Stihl 044 not turning over

[lone wolf]

Thanks guys
Which coil do you mean? Under the clutch? I don't understand how that's supposed to be configured at all. There's a place for a bolt to seemingly screw into on the underside of the saw that was missing when I got it. Seems pretty worn/bent and always get covered in oil due to the oiler plate needing replacement.

The coil by the flywheel closely look at it to see if its loose or hitting,shake the flywheel side to side too.

 

[Chanakos]

Flywheel is tight and not moving.
The metal part with the bolt in it, is that the coil? I have tried different spacings with this thing or what I thought was called the ignition module without results. Supposed to be 4 sheets of paper thickness away from flywheel? Assumingly the two flat part(s) between fin sections?

 

[grizz55chev]

The coil by the flywheel closely look at it to see if its loose or hitting,shake the flywheel side to side too.

Looks like we are instructing someone that is not real familiar with the workings of a chainsaw. He mentions a coil under the clutch, so it seems like we need to take that into consideration.

 

[Chanakos]

What you say is true grizz- if you could bear with me; I'm rather new to all of this.
The truth is I have invested all I have into moving to a new place where I am still learning the language and this type of work has been about the most reliable and simple way to make an honest living. Not to mention relying on a wood stove for heat and cooking. I may be a little behind but the longer it takes me to fire this thing up and get back to work, the further behind I get with work and chores.
What exactly should the gap be between the coil and the flywheel on the 044?

 

[grizz55chev]

What you say is true grizz- if you could bear with me; I'm rather new to all of this.
The truth is I have invested all I have into moving to a new place where I am still learning the language and this type of work has been about the most reliable and simple way to make an honest living. Not to mention relying on a wood stove for heat and cooking. I may be a little behind but the longer it takes me to fire this thing up and get back to work, the further behind I get with work and chores.
What exactly should the gap be between the coil and the flywheel on the 044?

A business card works for me. When you're done, pull your spark plug and hook up the coil wire to it and set it where it is grounded out against the cylinder so you can check for spark. Make sure the plug is dry and clean. If you have a good spark, you need to set your carb mixture screws back to one turn out from lightly seated, then attempt a start. Try with the choke off and wide open throttle first till it pops, it might smoke a little at first, but after a few seconds of full throttle, it will clear up. I like to turn the idle screw up a little to get it running, then adjust the low screw to get a good idle where the chain doesn't move. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Mad Professor]

Okay. The flywheel is removed the same way as the clutch right?
If this key is broken I assume it has to be replaced?

Clutch is left hand thread, no keyway

 

[Mad Professor]

Thanks man
What can I use other than rope to stick into the cylinder to stop the piston and remove flywheel? I tried before to remove the clutch to check the oil pump and it cut the biggest rope I have in half.
Could this really be the problem though?
I figured it must be fuel related as I've only changed the carb settings since it was running. By this logic, it should have turned over before I had to pull it so many times to break this key, no?

Your piston was too low in cyl and rope went into a port. Make sure piston crown is just above ex port then stuff as much as will fit into spark plug hole. Pic is clutch side , using clean soft nylon rope

 

[Old2stroke]

If you are concerned about the timing being wrong, a simple test is to bring the piston to TDC and verify that the two legs of the coil are lined up with the two magnets in the flywheel (or FW slightly rotated past this position), if so, the FW probably has not moved.
When a saw is BADLY flooded, you can't clean it out by just pulling it over forever or leaving it sit for a week. You have to remove the plug and hold the saw so that the plug hole is pointing down, then with the ignition OFF, pull it over until fuel stops being sprayed out of the plug hole. Next, turn the saw right way up so that any fuel trapped under the piston will run down and then invert it again so that the plug hole is again at the bottom and pull the cord some more. Repeat this until NO fuel is sprayed out. Drain the fuel tank and pull the fuel line off the carb to prevent more flooding and try starting with a clean dry plug and the throttle partially open, no choke. If it pops but doesn't run briefly, pull the plug and see if it is wet again as it might still be too rich to run because of all the residual fuel in the crankcase.
Once you are SURE the engine is no longer flooded, it's time to determine the cause of flooding, usually it's because the inlet valve in the carb is not seating properly due to dirt at the seat or a stiff diaphragm that is holding it open.
As has been pointed out, a good starting setting for the H and L screws is 1and 1/2 turn out from a lightly seated screwed in position. The idle speed screw (LA) should be turned in about 2 turns from the closed throttle position so that the saw will keep running once it fires. The saw will run too fast at idle with the chain moving but it will give you a chance to gradually lower the idle speed and adjust the L screw without it constantly stalling.

 

[lone wolf]

What you say is true grizz- if you could bear with me; I'm rather new to all of this.
The truth is I have invested all I have into moving to a new place where I am still learning the language and this type of work has been about the most reliable and simple way to make an honest living. Not to mention relying on a wood stove for heat and cooking. I may be a little behind but the longer it takes me to fire this thing up and get back to work, the further behind I get with work and chores.
What exactly should the gap be between the coil and the flywheel on the 044?

Listen did you pull the plug clean or replace and blow the cyl gas out with pulls and set the H and L to 1 turn out ea yet before you tear anything apart? Then you could pull the muffler off and look in at the piston to see if its scored up.

