Ok, quick one for you all. I have a 029 that for the first tank of gas will run great. After that I let the saw cool for about half an hour, half of the time I will start it up and it seems really boggy, it will run for a min then things will be fine. Sometimes it will run like a champ from the get go. Other times (again about half) I will finish a cut and let off of the gas and it will die. I can then start it no problem and then it might be boggy again for a min, once I get it up to full speed it will run fine again. One thing I noticed is that if I open the gas tank I hear a sound of air moving. I was thinking that maybe the gas cap is sealing the tank and not letting air in. I am making an asumption that it is a partial vented cap, lets air in and keeps gas from getting out, or am I wrong on this? I was thinking maybe when the saw warms up a little it only works part of the time. But like I said sometimes it will run like a champ and I will not have a problem with it. The spark plug seems clean and a dark brown, so I don't think the plug is fouling up. any help would be apricated.
Saw dies sometimes
- Thread starter vsteel
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treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
The 029 is not as well designed as a lot of the commercial saws. I think what happens with it (as well as many other saws/weedeaters/etc) is that the fuel boils in the line and the saw vapor-locks/starves for fuel. Setting it in full sun in the summer makes it worse. I found that when picking up a saw that has been sitting 5-20 minutes, I pump the primer bulb several times to flush the hot gas out of the fuel line and replace it with cooler fuel from the tank. Sometimes I have to crack the gas cap and retighten it to release the built up pressure. I learned that trick 15 years ago and it seems to work on most 2-cycle engines that have a primer bulb.
TonyM
ArboristSite Guru
I had an 029 for a while. It did exactly the same thing. As soon as you let off the gas after a cut it acted like it ran out of gas. I'd have to choke it to restart it, and then it would run fine for a while. I never noticed if heat was a factor, I just figured it might have something to do with the intellicarb feature. Let me know if you find anything.
HUSKYMAN
Addicted to ArboristSite
See how much it is for a new gas cap. Sounds like the vent is partially plugged or something. For five bucks (of course being a Stihl more like thirty bucks) it might be an easy fix.
formersawrep
ArboristSite Operative
Save the money on the new gas cap, it is a non-vented cap on the 029. You should try changing brands of gasoline. Even the same brand varies in alcohol content from station to station. "Stretching" (watering down with alcohol) is a common practice at some stations. The alcohol in the gas is what is causing you problems. Just try another name brand, it is a cheap possible fix.
HUSKYMAN
Addicted to ArboristSite
Now I am curious. If the cap is not vented what method do they use to vent it?
formersawrep
ArboristSite Operative
I thought you were the Huskyman? Husky's used a non-vented cap for years(I honestly don't know what they currently use) They used a tank vent that is on the drive side of the gas tank.
The Stihl 029 uses a vent in the top of the tank.
The Stihl 029 uses a vent in the top of the tank.
HUSKYMAN
Addicted to ArboristSite
My Huskies are so indestructible they have never had a fuel tank problem!
Darin
No Longer Here
When you take the air filter cover off, its the little tube with screws in it. The 029 had a recall a couple years ago with there fuel caps. They kept backing off and letting gas leak and some saws caught fire. This isnt a normal characteristic of the saw. I sold about 500 of them. I have seen other major problems with them, but not the one you speak of on a routine basis. The problem clears out eventually, as you run it, right?
This isnt a normal characteristic of the saw. I sold about 500 of them. I have seen other major problems with them, but not the one you speak of on a routine basis. The problem clears out eventually, as you run it, right?
Darin
No Longer Here
Huskyman, you must never had a 335xpt when it came out. They had major problems with the tank not venting. They now have a little white vent on the side of the saw, which the old ones didnt. The old 335xpt probably was the best saw, never tested before it was put into production. Husky did wrong in that they didnt buy all the old saws back and give new ones in return. I cost them a lot more in warranties. Sometimes its best to go back and then go forward again. Sorry, Husky, I have a lot more bad things happen in a warranty situation on Huskies than Stihl. Although in certain situations I think Husky is a better price point saw than Stihl. Like I would never sell a 029 over a 55 at the same price.
HUSKYMAN
Addicted to ArboristSite
They had some problems with venting on the new 357xp but caught it very early in the production run before very many units got out. maybe they learned a lesson on the 335
Darin, well it clears up to a certain extent, but after it bogs/stalls and I get it running again, it could happen again after the next cut or run fine for the rest of the tank of gas, or anywhere inbetween.
Being a bad scientist I am changing two variables at once, one is I am switching gas and the other is routing the fuel line to the float a little different. looking into the tank it lookes like the float might not be moving around like it should so I adjusted it a little so that the float would not hang up.
I am going cutting today so I will let you all know how it works out.
Being a bad scientist I am changing two variables at once, one is I am switching gas and the other is routing the fuel line to the float a little different. looking into the tank it lookes like the float might not be moving around like it should so I adjusted it a little so that the float would not hang up.
I am going cutting today so I will let you all know how it works out.
Darin
No Longer Here
How old of saw is it, I have had some with bad carbs? Sometimes if it is adjusted too rich, when you start it back up, I have had some flood out.
