Husqvarna 359 HELP!!

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Pennline23719

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I'm new to the site. Read alot of posts but just joined today to look for help. My problem is this, I got a 2011(?) 359. Just recently, it started being very hard to start, cold or hot, then it totally quit running period. I rebuilt the carb (Zama), and it would start but was very hard to get running. I replaced the impulse hose after finding some cracks and small fuel leak, and replaced the intake boot, clamp, flange, carb, fuel filter and hose, spark plug and muffler. Nothing fixed the problem. Seems like it floods out as soon as I start pulling, if I pull the spark plug and get the excess fuel out, it trys to start or starts on the first or second pull.Then at WOT misses like crazy, and won't idle long. And when it shuts off its like the kill switch was hit, just all at once. Then won't start again. It floods to the point that fuel and oilstart coming out of the muffler. Any ideas?? I'm about to throw it thrumy wood chipper!
 
Welcome to the forum.
Sounds like you covered the bases and then some...wow. This may sound bizarre but did you check your connections at the coil? Had a saw that would start but run as you described. Turned out to be the small wire on the coil end was loose and bouncing around causing the erratic performance. Have you ruled out crank seals and/or base gasket leak? If you have access to a compression guage test it and tell us what it reads. And don't send it through the chipper, send it to me:) I'll cover the shipping.
 
Check for a very common mistake new carburetor rebuilders make and that is putting the metering diaphragm next to the carburetor body and the gasket. The correct order is gasket and then the diaphragm. So check the metering lever height is set correctly.
 
I did check the coil and wires and cleaned them good, regapped the air gap, good spark at the plug. I replaced the base gasket under the cylinder. The compression was 140 something I believe. I got a new piston, rings, crank bearing and crank seals at home. When the head was off the rings, piston and cylinder all looked almost new. The crank had no play in the bearings. And im not to sure how to test for a crank seal leak
 
Welcome to the forum PL.
Don't give up yet, many of the members here found their way here the same way you have.
Not sure what your location is Pa?
Someone in your area from the site may be able to give you a hand if it can't be solved here.
Was the saw running fine once you did get it started after it was hard to start, before rebuilding the carb.
I would go back through the carb and check everything.
Avb hit the nail on the head, I have not experienced this, but have read it multiple times.
I think I even saved a link with pictures incase I ran into it, will check and get back.
Stick with it, you will get it, if you can't don't throw it in the chipper, send it to the chipper1 thats me:).
 
Check for a very common mistake new carburetor rebuilders make and that is putting the metering diaphragm next to the carburetor body and the gasket. The correct order is gasket and then the diaphragm. So check the metering lever height is set correctly.

Good advice, I would verify proper carb assembly before anything else. Sounds like your needle isn't sealing and is letting too much fuel through.
 
It would run good while cutting and uner load, but when I quit cutting and tried to keep it running it would die. I rechecked the carb several times and rebuilt it twice. Then wondered if maybe the carb was just junk finally and ordered a new one from Zama and installed it. After a few pulls in my shop Saturday to get fuel to the carb it fired right up. Just had to adjust the idle up a bit to keep it running and it ran perfect. Today I tried starting the saw to do a tree and it was back to acting the same as before installing the new carb Saturday! So its got me baffled. I've been a certified arborist for 12 years and ran dozens and dozens of saws, all makes models and sizes and never had one act this strange!
 
I'll tear the new caeb down tomorrow morning and check it out. Hopefully it something stupid but considering its acting just like the original carb did before, I'm afraid it's not gonna b that easy or cheap of a fix!
 
I'll tear the new caeb down tomorrow morning and check it out. Hopefully it something stupid but considering its acting just like the original carb did before, I'm afraid it's not gonna b that easy or cheap of a fix!
I agree, and i would not tear into the new carb just yet.
Here is one of the links I had saved, but not the one I was thinking of.
http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/husky-272xp-problems.38406/

I would guess if this is kept at the top before long someone will come along who is familiar with this exact problem.
One thing I would ask while you are still trying to fix it, is if you come back to AS for nothing else at all that you would at least let us know what the problem is when you fix it. Many come here with a problem and get lots of great advice then disappear without confirming what the problem was.
I'm sure you won't do this though:).
 
I will definitely let everyone know what I figure out. Or send a video of it coming out the chute of a bandit 250xp chipper lol j/k can't afford a new saw so its getting fixed one way or the other. Does anyone know how to check the crank seals for leaks? And what about the coil? The spark looks good to me, but does that absolutely mean its good? Or just working enough to spark but maybe not strong enough?
 
Thanks chipper1, I read that post u out the link up for. Sounds like the exact problem my saw has! I'll check that tomorrow when its light enough to see what I'm doing.
 
