# Chainsaw Not Running Right - Bogging Even Without Load!!!



## BurnIt13 (Dec 13, 2011)

Hi guys!  I have a 6yr old Ryobi saw that is giving me some trouble.  I don't remember which model it is but it is a Red Max saw with Ryobi plastic on it.  During the early summer it ran great.  I tuned it up, put a new bar and chain on it and it worked like brand new.  I put it away until I cleaned up the snowstorm damage early November.....

It ran like crap but got the job done then.  It didn't run well until it was warmed up and even then it didn't want to take a big load, I had to cut slowly.  If I got to aggressive it would just bog.

I took it out last weekend and I barely got it to start.  Once it did start it would bog and die with little throttle.  I had to feather the throttle just to get the RPM's up there.  Even then, give it some gas and it would just want to bog and die.  I drained the gas, put a new plug in......still no luck.  My first thought was that the gas went bad but other tools with the same gas are running fine. 

I'm illiterate when it comes to 2-stroke, anyone have some suggestions?   I was planning on using it this weekend but as it stands now, its useless.


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## Adios Pantalones (Dec 13, 2011)

Check the air inlet for the gas tank- if it's blocked then it creates a vacuum in the tank so the engine doesn't get gas.  

Fuel filter blockage and fuel line leak letting in air could be an issue.


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## blujacket (Dec 13, 2011)

SeaFoam, try it, it works wonders.


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## BurnIt13 (Dec 13, 2011)

blujacket said:
			
		

> SeaFoam, try it, it works wonders.



Yeah I've used plenty of that stuff in my Jeep.  Great for killing mosquitos too!  What seafoam/gas/oil mixture is good for two stroke?


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## LLigetfa (Dec 13, 2011)

Sounds like gunk in the HI needle is starving it.  Seafoam aught to do it if the gunk will dissolve otherwise you will need to clean the carb.  Sometimes I get lazy and just remove both needles and then squirt WD40 into the holes where the needles were.  The crud may get flushed out or may just get moved, only to return.


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## BurnIt13 (Dec 13, 2011)

Anyone have a good general diagram for a two stroke carb?  Rather than just take the thing apart and put it back together I'd like to focus on the jets and such.  I've been planning a muffler mod (bwahahaha) and will probably need to adjust the hi and lo jets.


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## Stegman (Dec 13, 2011)

I had the same problem with my Poulan earlier this year. To my surprise, it went away when I put fresh gas in it. Worked great after that. Not sure what the shelf life is on gas, but if it's the same stuff from earlier in the summer that could be the culprit. 

What is SeaFoam, by the way?


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## Danno77 (Dec 13, 2011)

BurnIt13 said:
			
		

> Anyone have a good general diagram for a two stroke carb?  Rather than just take the thing apart and put it back together I'd like to focus on the jets and such.  I've been planning a muffler mod (bwahahaha) and will probably need to adjust the hi and lo jets.


Go here and ask for an IPL and a Service Manual. Give them your model number, it will help.

http://www.arboristsite.com/stickies/68615.htm


Anyway, I'd start by checking the fuel lines to make sure they don't have pinhole leaks in them. Also make sure you are running with a clean air and fuel filter. If your muffler is easy to take apart then you might make sure there isn't a clogged screen in there.

Definitely check those fuel lines first, though. They seem to be a pretty common problem.


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## blujacket (Dec 13, 2011)

> What is SeaFoam, by the way?



http://www.seafoamsales.com/motor-treatment.html


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## raygard (Dec 13, 2011)

Stegman said:
			
		

> I had the same problem with my Poulan earlier this year. To my surprise, it went away when I put fresh gas in it. Worked great after that. Not sure what the shelf life is on gas, but if it's the same stuff from earlier in the summer that could be the culprit.
> 
> What is SeaFoam, by the way?



