Dead Stihl ms180

[Oletrapper]

Mr. Oletrapper-What are you talking about when you say metering lever? Is that something that can be adjusted on the carb?
Several people have asked about the type of oil I'm using--Stihl HP Ultra. 50:1. 93 octane non ethanol gas.
I use the same fuel/oil mixture in my Echo saw. Absolutely to problems with it.
After careful thought and consideration I've decided to invest in $13.99 worth of chinese goodness and get another carburetor. It's supposed to be here Wednesday. I'll post how that big investment works out.
Thanks for all the help!!

The metering lever is inside the carburetor and if not adjusted correctly can cause too much fuel to enter. Extra fuel, same air = very rich mixture. Smoke, carboned spark plug and cylinder top. Watch the clip below which may or may not be the same carburetor as your 180 but the principle is the same.

OT

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

Mr. Oletrapper-What are you talking about when you say metering lever? Is that something that can be adjusted on the carb?
Several people have asked about the type of oil I'm using--Stihl HP Ultra. 50:1. 93 octane non ethanol gas.
I use the same fuel/oil mixture in my Echo saw. Absolutely to problems with it.
After careful thought and consideration I've decided to invest in $13.99 worth of chinese goodness and get another carburetor. It's supposed to be here Wednesday. I'll post how that big investment works out.
Thanks for all the help!!

Ultra has a very high flash point 428F, quite possibly by far the highest of any likely chainsaw oil.
It's even more important to use it at full throttle as much as possible, to help burn off.

 

[Oletrapper]

Ultra has a very high flash point 428F, quite possibly by far the highest of any likely chainsaw oil.
It's even more important to use it at full throttle as much as possible, to help burn off.

His Echo doesn't smoke. jmho

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

His Echo doesn't smoke. jmho

Didn't say it was the cause of the smoking but it could be the cause of the carbon on the plug and on the top of the piston.
It could also cause the screen to clog which might account for the saw stalling after a while.

 

[Robin Rowley]

I took the screen out years ago so it's not clogged.

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

I took the screen out years ago so it's not clogged.

Took it out because it was getting clogged?

 

[Robin Rowley]

Took it out so I wouldn't have to worry about it getting clogged. It wasn't clogged at the time I took it out.

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

Took it out so I wouldn't have to worry about it getting clogged. It wasn't clogged at the time I took it out.

Interesting that first you say that the saw is only 1 or 2 years old, then you say that you took the screen out "years ago".
Now you say that you took out the screen so it wouldn't get blocked which is an odd thing to do if it wasn't getting blocked.
Seems a lot of bs to me.

 

[J D]

I have seen where a tank full of fuel was allowed to evaporate in the saw (leaving the oil behind) & this caused the next tank of fuel to have twice as much oil. That could explain excess oil as a one-off.
I have also seen the case gasket fail between the bar oil tank & crankcase causing the saw to burn bar oil (not sure if the layout of the ms180 is conducive of this).
I suspect it is over fueling & first thing I would check is the choke is working as it should (it may open completely but after a period of running/vibration return to a semi closed position).
As these saws typically ran lean from the factory (particularly the later ones) it is pretty comon that the carb gets "tweeked" to run a bit richer. It wouldn't surprise me if some shops even did this from new.
Ideally the jet should be replaced with a size larger (or drilled out) but the more common "no parts required" solution is to very slightly raise the metering lever. This allows the fuel pump circuit to put slightly more pressure on the metering chamber which will result in slightly more fuel delivery.
It is quite possible the metering lever is just set too high. Also possible there is a physical fault with the carburetor like a loose welch plug.

 

[stihltech]

Put the screen back in. I has a purpose as the last filter before the inlet needle. Without it, dirt can get into the needle and cause flooding. If the screen is getting that dirty time to check fuel, filter and lines.
Is it me or have we found a cause?

 

[Diet Ginger Beer]

Put the screen back in. I has a purpose as the last filter before the inlet needle. Without it, dirt can get into the needle and cause flooding. If the screen is getting that dirty time to check fuel, filter and lines.
Is it me or have we found a cause?

I think he means the spark arrestor......which is there to stop bushfires.

 

[coffeebrk]

Still smokes like crazy.

Have you a tachometer to check idle speed?
High idle can cause excess smoke

 

[Robin Rowley]

I think he means the spark arrestor......which is there to stop bushfires.

Yes, spark arrestor, in the muffler.