Hi guys , A neighbour dropped this off at the garage today and was wondering if I could get it working properly.No doubt it's a few years old but it seems to be fixable.It won't stay running (idling)and seems to be flooding big time. I've preset the high and low screws to 1 1/2 and tried fine tuning it but no luck. I'm going to put a new carb kit in it but what else should I be checking or what other problems are these saws causing.The compression is 135, new plug, I'm told that these are just not a good saws to work on and a pain to keep running. Is this so? Thanks. Snowball
homelite xl1 carb problem
- Thread starter snowball
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Simonizer
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Remove sparkplug, clean thoroughly, put in a safe place for future use, discard saw in nearest dumpster.snowball said:
Lawn Masters
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That saw isnt junk, but it isnt the BEST saw built either. rebuild the carb, clean the exhaust port and spark screen if applicable, and try it out.
So, really what you are saying is, no matter what I do with this saw, it's probally not going to idle properly and I'm still going to have pull my arms off trying to start it.Is it the design of this saw,or are all homelites, crap?
Lawn Masters
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I never said anythign to that effect, your particular saw may have problems but the Homelites in general, at least in my experience, are GREAT saws if you're talking about the older metal ones.
I've got an old Super 2 that I have here, its old, its small, but it IS good, and rugged. XL12 saws are known for being rugged SOBs that jsut REFUSE to die.
if you rebuild the carb, I'm betting your XL1 will run great again, and not have any major issues. flooding is USUALLY, a result of worn and stretched carb diaphragms, or worn gaskets in the carb, which is easily fixed with new rubber parts, and nothing else. normally a cheap $10 fix, though if you havent done it in awhile, I'd also change the fuel filter, and the fuel line itself too jsut to be safe cause they tend to dry out, crack, crumble, or in some cases, with todays fuel, dissolve into a gunk that takes forever to get out of the saw.
I've got an old Super 2 that I have here, its old, its small, but it IS good, and rugged. XL12 saws are known for being rugged SOBs that jsut REFUSE to die.
if you rebuild the carb, I'm betting your XL1 will run great again, and not have any major issues. flooding is USUALLY, a result of worn and stretched carb diaphragms, or worn gaskets in the carb, which is easily fixed with new rubber parts, and nothing else. normally a cheap $10 fix, though if you havent done it in awhile, I'd also change the fuel filter, and the fuel line itself too jsut to be safe cause they tend to dry out, crack, crumble, or in some cases, with todays fuel, dissolve into a gunk that takes forever to get out of the saw.
Simonizer said:
Sorry about that lawn master, I was responding to what simonizer was saying. He made me chuckle
Great site you got here, I just spent a little time reading some of the other treads, very interesting, few comediens too hey! Thanks for your help, I'm sure I'll be talking to you guys again.
p38lightning
ArboristSite Operative
Simonizer is in need of help, pay him no mind, he really does'nt know what he is talking about.
Al Smith
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I wonder if ole Simon is a reincarnation of Glenns.Now about the saw.It's most likely the carb.A rebuild kit is cheap.All the carb manufacturers have good web sites for info on settings etc.Dig into it,Snowball,you aren't going to learn any younger,good luck.Simonizer said:
lesorubcheek
Addicted to ArboristSite
Snowball,
If you rebuild the carb and still don't have success, you might also check the reeds. If they don't seat well you can get into some idling problems.
Dan
If you rebuild the carb and still don't have success, you might also check the reeds. If they don't seat well you can get into some idling problems.
Dan
donnyman
ArboristSite Operative
Snow ball that homey xl1 is a great saw.What colour of paints on it.Red and black or blue and white.Does it have points or a blue coil on it.Also does it have a decoprestion valve on the cylinder just above the muffler.Carb should work when lo speed jet is set a 1 turn out and high should be around 1 to 1 1/2.Check and see if the little throdle on the side of carb is touching the idle screw some times you have to bend it out a little so you get a little more ajustment.Also if you have the air cleaner top off it, look on the top of the back handle there is a screw there that ajusts the decompresor value and fast idal for starting the saw.What I would do first is put some gas in the tank and put the cap back on ,then take the top off the carb 4 screws then give it a shot of air on the carb.This will put presure on the tank and will force the gas to shoot out the top of carbrator and push anything out of the fuel lines and carb.Carefull watch your eyes.Then loosen the cap on the tank and install the top on carb and try it.I have done this many times and it has been suscessfull.Were in canada do you reside.Don.
Hi guys, Sorry for the delay.I've been trying to round up some parts around here for this baby, and boy it's not easy.I also had a few other jobs that came in so this one kind of got put on the back burner . Now ,to answer some questions.
Lesorubcheck, I checked the reeds , wasn't really sure what to look for, but they are in the correct position and seated good, no kinks.
Donnyman, The color is red, Blue coil,and I live in one of the best places in the world, Western Newfoundland.
Now some of the things I 've done with this thing is: new carb kit, intake gasket, base gasket(made),changed gas lines,filter, It seems to be working much better now but I'm still not happy with it.When I go to tip the saw on its side or up side down it revs up some, and when I let go the throttle it takes a little to long for it to just idle down . There's no binding at the throttle, it's just slow to react. What do you guys think is going on here?
Lesorubcheck, I checked the reeds , wasn't really sure what to look for, but they are in the correct position and seated good, no kinks.
