My two Stihl 026 PRO's are the best small firewood saws that I have. Each one attempts to cut better than the other. I talked to both of them today and they agree. The title of this thread is not in their liking.
More Stihl 026 woes
- Thread starter norry
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norry
ArboristSite Lurker
Hahah! It's not to my liking, either, believe me. The computer guys apparently have a saying like "the problem is between the chair and keyboard", and I'm sure that's the problem with my 026 too. Thanks to all of you for helping me figure out how to get my 026 back to cutting wood.
You might want to look at piston clearance too. But the problem usually shows up at the skirt.
I'd keep the OEM jug and get one of the newer low cost OEM pistons. Check your jug they are marked A or B for P/C clearance, an A/B piston is a compromise that will fit both.
But if you had a couple of 036 pros the 026s wood stay home
I do have an 036 PRO and an MS 361. Both are really good saws, but weigh a pound or so more. Nowadays that means something to me, but you make a very good point.
Unless really small stuff I'll take an extra pound and 10cc bigger motor. The other thought is a 20" bar on the 036 does not make me bend over as much as the 16" on the 026.
bikemike
loud pipes save lives
One of stihls highest rpm saws stock 15000 no load
norry
ArboristSite Lurker
And, an update.
So when I put the Cabers in to test the gap, the gap looked great. I set them down, worked on something else, then looked down and found that my 2 piece set of rings had somehow become a 3 piece set of rings. Umm... That ain't right... I swear, if there's a way to break this saw, I will find it.
A new set of Cabers takes a week to get here from Greece. I want this thing cutting wood ASAP. And so I looked back onto the workbench, where my shiny new China piston and cylinder were still sitting. Hmm. More to the point, I'm not sure I got whatever problem killed it *last* time licked, and of the Mahle jug or the Hutzl jug, you can guess which one I'd rather sacrifice.
So I got myself talked into it, and last night "Operation Chinadoll" was completed. Today I went out to the gas station with the ethanol-free 89 octane and made a gallon of fresh 50:1 mix. Fired it up, adjusted the carb, and ... Interesting. It idles wonderfully, but will hardly rev at all. It doesn't stumble, it doesn't stall, it just idles a little higher when you pull the trigger. I'm guessing this means I moused up the carb when I rebuilt it? It's a WT194, if that helps. I did blow out every little passage I could find with a generous quantity of Toyota carb cleaner in a spray can. Or is that the problem, and there was a passage or two that I shouldn't have treated like that?
So when I put the Cabers in to test the gap, the gap looked great. I set them down, worked on something else, then looked down and found that my 2 piece set of rings had somehow become a 3 piece set of rings. Umm... That ain't right... I swear, if there's a way to break this saw, I will find it.
A new set of Cabers takes a week to get here from Greece. I want this thing cutting wood ASAP. And so I looked back onto the workbench, where my shiny new China piston and cylinder were still sitting. Hmm. More to the point, I'm not sure I got whatever problem killed it *last* time licked, and of the Mahle jug or the Hutzl jug, you can guess which one I'd rather sacrifice.
So I got myself talked into it, and last night "Operation Chinadoll" was completed. Today I went out to the gas station with the ethanol-free 89 octane and made a gallon of fresh 50:1 mix. Fired it up, adjusted the carb, and ... Interesting. It idles wonderfully, but will hardly rev at all. It doesn't stumble, it doesn't stall, it just idles a little higher when you pull the trigger. I'm guessing this means I moused up the carb when I rebuilt it? It's a WT194, if that helps. I did blow out every little passage I could find with a generous quantity of Toyota carb cleaner in a spray can. Or is that the problem, and there was a passage or two that I shouldn't have treated like that?
Sounds like fuel delivery problem. Carb screen clean? Fuel filter clean?
P.S. looking over the rings with a magnifying glass should be able to pick out the odd ring.
P.S. looking over the rings with a magnifying glass should be able to pick out the odd ring.
norry
ArboristSite Lurker
Yeah, that's my thought too. Pulling the carb apart now. Just in case it was a spark issue, I reset the gap on the ignition with a piece of card but it didn't change anything.
