help! husky 371 fuel starved! not filter...

[nematon]

My husky 371 has been a trusty saw for quite a bit of wood, but just recently it started acting up. It would idle high. chain would run. I would mess with the three screws, idle L H, and nothing could get it to idle down. I figured there must be an air leak somewhere, although it would idle high, and when I would gas it, it would run rich. weird. So I took it to the shop. they tightened the bolts that hold the cylinder down, and sold me a new base gasket. The new base gasket was too thin, so the piston actually struck the head and would not rotate. I put the old gasket back on which looked just fine. I rebuilt the carb with a kit, I put a new boot in, I have tried 2 air filters, and all it will do is not start unless I wet my finger with gas and put it directly into the intake of the carb (no filter) and it will fire up no problem. runs for about 40 seconds, rich at first, then leans out till it dies. Did I reassemble the carb wrong? anybody know of a diagram? I need this thing tomorrow for work. Funny how you love a good saw until it starts to flake out, and you throw money at it and work on it and it still doesn't work. Piston looks fine. no scores good even thick ring. compression does not seem extremely high... it runs great till it runs out of direct feed gas. thanks for any help guys!

 

[PES+]

Hokay

So it ran before you rebuilt the carb correct?

where'd he go??

 

[nematon]

yes. it fed itself fuel before I screwed with it. Likely the carb is assembled wrong?

 

[PES+]

Okay

Which side is up on the carb on the 371? it it the cast side or the steel stamped side?

 

[Freakingstang]

how did you assemble the diapraghm? Metal Plate, gasket, diaphram, carb? or plate, diaphram, gasket, carb?

Not sure what is up with the base gasket...There is enough room to run no gasket in that saw by a considerable amount, unless someone has had it apart and machined down the base....

Husky only has one gasket that i am aware of for the 365/371 and 372's and they are pretty thin. if the saw was running extremely rich, it may have carbon buildup on the piston not allowing it go all the way down, but you had it apart....What did the top of the piston look like?

You are probably getting an air leak through the base. I have everytime I have tries to reuse the base gasket, even if running it only fora few minutes on a new gasket and then tearing it apart. Once it has been torqued, throw it away....But, your saw should not be anywhere close to hitting with the new gasket, unless like i said, someone has it apart and milled the cylinder down for more compression or there is buildup on top of the piston.

 

[PES+]

I have a suspicion you have a cracked fuel line which caused the original problem and you probably got the sequence wrong on the gaskets which is why you have no fuel now

 

[PES+]

Okay

You may as well pull the carb off so we can check all the gaskets and diaphrams

the most common mistake for most people is the fuel pump diaphram and gasket being in the wrong sequence the diaphram with the two flaps goes against the carb body and the gasket goes on top of that then the cast zinc cover

 

[KASH]

If the problem was erratic idiling ie faster than normal I think you have a leaking crank shaft seal. When this happens they will run on high speed but leaner but wil not idle riight and are harder to start. Hope this helps'
KASH

 

[Freakingstang]

I have a suspicion you have a cracked fuel line which caused the original problem and you probably got the sequence wrong on the gaskets which is why you have no fuel now

that, or he got the impulse line and fuel supply mixed up......

I'm agreeing on the cracked fuel or impluse line....

 

[PES+]

I saw alot of cracked fuel lines on the 371s and early 372s do the same symptom
I am not ruling out the possibilty of the base leaking and suspect a possible parts swap situation on the piston cyl combination.

 

[nematon]

The piston did have a little carbon build up. not as thick as the gasket. the bottom of the cylinder does not look like it was machined, when I reassembled with the thin gasket that thing locked up hard. pull cord4 inches, stop dead. the outside 1 or 2 mm of the psiton was clear of carbon. The fuel and impulse lines are not reversed. both lines appear to be in good condition. I am guessing the carb is built wrong. It would run like crap if there was an air leak, but it would run. it is bone dry of gas. put a little in the intake, fires right up, runs, leans out, dies. so I need help with the exact order of the gaskets, and which side is up on the diaphragm if anyone knows. I will triple check the fuel hose and the impulse, but they honestly look fine. on this model the side with the single screw is up. I did notice the two tabs that stick out on the upper gaskets are not lined up. are they sapposed to overlap perfectly? It has a brand new fuel filter on it. thanks for any help guys!

 

[nematon]

Gaskets reversed! It runs like a champ now. I will hold my breath on air leak as I don't think that goblin as all banished yet. Thanks for the help!

 

[Hard Knocks]

I will hold my breath on air leak as I don't think that goblin as all banished yet.

Don't hold your breath you may suffocate. If you suspect that there is still an air leak get it checked out before it costs you a pile of money and downtime.

 

[PES+]

If you check in this AM

I hope you check in before running off to the job. If the saw still acts up at idle run the low and high rich (burbling at top RPMs) and don't force it. This should save the piston and jug till you can sort things out. Take your time

If the fuel line is cracked it still won't be usable so beg-borrow-rent another saw for the job

 

[nematon]

Yeah, it still doesn't run worth a crap. idles all over the place, burbles rich then leans hard, idles high, then drops off to refusing to stay running basically made the first hour of work very frustrating. Then I switch saws, and hit a rock under the snow so good it took me 20 minutes to file it back to useable. Boss tells me his other guy has come back and needs money and the site is too tight for 4 guys... 2.5 feet of snow. every tree leaning away from the skid trail. I get home and my unemployed wife chews me out and then sits down to watch OPRAH.

 

[Hard Knocks]

Some days it's not worth getting out of bed in the morning.

 

[Crofter]

Really check out the fuel line closely. Had most all these symptoms with my 365 which is same setup I believe. Seemd to act differently depending on how you tilted the saw etc so I was thinking seals. finally quit completley and I noticed fuel would leak when on its side. Fuel line was cracked just where it exits below the air box and before it enters the tank. Almost impossible to access this stretch of the fuel pickup line.

 

[PES+]

Yup

Fuel line
Replace it

the reason for the piston hitting is early 371s ( I think all actually) had a different piston pin height those parts then appeared on Jonsered models.
I don't remember model numbers where this switch happened but I used to switch 372 pistons for J red pistons to close squish and still use a gasket

 

[Freakingstang]

the reason for the piston hitting is early 371s ( I think all actually) had a different piston pin height those parts then appeared on Jonsered models.
I don't remember model numbers where this switch happened but I used to switch 372 pistons for J red pistons to close squish and still use a gasket

Are you talking about a single ring piston on the early non epa saws? I have a couple that I have put the older pistons in, but still haven't had a problem with them hitting, even without a gasket.....They do run better though, than the newer ones....

 

[PES+]

Yes there were some strange combos on 371s slight difference in some rod lengths as well