Good luck today
Good luck today
Well its a fairly new saw. I got it a couple of months ago. It doesn't flood out though, I need to hit the choke to get it started quickly after it stalls out.
Well I didn't get it fixed today, but I am getting closer, it only died on me a couple of times, and only after it gets hot. I am still trying to figure it out. I am begining to think that maybe either I need to try different gas again or that it is just getting to hot and it is boiling the gas in the carb, though I didn't think I was getting it that hot.
Just an FYI, my buddy has an 044 that he just go too and he got his gas at the same place that I did and he has never had a problem with it. I am just begining to think that I need to sell this one and just flop down the money for a 044 or 046, then I will never have to worry about this stuff again. (plus a bigger bar would be nice 28" or so)
Well I didn't get it fixed today, but I am getting closer, it only died on me a couple of times, and only after it gets hot. I am still trying to figure it out. I am begining to think that maybe either I need to try different gas again or that it is just getting to hot and it is boiling the gas in the carb, though I didn't think I was getting it that hot.
Just an FYI, my buddy has an 044 that he just go too and he got his gas at the same place that I did and he has never had a problem with it. I am just begining to think that I need to sell this one and just flop down the money for a 044 or 046, then I will never have to worry about this stuff again. (plus a bigger bar would be nice 28" or so)
Well the story continues. My buddy was talking to the regional manager of stihl for the north west (for a problem he had with his saw, the dealer messed it up) and he happened to mention my saw. The manager told him that those saws are what the forest service runs a lot of and they use them very hard on fires. The problems I am seeing are not a design problem and they shouldn't die. He said I should be able to run the hell out of the saw for 8 to 10 hours with no problems. I will be taking it back to the dealer and keeping you all informed.
sonny
ArboristSite Guru
Im sorry but I have been dealing in Stihl saws for over 30 yrs. Dont get me wrong im no expert, buttttttttt the 029 in in no way a8 to 10 hr. per day working saw. Maybe the forestry service works 8 to 10 hrs. per day. But the saw does not work that long.I dont care what kind of saw it is. I have never seen or heard of a saw or a man, that can run a saw for 8 to 10 hrs. per day.But then im in beatiful So. Cal. we need to take breaks to get our sun tans in.
hehehehe... Well I believe that he was refering to the fact that the saw should never die, not that it could be run 10 hours a day every day. He was also refering to when the forest service uses them on fires, those can get to be really long days.
I am sure though that the service life of a 029 run 10 hours a day every day would not be that long. (I don't use it nearly that much, more like 3 hours a week total running time)
I am sure though that the service life of a 029 run 10 hours a day every day would not be that long. (I don't use it nearly that much, more like 3 hours a week total running time)
midmo
New Member
vsteel, I realize I'm jumping in late in the thread and you probably already remedied the situation. If not, it may just need a minor carb adjustment. If the saw is too lean it will cause hesitation and stall at idle. This sounds like what's happening in your case. If the carb is sending too much fuel, it will puddle below the cylinder and also kill the saw at idle. A good way to check is to start the saw and bring it to operating temperature. Then engage the chain brake and let the saw idle for 15 or 20 seconds. If it dies, it is probably too lean. If it continues to run, slowly turn the saw in different positions (roll over, nose down, nose up). If it stalls, it is probably getting too much fuel. My 029 was acting the same way and it was resolved after a tune-up at the local dealer.
Well I took it to the dealer and they just couldn't get it to do it. To have the problem you really have to run it hard for a bit. They tried and tried to get it to do it but with no luck. ( I have tried several adjustments on the carb with no help). When I take it up cutting again and if it still does it ( which I think it will as the dealer didn't do anything to it) they are just going to put a whole new carb into it. On a side note, it does act like how you describe the too rich condition, but to get it started it needs full choke to get it started easily. I am thinking it has somthing to do with the fuel pump/diaphram in the carb. I will let you know more as I know more.
treeclimber165
Member A.K.A Skwerl
I remember years ago when i had my lawn business (early '80's) and had just purchased a new Echo weedeater. At that time, Echo was tops in 2-cycle, Stihl wasn't too popular yet (in lawn equipment). Anyway, this was the 3rd or 4th weedeater of the same model that I had purchased over 5 years. I had it about 2 weeks, middle of August, mid-90's every day, and it acted exactly like your 029. 
I was so frustrated, I ended up parking it and stripping it for parts for my other weedeaters. I couldn't return it, cause it had 'fallen' against the side of a tree and the shaft was bent and the muffler cover was crushed. I ended up using the carb on another weedeater a few years later and it worked perfectly without any adjustments. I never even took it apart. Whatever made the origional weedeater run like that obviously wasn't the carb.
I was so frustrated, I ended up parking it and stripping it for parts for my other weedeaters. I couldn't return it, cause it had 'fallen' against the side of a tree and the shaft was bent and the muffler cover was crushed. I ended up using the carb on another weedeater a few years later and it worked perfectly without any adjustments. I never even took it apart. Whatever made the origional weedeater run like that obviously wasn't the carb.
