I had the plug in but of course I wasn't turning it fast enough for the carb pump to be working so I wasn't really putting the fuel in the cylinder. Maybe a rebuild of the carb is in order. The saw was gifted to me and I have no idea about previous service. I have had the saw about six years. It could be that at times; but not every time, that too much fuel does enter the cylinder.
-
Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.
We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.
We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil. -
Super Cedar firestarters 30% discount Use code Hearth2024 Click here
You could pull the plug when it locks up and see what's going on in the cylinder. Plug wet?, or not. Then Pull over with plug out. Then put plug back in and see if it pulls over easily for a few pulls. If then the cycle repeats (easy pull, easy pull hard pull), and is repeatable, you can narrow down the issue.
I have been following your post. I have been working on an 026 red lever non pro saw with the same problem. I rebuilt the carb and checked over it. Compression is 155psi. I took the recoil cover off and blew everything off with air. I pulled the recoil and it pulled smooth but something didn't seem quite right. I took the recoil apart and cleaned it. I sprayed some good penetrating oil on it when i I put it together. It pulls so much easier now.
Since I decreased the flywheel to coil gap; the saw seems to be starting better with limited issues; not completely gone. I started the saw a few times today and finished bucking up the poplar logs. As you may know, magnetic flux decreases with distance. I don't have a way to test the magnet on the flywheel but it appeared to be fairly strong. I think the coil may be producing a weak spark that was causing the issue. I will be replacing the coil and the spark plug. I will also reexamine the recoil. I will report back to see if throwing parts at it works or not.
I will look at the recoil again. Plan now is to replace the coil and spark plug so I will be taking the recoil off.
Sean McGillicuddy
Minister of Fire
When you have the recoil off...
Pull the rope out to the end and look at the groove the rope lives in,see if you can see any cracks in it.
Cracks will allow the pulley to expand allowing the rope to wedge in the pulley next to it's self as apposed to winding up on top of it's self,to small of rope will do the same
Pull the rope out to the end and look at the groove the rope lives in,see if you can see any cracks in it.
Cracks will allow the pulley to expand allowing the rope to wedge in the pulley next to it's self as apposed to winding up on top of it's self,to small of rope will do the same
For as many years as this saw has been plaguing you, why haven't you taken it to a Stihl dealer?
Probably because they will just try and sell her a new saw.
Here the advertised rate at the Stihl dealer is $125.00 an hour
You walk through the door of the dealer with the saw. Tell them whats going on with it. Ask them how much to fix it. Easy-peasey! Don't know until you try, right? 🙂
Dealers in this area are reputable. 👍
Are the stihl dealers bad by you?
Only one in the territory at $125.00 +an hour and their reluctance to source parts for old saws, i would say that very few saws get repaired there that are old or cheap.
You can buy a new 170 in the fall for a little over an hours shop time.
Lots of stories of "i took it to the dealer and was told it wasn't worth fixing"
I used to have an add to buy saws on kijiji up here and picked up quite a few that required nothing other than a service,turned away at the dealer because of the rates
Same here in Missouri. Not knocking the local stihl dealer by any means, but they do the same thing. Don't know what the hourly rate is but I know that is done there also. They have a business to run so I understand. They have to to charge a minimum fee to make it profitable. So when they have to charge to loom at something, it don't take long to have as much in it as a new one. I guess that's why I stay so busy doing work on the side
I had what sounds like the same issue with a husky 266xp. I put a different recoil rope on it and that seems to have fixed it. The old rope pulled fine slow but when trying to start the saw must’ve been binding up on itself.
