No compresssion? Overheated?

[BlueRidgeMark]

I was cutting a load of slab wood with my 039, and I think I may have overheated it. It ran dry, and now won't start to save my life. I tried the starter-rope drop test, and it won't hold. Runs down til I run out of rope.

I was working it pretty hard with that pile of wood (very dry oak), and I'm wondering if I overheated it and collapsed the rings.

Any ideas?

 

[Lakeside53]

Doen't sound good... Do you have the version with the decomp valve? "rope test" (which I dislike) doesn't work if the decomp is pressed in.

Pull the muffler - look at the piston. All will be revealed...

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

No decomp. Gotta go pick up another load of wood (found a local tree guy who wants to get rid of some stuff) - so I'll have to look at it later.


This eBay special has been a huge pain so far - I've about had it with the thing!

Any idea what it might cost to have it rebuilt? I probably won't - the local Stihl dealers are less than wonderful. Well, ONE is less than wonderful, the other... well, I'll buy a Poulan before I walk in that place again!

And no, I won't buy a Poulan.

 

[Marco]

nothing wrong with Poulan if you get the right one

 

[Lakeside53]

No decomp. Gotta go pick up another load of wood (found a local tree guy who wants to get rid of some stuff) - so I'll have to look at it later.


This eBay special has been a huge pain so far - I've about had it with the thing!

Any idea what it might cost to have it rebuilt? I probably won't - the local Stihl dealers are less than wonderful. Well, ONE is less than wonderful, the other... well, I'll buy a Poulan before I walk in that place again!

And no, I won't buy a Poulan.

Depends on what's wrong (does it need a new cylinder or just a piston?) and if you're doing the work yourself... generally it's not economic to do it though a dealer if you need new piston, cylinder, seals, carb kit, etc etc etc... Not sure if there are any 039 aftermarket piston/cylinder sets around. You could put on an 029 set... cheaply.

In the store I work, for a saw like this assuming it needs new cylinder and piston, we quote the cost, the customer gasps, trades it in for a new saw, and we part it out...

If your saw is toast, look for a good used 036... it will out cut the 039, last a heck of a lot longer under tough conditions, and is rebuildable economically.

BTW, running a saw hard until dry can be the last straw - the last few minutes of cutting on fumes runs the saw really lean, and cooks the pistons, but you are probably aware of this...

 

[havvey]

stihl 039

my guess is you have some kind of piston jug or internal damage
There is three ways to fix this
1. buy a husqvarna (best solution)
2. buy a jonsered
3. buy a john deere-efco
4. because the sweedish girls really put out :jawdrop:

 

[stihlfarmer]

my guess is you have some kind of piston jug or internal damage
There is three ways to fix this
1. buy a husqvarna (best solution)
2. buy a jonsered
3. buy a john deere-efco
4. because the sweedish girls really put out :jawdrop:

That did the man a heck of a lot of good

I would say the same as lakeside piston and rings and not running completely out of gas (really leans out a saw) if you decide to replace somethin in the 36 series is a good bet I love my 440 but is probably more saw than you want

 

[havvey]

stihl

It was offered as :greenchainsaw: a long term solution

 

[sawn_penn]

nothing wrong with Poulan if you get the right one

Yes, but I hear that the one good Poulan has already been sold.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Depends on what's wrong (does it need a new cylinder or just a piston?) and if you're doing the work yourself... generally it's not economic to do it though a dealer if you need new piston, cylinder, seals, carb kit, etc etc etc...

No time to do it myself, alas.

In the store I work, for a saw like this assuming it needs new cylinder and piston, we quote the cost, the customer gasps, trades it in for a new saw, and we part it out...

Ouch. That's what I was expecting to hear... Thanks for confirming it.

If your saw is toast, look for a good used 036... it will out cut the 039, last a heck of a lot longer under tough conditions, and is rebuildable economically.

I've really had my fill of used stuff. I'm thinking of a new Echo, since the only GOOD dealer around here is the local John Deere people, and they carry Echo. I've one HORRIBLE Stihl dealer and one less than wonderful Stihl/Husky dealer within reasonable distance. And a little farther away, I've got one Stihl dealer that is an unknown quantity, but they are a hardware store. I've been in once to pick something up because I was over that way anyway. I'll have to see if they service what they sell.

If I buy new, I know what I've got, and can make sure that it sees nothing but clean fresh gas, and proper mix.

Who knows how a used saw has been treated? Unless you know the previous owner and his habits, it's a crap shoot.

BTW, running a saw hard until dry can be the last straw - the last few minutes of cutting on fumes runs the saw really lean, and cooks the pistons, but you are probably aware of this...

In theory, yes. This is the first time I've done it!


