Your Strangest Saw Problems??

[pioneerguy600]

I did the swap thing from the running saw, and determined the problem
to be the flywheel. Now that it is morning, I am remembering more clearly.

The saw came in damaged as the guy was trying to pull the flywheel
looking for points. Dave had ordered the flywheel from Homelite, he got
the coil from Stens {cheaper}. It turned out the problem was the flywheel,
the magnets/polarity was reversed. I called Homelite and their tech said
that there were 2 different flywheels, depending on which coil, but the
flywheels, different, had the exact same part numbers.
I told him which coil it had, and he sent me the correct one.

We have that same problem with the Pioneer/Partners, I keep a magnet stuck to the overhead light fixture just to test the flywheel magnets with, it`s just hit or miss with them. They look and seem just the same but the magnets are either N+S or S+N and the coils are only meant to work with one setup.
Pioneerguy600

 

[belgian]

I got this Husky 42 that drove me mad. It would fire with a little fuel poured down the throat, but not run. Rebuilt and swapped the carbs with no result.
checked the entire fuel system and everything was OK.

Finally I pulled the jug to check if something was wrong with the piston or so. Discovered that some moron had put the cylinder base gasket the wrong way so that the impulse hole was blocked.

Tip ! if you notice someone else has worked on the saw before, start looking for the unobvious...grrr.

 

[Dan_IN_MN]

.....I think people should post some of their experiences with strange saw problems that took them days/weeks/months to diagnose.

I can't stop running or buying them. :hmm3grin2orange:

:greenchainsaw:

It's going to take longer than the OP mentioned to fix this!:hmm3grin2orange: :biggrinbounce2:

 

[pioneerguy600]

I am gathering together all the invoices and parts list for a saw I started to work on about 3 weeks ago, it is truly the chainsaw from he double hocky sticks. I already know it will start a rowe about saw makes bashing and the like but it has been such an experience that I just have to tell the tale. The rest of the parts needed are in at the dealer, just got the call so in a couple of days when I get this darned saw together finally there will be a thread pop up. You think you have seen troubled saws before, this one is a hoot.
Pioneerguy600

 

[blackoak]

I have never really had any strange saw problems. I have had several with strange saw people.:chainsawguy:

 

[ironman_gq]

My 044/046 doesnt like to idle by itself more than 1-2 minutes and if I pick it up and blip the throttle it dies, tweeking the carb doesnt help, any richer on idle and it loads up and throttle response hurts, any leaner and it dies. cant find any air leaks, and carb is in good shape. All started after I opened up the muffler some more with a dual port.

 

[lamar_3704]

When I first got my 288 it came as a box of parts. I ordered the parts that were missing and got it all put together. Cleaned the carb up and made sure the spark was good. I tried starting this thing for hours with no luck trying everyway I could think of. It would fire, just wouldn't run. Finally I took the screen out of the muffler, couldn't see through it at all. Put it back together and it fired right up.

Also recently had this problem with a jonsered 630.

 

[igpoe]

On more than one occasion, I've tested different saws for spark outside the cylinder (grounding against a cylinder fin) and found good blue fire only to squirt some mix in, replace the plug and................nothing,no go. At times the plug has not been grounding in it's threads 'cuz of filthy threads, but often they're clean, and still no go. Beats me......
Igpoe

 

[sefh3]

The issue that I had one time, working on a 056. Saw would run great at idle. WOT it would bog down and die. Replaced the coil from my other saw, same thing. Finally worked on it at night and the plug wire was grounding out. I couldn't see it in the day time but it stood out like a sore thumb in the darkness.

 

[ironman_gq]

On more than one occasion, I've tested different saws for spark outside the cylinder (grounding against a cylinder fin) and found good blue fire only to squirt some mix in, replace the plug and................nothing,no go. At times the plug has not been grounding in it's threads 'cuz of filthy threads, but often they're clean, and still no go. Beats me......
Igpoe

Sometimes a plug will fire in open air and show a good spark but under compression they cant push the spark through the denser air. could be because of a bad plug or a weak coil/ignition. I see it a lot on engines that have been flooded or plugs that are fouled out

 

[056kid]

Pulling and pulling on a saw that won't start and then realize I forgot to put fuel in it.

