It's been said before - check the little things first ..... Stihl 029

[dswensen]

I know it's been said often, but I got a great reminder last night.

Check the little things first.

I picked up an 029 yesterday that is in really good shape. I got it cheap.

Owner said it had fuel problems, and even gave me a new fuel line he couldn't figure out how to install.

Symptoms were that it would start, but wouldn't stay running - not even long enough to throttle up. I was preparing myself for carb problems.

Did my usual - check for spark and compression (even though it would start), and then pulled the muffler to find a pristine piston and cylinder. Went to put the muffler back on and noticed a spark screen more badly clogged than I have ever seen before. To clean it, I used a torch to burn away the soot and oil. Once lit, the screen burned by itself for about a minute. Smoked up the shop pretty good!

Cleaned the remaining residue and ash off the spark screen with a wire bush, put it back together, and it runs beautifully now.

I get this lesson over and over again when working on small engines; don't start tearing into the hard stuff until you check the easy and little stuff first!!!

 

[scottr]

I know it's been said often, but I got a great reminder last night. Check the little things first.

I picked up an 029 yesterday that is in really good shape. I got it cheap.

Owner said it had fuel problems, and even gave me a new fuel line he couldn't figure out how to install.

Symptoms were that it would start, but wouldn't stay running - not even long enough to throttle up. I was preparing myself for carb problems.

Did my usual - check for spark and compression (even though it would start), and then pulled the muffler to find a pristine piston and cylinder. Went to put the muffler back on and notice a spark screen more badly clogged than I have ever seen before. To clean it, I used a torch to burn away the soot and oil. Once lit, the screen burned by itself for about a minute. Smoked up the shop pretty good!

Cleaned the remaining residue and ash off the spark screen with a wire bush, put it back together, and it runs beautifully now.

I get this lesson over and over again - when working on small engines, don't start tearing into the hard stuff until you check the easy and little stuff first!!!

Years ago what you just described was called the 'KISS' (keep it simple stupid) method of trouble shooting a problem .

 

[cus_deluxe]

Haha almost as good as the time i put a carb kit in a "non-running" 192t that the owner had tried everything he knew how to do. Carb kit replaced, still wouldnt start. Then checked fuel....added fuel....ran great...

 

[1Alpha1]

If that saw had been taken to a dealer, they most likely would have started by replacing the carb. Then, if the problem persisted, they would have proceeded on to a new piston and cylinder.

If that didn't work, they would have told the saw owner it wasn't worth fixing, and to just buy a new saw.

 

[hotshot]

Sometimes it's even smaller than that, like out of gas or the off/on switch is off, LOL

 

[rynosawr]

If that saw had been taken to a dealer, they most likely would have started by replacing the carb. Then, if the problem persisted, they would have proceeded to a new piston and cylinder.

If that didn't work, they would have told the saw owner it wasn't worth fixing, and to just buy a new saw.

This is so rediculous......



But so very true.


I don't know how many saws I have picked up from saw shops where they had a tag on them that said "scrap" and after figuring things out, it may have been needing something as little as a carb kit, fuel line and impulse hose... or just a good cleaning for the ignition module and clutch.....

I feel sorry for the saw owners when they are told things by a shop like " it isn't worth fixing" when it ends up being something stupid simple.


I too have learned to check the spark screen first, pull muffler to check piston and cylinder, check fuel filter and fill with mix, install good new spark plug, check spark, then see if it will pop. Sometimes I will clean it fully and go ahead with a carb rebuild anyways before even trying it, as it seems this darn ethanol fuel kills every carb diaphragm I have seen on any used saw.

 

[1Alpha1]

Sometimes it's even smaller than that, like out of gas or the off/on switch is off, LOL

Funny but true story. Back in 2009 or so, a fellow officer, much younger than me, decided that he wanted to buy a sport-bike. His motorcycle experience was limited, so he came to me for some advice.

After a few days of discussion, he purchased a brand-new Honda CBR-600R. The day he purchased it, he asked me if he could come and pick me up, go the dealer with him, and then ride it back to his house for him? I said I would.

