Homelite Chainsaws

[a. palmer jr.]

Bought a newer Super XL today. Fires right up and runs great at high speed, but runs weird when it should be idling. First of all, when you release the throttle, the chain will continue to spin very fast for 15-20 seconds. Then it will idle with the chain completely stopped for 3 seconds fine, then idle rough and die. I messed with the low speed and got the chain to stop when the throttle is released and it idles fine. But after you give it gas again and then let off the gas that chain will keep spinning. Not sure whats wrong here.
Funny thing is that the idle jet has been set, then someone glued it in place. :bang: Probably kept vibrating lose on them. Not sure. That idle jet will not budge is what I do know. Also was missing the spikes. Luckily I had a parts Super XL laying around will spikes on it. Ok, so when I went to pop off the clutch cover, it would not budge with both the nuts off. Had to keep working at it. When I finally got it off, I took a close look at it and it is bent. :mad2: How did someone manage to do that? Luckily, that parts XL had a good clutch cover. Long story short, this red saw looks weird with a blue clutch cover. Everything else on it seems to be in tact and looks like it works like it should (Other than the runny 5W-30 oil that should have been bar and chain oil)
What would you guys recommend with that weird idling? Probably break that jet lose...but how? Thanks View attachment 252065

What I use is a miniature butane torch on stuff like that. Put the flame right on the screw itself and it'll get hot enough to loosen the glue. Those little torches cost about $5 at Harbor Freight.
As for the running rough, you'll just have to check everything out...carb, fuel lines, air leaks, filters, etc.

 

[Eccentric]

I'd replace the fuel line and rebuild the carb first. If it's still acting that way, I'd be concerned about the crank seals. Does the idle change when you tilt the saw to the left or right?

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I'd replace the fuel line and rebuild the carb first. If it's still acting that way, I'd be concerned about the crank seals. Does the idle change when you tilt the saw to the left or right?

Many of those saws I've bought that ran a little bad, only to find the fuel filter laying in the bottom of the tank unattached.

 

[ChainLightning]

Never thought about taking a torch to it. I sure hope its not the seals. This is a nice looking saw. Probably the best shape SXL that I have ever seen. Have not got a look at the piston and rings yet. The plate over the muffler is bent so the holes don't line up. Can't get a socket or wrench in there.

 

[Eccentric]

Never thought about taking a torch to it. I sure hope its not the seals. This is a nice looking saw. Probably the best shape SXL that I have ever seen. Have not got a look at the piston and rings yet. The plate over the muffler is bent so the holes don't line up. Can't get a socket or wrench in there.

That's common with that style of muffler. Just manhandle the thing over until you can get a 5/16" socket on the screws. I've had good luck reaching through the hole with the flathead screwdriver and prying against the screw heads (to pull the cover 'standoff' over)...

 

[ChainLightning]

That's common with that style of muffler. Just manhandle the thing over until you can get a 5/16" socket on the screws. I've had good luck reaching through the hole with the flathead screwdriver and prying against the screw heads (to pull the cover 'standoff' over)...

Cool tip. Will try it. BTW, thanks for the help with the 10-10. I have two of them and plan on selling the one with the chain brake. If I have too, I will take the clutch off the other one and put it on this one. The other one is in rough shape. If you are interested in it when i'm done, let me know.

 

[67L36Driver]

My C5's all came to me with all six shoes in the clutches. That's three (one of those is in Mn now), plus two parts saws...

Must be some kind of west coast option..............................................:rolleyes2:

 

[Eccentric]

Must be some kind of west coast option..............................................:rolleyes2:

Or they were 'fixed' with the addition of the second three clutch shoes some time during the last 47 or so years......

I will tell you that I've never had any clutch slipping experiences with those saws. I mostly ran them with 19", 21", and 25" hardnose bars. Always with .404 chain and 7 pin rims. The C-5 that Jeff now has ran the 25" bar burried in oak without the clutch slipping. That was about as much as that saw wanted to pull however...

In the IPL, it mentions running the six shoe clutch when using the planetary gear drive 'conversion' clutch cover. The C-5 I recently found with the gear drive cover does have the six shoe clutch, as do the two 'direct drive' C-5's I've had (my remaining C-5, and Jeff's).

