New to me 346XP OE

[mayhem]

Finally made the time to try this out. Got it running at 3/4 H and L screws. Bogs a bit off idle and revs fairly quickly, but not as quickly as I know it would if it were running optimally. I backed the L screw out about an 1/8th at a time and goosed it, the bog doesn't seem to go away or even change much so i went back to 3/4 turn to start over.

Top end seems nice. Once it gets off idle and the revs get up there it goes to WOT and hangs there, seems smooth at WOT.

Idle seems high to me. The manual says idle should be just a hair less than is necessary to move the chain when the brake is off...chain moves plenty fast when the saw is idling, but I can't figure out how to set the idle. I don't see a convenient third screw, but it might be that I'm not seeing it.

Stuck at WOT for a minute. Throttle linkage got stuck right at the butterfly. I'll have to see why it got hung up, possible the seller bent the rod slightly when he removed the carb.

I got a little bit of smoke coming off the front (exhaust) end of the motor so I shut it down and its cooling. I'll pull it apart tonight and see if I cna figure out what it is. Smelled both oil and metallic...like when you have that first fire of the season in your woodstove and you can smell the hot metal of the stove. Concerned that it might still have an issue that I missed...or it could just be the new jug and slug curing themselves in...this is the first time its been really run and gotten up to operating temperature since the p&c were installed. Didn't make any funny noises. Could also be some oil deposit in the muffler or something for all I know. The exhaust gasket and heat shield that goes between the cylinder and muffler were pretty oily and not knowing if that intentional I left them that way...coule just be that burning off.

You guys mentioned getting the saw to 4 stroke at the top end when unloaded, but I have no idea what that means...I know you mean it makes a particular kind of noise, but what is it? I'll check youtube.

Put a 16" bar and chain on it yesterday so once I get it going it should be a real screamer of a saw. Looks weenie with a little bar on it...but I know looks can be deceiving.

 

[smokinj]

Idle is the L screw....H is for WOT! seems to me you need to turn left a bit on each screw.

 

[MasterMech]

Third screw you're looking for is located near the throtle shaft on the carb. It will physically hold the throttle cracked open at idle. Adjust L screw for max RPM's and then back off the "third" screw until the chain stops moving. If you've got it running this well maybe it would be worthwhile to have a pro set the high end with a tach. Most will let you stand-in for the procedure. Cheap education!

 

[mayhem]

The thread that wouldn't die because I wouldn't let t is back!

Played wiht it for awhile and couldn't get it quite right...the bog off idle never went away so back on the bench the thing goes. Sat there night after night patiently awaiting my time...I'd go downstairs and visit the thing every day or so before bed and promised I wouldn't give up on it.

Well I finally made the time to get back to it and started doing alot of comparing between the 346 and my 359. The 346's controls always felt sloppy to me...I attributed this more to my 359 not even being broken in yet than anything else, still it buged me...and so the throttle sticking open on me, so I started really looking at the linkages on both saws and how the choke works and everything when I noticed the 346's throttle plate stops moving alot earlier than the 359's, which didn't make sense to me at all.

Further scrutiny revealed everything.

The damn fool who sold it to me never reattached the air intake to the carbeurator. The hex head bolt was barely engaging the threads and a good half or 3/4 of an inch of bolt shaft was showing. The air intake would come rihgt off the carb, causing that bogging, air sucking noice I mentioned, thus bypassing the air filter too. The throttle linkage was only moving maybe halfway to WOT and then the right angle on the rod was rapping up against the bolt head. Pulled it apart enough to get an allen key in there and cranked that bolt down snug. Took the saw, reset the H and L screws to one full turn out from seated and tis like a new saw. Fired right up, idles nice, backed the L screw out about 1/4 turn and it revs up off idle instantly, a little bogging at the high end and a 1/4 trn out of the H screw took care of that.

Now I need to get the thing into some wood and see how it does.

Got a little whiteish-bluish smoke when running WOT and I don't think its 4 stroking because its very smooth at WOT no load. Maybe too rich still? Or should are there other concerns?

Thanks all for your help!

 

[smokinj]

The thread that wouldn't die because I wouldn't let t is back!

Played wiht it for awhile and couldn't get it quite right...the bog off idle never went away so back on the bench the thing goes. Sat there night after night patiently awaiting my time...I'd go downstairs and visit the thing every day or so before bed and promised I wouldn't give up on it.

Well I finally made the time to get back to it and started doing alot of comparing between the 346 and my 359. The 346's controls always felt sloppy to me...I attributed this more to my 359 not even being broken in yet than anything else, still it buged me...and so the throttle sticking open on me, so I started really looking at the linkages on both saws and how the choke works and everything when I noticed the 346's throttle plate stops moving alot earlier than the 359's, which didn't make sense to me at all.

Further scrutiny revealed everything.

The damn fool who sold it to me never reattached the air intake to the carbeurator. The hex head bolt was barely engaging the threads and a good half or 3/4 of an inch of bolt shaft was showing. The air intake would come rihgt off the carb, causing that bogging, air sucking noice I mentioned, thus bypassing the air filter too. The throttle linkage was only moving maybe halfway to WOT and then the right angle on the rod was rapping up against the bolt head. Pulled it apart enough to get an allen key in there and cranked that bolt down snug. Took the saw, reset the H and L screws to one full turn out from seated and tis like a new saw. Fired right up, idles nice, backed the L screw out about 1/4 turn and it revs up off idle instantly, a little bogging at the high end and a 1/4 trn out of the H screw took care of that.

