Homelite Super XL will not idle

dberry · Oct 17, 2005

I have a Homelite Super XL with a ZAMA C2 carb. The idle screw is turned in all the way and the saw will still not idle. I have tried to adjust the hi and lo jets to no avail. The only way to keep the saw running is to hold the throttle slightly open and the saw is running way above idle.. The saw is used only once or twice a year and is on the second chain. I am about to put a kit in the carburator but before I do, I am wondering if anyone has had similar problems and can suggest a plan of action.

p38lightning · Oct 17, 2005

That is the cure probably. You might have an air leak and the fuel is running back down into the tank. If you use a transparent fuel line you can tell. A kit is simple stuff and it never hurts, grab you some Tygon fuel line and replace that also. I had one in my shop last week and where the fuel line attaches to the carb inlet, there was a tiny hole and when you let off the trigger you could watch the fuel run back into the tank then it would die. You probably still need a kit.

cuttinscott · Oct 17, 2005

does not sound like an air leak sounds too rich probably the inlet needle is gummed up and causing the carb to flood

scott

bugfart · Oct 18, 2005

Could you expound on that Scott?
Me and P38 are thinking backwards or something.

Lets have him take his muffler off and see if it idles.

Personally, I think either way he may... and I say may... get away with just cleaning the carb in gas? Ditto fuel lines that stuff is so cheap.

cuttinscott · Oct 18, 2005

dberry said:
The idle screw is turned in all the way and the saw will still not idle. I have tried to adjust the hi and lo jets to no avail. The only way to keep the saw running is to hold the throttle slightly open and the saw is running way above idle.. The saw is used only once or twice a year and is on the second chain.

IDLE SCREW IS TURNED ALL THE WAY IN SAW WILL NOT IDLE IF he had an airleak the saw would be racing and the idle screw would have to bu out all the way to calm the saw down. The saw has not had much use prob stored with gas in saw this expliane to me that the carb may be gummed up causing a slow acting inlet needle. I know from experiance that the TILLISTON HS carbs also had the problem of the welch plug coming loose and causing a rich condition I am not as familiar with the C2 ZAMA the only thing i do with ZAMA's is replace them cause their bodys where out around the throttle and choke shafts and cause abnormal run conditions.

SCOTT

dberry · Oct 18, 2005

I put the carb-kit in today and found the carb to be very dirty with fine brown dust-like particles -- this was not gum/varnish. The fuel filter was a small lead-weight with a filter-sleeve the same brown color; therefore, I replaced the filter with a new white-felt unit. I put a new Tygon gas-line and put the gaskets in and now the saw runs great. Perhaps the age of the filter was such it just started to disintegrate. Thanks all for the tips.

p38lightning · Oct 18, 2005

Yep I see what your saying. I wasn't thinking idle screw all the way in, I was thinking backwards. I'm good at that ya know! You said something interesting about the Zama's. I really like them but now that you mention it, I do have 2 that got bad enough that the throttle would not move. (They were on part saws) I took my rotary tool and ran it thru the body with a soft stone and it worked but I never knew why that happened. It was like it shrunk or something. After I fixed it, the saw ran fine, what in the world would cause that? I thought it was just build up on the sidewalls but do you think the bodies (for lack of a better word) warp? I thought I might be nuts or something!