Problem with Homelite 330, no negative comments please.

[Pop808]

I purchased this 330 new in the mid eighties, I cut about 2 cords and cut down some trees every year since then. Did some repairs, replaced intake boot, rebuilt carb, replaced oil pump, replaced all lines.
It has been a good saw for my needs.
Problem is saw runs fine when level, it revs high when bar is pointed downward and dies when bar is pointing upward.
Any idea what problem is?
Just a additional note, I also have a echo cs590 and stihl ms661 for milling.

 

[JohnL]

Check crank seals if you have pressure/vac tester, recommend checking out Leon's chainsaw parts and repair, he mostly does Homelites, has a good how-to on youtube.

 

[northmanlogging]

crank seals.

Parts could be an issue...

 

[Pioneer]

If it doesn't change idle speed when tipped on its side and held there for a few seconds, it might not be crank seals. If it changes when it tips forward or backward it could be a carburetor fuel pooling issue. I found that's happened to other saws of mine. A slow idle speed may cause incomplete fuel atomization, try setting it up to just below clutch engagement and see if it helps.
It might also have an air leak at the seal where the seal seats in the crankcase, an xl76 of mine had this issue but it gave a very high idle you could not adjust out.

 

[alexcagle]

Tilt dieing sounds like something opening up from AV mounts, or throttle linkage rubbing, bent, or possibly a flexing handle pushing the throttle rod hard against the idle stop.
Check your throttle & choke shafts for looseness too.
Could be heat boiling your gas inside of the carb.
Try a different gas.

 

[NSEric]

I've had bad/dirty carbs act like that, they would run fine upright but not in any other position.

 

[rngrchad]

I recently had a similar issue, I had a saw although admittedly much newer than yours, but it acted same. Turned on its side it would stutter and want to shut off, turn upside down it would shut off. I thought crank seals, but i pulled the carb and cleaned the orifces, pulled the needle cleaned it, and pulled the main and cleaned it.... it was suprisinling dirty. Saw runs like a dream now idles for days at any angle which is what 2 strokes are good at. cheerio.....if it is crank seals, often that means the crank is going bad beause the wobble in the crank bearings cause the seals to go bad. maybe you get lucky and just replace seals and fix the problem if in fact you did a proper good job of the carb cleaning first.

 

[Pop808]

Thanks to you all, maybe it’s time to retire the old gal. I have a couple of battery saws that does great for limbs and bucking.

 

[Tony Mayhew]

Thanks to you all, maybe it’s time to retire the old gal. I have a couple of battery saws that does great for limbs and bucking.

I own six homelite 330 chainsaws in my collection and five of them were in need of the same exact thing! Intake boot! Homelite got ahold of the worst rubber ever known for use and for awhile there everything from the grommets in the filters, duck bills in the fuel tank and caps,Intake boots all turned into a ball of sticky tar like good! Trust me, you got a bad Intake boot my good man!

 

[old 040]

Me still likes the 330's........