Removing Limiter Caps

[bvaught]

Should I remove the limiter caps when tuning my saw and string trimmer? I am assuming that I have enough movement with the caps on to tune properly, with less chance of seizing the saw by running it lean.

 

[timberwolf]

If you don't have modified equipment, the limiter caps should give you enough mixture control.

Removing the caps makes the adjusment screws more suseptable to creeping out of adjustment.

 

[jokers]

If you don't have modified equipment, the limiter caps should give you enough mixture control.

That`s assuming that the equipment had the caps installed with a slight range of motion to either side of the final adjustment. This seems to be true about half the time with Stihl and virtually never with Husky. They are always right on the verge of leaness with little room to richen them in my experience.

Removing the caps makes the adjusment screws more suseptable to creeping out of adjustment.

Ummm.....how?

A few pieces of equipment that I`ve removed limiters on, primarily homeowner stuff, had no springs or O-rings to hold the adjustment. Everything else so far has some means of providing friction to hold the adjustments.

Don`t take my comments personally timberwolf, just pointing out that I`ve apparently had different experiences than you in this area. bvaught will have to check the state of his own equipment to know where he stands. We can`t know without knowing what models he has or we might need to see the equipment to be sure.

Russ

 

[timberwolf]

Right you are, the caps may well be the only means of keeping the screw from turning on some stuff.

 

[Max]

For what it is worth...I just removed the caps from my 357xp.
They were a bit nasty to remove, having metal inserts that acted like barbs in effect blocking them from sliding off the adjustment screws. After a bunch of snipping and Dremmel work they came off. They were set at the factory in a position which did not leave much room if any to richen the saw. They were designed to bottom out on each other preventing richening.
The caps had no effect on keeping the adjustment screws from turning.
All the caps did were to block each other preventing any richening of the hi/lo settings.
Again this was just my experience with this model saw.
I did indeed set it a tad richer after the caps were off and I could hear the settings change myself during the course of adjusting the carb.

 

[bvaught]

For what it is worth...I just removed the caps from my 357xp.
They were a bit nasty to remove, having metal inserts that acted like barbs in effect blocking them from sliding off the adjustment screws. After a bunch of snipping and Dremmel work they came off. They were set at the factory in a position which did not leave much room if any to richen the saw. They were designed to bottom out on each other preventing richening.
The caps had no effect on keeping the adjustment screws from turning.
All the caps did were to block each other preventing any richening of the hi/lo settings.
Again this was just my experience with this model saw.
I did indeed set it a tad richer after the caps were off and I could hear the settings change myself during the course of adjusting the carb.

I have a stihl MS 440, I wonder if the limiter caps on it are similar in design. I know that when I richen the mixture to the max rich (high speed) setting I cannot get full rated 13500 RPM with the chain on, which makes me think that I have enough travel to do the job.

 

[Max]

I have a stihl MS 440, I wonder if the limiter caps on it are similar in design. I know that when I richen the mixture to the max rich (high speed) setting I cannot get full rated 13500 RPM with the chain on, which makes me think that I have enough travel to do the job.

I read your post a few times and forgive me if I read it wrong but if you are richening your high speed needle trying to raise your rpm to 13500...
you are not going to get there. If you richen a saws hi speed jet you are lowering the rpms. To raise rpms you lean a saw out WHICH YOU DO WITH CARE not to burn her up. Leaning a saw increases rpms.

Again if I misread the post I apologize.

I ended up richening my hi speed to make sure it was adjusted correctly and not lean. I was not trying to get more rpms from it.