I picked up an older Stihl 026 "red master control switch" in really nice condition. Compression is good and the cylinder and piston look to be in very good condition. After starting it, it takes a few seconds to go to idle and at full throttle, it seems to be dieseling. Adjusting the carburetor or rather trying to fine tune it isn't giving the results I would hope to get. I'm thinking air leak but I can see that the carburetor looks to be after market and the air filter definitely is. Any suggestions before I start spending money and my time?
Stihl 026
- Thread starter 94 wrangler
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I don't know what you mean by dieseling, but they aren't supposed to be "clean" with no load.
If it seems to take a while to come back down to idle turn your idle mixture richer, and adjust the idle speed accordingly so it doesn't cut off on you. They are sort of yin and yang.
SteveSr
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On a saw that old a pressure / vacuum test on the crankcase would be a good place to start. After that I would suspect the AM carb. A Walbro WT-194 would be a good carb for that saw.
AM air filters are also not recommended due to letting fines through. OEM should still be available.
They ran fine for years with metal screens for air filters.
Matter of fact I have an 056 OEM metal screen filter if anybody wants one.
Obviously, every problem ever encountered with a saw is an air leak or aftermarket carb.
Matter of fact I have an 056 OEM metal screen filter if anybody wants one.
Obviously, every problem ever encountered with a saw is an air leak or aftermarket carb.
By dieseling I mean at high RPM I can hear it sort of gurgle fuel and some raw fuel is present outside of the muffler. Adjusting the carb hasn't been a success and I own several other Stihls. One is a 026 Pro and I also have two 024's. I have never encountered a carb I could not adjust. I'll perform a leak down when I get time. I was just looking for something I may have over looked. Thanks for your suggestions.
Keep in mind that gurgling as in running rich is exactly the opposite of a symptom of an air leak.
You want the saw rpm limited by the excess fuel including that max rpm burble from excess fuel, it should go away and run like a scalded dog once the chain touches wood. If it burbles when cutting its a touch too rich.
Thanks. As soon as the weather breaks, I have a couple trees that need cut and I'll see how it performs.
Thanks. I didn't think of it that way but it certainly makes sense. As soon as the weather breaks, I'll go try it out.
Will do. Thanks!
Yes it is. Every saw that has came in with those on has been cured by either new OEM parts or reinstalling the original parts and fixing an air leak. We did not get that attitude without experience.
I’m surprised you work on em’. The Stihl shop (Ace) here doesn’t. Too old and they haven’t got time for them. They actually laughed at my friend when he asked them to get his 031AV running.”It’s got points!” They told him. He said he knew that, and that’s why he’s there. I wound up fixing the saw and trading him out of it. I like walking around there and looking at all the nice new stuff. But it has gotten to be a chore if I have to go to the counter because I rarely achieve my mission. Either purchasing parts or buying a machine in the box. They used to be great (parts) but they’ve never been accommodating when it came to buying a machine. They actually backed out of a deal a salesman made with me in the store on a saw. Put their feet down and told me he gave me the wrong price. No sale. I said you are correct and went to another Ace and ordered the saw from them and they even agreed to leave it in the box, no set up.
Sorry about the rant. You should keep up the good work. Thanks
I have repaired quite a few air leaks and to this day have never needed to test for one.
And, I have no choice but to use OEM parts on store customer saws. People bring things to my house I do it as cheap as I can. The way it works in practice stuff I fix at home has a life time warranty.
Guy brought an 066 back that I had rebuilt, crankshaft, bearings and all seven years ago. Guess what . Needed a carburetor. Put another on and didn't even charge for it. Probably $15
I can buy at Stihl Elite cost plus 10% and I still use aftermarket on my own stuff.
Aftermarket carbs work fine for me. I may throw away one out of five at most. Have probably bought 50 , maybe 75 over the last 10 years.
I have likely replaced at least 50 OEM carbs at the store in the past year.
Like they are perfect or something.
I am over 50% of AM parts not working. I probably work on things I shouldn't. Just have to be careful as to cost. As for the old stuff, that is where I started.
As to the air and vacuum test, I see it as my insurance the bottom end is tight. One less thing to cause an issue. It is just part of a diagnosis and repair now. Too many times got bitten without doing it. Newer saws can be be done in 10 minutes. Sometimes the manufacturer knows what they are saying.
As to the air and vacuum test, I see it as my insurance the bottom end is tight. One less thing to cause an issue. It is just part of a diagnosis and repair now. Too many times got bitten without doing it. Newer saws can be be done in 10 minutes. Sometimes the manufacturer knows what they are saying.
Nope OEM carbs are not perfect when corroded. That is what most are replaced for. Put on a new OEM carb and usually do not need to adjust it. Saw runs like new. Most cost effective repair. Less labor and better results for the customer.
My experience. Yours may vary. All I can tell you is what I experience in the shop.
My experience. Yours may vary. All I can tell you is what I experience in the shop.
When OEM sais ZAMA on it, you're still buying the same thing as aftermarket. You're just buying it from a dealer and paying orange and white prices for it.
I know they are better. But, list price on an OEM carb for a BR550,600,700 is like $115 . BR 800 is $123.
Most of what I replace are the 2 cycle weed eaters and hand held blowers. They are about $45, so not too bad.
Replaced an 029 last week, think it was $80 something.
Nope stihl has there own factory in China where they can control quality. Knock offs are cheap copies that are hit and miss. Just from experience in the shop.
the aftermarket air filters dom't fit right to start with, had to alter the leaver on it so it would work right, at one point it was sucking in th flap which of course is not a good thing when you open the throttle up and also put new seals in it because of it's age- a iot of power for it'cc's now that I got it sorted out
AM air filters can be a issue on 026.
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