Things went well for about a month or so. Then, one day, he called my cell phone while I was on-duty, and said that he was out riding, had stopped for lunch, and now his bike won't start. I told him to give me a few minutes and I would drop by where he was at.

I arrived and asked him a few questions. I then looked the bike over and saw that he had turned it off with the kill switch, instead of the key. I didn't let on immediately and decided to mess with him a bit. I made him worry some and then told him what was wrong. The look on his face was priceless. He got as red in the face as I've ever seen. He turned away from me, walked a few feet and began swearing to himself.

He asked that I never tell anyone about what had happened. I told him that consequences in life always come with a price. He looked at me with great apprehension. He then said.....What's it gonna cost me?"

I told him dinner out for me and the wife. I mentioned a favorite local steak house and that a gift card for $35.00 should do it. Initially, I was just kidding. He said okay and didn't have a problem with it. I thought that he was kidding.

About a week later, a gift card for the steak house showed up in my in-box at work.

 

[Okie]

I was walking through a auto mechanics shop awhile back and one of the younger guys hollered at me and said hey you come here. (he knew I ran Stihl chainsaws and worked on my own saws) but I would not touch theirs due to having to give them a lifetime warranty.
What is wrong with this Stihl chainsaw, runs good for little while, starts losing power, eventually won't idle and won't start until it cools off. We (more than one guy flogging the saw) have installed carb kit, new carb, fuel lines, and we have just gave up.

I started the saw outside the shop and throttled the saw. I said the exhaust does not sound correct. Check the spark arrestor and muffler outlet.
I handed it back to him and left. He called me couple hours later and said the spark arrestor screen was clogged up. All ok now. I said Grasshopper, tell them other guys that had been flogging it that he fixed it and it was the spark plug. He was the youngest mechanic of the bunch.

 

[alderman]

Just got a used brush cutter. It was running great and then shut itself down.
I could get it to idle but it wouldn't throttle up.
Left it for the night and next morning I couldn't get it to fire.
I would almost bet it was a carb issue, but when I finally got around to checking for spark and finding none, I found a loose electrical connection.
Tightened it up and its running great again.
I've been caught on the plugged spark screen enough to where it is one of the first things I check of things go South.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wood Doctor]

I've had three saws brought in this year that would not start easily. The spark plug was loose on all three. The owner replaced the plug and never tightened it down.

One guy told me that his new chain refused to cut wood. He had it mounted on backwards. The list goes on and on.

 

[1Alpha1]

I remove the spark arrestors in all my O P E. That's one of the very first things I do when I buy new equipment.

I also check for proper torque on the sparkplugs when I buy new equip. and get it home. It doesn't happen all that much (loose plug) but I has happened. Not all the equip. I buy is started / prepped at the dealer.

 

[dswensen]

I was walking through a auto mechanics shop awhile back and one of the younger guys hollered at me and said hey you come here. (he knew I ran Stihl chainsaws and worked on my own saws) but I would not touch theirs due to having to give them a lifetime warranty.
What is wrong with this Stihl chainsaw, runs good for little while, starts losing power, eventually won't idle and won't start until it cools off. We (more than one guy flogging the saw) have installed carb kit, new carb, fuel lines, and we have just gave up.

I started the saw outside the shop and throttled the saw. I said the exhaust does not sound correct. Check the spark arrestor and muffler outlet.
I handed it back to him and left. He called me couple hours later and said the spark arrestor screen was clogged up. All ok now. I said Grasshopper, tell them other guys that had been flogging it that he fixed it and it was the spark plug. He was the youngest mechanic of the bunch.

I should have known that the muffler didn't sound right even when it I was pulling it to get it started. I noticed the weird tinny/hollow sound, but it didn't register right away.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I should have known that the muffler didn't sound right even when it I was pulling it to get it started. I noticed the weird tinny/hollow sound, but it didn't register right away.

Muffler spark screens on Stihl string trimmers clog up on a rather regular basis and shut the engine down. It's a major problem that Stihl knows about. Dealers are well aware of it but owners have not been advised unless they take the trimmer back to the dealer. Then they find out.

On the other hand, I've never seen this happen on a Stihl chain saw. Usually the heat burns out the junk that clogs up the muffler's spark screen. Stihl saws will run for years without a major muffler spark screen blockage.