Donnyman, The color is red, Blue coil,and I live in one of the best places in the world, Western Newfoundland.
Now some of the things I 've done with this thing is: new carb kit, intake gasket, base gasket(made),changed gas lines,filter, It seems to be working much better now but I'm still not happy with it.When I go to tip the saw on its side or up side down it revs up some, and when I let go the throttle it takes a little to long for it to just idle down . There's no binding at the throttle, it's just slow to react. What do you guys think is going on here?
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Ax-man
Addicted to ArboristSite
Old crank seals not sealing causing an air leak or worse yet bad bearings on the crank, probaly a combo of the two. XL -1 , Hmmmm, I wonder if that is the one that never made it to my door about six months ago, lost in the mail, 
Don't mind me I'm just playing with ya.
Larry
Don't mind me I'm just playing with ya.Larry
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tazbat
New Member
XL1 problem
A flooding condition as you described, Snowball, usually indicates a bad needle/seat assembly or debris in that assembly. It only takes a particle of a couple of thousandths to hold the needle open. Although, diaphragm type carbs generally have internal screens to prevent such a situation. If you don't know the saws history, it may have been damaged or removed.
Quickest and simplest thing you can do is to check the carbs fuel supply circuits, first. If those are clean, then check the needle diaphragm setting. Someone may have moved it out of calibration. It doesn't take much. If that is okay, it is a good bet that the needle and seat are defective.
A flooding condition as you described, Snowball, usually indicates a bad needle/seat assembly or debris in that assembly. It only takes a particle of a couple of thousandths to hold the needle open. Although, diaphragm type carbs generally have internal screens to prevent such a situation. If you don't know the saws history, it may have been damaged or removed.
Quickest and simplest thing you can do is to check the carbs fuel supply circuits, first. If those are clean, then check the needle diaphragm setting. Someone may have moved it out of calibration. It doesn't take much. If that is okay, it is a good bet that the needle and seat are defective.
I,m sure i dropped that off at your place,Ax-man said:
hmmmm, check the next door neighbours you know what their like 
How can I check the seals properly, pressure test? If so, what's the correct way of doing this? Also would this cause the engine a little longer to idle down?
Ax-man
Addicted to ArboristSite
SB, You might also want to visually check the bottom of the saw for pitting in the crankcase, a saw can suck air in through these pitted spots in the case and make it run lean.
Yes, pressure testing is about the best way to verify a seal leak and where it is leaking. It is not hard to do if you have an air pump with a gauge. On most saws you block off your intake and exhaust ports and pump air in through the pulse line or pulse fitting,with piston at TDC, if the gauge holds steady your good. If the gauge indicates a leak you going to have to take off the flywheel, clutch, sproket and oil pump and spray soapy water around the seals and crankcase to find where it is leaking. Testing for vacuum is also a good thing to do if you have a vacuum pump
Xl Homelites unfortunately don't have pulse fittings and lines, they have a pulse hole in the intake manifold that lines up with a hole in the carb. You have to find or make an adaptor plate with a fitting on it to bolt up to and seal off the intake manifold to pump the air in, another way is to block off both ports and try to pump air in through the spark plug hole, with piston at BDC, I have never had any luck using the spark plug hole, whatever adaptor I tried would leak.
Another way is just tear the saw down, cleaning it up good and visually inspect the casing for pitting and looking at the seals, you can usually tell by looking at them if their bad.
To answer your last question, yes, that has been my experience.
Hope this helps
I'll check with my neighbor to see if he has my saw
Larry
Yes, pressure testing is about the best way to verify a seal leak and where it is leaking. It is not hard to do if you have an air pump with a gauge. On most saws you block off your intake and exhaust ports and pump air in through the pulse line or pulse fitting,with piston at TDC, if the gauge holds steady your good. If the gauge indicates a leak you going to have to take off the flywheel, clutch, sproket and oil pump and spray soapy water around the seals and crankcase to find where it is leaking. Testing for vacuum is also a good thing to do if you have a vacuum pump
Xl Homelites unfortunately don't have pulse fittings and lines, they have a pulse hole in the intake manifold that lines up with a hole in the carb. You have to find or make an adaptor plate with a fitting on it to bolt up to and seal off the intake manifold to pump the air in, another way is to block off both ports and try to pump air in through the spark plug hole, with piston at BDC, I have never had any luck using the spark plug hole, whatever adaptor I tried would leak.
Another way is just tear the saw down, cleaning it up good and visually inspect the casing for pitting and looking at the seals, you can usually tell by looking at them if their bad.
To answer your last question, yes, that has been my experience.
Hope this helps
I'll check with my neighbor to see if he has my saw
Larry
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bugfart
ArboristSite Operative
Could this be a candidate for stretching out that little spring in the carb a teenie bit?
Ax-man
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There out there somewhere SB, someone here on the site, I forget who, took one down to the bare crankcase last year and started over with new bearings and seals, it was a blue E-Z almost the same as your saw, ( someone correct me if I'm wrong ) he didn't seem to have trouble getting parts. He did a nice job with the saw too with new paint and decals.
I'd like to find some seals too, it is like trying to find a kit to rebuild a Mac carb.
I'd like to find some seals too, it is like trying to find a kit to rebuild a Mac carb.
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