032av carb and other ?'s

[billyjoejr]

032av carb and other ?'s (one last question)

Hi All,
I am just a homeowner with a wood stove(emergency heat) and carry the chainsaw in my propane truck tool box to cut myself out of places when the wind blows. Came in real handy a couple weeks ago during the big wind storm in the Puget Sound.
I have lurked here for a year and a half and learned a lot. Thanks. :rockn:
I have a 032av that I got from my grandpa a year and a half ago. It is in very good shape, not a lot of use. The tank was full of old nasty gas when I got it. I have replaced all the rubber av mounts, fuel filter and lines, and rebuilt the carb. Runs like a champ. Felled and bucked two big cotton wood trees in my yard and two pines for a friend.
My questions.
1. Using Madsens carb tuning info I tuned high and lo and it runs great. Idles forever. Not quite trusting myself I took it to the dealer twice for adjustment. He is great, didn't charge me a dime.(I spent $$ on PPE, chains and parts). But with his adjustment the idle sucks. He said the idle curcuit is dirty and needs cleaning, he can do it better than my carb cleaner cleaning. For $70 he will clean and put in another rebuild kit. Or for just over $100 he can put in a new carb. I am leaning towards the new carb thinking the idle screw seat might be damaged.
The specs for this carb call for the low and high idle screws to be turned out one turn from gentley seated. This is where the dealer has them and the low idle speed screw he has set higher. For the smoothest idle, I have to set the low idle adjustment screw about 3/4 of a turn out and lower the the idle speed screw a little.
Is this ok? or will running it at 3/4 of a turn out be to lean or something and eventually cause damage?
The other carb issue is that at times, while just being stored in my truck, the fuel mix will be pushed through my carb, filling the air filter with fuel mix and wetting the handle.
Also, all the time, the mix leaks through the vent in the fuel cap causing the loss of 1/4 tank in a month. I tried a new cap, no help. I figure this is just caused by fuel splashing around while driving and can't be helped. The only postitive about this is the fuel remains fresh, being topped off every month.
2. I am going to buy a Stihl tach and have a question about it. Should the high idle be set a couple hundred rpm below max and call that good, or should I go for the highest rpm while buried in a cut and then check to make sure it isn't over the max rpm out of the cut?
3. Should I have the condenser replace just because of it's age or is it use that wears a condeser out?
4. Will a muffler mod on this saw be worth while or is it old enough that the muffler design is already optimal.(non epa)?
Sorry for the long post and thanks for helping this newbie out!!

 

[Lakeside53]

Welcome to AS....That's one heck of a first post!


I think you might misunderstand the LA screw - it has not "calibration" - and 'turns out" mean nothing... It's just a throttle preset. The L screw is usually about 7/8 to 1 1/4 out, usually about 1. Turn up the LA to compensate if required.


Just re-adjust the idle (L and LA) until it idles nicely... You can't really hurt the saw with the L screw. If you make it too lean, it will be hard to start and won't accelerate without a pause, and if you make it too rich, it will tend to cough out when it gets warm.


Set you max WOT With Bar and Chain a few hundred less than the recommended. It's an old saw, not a high rever, so don't push it.

Don't worry about the condenser unless it fails.

Muffler mod - not on this saw... it's an old lady, so treat it with respect...

Forget a new carb... not worth it at all. Your old carb probably just news soem use -particualtly if you have rebuilt it. A damaged seat on the L side of thar carb (unlikely) will only affect calibration, not functionality. If you want to clean it your self - knock out the old welch plug and you can see the entire idle side.

BTW, a worn piston skirt on the 032 affects idle stability a lot... so turn up the LA screw if you have problems.. If the chain runs when at the correct idle speed, replace the clutch springs (less then 7.50 total)


Fuel mix being pushed though means you have a leaking needle valve or pump side gasket. Put a pressure test on the carb inlet - it should hold 10psi all day. Also a likely reason why you a have a little problem with your idle and are set leaner than standard,

Leaking fuel cap? - welcome to 032... you can still get the parts to fix the cap though...