 

[dswensen]

Muffler spark screens on Stihl string trimmers clog up on a rather regular basis and shut the engine down. It's a major problem that Stihl knows about. Dealers are well aware of it but owners have not been advised unless they take the trimmer back to the dealer. Then they find out.

On the other hand, I've never seen this happen on a Stihl chain saw. Usually the heat burns out the junk that clogs up the muffler's spark screen. Stihl saws will run for years without a major muffler spark screen blockage.

I agree; that has been my experience too. Maybe the fact that this muffler dripped with black oily goo might be an indicator as to why ....

 

[Deleted member 149229]

I know it's been said often, but I got a great reminder last night.

Check the little things first.

I picked up an 029 yesterday that is in really good shape. I got it cheap.

Owner said it had fuel problems, and even gave me a new fuel line he couldn't figure out how to install.

Symptoms were that it would start, but wouldn't stay running - not even long enough to throttle up. I was preparing myself for carb problems.

Did my usual - check for spark and compression (even though it would start), and then pulled the muffler to find a pristine piston and cylinder. Went to put the muffler back on and noticed a spark screen more badly clogged than I have ever seen before. To clean it, I used a torch to burn away the soot and oil. Once lit, the screen burned by itself for about a minute. Smoked up the shop pretty good!

Cleaned the remaining residue and ash off the spark screen with a wire bush, put it back together, and it runs beautifully now.

I get this lesson over and over again when working on small engines; don't start tearing into the hard stuff until you check the easy and little stuff first!!!

Stopped at my buddy's one day and he was pulling his hair out. Mice had chewed the wiring on his quad and one headlight wouldn't work. He was trying to find the bare wire. I asked if he checked to see if the bulb was good. HERE'S YOUR SIGN.

 

[Yukon Stihl]

Muffler spark screens on Stihl string trimmers clog up on a rather regular basis and shut the engine down. It's a major problem that Stihl knows about. Dealers are well aware of it but owners have not been advised unless they take the trimmer back to the dealer. Then they find out.

On the other hand, I've never seen this happen on a Stihl chain saw. Usually the heat burns out the junk that clogs up the muffler's spark screen. Stihl saws will run for years without a major muffler spark screen blockage.

Got a nice Stihl trimmer at the dump this winter,came complete with new plug,full tank and plugged screen.Still shiny and full of string as well.

 

[rd35]

Buddy at work asks me if I want an old chainsaw. Says the throttle doesn't work right and when it runs for a bit it dies and won't start for about an hour. I said, "Sure". So, next day he pulls into the parking lot at work, opens his trunk, and pulls out a nice looking old......036 Pro! So, I say, "this is a nice saw...sure you want to give it away?" He says, "its junk...won't run reliably and the throttle is all screwed up....take it...it's yours now cause I just bought me a new saw" So, I take it home, disassemble the rear handle top (that was not installed proper) and reassemble correct...throttle good! Fill it with gas (it was empty...wooo hooo), pull the rope, running! Do a test cut (yes, it had a 20" Stihl bar and chain as well) and then it dies! Wait a minute, fires right up....for about 10 seconds and dies, pull, pull, pull nothing. Wait a minute, pull running. 5 seconds later dies like I hit the kill switch. New Spark Plug! Runs and cuts like a monster now! Wow what a saw, I love it!!!

 

[user 122190]

Good Story!!! I believe there is lots of deals out there. Owners to lazy/busy to try and fix it and to lazy/busy to list it for sale. Just check the online bulletin boards and a deal or two will come your way.

 

[old guy]

I bought a 353 husky for $90, guy said it had no spark, probly needs a coil.
As soon as I got the top cover off I saw the problem, the wire to the side of the kill switch was bent 90 degrees touching the other contact.
I straightened it up and fired up the saw.

 

[rd35]

Had a guy bring me a nice looking 350 Husky to look at for him. Said it had no spark. Turns out the plug wire was rubbing a cooling fin and was worn through. I installed 4 layers of electrical rated heat shrink tubing on it! Good to go. Now it won't wear through near as fast!