Thanks for the feedback. And yes, that's for havvey, too.



I may be selling a parts saw soon...

 

[day52]

No compression

I know this sounds impossible, and the chances of it working for you are slim and none, but it doesn't cost anything and it doesn't take much time. My Husky 50 did the same thing you mention. I figured I fried it bigtime and was busy, so I just grabbed another saw and kept at it. Saw sat in the shop for several months before I looked at it again. Ready to take it in to get the bad news, and just for the heck of it, I took out the plug and spayed WD-40 in it (a lot). I pulled the starter rope several times--no luck. Several days later I finally got around to taking the saw to the local dealer. Just out of curiosity, I pulled it one more time....compression. I pulled the plug, cleaned it, put a bit of fuel mix in the cylinder, and two pulls later it was running. That was 8 months ago and it still works. I can only surmise that a valve stuck and the miracle juice gave it just enough lube to set it free again. As I said, it isn't very likely...but it might work. Good luck!!

 

[timberwolf]

If you got a valve stuck in your husky 50, it could cause major problems!

How did the valve get in there, what was it from?

 

[Dan Forsh]

There was absolutely no need to be so facetious Timber, it might be one of those double overhead cam saws he's talking about. ;-)

 

[Diesel JD]

Mark if you're not going to fix it, let me know how much you want for it, I might take it for parts or a project rebuild if you want to dump it,
J.D.

 

[TimberPig]

I know this sounds impossible, and the chances of it working for you are slim and none, but it doesn't cost anything and it doesn't take much time. My Husky 50 did the same thing you mention. I figured I fried it bigtime and was busy, so I just grabbed another saw and kept at it. Saw sat in the shop for several months before I looked at it again. Ready to take it in to get the bad news, and just for the heck of it, I took out the plug and spayed WD-40 in it (a lot). I pulled the starter rope several times--no luck. Several days later I finally got around to taking the saw to the local dealer. Just out of curiosity, I pulled it one more time....compression. I pulled the plug, cleaned it, put a bit of fuel mix in the cylinder, and two pulls later it was running. That was 8 months ago and it still works. I can only surmise that a valve stuck and the miracle juice gave it just enough lube to set it free again. As I said, it isn't very likely...but it might work. Good luck!!

Far more likely was that you had a stuck ring, and the WD-40 loosened the carbon up and freed it up. Chainsaws are 2 stroke engines, not 4 strokes, and do not have valves in them to free up, as has already been mentioned.

A quick muffler removal and peek at the piston will tell him if he's seized the piston and rings.

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Chainsaws are 2 stroke engines, not 4 strokes, and do not have valves in them

Well, isn't there the odd reed valve to be found here and there among all those two strokes out there?

Okay, I know - those don't count.


But still, it couldn't hurt to try the WD-40 trick.

Mark if you're not going to fix it, let me know how much you want for it, I might take it for parts or a project rebuild if you want to dump it,

JD, I'll do that. If I unload it, I'll post it here first.


Somehow I doubt my local John Deere dealer is going to give me much on trade in.



Now to find time to pull the muffler...

 

[TimberPig]

Well, isn't there the odd reed valve to be found here and there among all those two strokes out there?

Okay, I know - those don't count.


But still, it couldn't hurt to try the WD-40 trick.




JD, I'll do that. If I unload it, I'll post it here first.


Somehow I doubt my local John Deere dealer is going to give me much on trade in.



Now to find time to pull the muffler...

Reed valves rarely stick shut, and even so, they are unlikely to even have any WD 40 reach them if it's sprayed in the plug hole. In current production saws, the only ones using reed valves are some small Echo's and the 009, at least to my knowedge. Some older, larger saws like Homelite 925's also used them.

You're right that it won't hurt anything to try it, but a quick peek in the muffler will tell you if it's going to do any good. A few minutes and you can pull the muffler, and know what you've got.

I agree you probably won't get much on trade. Your best bet to get as much out of it as possible is tear it down yourself for parts. Next best is to sell as a parts saw or a project saw. If you don't need the money and want a project for next winter, hold onto it and fix it up then. By the sounds of it you're too busy to find the time to fix it yourself, and could use the money more. See what he'll give on trade, and if it's reasonable, consider it versus what you can get for it as a parts saw. That's assuming that it has seized up and needs a new piston and rings at least to run again.

 

[Allan.K]

Mark you have a PM ..

Thanks
Allan

 

[Allan.K]

Mark you have another PM ..

 

[day52]

Valve

Hey, I'm no mechanic. That's why I was taking it to the local shop. I know that 2 strokes don't have normal valves. I have never worked on one however. I assumed that most still had reed valves and they were closer to the cylinder than they apparently are. I was just pointing out what worked for me and I still don't know why.