Stihl MS290

[Rockjock]

Gentlemen perhaps someone here could be of help! I am Located in Newmarket Ontario and my company has decided to send some of us down south to help in the storm clean up. Presently I have a MS 250 and thought ok that will be just fine. WELL I am standing at the local Home Depot getting gas cans and such when a customer chats me up and says I have a 2 year old Stihl MS290 that simply will not run want it? I say hmm sure ok.. Sounds good yeah.. well I get it and it looks to be in excellent kit. ( sorry looks new ) I am having no luck starting it, read a bit pull the muffler and there it is.. piston scored rings as well.. ok I think so I call around.. no one is interested in fixing this saw, does anyone know of a place that will repair it? My only other option is to bring it with me when I go to Germany in May to visit family and take it to my cousins father-in-law who owns a Stihl dealership and have it sorted there. I can get the parts and do it myself but the bloke I got it from did not look like the village idiot.. he told me he had 40 years plus with saws.. I am thinking it ran too lean? A leak somewhere… what else can I look for while I am doing this repair. Any clues why this happened?

G

 

[H 2 H]

Heck go to Baileys and order a 390 kit for it ($150) :msp_wink:

Just remove old cylinder and drop in the new one; some here have done it in a hour :msp_wink:

Welcome to AS

 

[Rockjock]

Heck go to Baileys and order a 390 kit for it ($150) :msp_wink:

Just remove old cylinder and drop in the new one; some here have done it in a hour :msp_wink:

Welcome to AS

Thank you so much!! I just looked and it is on sale 129.00 done and done!!!

 

[Cody@SPE]

Check wear on the crankshaft when you get the thang apart. Always, Always, ALWAYS put a new fuel line in a MS290 when you tear them apart. They are notorious for cracking fuel lines, running lean, and going KABLOOEY!

 

[Rockjock]

I want to thank everyone for the input! i did get the kit, put it all together and on full choke the saw would start and run(ish) I did not make any adjustments to the carb since I do not know what I am doing. saw runs fine, a tad sluggish so I am thinking I am running rich. Cuts fine no issues there. I did notice that several hours later it did seem to run better. Is there a " break in peroid " if so what should I do?

Again I have to thank everyone on here I am learning so much and I have not even begun to scratch the surface!

 

[struggle]

You need to make sure it is properly tuned. You said you made no adjustments to the carb. The factory settings maxed out on the 290 will not bee enough fuel for the 390. You need to pull the carb limiters and readjust the fuel on the high side ASAP.

 

[Rockjock]

THANKS!!! I just went out and tweaked it a bit.. it is running much better! See this site is the best!

 

[Bingo]

290/390

You might want to look around on AS for some of the tuning vids that have been posted to get a good idea of how and what to listen for. Someone w/an experienced hand could help you keep that saw running for a long time. Lots of info to be had here. Sounds like a good start though...

 

[Rockjock]

Yes I agree.. But I am tone deaf so not so easy for me LOL The local Stihl dealer said she would have a listen and make sure all is as it should be.