It will start but takes tons of pulling and swearing. So I don't think the key could be sheared could it? It just immediately floods and needs the spark plug pulled and excess gas out of the cylinder. After reading the other post, I'm starting to think it could b the needle not seating properly and flooding out. If that is the case, would that cause it to run bad once revved up and at WOT? Or only during startup and idle? Sorry I'm not a carb expert lol
 
Relax pennline. i do not know this model but i will type out a very long response i hope someone will save and be able to be able to put to use in the future.
When i diagnose a mechanical problem, i always try to gather as much info from the customer as i can to assist me.
How did this issue start? was is sudden or progressive? if sudden, what did you/the saw do differently before the problem started?
next, especially on a 2 stroke, verify piston condition first! then check for good compression (which you did)
2 stroke only-you need to do a pressure/vac test. look it up or pm me i will step you through it.
Inspect the carburetor, clean or rebuild (which you did)
if car is rebuilt and cleaned properly, but still wont run replace the carb (which you did)
ALL ENGINES need 5 things!!! they need spark,fuel, air, compression, and time.
Spark. You need a solid source of spark, replace your spark plug, verify you have consistent spark every time your triggering mechanism (iin this case flywheel going past the coil) is operated. Do you have spark under compression? Things that can affect this are bad plug, bad plug ground, bad flywheel, bad plug cap, bad coil. Replace plug with oem specified. clean cylinder threads and washer mating surface to lug to ensure proper ground. plug cap is not so easy, but you can remove the rubber cap and visually inspect to make sure your high tension leas is making good contact with your plug cap. To check for bad coil do secondary and primary resistance measurement and compare to manufactureers specs. Make sure you have proper air gap (which you did) if all these check out, your ignition system wiring is not compromised, and you still have a spark problem, replace the flywheel.
Fuel. YOu need the correct amount of fuel at all positions of throttle opening for the engine to run right. a carburetor, if functioning properly, should give you the ability to do many things, If your idle speed screw is set properly, you should be able to kill the engine by leaning out the idle mixture screw, and also by richening it up excessively. IF you can not kill the engine my turning the idle mixture screw all the way in, one of 3 things is happening, the throttle plate is opened too far, or your idle mixture passage is damaged or worn, or your choke is staying partially on. If you cannot kill the engine by turning the idle mixture screw all the way out, you either have too small of a pilot jet, or you have a blockage in the pilot/idle circuit. at mid speed you are having a lean condition, bogging aor slow acceleration, your off idle jets are too small, or your off idle ports are blocked. If at mid throttle you have a rich condition (bogging, sputtering) your off idle passages are worn, or your off idle jets are too large. If at WOT (wide open throttle, you are too lean, (screaming rpms, you have too small of main jets, or they are restricted, or your high speed mixture screws are set to lean. If your engine is loading up at wot, your jetting is too large, or your high speed mixture screw is too rich.
Air, if your engine is loading up not due to carb problems, your air filter is too restrictive, clean or replace. A bad air filter with no filtering ability left can also lean out an engine,
Compression. On a 2 stroke, do you have both primary and secondary compression in acceptable ranges?
Time. On a 2 stroke the only time that matters is ignition time, make sure the flywheel key is not sheared, and your coil plug is parking at manufacturers specified time before top dead center.
Now that all that is out of the way, check all impulse and fuel lines, (which you did) it sounds to me like a carb problem, but do a pressure/vac test to be sure. I have had brand new carbs fail too, someone here will help you figure it out.
 
Tickhound, thank you! That's an awesome response. I'll check out as much of that as I can. I'm gonna check the carb, wiring, grounds and flywheel key first thing tomorrow and go from there. I wanna check the crankcase seals since I already have a set at home, but don't know how to test them. And can't find anything online about them. Does anyone know how to test the crankcase seals for leaks? That would help alot if someone could explain that process
 
To check crankcase seals, and your entire engine for leaks. Remove flywheel, clutch sparkplug, carburetor and muffler. Trace exhaust gasket on a piece of tire inner tube. Cut it out, replace the gasket with your piece of rubber, reinstall muffler. Do the same with carb, make a piece of rubber to block off manifold. Reinstall carb. You are trying to block off exhaust and intake ports. Now you need to air up the engine through the spark plug hole. Some guys use adapters made from hollowed out spark plugs. Make it air tight. Pressurize the engine to 7 pounds. Use a hand pump airvcompressor or a mity vac. Should hold 7 pounds as you rotate the crankshaft. If it doesn't, use soapy water to spray cylinder base gasket, your spark plug adapter, the crank seals, the case gasket, and your rubber block off gaskets. If you see bubbles, you found your leak. Also spray the impulse line. 7 pounds of air, constant pressure. Bubbles. Pretty simple. If you need more help let me know.
 
Ok guys, pulled the top of the carb off today, there's only a diaphragm and metal cover, no gasket at all. The metering valve seems to b adjusted properly. It's level with the top of the carb using a straight edge. I did get the saw running a couple times now, I adjusted the carb a little on the L side to help it idle better. It'll set and idle for a couple minutes then just shuts off like someone hit the kill switch. Then it's really hard to get running again. It floods out as soon as I start pulling it a couple times. After taking out the spark plug and getting the excess fuel out it tries starting on the first of second pull as before. Usually once it fires it revs and immediately dies again.
 
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