 

[infomet]

Right. Don't think of those turn numbers as anything other than a starting point.
Set the speed screw to get a fairly low idle.
Back out the L jet until the engine slows a bit.
Lean the L (clockwise) until the idle smooths a bit.
Reduce the speed with the throttle screw.
Lean the L jet again and see if the engine speeds up.
If the speed is still low, run the L in some more until it reaches max speed, then back out until it barely slows down.
Set the speed screw slow enough to stop the chain, if possible.

Back out the H needle until the engine runs rich at full throttle.
Hold full throttle and lean the H needle until the engine speeds up and just smooths out. Don't leave the throttle open after it revs up a bit.

Do the last step a couple of times and try a cut.
You want to be adjusted to have good power in the cut, but not too lean.

When both needles are right, the engine should idle steadily without loading up and sputtering or smoking. Then it should accelerate smoothly without smoking or sputtering.

You can lean the H until the saw slows down quickly and stops an soon as you load it heavily. That's too lean, so back out the H until you lose power and then lean again.

When you get the feel for this, it can all be done in less than a minute.
The only danger is getting too lean and running under extended full throttle, so always be on the rich side of max rpm.

 

[billyjoejr]

Thanks for the replies.
I adjusted the screws pretty much the same as yours and Madsens advice. I can let it sit idling for several minutes and then turn it over 360 degrees without the rpm's changeing much at all. It accelerates smoothly and quickley. I will get a little smoke when cold. The dealer is a probably mid to late twenties so maybe he hasn't messed with these old saws much.
I get anal on the high side, thinking I might be running to lean and richening it up then leaning it out, back and forth. Thats the reason for planning on buying the tach, plus I'll let my neighbor use the tach for his saws, so I see it as a good investment.

Fuel mix being pushed though means you have a leaking needle valve or pump side gasket.

When I rebuilt the carb, I put in the new needle valve(solid grey) and it leaked instantly when I put everything back togather. Fuel mix pouring into the air filter. So I put the old needle valve(black rubber tip) back in and since then it has only pushed fuel through occasionally. I think the original fuel cap contributed to this. It had a rubber flap on it that let air in but not out, so I figure pressure built up and pushed the fuel through the carb. The new fuel cap has the screw in it and it lets air in and out, so it doesn't pressure up but it does leak.

The saw is in great condition. A bit sentimental being it was my grandpas. Pulled the muffler and spark plug and the piston, rings and walls all look great. I read in another thread months ago that the 032 was the cadillac of saws for its time. This is the reason I thought a new carb to be a good investment.

So, knowing this, would you still advise not getting a new carb?

I thought about getting a 260pro(closest stihl to the 032 spec wise) but money being tight I thought $120 for the carb would be the best way to go.
I will only use it occasionly. I probably only burn one chord of wood a year, cutting up wind falls on my 1 1/4 acre, and carrying it in my propane truck to use once or twice a year when the wind blows trees accross roads and driveways.

I will seriously consider your advice regarding new carb vs new saw.

The wife has ok'd the new carb, not sure how she'd take asking for a new saw.

Again, thanks everyone for your advice and hours upon hours of informational and entertaining reading over the last year and a half. :biggrinbounce2:

 

[Brushwacker]

$120 is way more then I would spend on a carb. If you can't get the carb to perform satisfactory I'd look for a good used . Should be some out there.

 

[Lakeside53]

You may have a damaged seat under the inlet valve. The grey material on the bottom of the needle is rubber and should have sealed perfectly. The correct tool to examine this is an otoscope. If you need a used carb, PM me.. they aren't hard to get... not expensive, and you're "local" to me.

No amount of fuel vapor pressure should pop-off a carb valve...

Also.. the 034 is much closer in performance to the 032 than the 026 is..

 

[billyjoejr]

Thanks Guys,
E-mail sent.