KMB
Addicted to ArboristSite
…getting a saw running properly that has been giving me grief. The reason…go easy on me boys…wrong spark plug.
Last year some time, I had my 970 looked at by my local Stihl dealer for some reason…I can’t remember…something I couldn’t figure out on the saw I guess. I do remember the fella putting in a new plug as he looked over the saw. The saw seemed to run good until one day last summer, it started dieing in the cut. It would idle fine, and rev up out of the cut, but once the chain got into the wood, it would start to die. By that time I had the 044 running, but was using the 970 because I had a broken fuel line on the 044 that day and wanted to get the cutting done (I finished the last couple of cuts with the 260 that day).
I finally got back to the 970 a few weeks ago. I put in a carb kit, pressure/vacuum tested (passed both), checked the fuel filter, checked the fuel tank vent, but couldn’t find the problem. I had put it back together enough to see how it ran, and now it wouldn’t idle properly with the top cover on. Turns out I had it apart for so long that I had put the throttle rod back on the wrong side of the carb…the top cover was putting pressure on the rod causing the throttle to partially open...causing the saw to have a very 'high idle'.
So this afternoon, I was going to take the carb apart again to give it a detailed cleaning, pressure test the carb, recheck the fuel tank vent, and then ask on AS for help…then I thought, why not check the plug? So I did (before doing all the other stuff). The plug in it was a Bosch WSR6F. The Bosch plug for the 970 is the WS7F. So the plug from the Stihl shop was the wrong one…but the saw ran fine (or so I thought) for a good while on that wrong plug…does that sound right? I would have thought that it would have ran bad right from when the new ‘wrong’ plug was installed. Anyway, I put in the plug that the EFCO service manual says to use which is a Champion RCJ-7Y (I used a Champion CJ7Y) and the saw is back to acting right! It even started better than it has ever started (I bought the saw used a while back). I found the Bosch plug for this saw from some online research.
So I have did an initial tune, and made a few test cuts. It did run strong for the few test cuts. I forgot to add that while I had the saw apart, I finally modded the muffler a little. I think it’ll be close to my 044 with its DP cover and old school muffler with the bigger port. I’m gonna get 2 new 20” chains and do some timed cuts between the 2 saws. I won’t have cants to use; I’ll just have to find a log that is suitable.
Just had to share this with you fellas…I’m sure glad I got my red saw back up and running! Thank you Lord! Why do I thank Him? Because as I was sitting here at my computer working on 2 different occasions, the thoughts/ideas all of a sudden came to me to first check my IPL to see how the throttle rod is pictured in place (solved that problem). Then the thought to check the spark plug…which I should have did initially…after I was at wits end (solved that problem).
Okay, I’m done for now.
Kevin
Last year some time, I had my 970 looked at by my local Stihl dealer for some reason…I can’t remember…something I couldn’t figure out on the saw I guess. I do remember the fella putting in a new plug as he looked over the saw. The saw seemed to run good until one day last summer, it started dieing in the cut. It would idle fine, and rev up out of the cut, but once the chain got into the wood, it would start to die. By that time I had the 044 running, but was using the 970 because I had a broken fuel line on the 044 that day and wanted to get the cutting done (I finished the last couple of cuts with the 260 that day).
I finally got back to the 970 a few weeks ago. I put in a carb kit, pressure/vacuum tested (passed both), checked the fuel filter, checked the fuel tank vent, but couldn’t find the problem. I had put it back together enough to see how it ran, and now it wouldn’t idle properly with the top cover on. Turns out I had it apart for so long that I had put the throttle rod back on the wrong side of the carb…the top cover was putting pressure on the rod causing the throttle to partially open...causing the saw to have a very 'high idle'.
So this afternoon, I was going to take the carb apart again to give it a detailed cleaning, pressure test the carb, recheck the fuel tank vent, and then ask on AS for help…then I thought, why not check the plug? So I did (before doing all the other stuff). The plug in it was a Bosch WSR6F. The Bosch plug for the 970 is the WS7F. So the plug from the Stihl shop was the wrong one…but the saw ran fine (or so I thought) for a good while on that wrong plug…does that sound right? I would have thought that it would have ran bad right from when the new ‘wrong’ plug was installed. Anyway, I put in the plug that the EFCO service manual says to use which is a Champion RCJ-7Y (I used a Champion CJ7Y) and the saw is back to acting right! It even started better than it has ever started (I bought the saw used a while back). I found the Bosch plug for this saw from some online research.
So I have did an initial tune, and made a few test cuts. It did run strong for the few test cuts. I forgot to add that while I had the saw apart, I finally modded the muffler a little. I think it’ll be close to my 044 with its DP cover and old school muffler with the bigger port. I’m gonna get 2 new 20” chains and do some timed cuts between the 2 saws. I won’t have cants to use; I’ll just have to find a log that is suitable.
Just had to share this with you fellas…I’m sure glad I got my red saw back up and running! Thank you Lord! Why do I thank Him? Because as I was sitting here at my computer working on 2 different occasions, the thoughts/ideas all of a sudden came to me to first check my IPL to see how the throttle rod is pictured in place (solved that problem). Then the thought to check the spark plug…which I should have did initially…after I was at wits end (solved that problem).
Okay, I’m done for now.
Kevin
