046 weird carb adjustments

[slowcar281]

Hi all,

My GF’s dad just bought a well used 046 arctic. I was listening to him cut with it and it sounded a bit lean to me so I told him I’d get my tach and check it out. I’m guessing this saw is from the 90s, it did not come with limiter caps on the carb but I don’t know if someone else previously removed them. I also went ahead and ordered him one of those China dual port mufflers off of eBay with no baffles or screens. It had a single port muffler.

Fast forward to today. I pull the muffler. The piston has a little scoring on the exhaust side. (Maybe carbon scoring?) I checked it with a snap on gauge and it blows about 140 psi, otherwise the saw runs great. I tached the saw with the new muffler and it was turning just over 14000 rpm.

In order for me to bring the rpms to around 13,500 I only have to turn the H screw about 1/4 turn from full lean. Also the L screw is only about 1/2 turn from full lean. It accelerated good and cuts really well overall.

What I’m confused about is there is a sticker that says 1 turn out for both the H and L screws. If i go one turn out it only turns about 9000 rpms and the L screw loads up the carb so much it smokes at idle.

Do these settings seem right? I figured it would be over a turn out each screw at least, especially with the muffler change.

Thoughts??

 

[Leeroy]

my 046 is 3/4 high &1/4 low

 

[slowcar281]

Is that with limiter caps? I’m nowhere near the recommended 1 turn out on both needles with no limiter caps.

 

[Leeroy]

Yeah I missed that you don't have limiter caps. Mine doesn't either, but assume if your saw says one turn each it never had the caps, and one turn is just a starting point. Maybe the dual port makes the tune different.

 

[rupedoggy]

analysis paralysis. Quit overthinking it. Many things could effect the adjustment screws. That is why they are ADJUSTABLE

 

[catbuster]

The 046 never had limiter caps or an limited coil.

Mine runs about ~7/8 out on the H and 3/8 on the L here at ~700 ft above sea level to get mine to run how I want it asa (mostly) stocker. Don’t worry about it. If it runs well, run it until there’s a problem. If you have to tune it super fat you probably want to check for an air leak.

140 isn’t bad for a heavily used twenty-some odd year old chainsaw. Just run the damn thing.

One off-topic piece of life advice, it doesn’t matter what the relationship with your girlfriend’s dad is, don’t go poking in his stuff unless something is going to seriously affect how he lives or his safety. That’s a good way to get in the doghouse. Add in that you need to ask him if you ever want to put a ring on her finger, and, well, it just doesn’t help.

 

[andy]

Yeah jeebuz ... risky bizo messing with both a mans daughter and his power tools!
You crazy mang!

 

[slowcar281]

Hahahaha!! Y’all are funny!!. I definitely OK’d changing out the muffler with him and told him it would be necessary to adjust the carb. He offered to pay me for the muffler but I declined as it was only 13 Dollars. He also thinks I’m some kind of miracle worker due to the fact I was able to save him over 1000 dollars on a complete brake job with new rear calipers on his Silverado just by buying the parts online and doing the work myself. He just typically takes stuff to a shop.

The saw is in really good shape overall, I just can’t wrap my head around the fact I opened the muffler up more, and the H screw is 1/4 out from being fully closed to get the desired rpms.

It runs great so I’ll leave it alone.

He doesn’t use it all that often anyways. He needed something bigger for the property him and his wife bought. His MS 170 just wasn’t gonna “cut it”


Thanks for all the replies!

 

[drf255]

What’s your elevation?

 

[backhoelover]

That one turn out your seeing on saw just a starting point.

 

[clemsonfor]

Yes don't worry about it. If it responds to the adjustments and is tuned right and holds it, don't worry. Also the same is 20 years old easy who knows how much fuel has been ran through it. Maybe the needles have a small amount of wear on them from the years and therefore a larger opening size so the screws may need to be seated in more to close the gap.

Yes people who don't work on stuff are amazed at what parts cost and how cheap some jobs are to do at home vs professional shop.

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

 

[slowcar281]

What’s your elevation?

According to Wikipedia it’s 784 feet.

 

[slowcar281]

Yes don't worry about it. If it responds to the adjustments and is tuned right and holds it, don't worry. Also the same is 20 years old easy who knows how much fuel has been ran through it. Maybe the needles have a small amount of wear on them from the years and therefore a larger opening size so the screws may need to be seated in more to close the gap.

Yes people who don't work on stuff are amazed at what parts cost and how cheap some jobs are to do at home vs professional shop.

Sent from my moto g(7) using Tapatalk

That makes some sense. There was quite a bit of carbon built up in the exhaust port, which I cleaned when I installed the new muffler. I think this saw was used ALOT but pretty well taken care of.

I think it’s ok

I used to work at a Chrysler dealer fixing cars from 2006-2008 I couldn’t Believe how much we used to charge people to fix their cars.

 

[ironman_gq]

The metering lever in the carb can and does make quite a difference in how much you have to open the needles to tune it. I know mine is set a little high and my H and L needles are right about where yours are and it's kinda finicky about it. If I set it lower I can open the needles up quite a bit more and the settings are quite a bit more forgiving. Mine works just fine the way it is so I haven't bothered to open the carb up again and I won't till it needs a new diaphragm