 

[lone wolf]

Flywheel is tight and not moving.
The metal part with the bolt in it, is that the coil? I have tried different spacings with this thing or what I thought was called the ignition module without results. Supposed to be 4 sheets of paper thickness away from flywheel? Assumingly the two flat part(s) between fin sections?

Yes thats the coil

 

[SteveSr]

Hi guys
I recently picked up an older 044 which was running okay for a while until I started tuning the carburetor. I was trying to get the four stroking sound but couldn't get it quite right and now it's just won't turn over at all. After sitting a couple days afterwards, it just won't fire. Been trying for the past couple of days, but the closest I've gotten a few times was one brief high rev like it was going to start, then instantly died.
I don't understand what could have changed in the past couple of weeks owning it without changing or removing anything else. Just tweaking the carb.. The hoses seem fine and ive been checking the spark which has the correct gap and sparks every pull.
I've been starting with the H and L screws clockwise with about 3/4 - 2 turns counterclockwise and have fiddled with the LA with no luck. The manual said to turn H screw all the way counterclockwise to "stop" but there is no stop point counterclockwise. So I've been trying a number of combinations without luck.
Any instruction would be warmly welcome. We depend on wood for heating and cooking here so I'm rather pressed for time. I don't have much money to invest into it right now, until I sell wood or my construction site starts up again.
Regards,
Dylan

That saw likely has a non-limiter cap carb. Turn both the H and L screws in until lightly seated and then open both 1-turn as is printed on the orange cover. It should run at this point. If it won't idle you can try cranking in the LA screw a couple of turns. If it does go find someone who knows how to tune a saw to tune it correctly without burning it up.

 

[dozi]

you say you can't download the manual due to your poor connection but it appears that you can upload flywheel pictures..

 

[Chanakos]

you say you can't download the manual due to your poor connection but it appears that you can upload flywheel pictures..

I have the manual. I said I can't watch a video because it won't load. I also have limited data on this phone and no wifi here to watch YouTube videos

 

[Chanakos]

I will try these things this morning. Thank you all for the advice

 

[Oletrapper]

Thanks guys
Which coil do you mean? Under the clutch? I don't understand how that's supposed to be configured at all. There's a place for a bolt to seemingly screw into on the underside of the saw that was missing when I got it. Seems pretty worn/bent and always get covered in oil due to the oiler plate needing replacement.

Logic almost demands that you go back to the last thing you did before it wouldn't start. That was trying to get the four cycle out by adjusting the carb settings. History tells me that four cycle is caused by someone trying to get a poorly running saw to run better by adjusting the H on the carb. That will often work but is not correcting the main problem which is bad diaphragms in the carb. They get hard, crack, maybe a tiny hole. If I were you, I would either rebuild the carb or replace it.
Again, go back to the last thing you did before the no start.
Jmho Let us know what you find and what fixed it. OT

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

If it was running fine before you messed with the carb, I’d first look at the piston through the exhaust port and see if it’s scored. However, it sounds like it’s best that you take this saw to the shop. Have them fix it and get back to cutting. If you had time and it wasn’t so important it was running, it being a side project for example, that’s a different matter.

 

[Chanakos]

I have tried all of these things without success. I'm going to take it in as soon as I have the money to fix it. Thanks for your time guys.

 

[Vintage Engine Repairs]

I have tried all of these things without success. I'm going to take it in as soon as I have the money to fix it. Thanks for your time guys.

I’m sure I speak on behalf of everyone when I say I look forward to hearing what the issue was once they’ve diagnosed it.

 

[user 122190]

I have tried all of these things without success. I'm going to take it in as soon as I have the money to fix it. Thanks for your time guys.

You are giving up to easily. Chainsaws are really quite simple to work on compared to other engines (like 4 strokes). You were being mis lead buy this group (crispex) into thinking this was a timing issues. Believe it or not, adjusting the carburetor has No (zero) effect on the ignition timing.

Since you seemed to be flooded out, deal with that first. First drain the gas tank. Then compressed air into the carb throat while you slowly pull the starter rope is very effective to dry out the engine of fuel. Then pull and pull and pull til your spark plug is clean and dry. Then squirt a tiny bit of fuel down the carb and see if it pops. This should tell you a lot.

For what it is worth, I had a neighbor drop off a saw he severely flooded. Before I learned to dry out the engine with compressed air, I pulled and pulled on his saw, had to be 50 or more pulls, before it popped. Flooding can be a b*tch, but giving up does nothing to solve the problem.

 

[Chanakos]

You are giving up to easily. Chainsaws are really quite simple to work on compared to other engines (like 4 strokes). You were being mis lead buy this group (crispex) into thinking this was a timing issues. Believe it or not, adjusting the carburetor has No (zero) effect on the ignition timing.

Since you seemed to be flooded out, deal with that first. First drain the gas tank. Then compressed air into the carb throat while you slowly pull the starter rope is very effective to dry out the engine of fuel. Then pull and pull and pull til your spark plug is clean and dry. Then squirt a tiny bit of fuel down the carb and see if it pops. This should tell you a lot.

For what it is worth, I had a neighbor drop off a saw he severely flooded. Before I learned to dry out the engine with compressed air, I pulled and pulled on his saw, had to be 50 or more pulls, before it popped. Flooding can be a b*tch, but giving up does nothing to solve the problem.

I'll try this however I don't have an air compressor. In fact I'm very limited on tools here.
Last time i was pulling it, I checked the spark plug and it was bone dry for a change..