# Stihl FS130 Maintenance



## Bedford T (Jul 9, 2017)

Anyone decarbonized their trimmer? I did mine for the first time and quite a bit of dark came out. The top of the piston was remarkably clean after the second application. I allowed both applications to dwell about 1.5 hrs. Then I adjusted the valves which were loose rather than tight. Just a slight turn got them where I felt they should be. It runs great.

You can see nothing on these engines through the exhaust. My oil and gas used were the best. I would estimate the time on the fs130 engine to be 100-150 hrs. I replaced rubber and filters.

The BR600 I just duplicated the maintenance on was much clearer. I run it wide open until I idle to cool it some over the 3-4hrs it's run each session. So they are run differently because the trimmer is an hour every 10 days with the correct length .105 line. Both plugs are clean an gray.


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## tpence2177 (Jul 11, 2017)

What's this decarbonizing you speak of? Sounds like something else I could add to my 2-stroke OCD maintenance lol. 


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## Bedford T (Jul 11, 2017)

It's a liquid that Stihl sells. De carbonizing liquid, EDTA, I think. You pour it into the spark plug hole with the valves open halfway and let it sit. Rinse it out with something like brake cleaner. It works well.


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## threequarterton (Jul 12, 2017)

I use automatic transmission flluid works great.


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## Bedford T (Jul 12, 2017)

I was in my local Stihl today. He said stihl discontinued the product and they were now recommending brake cleaner. I did not get that memo. 

I guess thread should be what do you use instead of the good stuff? Lol


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## backhoelover (Jul 12, 2017)

i used to use the decarbonizer. now i just use deep creep. crank the 4 mix unit and hold wot spray in the hole where the filter cover bolts up. keep spraying still the engine almost dies. i do this 3 times and the carbon will shoot out the muffler like fire works. i have done dozen of trimmer this way. its a quick fix on unit that come in and will not idle.


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## 1Alpha1 (Jul 13, 2017)

Is this decarbonizing stuff only an issue with the Stihl four-mix engines?

I've been around small engines all my life and never had any issues with carbon buildup.


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## Bedford T (Jul 13, 2017)

The valves were my concern. I think 4mix was the target by Stihl. Made sense to me.


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## backhoelover (Jul 14, 2017)

Only time I see bad carbon on a 4 mix is when they idle a lot


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## Bedford T (Jul 14, 2017)

Very little carbon on the valves can cause problems. My 130 was much darker than the run off from the br600 and I guessed that was simply engine speed/load. Anyway it's in the service schedule. I think they have trouble went it's never done.


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## tpence2177 (Jul 14, 2017)

I may have to try this. Need to adjust my valves first I guess. It's never been done for like 4-5 years lol 


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## Bedford T (Jul 14, 2017)

You may want to wait on the valves. I did. My reason was so the valves had no reason not to seat well. Carbon can interfer with their operation.


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## tpence2177 (Jul 14, 2017)

Bedford T said:


> You may want to wait on the valves. I did. My reason was so the valves had no reason not to seat well. Carbon can interfer with their operation.



Thanks so now they are saying you can just spray brake cleaner through the mouth of the carb while it's running wot and then adjust valves?


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## Bedford T (Jul 14, 2017)

No

He was talking about stihl saying follow the same steps. Pour brake cleaner in it with the valves in the cracked open position and let it sit, pour it off, adjust valves.


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## backhoelover (Jul 14, 2017)

Neway also offers seat cutter for the 4mix


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## Bedford T (Jul 14, 2017)

Seat cutter?


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