Magnifying glass would be a great trick, but the piece of ring I broke off was big enough that I didn't need it. I'm becoming a real expert in breaking this poor saw.
Magnifying glass would be a great trick, but the piece of ring I broke off was big enough that I didn't need it. I'm becoming a real expert in breaking this poor saw.
norry
ArboristSite Lurker
Grr. Carb screen is clean. Fuel filter is clean. Carb looks OK.
Now it's back to start, rev (sort of), die.
Now it's back to start, rev (sort of), die.
I think you've got a gasket/diaphragm in the wrong order perhaps.
More than one of those wt194 carbs were bad from the factory. They wont tune, they scream and then they go rich and blubber. Drive you crazy and nothing short of a new carb will fix them. If its going lean on the tune, that could be what happened your piston.
More than one of those wt194 carbs were bad from the factory. They wont tune, they scream and then they go rich and blubber. Drive you crazy and nothing short of a new carb will fix them. If its going lean on the tune, that could be what happened your piston.
norry
ArboristSite Lurker
I will say the carb seemed to work well for the first year I had the saw. Idled OK, plenty of power, cut well. As far as the gaskets and diaphragms, they're in the order that I found on other postings on AS. On the pump side, it's main body, diaphragm, gasket, cover. On the metering side, it's main body, gasket, diaphragm, cover.
Hmm, one other clue I forgot to mention. After rebuilding the saw, I noticed that the oiler does a lot more than it used to. It seems like it's working overtime. I don't think this is the adjustable oiler, which makes me kinda curious why it's putting out so much more oil than it had. I wonder if that has to do with my problems here?
Just pulled the muffler. Cylinder looks OK for the most part, although there's starting to be a bit of scratching. I'm new to 2 strokes and kinda pulling my hair out. I will gladly order a carb if that seems likely to fix it, although I'm really starting to get exasperated (sp?) with this project. I'm used to working on car engines, so I'm not entirely new to mechanical stuff, but this is the first time I've ever messed with a 2 stroke and it feels like it's entirely different.
bikemike
loud pipes save lives
Hey post a vid of you doing start up warm up and rev. It may help us help you
Roll Tide
Trolltide
Make sure the choke flap in the air filter is operating correctly I had one that would idle fine and then load up when I gave it gas. It turned out the choke wasn't opening up in the air filter.
norry
ArboristSite Lurker
OK, time for another update.
Roll Tide, I tried your tip but it seems to be working fine.
I ended up ordering a new WT-194-1. It feels different from my old one (like there's a bit of resistance when I turn the adjustment screws, and I can't rotate the barb fitting that accepts the fuel hose) but it still idles, won't rev, and dies.
It feels to me like it's not getting fuel. But why should it fail to get fuel? The fuel line is new, the fuel filter looks good (I even briefly tried using it with no filter just to be sure this wasn't the problem - no change), nothing looks crimped.
Video of what's happening, as bikemike suggested:
Thanks in advance!
Roll Tide, I tried your tip but it seems to be working fine.
I ended up ordering a new WT-194-1. It feels different from my old one (like there's a bit of resistance when I turn the adjustment screws, and I can't rotate the barb fitting that accepts the fuel hose) but it still idles, won't rev, and dies.
It feels to me like it's not getting fuel. But why should it fail to get fuel? The fuel line is new, the fuel filter looks good (I even briefly tried using it with no filter just to be sure this wasn't the problem - no change), nothing looks crimped.
Video of what's happening, as bikemike suggested:
Thanks in advance!
SteveSS
Addicted to ArboristSite
Sounds a lot like when the chain brake is applied.
Roll Tide
Trolltide
Take the air fitler off and try it.
Stihlofadeal64
Addicted to ArboristSite
Very possible. Easy to miss in the midst of handling/testing. How did you tune the carb? If it is starving for fuel there is a reason.
Where is the H needle? (The carb may need to be tweaked)