 

[redunshee]

Need help with old Homelite

Trying to put this old Homelite back together and have a few questions. Saw is I believe a small SL Automatic.
1) Walbro HDC carb has no Hi speed adjustment. There is no openning for it so I assume this is how its supposed to be.
2) There is no oil pump and from what I can tell its a pressurized system. Looks like you run a line from the impulse nipple on the saw to a duckbill valve on the oil tank. I assume the oil tank is pressurized from the cylinder and oil is forced out to the oil output line to the bar.
I'll try tp post pictures of the block but not sure I can open them in the post.

 

[Eccentric]

Trying to put this old Homelite back together and have a few questions. Saw is I believe a small SL Automatic.
1) Walbro HDC carb has no Hi speed adjustment. There is no openning for it so I assume this is how its supposed to be.
2) There is no oil pump and from what I can tell its a pressurized system. Looks like you run a line from the impulse nipple on the saw to a duckbill valve on the oil tank. I assume the oil tank is pressurized from the cylinder and oil is forced out to the oil output line to the bar.
I'll try tp post pictures of the block but not sure I can open them in the post.

Yep. They did put single needle carbs on many of those saws. The oiler is indeed just a pressurized oil tank. There were some saws in the series that also have an impulse driven diaphragm oil pump (and the pressurized tank just keeps that pump primed), but many of these saws only have the pressurized tank. The impulse line from the crankcase goes to the oil tank, where a hollow bronze 'filter' thingee (called a 'connector' by Homelite) fits into the hose, with a standard 69451 Homelite duckbill valve fitted to that.

You adjust how much pressure stays in the tank by how much of the filter is left exposed (not covered by the hose or the duckbill). Pressure bleeds back into the crankcase line through this exposed section of the porous 'connector'. The SM recomends a range of 1/16"-1/4" IIRC. You can ditch the 'connector' for a piece of metal tube (or just slide the connector into the hose until no part of it is left exposed) if you want 'max' pressure in the tank (and therefore oil flow). For the system to work, the oil tank has to seal tight.

Here's a link to a download of the 4th Ed Homelite Service Manual. The XL2/Super2 oiler system is covered in detail.

http://www.mediafire.com/?1dlkv4unh3tu5t1

 

[Eccentric]

This saw must be a hoot to run

Looks like a serious 2100 Hotsaw. Anybody here own this saw, or know the fellow who does? Grabbed this pic from a VERY old thread here (2002) while doing a google search for Homelite EZ-10 cutoff saw info/pics. I recently saw a listing for an IPL for the EZ-10 and "Chipper" (looks like a S E-Z with a debarker attachment) on ebay.

 

[ChainLightning]

Got my Super XL fixed today. I tore the carb off and cleaned it. It was very clean and the internal gaskets in it looked very nice. After I hooked that back up, I busted that idle jet loose with a pair of vise Grips and a old screwdriver. They used pipe cement on it..and a lot of it too. That turns free now. I also popped that muffler off and the piston and rings look great. While I was at it I greased the bar and clutch drum bearing. That bearing was bone dry.

 

[cbfarmall]

Looks like a serious 2100 Hotsaw. Anybody here own this saw, or know the fellow who does? Grabbed this pic from a VERY old thread here (2002) while doing a google search for Homelite EZ-10 cutoff saw info/pics. I recently saw a listing for an IPL for the EZ-10 and "Chipper" (looks like a S E-Z with a debarker attachment) on ebay.

What about this 2100?

 

[redunshee]

Yep. They did put single needle carbs on many of those saws. The oiler is indeed just a pressurized oil tank. There were some saws in the series that also have an impulse driven diaphragm oil pump (and the pressurized tank just keeps that pump primed), but many of these saws only have the pressurized tank. The impulse line from the crankcase goes to the oil tank, where a hollow bronze 'filter' thingee (called a 'connector' by Homelite) fits into the hose, with a standard 69451 Homelite duckbill valve fitted to that.

You adjust how much pressure stays in the tank by how much of the filter is left exposed (not covered by the hose or the duckbill). Pressure bleeds back into the crankcase line through this exposed section of the porous 'connector'. The SM recomends a range of 1/16"-1/4" IIRC. You can ditch the 'connector' for a piece of metal tube (or just slide the connector into the hose until no part of it is left exposed) if you want 'max' pressure in the tank (and therefore oil flow). For the system to work, the oil tank has to seal tight.

