Poulan Pro PP5020 Won't Start! Need Help!!

[JeffandTamara]

Hello All! I am looking for suggestions... I have a very lightly used Poulan Pro PP5020. Was using it yesterday when it just wouldn't stay running then quit and so far I have not been able to get even a "Pop" out of it. It is getting good spark, i have put gas in the plug and also sprayed starting fluid into the choke and throttle hole. Nothing.. I checked the compression, it is about 130 which I guess is on the low side, added some oil down the spark plug hole and got about 150. I looked through the exhaust port and the piston looks essentially brand new, no scoring or burnish, just bright aluminum color with the factory milling very visible on the piston. No Leaks on the gas lines and the primer pump works just as it should and i can see the gas moving through the lines.
Any ideas on what I should try next... My arm hurts from pulling on the dang thing.

 

[edisto]

Hello All! I am looking for suggestions... I have a very lightly used Poulan Pro PP5020. Was using it yesterday when it just wouldn't stay running then quit and so far I have not been able to get even a "Pop" out of it. It is getting good spark, i have put gas in the plug and also sprayed starting fluid into the choke and throttle hole. Nothing.. I checked the compression, it is about 130 which I guess is on the low side, added some oil down the spark plug hole and got about 150. I looked through the exhaust port and the piston looks essentially brand new, no scoring or burnish, just bright aluminum color with the factory milling very visible on the piston. No Leaks on the gas lines and the primer pump works just as it should and i can see the gas moving through the lines.
Any ideas on what I should try next... My arm hurts from pulling on the dang thing.

Starting fluid is a bad idea...if you can get it to pop by putting some fuel into the carb, you likely just need to take the carb apart and clean it. I use "Gum Out" choke cleaner to blow out the passages. Just make sure to screw in the adjustment screws, keeping track of the number of turns, before you remove them, so you'll know where to start with them when you put it back together. I usually scribe the number of turns on to the metering plate.

 

[Marine-piper]

So did you follow the starting instructions correctly or just wing it? The new saws have the carb set so low that if you don't follow the instructions properly it will flood easily and won't start. I have such a hard time with the new style carbs.

I do believe that the carb will have the restriction or limiter caps so you won't be able to remove the needles w/o removing all the pieces first.


Homelite enthusiast in training [emoji879]

 

[Jasonrkba]

Make sure the fuel filter did not fall/break off. And that the chain brake is not on.

 

[JeffandTamara]

So I have put gas directly in the spark plug hole and also down the choke and throttle butterfly. So far no signs of a pop to try to start. The plug shows slightly damp. My first thought was a broken fuel line or an air leak somewhere, but so far everything looks tight and because the primer takes fuel to the carb, I don’t think the fuel filter would be a Likely suspect. I Have used use compressed air to dry out out the spark plug hole and plug to make sure it is not flooded.
I am still lost for ideas to try next…

 

[Jasonrkba]

Pull the flywheel and check the key

 

[JeffandTamara]

That would say timing is off. Kind of makes sense, I guess? Not sure how to pull the flywheel...is it on the Starter pull recoil side?... I haven't ventured in there.... Is this something that happens, I have never heard of it on a 2-Cycle before??

 

[Jasonrkba]

It happens. Starter side. Use an impact to get the nut off, put it back on flush with the end of the crank. Tap it with a hammer while lifting on the flywheel. Watch a YouTube tube video, that should illustrate what im trying to say.

 

[s sidewall]

Some of those don't have a sperate key, some have the key milled into the flywheel.

Steve from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

 

[MacAttack]

Edit: I had missed several posts before I added my comment.