Gasoline does have a shelf life if not exposed to air.  In short gas just can just lose it's bang.  I remember growing up my dad opening a 44gal. drum of diesel that didn't have a fuel stabilizer put in it.  The diesel was just a Gel.  Put a bit of stabilizer in your gas can when you fill it up and the gas should be good all year long.

Ray





Wikipedia says:StabilityGood quality gasoline should be stable almost indefinitely if stored properly. Such storage should be in an airtight container, to prevent oxidation or water vapors mixing, and at a stable cool temperature, to reduce the chance of the container leaking. When gasoline is not stored correctly, gums and solids may accumulate resulting in "stale fuel". The presence of these degradation products in fuel tank, lines, and carburetor or fuel injection components, make it harder to start the engine. Upon the resumption of regular vehicle usage, though, the buildups should eventually be cleaned up by the flow of fresh petrol. Fuel stabilizers can be used to extend the life of the fuel that is not or cannot be stored properly. Fuel stabilizer is commonly used for small engines, such as lawnmower and tractor engines, to promote quicker and more reliable starting. Users have been advised to keep gasoline containers and tanks more than half full and properly capped to reduce air exposure, to avoid storage at high temperatures,[3] to run an engine for ten minutes to circulate the stabilizer through all components prior to storage, and to run the engine at intervals to purge stale fuel from the carburetor.[4]


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## wkpoor (Dec 13, 2011)

Its a Ryobi.....thats how they run


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## MasterMech (Dec 14, 2011)

Plugged exhaust?


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## BurnIt13 (Jan 3, 2012)

MasterMech said:
			
		

> Plugged exhaust?



wkpoor......Generally I would agree with you but this Ryobi is made by RedMax Saws and has Ryobi plastics.  Its a pretty good machine.  Anywho....I thought I'd post an update just in case someone stumbles across this some day.

So I finally took it upon myself to rebuild the carb.  I basically took it all apart, soaked it in carb cleaner and rebuilt it.  While I was at it I flushed the fuel lines and cleaned the fuel filter.  Some new gas and synthetic mix and.......

Nothing.  It ran just like it did before.  It would barely idle and would just bog when given any throttle.  I was about to condemn the saw as a new carburator or rebuild kit is more expensive than its worth.  I decided to check the spark arrestor just for the heck of it.

IT WAS CLOGGED! And I don't mean it was just a little dirty....I mean caked full of crap!  I removed the spark arrestor and it has never run so good!  It cuts through wood just like a chainsaw again!


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## Danno77 (Jan 3, 2012)

Awesome!! I love it when it all gets worked out!

I'd like to take a moment here and give myself a pat on the back as I was the first one to mention that. Course I'm bound to hit on something when I make 80 suggestions of possible causes, lol!


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## MasterMech (Jan 3, 2012)

blujacket said:
			
		

> SeaFoam, try it, it works wonders.



I think this post appears in darn near every "Saw trouble" thread. lol

I love the stuff too.

Honestly Danno, I didn't even notice that you had suggested the plugged screen first! ;-)


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## Danno77 (Jan 3, 2012)

MasterMech said:
			
		

> blujacket said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You didn't see it because it was hiding within a long list of things! You gave the suggestion as a standalone, and it was right, like you often do. Besides, your name is MasterMech, so you better be good at Dx problems, lol!

Ps.
Lol at the seafoam comment.


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## MasterMech (Jan 4, 2012)

I often amaze myself at the simple $hit I miss, lol.  Case in point: a 5hp Tecumseh leaking oil from the governor shaft but otherwise running pretty decent.  There are no seals on that shaft and I didn't feel any excessive play.  Took a buddy of mine to suggest checking the breather hose, and sure enough wasps had packed it full of mud. :red: wah wah waaaah....


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## BurnIt13 (Jan 5, 2012)

That was the first 2-stroke engine I ever took apart.  It was surprisingly simple.  Of course, now that I understand the engine better I feel the need to play with it.

Double-D carb tool is on the way.  Time for a muffler mod.  Bwahahahaha


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