Newb saw tuning help - please check my work

[Jim Timber]

Last night I cut the restrictors out of the transfer port covers on my 2166 thus making it a 2172. Today I busted out the carb adjusting restrictors, and then set the saw by ear (I'm roughly 1-7/8 turns out on H and about 2 on L: starting at 2-1/4 based on something I read here for stock setting). While I have a good ear for music, saws kinda sound like, well, saws to me. :help:

This is some old green ash. I was pushing the bar in, but not overly so. The chain probably could use a file too. I'll have to wait to go back up north before getting a decent log to chew on.

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[DSS]

You can't tune a saw in a stick that small. Wait till you get a good log and get it singing.

 

[Jim Timber]

How does it sound out of the cut though?

I set the low to where it started turning the chain and backed it out 1/4 turn. Then set the high to burble a bit at WOT. I know I can't load it with the little crap I have here, but I'm wondering how it sounds otherwise?

I've got a nice 18" red oak that's been down for about 2 months waiting for her up north.

 

[mdavlee]

To me it sounds super rich. I would think 1.5 turns would be max it would need without porting. My xpw is only 1 1/4 turns out and it's ported/cut squish band/muffler modded. When you get a bigger piece of wood you'll know more about if it's tuned right. It sounds like it can't clean up at all in the wood.

 

[Jim Timber]

I might have a line on a good sized log from a neighbor. Hopefully it's not all cored from rot.

The saw was set to max rich on the H from my shop. It's only probably seen a little over a gallon of gas from new, so that might have something to do with it. I'll have to do some more listening on youtube and see if I can learn the sounds I'm supposed to be hearing.

Thanks for the help.

 

[VikingDrive]

Let me be the first one to say J-T, I appreciate your enthusiasm. Keep up the good work. You have a good saw.

 

[Jim Timber]

My dad pretty much nailed it 20 years ago - I can't leave anything stock. :msp_biggrin:

When I find things that interest me, I dig in and learn all I can about them. Little thumpers are no different. My atv is modded, my truck is modded, most of my machines are modded, it's only fitting that I start modding my saws. I'm serious about the restraint needed to keep from porting it last night. It was darn tempting, but I didn't want to go balls out before understanding the basics.

 

[VikingDrive]

My dad pretty much nailed it 20 years ago - I can't leave anything stock. :msp_biggrin:

When I find things that interest me, I dig in and learn all I can about them. Little thumpers are no different. My atv is modded, my truck is modded, most of my machines are modded, it's only fitting that I start modding my saws. I'm serious about the restraint needed to keep from porting it last night. It was darn tempting, but I didn't want to go balls out before understanding the basics.

Understood. You are going the right direction. And those Jonsered are a fine piece of work. I introduced a retired dentist to deer hunting awhile back and he gave me boxes full of his pneumatic drills and equipment. I'm in the process of upgrading myself. Good luck JT.

 

[VikingDrive]

My dad pretty much nailed it 20 years ago - I can't leave anything stock. :msp_biggrin:

When I find things that interest me, I dig in and learn all I can about them. Little thumpers are no different. My atv is modded, my truck is modded, most of my machines are modded, it's only fitting that I start modding my saws. I'm serious about the restraint needed to keep from porting it last night. It was darn tempting, but I didn't want to go balls out before understanding the basics.

Do it balls in. Unless you live in the country.

Hahahahahahahahaha!

 

[watsonr]

It's to rich, even a stick that small should clean it as soon as it touches down.

 

[Jim Timber]

Ok, I cut some biscuits in 18 month old 13" black ash. I can't get it to stop making "bliping" noises even shoving it in the wood. It's either too lean and dies out, or cuts like mad and still makes a couple of those while powering through. Is this just my limited coil being itself? It's always done this.

I'm going to bring it in monday and see if my shop will loan me a tach.

My echo on the other hand, runs awesome since the cat-delete.

 

[hoeyrd2110]

If the screws are that touchy chances are the metering lever isn't adjusted right. Which a lot of new saws have a problem with. They should have a nice smooth sweep from just over rich to dead on usually withing half a turn.

 

[mdavlee]

Set the screws to 1 1/4 and then see if it will clean up in the wood. It's hard to get it tuned optimally with the limited coil with any kind of mods. I would recommend an unlimited coil for it and then tune by ear.

 

[Jim Timber]

I'm pretty close to 1-1/4 on H, not sure where L ended up. It climbs revs quick and sounds good in the cut, but it still won't cleanly purr in the log or out of it for that matter. It sounds like it's bouncing off the limiter.

Where's the best place to get a coil for it?

 

[mdavlee]

I usually buy them off ebay used. Baileys sells an aftermarket that works good also. A new OEM coil is about $80 if I remember right from baileys.

 

[Jim Timber]

I'll try to get another video tomorrow cutting oak.

 

[angelo c]

Guys,
Help me understand this better. I thought the purpose of tuning "in the cut" was to limit the effect of the limited coil ? if the coil is limited at say 12.5 and the saw can turn 12.5 in the wood...there ain't no reason to tune it( or mod it in any way) is there ???? J/K

Unless I missed the emails...then tuning in the wood, under load, is usually done at less then "max rpm"... sorry ifn I'm missing the key points here. Hope I'm helping someone else grasp this too.. I use a tach sometimes too but mostly by ear on the woodpile.

 

[mdavlee]

If you can tune in the wood that works fine. It seems he's having trouble getting it tuned correctly with the limited coil even in the wood. The easiest way to tune for me is out of the wood by ear and then reference it with a tach. This is for saws with unlimited coils and modded.

 

[hoeyrd2110]

does the 2172 have the same part # for a coil as your saw? if so then the rpm limit would be the same. so if it is, in the wood it should tune just like a stock 2172. if the part #'s match between the saws then something else is out of wack IMO

 

[Jim Timber]

The red oak I have is maybe 3 months old, and varies from 12 to 18". Chain is sharp, chips look good. Maybe that ash just wasn't enough load.