Now I would also suggest it's possibly just very flooded, pull the plug, tip it so the spark plug hole is down, pull over briskly and see if gas spurts out.
Put plug back in, hold throttle wide open, no choke, see if it wants to fire.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

I would suspect severe flooding.
My brother had the same saw that he said would not start.
1st, he wasn't using the right procedure, 2nd he pulled the starter too many times with the choke on.
Go through the procedure for un-flooding the saw before you pull it apart and make sure the air filter is clean

 

[Old2stroke]

I have worked on a number on these saws and your compression is right in the ball park. They are real easy to flood and when they are flooded, the best way to fix is to take the muffler off and hold the saw with the exhaust port down and pull it over a lot (spark plug out and ignition OFF) until the piston is dry. If you are sure it isn't flooded, suspect the coil. The coil is mounted right on the cylinder and this is the WORST place for it, as it runs too hot and heat is the enemy of the semiconductors in the module. A few coils have stopped producing good spark at low rpm cranking speed but will still spark if you get the engine really whizzing over, others will show good spark in air but not under compression in the engine. I have tried 2 AM coils from China and they both had the same fault, the timing was retarded 15 deg compared to the OEM module and wouldn't even fire the engine. The OEM module is twice the cost of the AM ones but it's the only one to get. The flywheel key is cast into the flywheel and I have not seen any stripped. A simple test is to run the piston to TDC and check the position of the flywheel, if the two magnets are lined up with the legs of the coil just before the piston comes to TDC (rotating in the right direction) the timing is probably not an issue. The PR5020 and the PP4818 all use the same coil but I don't believe any of the other Poulans do.
Probably not related, but I have found 2 of these saws with the carb REALY loose because nuts were never properly tightened.

 

[Jasonrkba]

It has been super hot outside so coil or plug would be suspect but he stated good spark but maybe not good enough. Its my understanding it died mid cut?

 

[GeorgiaVol]

A clogged air filter would cause it to run rich and eventually flood making restarting difficult especially if the choke was used again and various sprays are introduced.
Coil could very well be bad, but I would clean the air filter and make sure it isn't flooded 1st.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[JeffandTamara]

Thanks everyone! The air filter was a little dirty, so I did clean it..No help, The spark was a bright blue, I thought would be good enough to give a pop. I have stored the saw with the spark plug out in the shop, which is 95+ degrees in there today. Hopefully if any hint of flooding world have evaporated by now.
When i get home from work i will try again. I am leaning towards the broke key. Just don’t seem to be as hard to pull as I remembered. Since it did start up and run for 15 minutes or so before it shut down, I think I could rule out a stuck ring?? But the compression did come up a bit when I added some motor oil…. I have a twenty year old green Pouland that I have replaced everything on the carburetor side twice, and that thing I could at least make it pop no matter how bad the thing got flooded….????

 

[Jeff Lary]

Are you sure the fuel you used was 2 stroke / mixed gas and oil ? I know that may not sound like much help but that happens a lot.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the spark is bright blue but the saw won't even pop with fresh fuel, the most likely problem is either flooded or a compression issue, correct.
It could be out of timing, but that is far less likely.

 

[MacAttack]

Just trying to be helpful but letting it sit is not enough to clear a badly flooded saw. I've been through this as well as a guy on here a few months ago. The fuel will pool down in the crankcase and not easily evaporate. You need to flip it over with the plug out and pull it over like crazy until gas stops spattering out.
I bet the metering needle or diaphragm caused it to flood while running.

 

[JeffandTamara]

I am hoping that the being flooded is the problem. This saw doesn’t look like it would be easy to work on. So it has been nearly three days with the plug out so I am hoping the excess fuel has evaporated, but if not I will try the upside down crank to see if I can get it to pop a little.
will report back tonight. If I had a clue how to do it I would try to post a video how things go, but way out of my knowledge base

 

[JeffandTamara]

Update: I tried the upside down pulling the starter with the sparkplug removed. I was amazed at how much gas came out even after setting in the garage for 3 days with the plug out and the muffler off. So I was hopeful that indeed I was going to find a flooded carburetor was the problem. So with more hope than I had in a while, I put everything back together, and Yanked the started cord. to my surprise, the cord would not retract. I am not sure why, I took the starter side off again and wound up the cord and it was sticking, but I was able to free it up with it off the saw. It would retract repeatedly like I thought it should off the saw. I Put it back on the saw and the started cord would not retract again. So try again. With same results. Any ideas to solve the non-retract starter cord problem? I have lubed everything I know, and it works good off the saw???? This Poulan is getting the best of me!!