Super_EZ_Automatic,_Super_XL-Mini_Chainsaw.html the tank is separate from the engine so you won't have to split that if you have to replace the gasket.
5: rebuild carb as stated above and remove muffler cover and inspect piston for streaks and that the ring is free, if it looks good but has carbon build up move piston so it closes exhaust port and use a plastic or wood scraper to remove excess carbon.
6: Oregon chains works just fine. I put LGX on mine.
7: Search youtube for Leon's chainsaws, then hunt his site for Super EZ he has a ton of vids on how to fix the Super EZ. https://www.youtube.com/user/ChevroletC101/search?query=super ez

You can also get the IPL's from his site. https://www.leonschainsawpartsandrepair.com/parts-diagrams.html

Here's a pic of a couple of mine.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Good find! I used one for 25 years that was used when I bought it. 32:1 won't hurt if the carb is set right but will smoke a little. I finally retired and restored it.
I went to 45:1 synthetic in everything a few years ago. no problems.

 

[LLE]

Good find! I used one for 25 years that was used when I bought it. 32:1 won't hurt if the carb is set right but will smoke a little. I finally retired and restored it.
I went to 45:1 synthetic in everything a few years ago. no problems.

 

[TRTermite]

My Dad used 32;1 mix in our Homelites, Remingtons and a few Macs. Outboard motor oil was the oil to mix and on occasion some 10wt. motor oil. Oil for 2 stroke motors wasn't available .. for us anyhow.
When Dad got his first 051 he just didn't want to change but he did 'cuz of the smoke and running issues. The Stihl dealership was really good with convincing/comforting him.

 

[ladnar]

I really like that story, old Homelites are great, kinds like a Briggs or an Evinrude.

 

[jnewell]

1: That's a bit rich on the oil mix, use a good oil and mix 40:1
2. You will be fine to remove the cover by removing the screws on the outer edge of the case, the two screws near the rewind spring adjust the tension if you remove them just hold in on that cover and you can spin it to put more tension or less tension on the spring.
3: because of the rich mix and maybe the carb need cleaned as well and after sitting that long I would do a rebuild.
4: Put some mix and see if it will swell the gasket but more than likely you will have to split the tank and change the gasket. (Check Leon's chainsaws for parts). https://www.leonschainsawpartsandrepair.com/store/c28/Homelite_Super_EZ_Automatic,_Super_XL-Mini_Chainsaw.html the tank is separate from the engine so you won't have to split that if you have to replace the gasket.
5: rebuild carb as stated above and remove muffler cover and inspect piston for streaks and that the ring is free, if it looks good but has carbon build up move piston so it closes exhaust port and use a plastic or wood scraper to remove excess carbon.
6: Oregon chains works just fine. I put LGX on mine.
7: Search youtube for Leon's chainsaws, then hunt his site for Super EZ he has a ton of vids on how to fix the Super EZ. https://www.youtube.com/user/ChevroletC101/search?query=super ez

You can also get the IPL's from his site. https://www.leonschainsawpartsandrepair.com/parts-diagrams.html

Here's a pic of a couple of mine.

A massively belated thanks for this and the other replies. I got this saw out this weekend to come back to a few of these items, starting with the starter rope. Also cleaned out a lot of very old oil+sawdust caking that probably wasn't affecting anything.

The starter spring might have aged a little but it seems perfectly functional. I gave it a little few turns of additional pre-wind and it's appropriately snug.

Next up will be removing the muffler to check for carbon. Whatever might have been a fuel leak has resolved itself. (thumbs up for that)

The saw started up on the third pull after sitting since whenever I first posted this - 8 or 9 months? I don't think this would be the first saw I'd grab if I had some extended sawing to do, but darn, you really have to give this thing truckloads of credit.

It sat at a family summer home off the Maine coast all its life. I know for certain I was the last person to run it while it was still there, not later than the late 1980s, and it simply sat there for the next 30 years. So to bring it home in 2019 and basically have it start right up (which it did and is still doing) is really a testament to this saw and Homelite.

I need to google when ethanol started showing up in gasoline. I wonder if the fuel that sat in the saw for 30 years was pre-ethanol and maybe that's why the carb wasn't a wreck. (I still haven't rebuilt it, though I will...I don't think any carburetor would still function after 30 years if it had ethanol mix in the carb...?)

 

[camel2019]

In my 2 stroke equipment I run them at 32 to 1(tuned for it)even new stuff with a good conventional 2 stroke oil. Only problem I can see would be the canned fuel uses synthetic oil so hopefully that’s what you mixed in.

Recoils I have always just cleaned them with a spray useally wd40 as I don’t want the plastic getting messed up then I blow them out.