Husky 51

[88gmc1]

Bought a Husky 51 the other day for 100 bucks came with 7 chains and a Pioneer case that did not fit the saw, it was running crappy so I stopped in at the local dealer and he pulled the cord twice and told me the saw was "done, no compression" and proceeded to show me a new 55. I went back to the guy I bought it from and he was nice enough to give my money back ...in fact he was so nice he told me to keep the saw as he had no intention of spending money on it. I have never pulled a saw apart before but thought I had nothing to loose...I bought a new piston and gasket set off e-bay and went to town on it, cleaned up the cyl, installed the piston, and a couple of hrs. later the Husky was up and running. I would never have attempted this had I not read this site, thanks guys. I have a Husky 262XP I bought after the ice storm of 1998, it is still running well but I feel I can tear it down now too if I ever need to. I have a totally seized 038 I may pull apart if I can not sell it for parts. 038 piston and cyl parts seem more expensive and tougher to find around here. I don't like to pay dealer prices.
I'm thinkin' I like this chain saw stuff....

 

[SawTroll]

Welcome here.....

...it looks like you did well.

Take care of that 262xp, it is one of the best saws ever made.....:greenchainsaw:

 

[88gmc1]

I guess I spoke too soon!

well I thought I was doin' O.K. when I put the 51 back together late last night pulled the cord and it fired up, I shut it off and put it on the shelf ..I went out to run it today...It would start after coaxing it with choke rev up then die...it has had a new carb kit fuel line/filter plug and air filter, piston etc.as I bought this saw used I do not know if the carb settings have been "tweeked" by the well meaning previous owner. Any help for the difficult start....then rev and die as if it is running out of fuel????
thanks in advance for any ideas....any help on the carb setting would be great...thanks again from .....another new guy.

 

[Fish]

You need to figure out what burnt the saw up to begin with, the carb and
fuel line is the place to start.

 

[88gmc1]

bad fuel?

I replaced the fuel line as it was soft. the fuel filter was brown and full of rust when I peeled it open so I replaced it, changed the plug while I was at it. as for "knowing" what caused it to be scored and loose compression I do not know for sure...just fishing for help in the pond of knowledge and experience here on the A.S. Thanks

 

[Hard Knocks]

it has had a new carb kit fuel line/filter plug and air filter, piston etc. I do not know if the carb settings have been "tweeked" by the well meaning previous owner. any help on the carb setting would be great...thanks again from .....another new guy.

Did you remove the needle jets on the carburetor and clean the passages when you installed the carb kit? If the carburetor is clean and properly rebuilt, you should be able to get the saw running by turning in both jets and lightly seating them, then turn them both out 1 turn. You should be able to get the saw running with these settings and fine tune from there.

 

[88gmc1]

re: cleaning out carb.

Nope I did not pull the nedles out.....was not that confident ...but will give it a try today ..nothin' to loose tryin' and everything to gain learnin'.
Thanks!!!

 

[88gmc1]

fuel tank vent?

I pulled the carb and checked the needles and they were way out ....dialed out 21/2 to 31/2 turns... I cleaned it out put it back together and set needles as advised.It started the better than before, ran longer then died...I pulled the fuel line and found no fuel at the carb. Checked the fuel line for blockage pinches etc. put it back on and it did the same thing, I cracked open the fuel tank and it ran again....is there a tank vent that is blocked somewhere ? if so where is it? seems like the saw is starving for fuel.....
Thanks

 

[turnkey4099]

I pulled the carb and checked the needles and they were way out ....dialed out 21/2 to 31/2 turns... I cleaned it out put it back together and set needles as advised.It started the better than before, ran longer then died...I pulled the fuel line and found no fuel at the carb. Checked the fuel line for blockage pinches etc. put it back on and it did the same thing, I cracked open the fuel tank and it ran again....is there a tank vent that is blocked somewhere ? if so where is it? seems like the saw is starving for fuel.....
Thanks

It does sound like a blocked vent. I think (not sure) that it is in the fuel cap. Most are and simplest is to just replace the cap. From your descriptions, it sounds like it had fuel left in it and you have pretty much chased that problem except I see no mention of having cleaned out the tank.

Harry K

 

[SawTroll]

The vent of the fuel tank would be the first thing I would have looked at.....

 

[Hard Knocks]

How long will it run before it dies? A plugged tank vent will usually allow the saw to run for a minute or two unloaded before it starts to lean out and finally die. It sounds like you do have a fuel problem. From what you have explained it sounds like the saw starts on the enriched charge provided by the choke but dies soon after. My first hunch would be a cracked fuel line, but I know that you have replaced it. You may want to look for an air leak around the carburetor mounting plate. If i remember correctly the mounting plate is plastic and the threads strip out rather easily allowing a loose fitting carburetor. There is also a rubber sealing collar behind the mounting plate that adapts the cylinder to the plate and another for the impulse tube. If you do not have a good seal around either of these or they are cracked you could also run into trouble.

Were you able to determine the cause of the original piston failure? If it was caused by a lean running condition you will have to locate the source and correct it anyway.

 

[Hard Knocks]

The fuel tank vent is not located in the cap of that saw. It is located on the fuel tank opposite side of the fuel cap, just below the AV mount. The proper way to test the vent is by attaching a vacuum pump to the fuel line, but there are other tests to check as well. Try to restart the saw as soon as it dies without opening the fuel cap, does it start? does it run the same as before? Now crack the fuel cap and test again, does it run longer than before? If not you likely do not have a plugged vent. Sometimes you can also hear air entering the tank when you open the cap of a saw with a plugged vent.

 

[88gmc1]

tank vent!

you guys seem to have pinned it down to a fuel/tank vent problem, as the saw runs for a while starves for fuel, leans out and dies.Crack the fuel cap open start it up with the saw tilted to keep the fuel in and the saw keeps running, tighten the cap down and it leans out and starts to die again.
I located the vent near the AV mount now that I found it can it be removed/replaced or just cleaned out by blowing compressed air in from the outside? I will spill too much gas trying to cut wood with the gas cap off all day!!!!
Thanks again!

 

[88gmc1]

saw history?

thought I should ask the original owner about this saw...now I know why he dumped it,
seems he smoked the piston and cyl. once before and was told when he had it fixed that there was so much saw dust and crud packed around the the cyl. that it over heated to the extreme! I then asked about the most recent problems with the saw, seems it would " start, run , bog out and die" so he tried to adjust the carb, that explains the 2-3 turns on the needle valves,
SO.....my guess on this (correct me please if I am wrong) he too was experiencing the fuel starvation, causing it to lean out , run hot and score the piston, thus poor compression....no amount of carb adjustment would help that. so it all leads back to the tank vent with the respiratory problem.
I hope I can clear that one up...if not...I may have to "E-BAIL" it!!!!!!
Thanks Dave

 

[Hard Knocks]

,
SO.....my guess on this (correct me please if I am wrong) he too was experiencing the fuel starvation, causing it to lean out , run hot and score the piston, thus poor compression....no amount of carb adjustment would help that. so it all leads back to the tank vent with the respiratory problem.
I hope I can clear that one up...if not...I may have to "E-BAIL" it!!!!!!
Thanks Dave

Sure sounds like you are on the right track!