Saw dies with throttle, gas in air filter

[Fumbler]

I've got the carb apart.

How do you check the function of the metering lever?

PS - I found out that it would have been a good idea to drain the fuel tank before unplugging the carb

 

[Dan Forsh]

PS - I found out that it would have been a good idea to drain the fuel tank before unplugging the carb

Naah, just loosen the tank cap first to equalize the pressure.

 

[Fumbler]

Naah, just loosen the tank cap first to equalize the pressure.

Yeah, that would have worked too.
I last used the saw in 45° weather...then let it sit in my house at 70°...

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I've got the carb apart.

How do you check the function of the metering lever?

Just look it over, make sure the little springs in the right spot, tap on the lever and make sure it goes up and down freely, and is connected to the inlet needle correctly.
If you want, you can take out the screw that holds all the metering stuff in, and make sure there's not a piece of dirt donw at the tip of the needle. Watch out for that little spring.opcorn:

 

[Fumbler]

Is it normal to have about 3/64" of play in the lever before it moves the inlet needle?

Everything seems fine, no dirt/debris/gunk in any part of the carb, nothing's broken/cracked/damaged...
I guess I'll just clean everything, put it back together, and run it again.

 

[RiverRat2]

Make sure the metering diaphragm is supple and not crackley get your self a kit for about 10 bucks , whlie you have the carb apart, check the lever on the metering diaphragm it should be level with the body, you can hold a straight edge across the metering bowl and the end of the lever should be flush. easy to adjust, then pull the fuel pump end and inspect for wood chips fuel mix build up from previous owner leaving unit with stale mix. clean as needed inpect screen for foreign debris. clean as needed replace fuel pump diaphragm while you have apart. I use carb cleaner spray in all passages also idle circuit, tiny hole in bottom must be clean, fine piano wire rod out hit with carb cleaner and blow out with compressed air. put her back togther and give her a try reset L, H, & idle adjustments as needed

 

[PES+]

I just re-read the symptoms

Have you tried a new sparkplug?

It also may be a bad coil

AS far as the metering lever height goes it depends on the carburetor make and model

Most of the small bore carbs do set height flush

And yes Fumbler the play you asked about in the lever to needle is normal it is the difference in size between the lever thickness and the groove in the needle

 

[Fumbler]

Thanks for the steps RiverRat.

The diaphragm is soft and flexible and it appears that the metering lever is fine. I need to pull the fuel pump stuff and check that out.

PEST, I replaced the spark plug and nothing changed.

I guess I'll order up a carb rebuild kit and try that.
Do local dealers usually stock these?

If that doesn't work then I'll bring it to the dealer and let him check it out.

 

[RiverRat2]

That idle circuit passage is very tiny, it comes from the fuelpump side and dumps into the throttle bore between the butterflies if its got any resids stuck or blocking it the saw will run smooth if you give it gas but as soon as you let off she will fall flat in it or if the fuel pump diaphragm is weak it wont idle. I keep a piece of piano wire in my tool box just for that,,, the pasage is not very long either I bend a 90 about a 1/4" on the end and it works fine,,, thats why its a good idea if you are gonna not use your saw for an exteded period drain it and run her gently dry when it dies choke and try again ,

You can do it... When you get ready to re ajust your carb after your kit install if it has limiter caps you need to remove them, take a wood screw or sheet metal screw and inset into the hole in one of the plastic limiter caps and snug it down then gently rock the screw a few times side to side and re snug, thin i take a pair of small needle nose or pliers and grab the wood srew on the sides and pry thehose puppies out. it its a walbro they have a little metal insert that holds them apart and inplace but that comes out too and you are good to go.

 

[Fumbler]

I took my carb apart, let it soak in carb cleaner, then put it back together with a new diaphragm, gaskets, metering lever, and inlet needle.

I put it back on the saw and set the high and low screws to one turn out of lightly seated.

I cannot get the saw to start.
It has fresh fuel. I choke it, give it some pulls, and it fires a few times.
I take the choke off and start it on high idle and it will run about 2 seconds then cut off.
It will not start on regular idle.

Yall have any new suggestions?

 

[PES+]

Well is it dealer time yet?

I give you a 95% chance it is a bad coil the dealer will be able to confirm this the symptom you describe I have seen before was bad coils. Good enough to start but as soon as it wamrs up it dies

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

I've used a cheap little squirt bottle with some 2 stroke mix, to help diagnose saw problems. Give the saw a small squirt down the carb throat and see if it fires, just leave the air cleaner off for this. A squirt should get it to run for a couple seconds, if there's not another problem. Then if it starts on the first squirt, and starts to die again, give it another little squirt just before it dies.
If it's the coil it will just die, if you can keep it running off the squirt bottle then you have carb problems.
If you try this method, be careful, don't start your self on fire or something. Have one hand on the throttle, and a helper is nice to.

 

[Fumbler]

Update

Okay...I told the mechanic at work about my chainsaw.
I showed it to him and we tried the squirt bottle trick.
The saw would run when we squirt fuel mix into the carb.

The mechanic checked the fuel line, filter, and took apart the carb (which I had rebuilt).
He did not see anything wrong with any of it.

We put it back together and after a lot of cord yanking the mechanic got it to work.
He works on a lot of small engines repairing and maintaining our engine pumps as well as all sorts of other small engines. He had no explination for why it didn't work before.
It's just one of those things...

 

[RiverRat2]

Now that you got it running you need to fine tune the carb while it is warmed up and running iff it needs it.... If it starts good, idles without dying, idles with out the chain running, accelerates nicely from idle and has power in the cut, shut it off then restarts easy with a quick little pull than your good to go :rockn: :rockn:

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

My guess is there was some tiny, little woodchip floating around in there and at first it was holding open the metering valve, then it wedged itself in one of the jets.
Don't you feel good for having worked through the problem?
Now you have skills, and again, chicks dig guys with skills.

 

[Fumbler]

My guess is there was some tiny, little woodchip floating around in there and at first it was holding open the metering valve, then it wedged itself in one of the jets.
Don't you feel good for having worked through the problem?
Now you have skills, and again, chicks dig guys with skills.

I watched as my friend took apart the carb. He didn't notice anything and neither did I.
He did blow it oout with an air compressor, which is much stronger than the can of compressed air I used when I cleaned the carb.
It's entirely possible that the stronger air compressor pushed whatever debris out.

I feel very good about fixing the saw without bringing it to a dealer.
Rebuilding a carb is no big deal at all.
Thanks everyone who gave me advice.

I'm pretty good at learning how to fix things, I just have to take the initial plunge and take it apart. Now I wouldn't be afraid to do more complicated repairs...I know where to go for technical assistance too.

 

[Dan Forsh]

and don't forget...

chicks dig guys with skills.