Now I need to get the thing into some wood and see how it does.

Got a little whiteish-bluish smoke when running WOT and I don't think its 4 stroking because its very smooth at WOT no load. Maybe too rich still? Or should are there other concerns?

Thanks all for your help!

If it sounds very smooth you are a litte to lean back off just a touch untill you hear a slight fuzz.

 

[mayhem]

So thats turning in to richen, right? On the H jet?

 

[MasterMech]

So thats turning in to richen, right? On the H jet?

Backing the screws out should add more fuel.

 

[CTYank]

The thread that wouldn't die because I wouldn't let t is back!

Played wiht it for awhile and couldn't get it quite right...the bog off idle never went away so back on the bench the thing goes. Sat there night after night patiently awaiting my time...I'd go downstairs and visit the thing every day or so before bed and promised I wouldn't give up on it.

Well I finally made the time to get back to it and started doing alot of comparing between the 346 and my 359. The 346's controls always felt sloppy to me...I attributed this more to my 359 not even being broken in yet than anything else, still it buged me...and so the throttle sticking open on me, so I started really looking at the linkages on both saws and how the choke works and everything when I noticed the 346's throttle plate stops moving alot earlier than the 359's, which didn't make sense to me at all.

Further scrutiny revealed everything.

The damn fool who sold it to me never reattached the air intake to the carbeurator. The hex head bolt was barely engaging the threads and a good half or 3/4 of an inch of bolt shaft was showing. The air intake would come rihgt off the carb, causing that bogging, air sucking noice I mentioned, thus bypassing the air filter too. The throttle linkage was only moving maybe halfway to WOT and then the right angle on the rod was rapping up against the bolt head. Pulled it apart enough to get an allen key in there and cranked that bolt down snug. Took the saw, reset the H and L screws to one full turn out from seated and tis like a new saw. Fired right up, idles nice, backed the L screw out about 1/4 turn and it revs up off idle instantly, a little bogging at the high end and a 1/4 trn out of the H screw took care of that.

Now I need to get the thing into some wood and see how it does.

Got a little whiteish-bluish smoke when running WOT and I don't think its 4 stroking because its very smooth at WOT no load. Maybe too rich still? Or should are there other concerns?

Thanks all for your help!

If it sounds very smooth you are a litte to lean back off just a touch untill you hear a slight fuzz.

Methinks mayhem needs to check out some vids, like one Brad Snelling did demoing 2/4-stroking while loading/unloading in the cut. Seems to me, this is critical to avoiding toasting p&c again on an engine that'll happily destroy itself.

One analogy: think of the sound quality of a typical Harley-Davidson vice Honda/Suzuki/Ducati. When a 2-stroke starts 4-stroking it sounds kinda like a Harley when you crack the throttle- a sort of flatulent buzzing. That's what you want with a chainsaw @WOT and no-load. If high-speed mixture adjustment is right, that goes away under load.

Gasoline engines rely on power enrichment to avoid melting/poofing things. Carb mixture screws typically RH-thread: righty-tighty-leany.

When in doubt, there's no shame in seeking expert help.

 

[mayhem]

I did review those videos over at AS actually and I'm still at a bit of a loss...I think I heard it, but I'm not positive. The 4 stroking sound is the subtle stumbling the thing does at WOT and no load, right? If so then I need to back the H screw out just a hair more and keep retrying till I get the 4 stroking sound unloaded but it goes awaya nd amooths out in the cut?

Saw shops are very expensive. If anyone is local to the Pittsfield, MA area and could help educate me I'd be grateful. I want to learn how to do this for myself...this surely isn't the last time I'll want to retune a carb.

Funny about the carb screws...I've always assumed turning it in was richer, learn somethign new every day. Explains why when someone says to lean it out, turning the screw out doesn't help.

 

[smokinj]

I did review those videos over at AS actually and I'm still at a bit of a loss...I think I heard it, but I'm not positive. The 4 stroking sound is the subtle stumbling the thing does at WOT and no load, right? If so then I need to back the H screw out just a hair more and keep retrying till I get the 4 stroking sound unloaded but it goes awaya nd amooths out in the cut?

Saw shops are very expensive. If anyone is local to the Pittsfield, MA area and could help educate me I'd be grateful. I want to learn how to do this for myself...this surely isn't the last time I'll want to retune a carb.

Funny about the carb screws...I've always assumed turning it in was richer, learn somethign new every day. Explains why when someone says to lean it out, turning the screw out doesn't help.

Yep Yep. Now just to give you a spin on it, in the cut it should sound clean under load. If its off just a little you can adjust by the pressure you apply in the cut. Takes a good ear, but this is pretty simple. Once you have your ear, you can hear it on saws 1/2 mile away!

 

[smokinj]

Listen to the sound wave over and over until it sticks! :cheese:

http://web.archive.org/web/20051018212959/www.madsens1.com/sawtune.htm

 

[mayhem]

Perfect, thanks!

Any consideration I need to give to the fact thats its a new P&C or just tune it, break it in and retune as needed when its personality changes?

 

[smokinj]

Perfect, thanks!

Any consideration I need to give to the fact thats its a new P&C or just tune it, break it in and retune as needed when its personality changes?

Dont let it idle a lot on the first 5 tanks other than that nothing.