So I have this saw its hard to start without ether but when it starts it works pretty good, the issue is its hard to start, stalls when trying to idle, the clutch sticks to the chain so when I pull it the chain moves and once stopped the only way to get started is to hold it wide open and then it'll run. Hopefully someone can shed light on this issue.
Poulan Micro XXV
- Thread starter dumb321
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zogger
Tree Freak
Stop using ether, thoroughly clean and rebuild the carb using a carb kit, put new fuel line and filter, clean or replace the air filter, set the carb needles at one turn out for initial tuning.
And before you do all that, pull the muffler and take a good look at the piston and cylinder and make sure they aren't scored or trashed in anyway. If good, while the muffler is out, you can enlarge the baffle holes inside and burn any carbon buildup off the screen with a propane torch. You can then moderately enlarge the muffler exhaust opening on the can itself.
If you look up above in the "stickies" link, you'll find the general poulan thread. Wealth of info in there on old smaller poulan saws.
Always clean saw thoroughly on the outside before you start removing components. This helps in general terms and in specific terms will help avoid dropping dirt down into the crankcase.
And before you do all that, pull the muffler and take a good look at the piston and cylinder and make sure they aren't scored or trashed in anyway. If good, while the muffler is out, you can enlarge the baffle holes inside and burn any carbon buildup off the screen with a propane torch. You can then moderately enlarge the muffler exhaust opening on the can itself.
If you look up above in the "stickies" link, you'll find the general poulan thread. Wealth of info in there on old smaller poulan saws.
Always clean saw thoroughly on the outside before you start removing components. This helps in general terms and in specific terms will help avoid dropping dirt down into the crankcase.
Sounds like the clutch needs a little attention also. You'll have to take the sprocket off the clutch and see why it's engaged, might be rust on the inside of the clutch which can be sanded off or perhaps the clutch release spring is weak. It probably needs a new sprocket anyway so if you buy one buy the clutch also. Then it'll probably idle.
Ran into another issue, So I did the muffler mod worked quite well I am pleased. The saw always ran decent but would quit and not start till the next day. I tried a different spark plug, let it air out the cylinder. I think its the coil but I cannot find a replacement because its too old so what do I do?
zogger
Tree Freak
Run it until it quits, hot, immediately pull the plug, put the spark plug wire back on it, ground it to the cylinder head, and yank and see if you still have spark. Use a known, clean good, correctly gapped plug for the test.
With older saws, some parts NLA...do what the rest of us do SCROUNGE. Once you have a stash of scrounged up saw stuff, start swapping parts on the swap thread, swap, cash, it don't matter. Lot of guys use ebay as well for older parts, and some site sponsors carry old used parts. Accumulate parts saws. Anything. All of them, build up a stash. Eventually you'll have enough runners of different sizes it won't matter if a saw goes out on you one day, just grab another one, keep cutting, fix or part out the busted one at your leisure.
Like zogger said, buy parts saws and swap out parts. The Poulan micro/XXV/2000, etc. line of saws can routinely be found on eBay for $20-30/saw, plus shipping. Lots of the similar looking Craftsman saws are re-badged Poulans, too. To save money on shipping and get several parts saws, especially with that line of Poulans, you can often find a seller with several saws that will combine shipping if you buy more than one.
jammin_with_j
ArboristSite Operative
Like the others said, gets parts saw. Much cheaper buying parts saws sometimes then paying the same amount of money for individual parts on e-bay. The oilers can be rebuilt very easily. The clutch is hard to find, so if a parts saw come with one its probably the best bet on getting one. Very simple saw to break down, there are lots of threads on them here with instructions on how to replace fuel lines. I bought one just to play with and found a second for parts within a week for next to nothing. Good little saw to have around for the quick little jobs.
There's only a few makes of saws that old that you can't get parts for and the Micro XXV certainly isn't one of them. They made enough of those and the 25D saws to keep us in parts for a long time. Some of the Micro saw parts are still available at Sears, you just have to know the part number of the saw if it's a Craftsman. If it's a Poulan you have to know the Craftsman equivalent. Hint: the number will start with 358.
My dad has that olympyk 254 with a good coil..
eye.heart.trees
arborjunky
LOVE this idea, thanks a ton!!! I don't know what it is about it but I just love the line, hopefully the performance isn't super under-whelming (only thing to compare a top-handle to is my 25cc echo-clone, thing screams but the 25d/XXV is 1/3rd more displacement @33cc so figure it should be out-performing it!)
Will seek out more, now that I'm thinking of it like this I expect the current unit will end up a parts-unit and that I'll make my main unit off a 25d*A* (Automatic-oiler, instead of pressure-driven)
Got the sprocket/clutch assembly swapped, fuel lines/filter replaced and carb minimally cleaned, will be making its air-filter tomorrow and giving it a try
