When to throw in the towel?

[JonBerens]

Got an old Stihl 028 WB from an acquaintance (scary music starts here) to use for 3 cords of firewood cutting per year plus lot cleanup. It would not idle smoothly. Ran OK on short test runs (few cuts) and then on first longer use the muffler falls off. Kill two birds with one stone, local dealer replaces muffler and adjusts carb, replaces fuel and impulse line($100.00). Idles Ok but chain moves at idle very slowly. More lengthy cutting session ensues and after about 1/2 tank of gas saw won't come off idle, like it is bogging down. Try again the next day, starts right up and after about 1/2 tank of gas same symptoms. Back to dealer, could be coil, give OK to replace because saw is clean, solid, good compression,etc. Dealer replaces points, condenser but cannot find a coil for it. At this point dealer is saying to cut losses and run since the saw is so old and parts are no longer available what will next thing to go on it. I am thinking that replacing the coil is the last hurdle to a sturdy reliable saw (most expendable parts have been replaced at this point).

My question to the forum is: Should I proceed with coil replacement (if one can be found) or cut losses, invest in a new saw sell the 028 as a parts saw?

I do not have enough saw experience to know when I am throwing away money on a hopeless project.

Thanks

 

[retoocs555]

You've gone that far, just finish the job. Get whatever it needs to make the saw work right and enjoy it. The 028 is a nice saw and they just don't make 'em like they used to.

 

[Lakeside53]

Coils are almost never faulty on points based saws... but, assuming he's correct, there is no shortage of used coils for the older 028's. If you have trouble finding one, PM me.

The 028 is a good saw.... and worth fixing if the basic engine is in decent shape.

 

[THALL10326]

Got an old Stihl 028 WB from an acquaintance (scary music starts here) to use for 3 cords of firewood cutting per year plus lot cleanup. It would not idle smoothly. Ran OK on short test runs (few cuts) and then on first longer use the muffler falls off. Kill two birds with one stone, local dealer replaces muffler and adjusts carb, replaces fuel and impulse line($100.00). Idles Ok but chain moves at idle very slowly. More lengthy cutting session ensues and after about 1/2 tank of gas saw won't come off idle, like it is bogging down. Try again the next day, starts right up and after about 1/2 tank of gas same symptoms. Back to dealer, could be coil, give OK to replace because saw is clean, solid, good compression,etc. Dealer replaces points, condenser but cannot find a coil for it. At this point dealer is saying to cut losses and run since the saw is so old and parts are no longer available what will next thing to go on it. I am thinking that replacing the coil is the last hurdle to a sturdy reliable saw (most expendable parts have been replaced at this point).

My question to the forum is: Should I proceed with coil replacement (if one can be found) or cut losses, invest in a new saw sell the 028 as a parts saw?

I do not have enough saw experience to know when I am throwing away money on a hopeless project.

Thanks

Coils are available but I don't understand why your dealer bothered putting in new points and a condenser. They have niffy little module that replaces the points and condenser for good and its available as well.

 

[JonBerens]

Points replacement

Dealer replaced points and condenser because he said that to use a module like the atom the flywheel would have to be replaced making the repair even pricier and less sensible. I believe that they hoped the points/condenser would have fixed the problem.

I don't know enough to question their methodology and troubleshooting.

 

[THALL10326]

Dealer replaced points and condenser because he said that to use a module like the atom the flywheel would have to be replaced making the repair even pricier and less sensible. I believe that they hoped the points/condenser would have fixed the problem.

I don't know enough to question their methodology and troubleshooting.

Thats odd. All ya do is take out the points and condenser, clip the wires and install the module on one of the screws that hold the coil in. Never heard anything about replacing a flywheel to use the module. I've put on a few and never did and the saws ran fine. If I remember it tomorrrow I'll get that module part number for ya from Stihl and I'm positve no flywheels need to be replaced....

 

[SmokinDodge]

Thall, the shop I got my module for my old 041 from told me I needed to update the flywheel at the same time as the timing was different. Said I needed a flywheel from one with electronic ignition . They also instructed me not to put the module under the flywheel but up under the air filter base where it will get some air flow.

It worked well for me that way, but I learn sumptin new everyday.

Jon Berens, I dont know what you purchased the saw for but right now your in $100 for repairs, the 028wb is well worth that and will serve you for a very long time compared to what you could get off the shelf for $100.

 

[eyolf]

I believe that they hoped the points/condenser would have fixed the problem.


That's kind of a red flag... the hoping part. Most dealers will have tools to make some kind of an assessment of the coil. There are oscilloscope models around like at the auto shop, or less expensive tools like the old Mercotronic. At home, I've used a simple ohmmeter to look for shorts and check primary and secondary resistance, and a homemade gadget that uses a lantern battery, a momentary switch and a condenser to drive a coil. There's also a variable gap to jump the spark, and between the spark points is a piece of soft graphite pencil lead.

Depending on which side of the graphite the brighter flare is, you can tell coil polarity (not useful on a flywheel magneto system) but the graphite also tends to magnify the colors expressed in the spark flare...Red is dead, white's (probably) alright, blue is cool...but a sharp eye in a dim room can usually see those colors just by yanking the rope and looking at a spark plug stuck in the plug wire and grounded.

Anyway, back to the dealer...he should know if the coil is good, bad, or borderline, maybe could have cleaned the accumulated crud from around it, and maybe removed, cleaned, and regapped it to the flywheel for that $100 fee. But the no power when hot thing can also be vapor lock (he did replace a line, so he knew that) can be due to worn or stuck rings (will show up w/ a compression test even when cold, but will be very pronounced when warm) or even a leaking crank seal. It's possible for a seal to be marginal on a cold engine, but get worse as the motor warms up. The dealer will use a crankcase pressure/vaccuum test to find out.

 

[Lakeside53]

Thats odd. All ya do is take out the points and condenser, clip the wires and install the module on one of the screws that hold the coil in. Never heard anything about replacing a flywheel to use the module. I've put on a few and never did and the saws ran fine. If I remember it tomorrow I'll get that module part number for ya from Stihl and I'm positve no flywheels need to be replaced....

The dealer might not have it all together. The 028 will work with the Atom as Thal says. The 031 won't (correctly), and some of the other saws are a ?????.

On the 028 you can just use the 0000 400 1300 electronic ignition coil as used on the 024/26/34/36. etc... OR, put an Atom or the stihl module 1118 400 1001 to replace the points. Personally, I'd just leave the points if they've been replaced.

 

[Paul61]

Guys........Jonberens did mention that the carb was adjusted when it was serviced and now the idle is high, allowing the clutch to partialy engage. Since the saw is also bogging when hot (burned a 1/2 tank of gas), is this not just a low / high mixture problem?? If the service guy leads him in the wrong direction re. the flywheel thing, then tells him to give it up for a new saw.............sound's like a "Sap" kinda guy to me ( had to get that one in for Thall). I'd be takin it to another service guy.

 

[Fish]

Sounds like you need to find someone to fix it, as a fuel problem is likely.
Have someone pull the muffler and see what is left