Help with an old Stihl 015

[Walston]

My neighbor passed away and his son gave me his old Stihl 015 chain saw. It is in incredible shape. Looks brand new, maybe 10 or so hours of use during its life. Last time it was used, I used it in 1995. Has an extra chain and the original manual and tool.

I have gone through it. The date on the carburetor and the housing is July 1974, so it is an early saw. Also says made in West Germany.

I rebuild the carburetor (replaced the gaskets and diaphragms, cleaned the passages) and replaced the fuel like, the gear oil hoses and the tank gasket.
I checked the points and cleaned them using a dollar bill. They looked very good and are set right at 0.015". Coil looks good. The timing looks pretty good as the points just start to open slightly before TDC. I am not sure how to test it electronically, but visually it looks good. I checked for spark and it sparks.

I fueled it up, locked the trigger and pulled once with the choke on and it fired. It took the choke off it fired right off and ran about 5 seconds. then I couldn't get it to run. some gas dripping from the carb.

I went through the carb again and it seems OK. I did not replace the little check valve as it was not part of the kit. This morning I put it back together and same story. Fired right up for a few seconds and then I could get it to go. Changed the plug several times, no change.

Si I checked compression and it is 90 psi and I think that is fine.

I think I am flooding, because a shot of starting fluid does nothing.

I am looking for ideas.

 

[andrethegiant70]

It's almost certainly carb-related. Did you shoot carb cleaner through the passages? Did you install the diaphram gaskets in the right order? Is the metering arm set at the right height? I'd go back over your work.

 

[Walston]

Passages are clean for sure. Sprayed carb cleaner and brake cleaner through them. Diaphragms are correct, check em twice.
You may be on to something with the metering arm height. It is a possibility. Can you help me with a measurement? I am using the Stihl service manual and there is no dimension for that. At least I can't find it.
I also found a place to buy the valve assembly and ordered just ordered it.

Thanks for the help.

 

[backhoelover]

also need to check nozzle check valve. didnt they come with walbro on them

 

[backhoelover]

walbro makes a tool to check the meter lever height they are all over ebay

 

[Walston]

Thanks for the manual. The check valve was not in the kit, but I found one and ordered it. I will check my meter lever height in the mean time.

 

[andrethegiant70]

Passages are clean for sure. Sprayed carb cleaner and brake cleaner through them. Diaphragms are correct, check em twice.
You may be on to something with the metering arm height. It is a possibility. Can you help me with a measurement? I am using the Stihl service manual and there is no dimension for that. At least I can't find it.
I also found a place to buy the valve assembly and ordered just ordered it.

Thanks for the help.

There may be other ways to do it, but standard procedure is to set the arm even with the "floor" of the carburetor. Funny we're talking about this, I just had exactly the same situation with an 026... flooding like mad. I uninstalled the carb, shot it again with carb cleaner, readjusted the arm and all was well. I hope you have the same experience! A flooding carb certainly seems to imply that this valve is not seating.

 

[Totembear]

90 psi certainly seems on the low side to me. That might not be your problem right now but if that compression is right your going to have to tear it down sooner than later.

 

[Walston]

Thanks for the help guys.
The metering lever was way off, way too high and that was letting fuel flood the engine. Fixed that and it starts and runs like brand new.
As far as the compression, I likely don't have a good compression reading. My shrader valve is at the end of a long hose and I only pulled it a couple times, the way it starts and runs, I am not concerned about compression.

Thanks again, a 1974 Stihl 015 is back in service after many years of sitting!