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

 

[user 196652]

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

 

[user 196652]

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.

 

[user 196652]

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.

 

[user 196652]

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?

 

[user 196652]

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.

 

[stihltech]

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

Yep- should read previous posts. 20 lashes with a wet noodle.
Now back to diagnosis.

 

[stihltech]

I leave the exhaust screen in to keep the wasps from building nests inside the muffler.
Screens don't plug with running a saw full throttle with a clean air filter, unless the carb is way too rich. The plugged screen is a symptom, not a cause.

 

[Robin Rowley]

Old post resurrected. I finally got around to installing amazon carburetor referred to in post #60. The saw runs better than when it was new! The excessive smoking has gone away and plug fouling hasn't happened in 4-5 tanks of gas. Apparently something wasn't right in the oem carburetor. If anyone else with this saw has similar problems with their stihl ms180 this $14 carb might be the fix
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VTAD818/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Sidecarflip]

My only comment is, for $13.99 all you get is a China carb and if it works, all good but again, the swan song of cheap Chinese parts rings true. Bet the OEM carb is 3 times that price at least. People need to wean themselves off the Chinese stuff or soon we will all be eating raw fish with chopsticks and Chairman Mao will be our 'Savior'.

Bet you use corn squeezed gas as well....

 

[Robin Rowley]

I stand chastised. However, a quick examination of the oem carburetor reveals "zama" embossed on the bottom. And a quick google of zama reveals that it's worldwide headquarters is hongkong china. So which chinese carb should I buy? I'll get the cheapassed one every time. And I don't use corn squeezings as gas, I drink it!

 

[rogue60]

My only comment is, for $13.99 all you get is a China carb and if it works, all good but again, the swan song of cheap Chinese parts rings true. Bet the OEM carb is 3 times that price at least. People need to wean themselves off the Chinese stuff or soon we will all be eating raw fish with chopsticks and Chairman Mao will be our 'Savior'.

Bet you use corn squeezed gas as well....

People eating raw fish (sushi) it's all the rage! little do they know they are consuming copious amounts of tape worm eggs
I keep my distance from raw fish eaters! lol

 

[EchovsStihl63]

Old post resurrected. I finally got around to installing amazon carburetor referred to in post #60. The saw runs better than when it was new! The excessive smoking has gone away and plug fouling hasn't happened in 4-5 tanks of gas. Apparently something wasn't right in the oem carburetor. If anyone else with this saw has similar problems with their stihl ms180 this $14 carb might be the fix
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VTAD818/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I put a Walbro 215 on mine because it ran super rich with the non adjustable carb on it. ACtually being able to tune it and opening up the muffler made it a different saw for the better.