Here's a link to a download of the 4th Ed Homelite Service Manual. The XL2/Super2 oiler system is covered in detail.

http://www.mediafire.com/?1dlkv4unh3tu5t1

Thanks for the manual though I have to admit I read it thru and didn't see any reference to pressurized oil tanks. The SL2 portion shows an oil pump which my saw obviously doesn't have. If I understand your explanation, in leau of the "connector", which I don't have, I can attach a small metal tube to the end of the line in the oil tank and put a duckbill valve onto the end of the tube. I presume the oil level has to be below the duckbill valve for the pressure to build up?
Bob

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Thanks for the manual though I have to admit I read it thru and didn't see any reference to pressurized oil tanks. The SL2 portion shows an oil pump which my saw obviously doesn't have. If I understand your explanation, in leau of the "connector", which I don't have, I can attach a small metal tube to the end of the line in the oil tank and put a duckbill valve onto the end of the tube. I presume the oil level has to be below the duckbill valve for the pressure to build up?
Bob

I usually cut a section out of a ball point pen refill. Perfect size.

 

[Eccentric]

Thanks for the manual though I have to admit I read it thru and didn't see any reference to pressurized oil tanks. The SL2 portion shows an oil pump which my saw obviously doesn't have. If I understand your explanation, in leau of the "connector", which I don't have, I can attach a small metal tube to the end of the line in the oil tank and put a duckbill valve onto the end of the tube. I presume the oil level has to be below the duckbill valve for the pressure to build up?
Bob

Sorry about that. The info about the 'pressureized tank' oiler system is in the 5th Ed SM, not the 4th. Here's the link for downloading the 5th. The XL oiler stuff starts on page B40.

http://www.mediafire.com/?300gk1fu7qmk3og

Pressure will still build if the oil level is above the connector. The crankcase gasses would just 'bubble up' through the oil...

 

[Eccentric]

What about this 2100?

Thanks for posting those Chris. It's a good thing I was sitting down (and not drinking anything) when I scrolled down to your post. That's not the 'usual' 2100 Homelite. Glad to see it's not just the Mac guys (and the Euro saw guys) having that sort of fun....:msp_thumbup:

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Running another test

I have 3 trees down in my front yard and decided what a nice time to test some saws! I have several to test, all ran well and had sharpened or new chains. You Homelite guys will not believe which saw came in first today....Homelite 150! I had it matched up against bigger saws and it still cut much more wood in the amount of time. It must have been tuned and sharpened just right because there was no comparison. The other saws I tried in the short amount of time I had today were a Craftsman/Poulan 3000 and an Echo 550EVL. Both these saws were heavier and seemed to have duller chains and were miserable to use. I'll do a little work on these two later and try something else tomorrow. I cleaned the 150 and put it back on the shelf. To say I was surprised with the 150 would be an understatement!

 

[cbfarmall]

Thanks for posting those Chris. It's a good thing I was sitting down (and not drinking anything) when I scrolled down to your post. That's not the 'usual' 2100 Homelite. Glad to see it's not just the Mac guys (and the Euro saw guys) having that sort of fun....:msp_thumbup:

Sure thing.

Those aren't my saws or me, BTW. I would never do such a thing to my 2100s. Let the Stihl and Husky guys molest their saws.

Chris B.

 

[Toolslinger]

Sw 80

Ok folks... I had an easy day at my shop so I came home early to work on saws... I got a little Remington Mighty Mite going, and then a little Poulan. I was on such a good roll, I figured I'd pour some mix in the SW80 that hasn't been started since 1974... Checked the oil in the gearbox, and its sparkling clean, as is the bar oil. I'm sure any sludge settled after all that time, so once I get it running, I'll have to change all that once it gets stirred up a bit. Add fuel, pulled it over a few times easy with the ignition killed, and then gave it a shot of starting fluid, and a real pull with the ignition on . To my surprise, it fired. I went back and forth between choke and off, and while I could get it to fire, there was no getting it to run. So I guess I'll tear the carb apart, which I expected to do anyhow. (kit is on the bench already)

So, anything peculiar to these? I'll likely pull it apart tomorrow as I doubt anything will pop up at work, but figure it makes sense to see if there are any gotchas lurking in there...

Also, I haven't even looked at the drive to see, but is it plausible that I could change it over from 1/2" to .404? The chain on it is beat. There might be another chain or two out at the farm, so it may not matter, but it would be nice to mentally file away the possibility...

-Tim