Older 440 Starting Technique

[WACutter]

Hi,

I have an older Stihl 440 with no Decomp. It runs great, but darn near takes my arm off when I try to start it. Are there any tricks/upgrades around to make it easier to start? Thanks.

 

[chainsawjunky]

Do you have the elastostart? Evan

 

[1953greg]

wacutter

i have the same saw w/ the same issue
this saw rips fingers and chips

i find that if i put the saw on the ground w/ my rt toes in the rear handle, left hand on the top handle, grit my teeth w/ glove on rt hand and try to rip the rope out of the saw then it starts ok and i am ok. any other way and i am doomed to some stinging fingers.

no other saw i have comes even close

 

[WACutter]

Elastostart

Yes, it has the elastostart. If that makes it easier to start, then I can't begin to imagine a 440 without elastostart.

It's reassuring to know that I am not the only one with a stubborn 440!

Thanks

 

[computeruser]

Part of the technique for non-decomp saws comes in setting the saw up, "staging" it, prior to giving it an authorative yank. Pull it slightly to get it part of the way up on the up-stroke, then give it a good yank. Should work better than just grabbing and pulling it from wherever the piston happened to be.

Once you get the technique down pat you will find that the absence of a decomp isn't a problem. I didn't have one on the freshly rebuilt 044 I just sold, or on my 066 and 076 (92cc and 111cc, respectively); I occasionally find myself not using it on my Dolmar 7900, which has crazy compression. It just requires a more conscious effort when starting. I do most of my starting from a standing position, with my left arm holding the saw, locked at the elbow, and pulling with my right hand.

 

[WACutter]

Part of the technique for non-decomp saws comes in setting the saw up, "staging" it, prior to giving it an authorative yank. Pull it slightly to get it part of the way up on the up-stroke, then give it a good yank. Should work better than just grabbing and pulling it from wherever the piston happened to be.

Once you get the technique down pat you will find that the absence of a decomp isn't a problem. I didn't have one on the freshly rebuilt 044 I just sold, or on my 066 and 076 (92cc and 111cc, respectively); I occasionally find myself not using it on my Dolmar 7900, which has crazy compression. It just requires a more conscious effort when starting. I do most of my starting from a standing position, with my left arm holding the saw, locked at the elbow, and pulling with my right hand.

Sounds good. I will try this method. My fingers and elbows thank you.

Ron

 

[tek9tim]

Shoot, both my 44 and 660 have bumped up compression and advanced timing, and I don't use the decomp. Heck, I plugged the hole in the cylinder on my 44. Just use the method computeruser outlined. Plus, pull really hard at the beginning, gets past that first pop and hits the next with some momentum. And as my old crew boss would say, "Buck up buttercup, and pull some rope!!" Haha...

 

[begleytree]

the big D handle, aka, 460 rescue handle works great for me on the 046 and the 660(no decomp).
$5 from stihl 1128 195 3401
-Ralph

 

[THALL10326]

Hi,

I have an older Stihl 440 with no Decomp. It runs great, but darn near takes my arm off when I try to start it. Are there any tricks/upgrades around to make it easier to start? Thanks.

If you have a older 440 thats been run quite abit you probly notice now its yanking your arm when as before it didn't. The usual cause is carbon built up on the piston raising the compression higher than it was new. I say this because I just got done sitting here watching a video from Stihl Inc talking about carbon build up and how it affects starting. If compression has risen due to carbon build up so has the force it takes to crank the enigne. They claim also if carbon is really built up bad it will cause the engine to kick back as though its out of time.

All that said getcha self a bottle of engine de-carbonizer and clean out that cylinder and your arm yanking problems will probly disappear. The Elastco handle, if it doesn't already have one, or the fire/rescue handle will aid as well in starting that saw without yanking your arm so much.

 

[WACutter]

D Handle and De-carbonizer

I'll try locating some de-carbonizer. For $5, the D Handle seems like a no brainer too. Sounds like a trip to the Stihl Dealer is in order, although this is always a dangerous ordeal (especially if something catches my eye and my wife discovers what I bought!)

The 440 has always been more difficult to start than my newer 372 with the decomp, but I figured that I was just getting older and more sensitive to the task. I'll report back on how the de-carbonizer works.

Thanks for your responses.

 

[Freakingstang]

Pull the saw over extremely slow with the choke on for one complete pull. Turn the choke off (leave it on high idle) then give it a quick, firm yank. You try to pull it easy, it will take your arm off, at least my 084 tries to....


The one complete pull very slow with the choke on really helps, just don't forget to unchoke it, or you will flood it. All my saws start on the first real pull with this method.

 

[tomdcoker]

Thanks THALL10326 for your answer. I have had kickback problems on older saws. Now I know the cause and solution. Thanks Tom

 

[1953greg]

thall & freak

i think u both may be on to something. best pertinent info yet. wil definitely check into that

my 440 is much much tougher to spin than the 066's and even the whs 460. its not an imagined or exageratted condition. when necessary i can drop start every other saw i have. but not the 440. sometimes i think its locked up. but it once its running it rips w/ authority. and is bone stock cept for the muff mod.

 

[GASoline71]

And as my old crew boss would say, "Buck up buttercup, and pull some rope!!" Haha...

That is about what I was told too... just the word "buttercup" was replaced with a few expletives... LOL :biggrinbounce2:

Gary

 

[WACutter]

Pull the saw over extremely slow with the choke on for one complete pull. Turn the choke off (leave it on high idle) then give it a quick, firm yank. You try to pull it easy, it will take your arm off, at least my 084 tries to....


The one complete pull very slow with the choke on really helps, just don't forget to unchoke it, or you will flood it. All my saws start on the first real pull with this method.

I tried this method today, and it works like a champ. The effort required to start the saw is SIGNIFICANTLY less. I believe that this was what Computeruser was describing as well; a kind of staging of the piston to a position in the cylinder that minimizes felt compression. I wonder if this was documented in the original owners manual?

Tomorrow I'll be heading over to visit my Stihl shop to pick up de-carbonizer, a D-ring, and whatever else follows me home.

Thanks, Ron

 

[RiverRat2]

Exactly!!!!!! WA Cutter,,,,,,,,,,,

I tried this method today, and it works like a champ. The effort required to start the saw is SIGNIFICANTLY less. I believe that this was what Computeruser was describing as well; a kind of staging of the piston to a position in the cylinder that minimizes felt compression. I wonder if this was documented in the original owners manual?

Tomorrow I'll be heading over to visit my Stihl shop to pick up de-carbonizer, a D-ring, and whatever else follows me home.

Thanks, Ron

What it does is brings the piston closer to TDC and lets you overcome the kick back and as stated gives you the momentum into the nxt powerstroke to fire the MOTO all of my 066s have no decomps,,,

 

[Mr.]

"Buck up buttercup, and pull some rope!!" Haha...

+2