I came down out of the tree for lunch break. First thing I do is top off the oil and fuel in my saws. Somehow I totally forgot the fuel this time, but the oil was full.

I felt really stupid. That'll teach me to climb with a headcold.



Mr. HE

I do this but with forgetting to cut the on switch on. . .

didnt you feel the friction of the piston not having any fuel?

 

[blackoak]

I do this but with forgetting to cut the on switch on. . .

didnt you feel the friction of the piston not having any fuel?

Maybe a saw that has been sitting unused for quite a while, but one that's just ran out of gas, you got to be kidding.

 

[056kid]

Maybe a saw that has been sitting unused for quite a while, but one that's just ran out of gas, you got to be kidding.

I have allways been able to differentiate. Especially with bigger 2 strokes like my 250r.

But ya its easy to tell, my sp81 will turn over about as much as you pull the cord when out of gas, get her primed & you get a much smoother revolution With a few more at that. .
Part of my 2 stroke starting process is slowely turning the motor untill it is primed & you feel the rings seal, then one or two good pulls/kicks will get her to hit. .

 

[Sprintcar]

Truck pulls into driveway.

Man gets out with his two latest saws.

Wife comes out of house and stops him before the two saws can be welcomed to their new home.

Man says, yes my dear.

Wife says;

How many:censored::censored::censored::censored: chainsaws do you have now?

Now my dear.

Wife to man,

Do you know the meaning of the word celibacy?

Why yes my dear, I do know the meaning of that word.

Wife; You're gonna start practicing it if I see one more broke down wore out POS :censored::censored::censored:chainsaw in my garage.

That was ten years ago.

You should see the garage now.

That's the strangest problem I've had with a chainsaw.

 

[beavis331]

I've had two with similar problems. First one was a Stihl 015 other was a Poulan 4000. I picked up the 015 cheap to fix and resell. I couldn't get it to run right. Acted like it was sucking air. Long story short the cylinder screws were loose. Snugged em down with a little loctite and she ran like a champ. The 4000 belongs to my uncle. He picked it up on a garage sale and couldn't get it to run. It took me a little longer but it had a bad cylinder gasket.

 

[RVALUE]

I can't stop running or buying them. :hmm3grin2orange:

:greenchainsaw:

Exactly where I was headed, you beat me to it.

You are the innovator, I, the imitator.

 

[john taliaferro]

pluged up 51

i got a 51 off ebay it had no power ,oil running from muffler,removed the muffler and cooked it with a torch tell it quit smoking the piston had some scuff but no scraches . thing runs nice like new, i think they must have just run it at 16 to 1 or less tell it pluged up then i got it.

 

[tomdcoker]

I had a Poulan Pro about four years ago that would not even try to crank. Remove the muffler and it would crank ever time. I never did find out what the problem was .
Thinking back I do not know if I checked the muffler to see if it had an obstruction, but I asked on here for help and got some response so surely someone suggested to check that. Tom

 

[tomdcoker]

I do not know about the 051, but the oil pump on an 050 has an oil seal that if it goes bad will let bar oil leak into the saw . I bought one and it was locked up. I removed the plug to put something into the cylinder to free it and oil ran out. I left the plug out, stood it up on the rear handle for a couple days then put some mix in the intake and it crank and ran. I did not have any mosquitoes for a while. Tom

i got a 51 off ebay it had no power ,oil running from muffler,removed the muffler and cooked it with a torch tell it quit smoking the piston had some scuff but no scraches . thing runs nice like new, i think they must have just run it at 16 to 1 or less tell it pluged up then i got it.

 

[Michael Waters]

Just remembered another one i had. Turned over fine, plenty of compression, would splutter now and then but wouldnt start. Turned out to be a hornets nest in the muffler. It was like cement in there. Had to drill holes in the muffler as i couldnt get the nest out.

I think i read on the forum that this is pretty common. I have had it happen to me a dozen times or more with outboards. They get up in the water outlet hose and make a water tight nest. If you miss it the outboard acn cook.