Stihl 026 common problem (hard to start)

[fs5qc]

Hi,

just got a 026 from a friend a he told me that he can not start (hard to start) it he needs to pull it 12 to star.

our local Stihl dealer look at it and told us that is a model defect.

do you know something that I can do for that

This was only use for 10 contracts and stored is like new.

So I feel bad to not use it

 

[cscltd]

They sometimes can take a few extra pulls to fire. Sometimes an new oem air filter -choke will make it a bit better.

 

[trains]

As Cscltd mentioned, the choke is part of the air filter, and sometimes the choke flap wont close off properly due to movement in the plastic due to age, heatsoak, or it being the wrong shape due to minor manufacturing differences and fit.

End result, the choke wont fully choke as per a more normal setup where the choke butterfly is part of the carb itself.
So more pulls to prime and start the saw.

Also, it can have another affect, of when running, the choke flap can inadvertently close over and cause issues when at wide open throttle.

Saw that age, its worth going over it and checking/ replacing the rubber components like intake boot, impulse, fuel hose, fuel filter, and give it a carb kit as well.

Also due to the intake boot design, they can collect fuel when idling, (called fuel puddling) and cause it to stumble and finally stall out.
Some set up the idle quite lean to overcome the issue, personally I just set up idle as per normal and dont let it sit idling for too long

But they are a lovely little saw, I enjoy using mine and its put plenty of wood in the trailer, but tend to use its younger sibling the 261 in the tree more.

 

[rocketnorton]

oe stihl air filters help, as well as not overtightening them

 

[Mad Professor]

Aftermarket AF? Does a thimble of mix get it to fire right up?

 

[fs5qc]

Do you think that can worth it to convert it to a ms 260 filter?

 

[stihltech]

The throttle must have a good fast idle when starting or you will have the problem described. Have repaired many hard to start cold issues by lengthening the throttle rod. Especially 026 series.

 

[fs5qc]

The throttle must have a good fast idle when starting or you will have the problem described. Have repaired many hard to start cold issues by lengthening the throttle rod. Especially 026 series.

yes is something I can try

 

[777funk]

Mine is very predictable.

1. Full Choke (if I recall this locks the throttle to half or so)
2. Pull 6x (almost always 6x) and saw will pop.
3. Flip choke to half until warm or just hit the throttle and run it.

I don't consider this easy, but since it's a small engine... maybe I do consider 6 pulls pretty easy. I don't expect any cold saw to start on the first pull after resting any length of time. It takes vacuum impulses to get the gas to flow into the jets. Hopefully the fuel system is tight enough that it's not draining dry when it sits. 3 pulls to start is a great saw... so 6 may be a little much... but the 026 is still a GREAT saw. My favorite of all the Stihls.

 

[ihookem]

I have had an 026 for over 20 yrs. It still looks good but it has not run well in 15 yrs. I took it in and they said it has a crank case leak. It starts easy most of the time but very hard today. I use it to fall 50' 10" diameter hybrid poplars that I planted 15 yrs. ago cause I was sure OPEC was going to cut off the spicket and leave us cold so fast growing trees were planted. I use the saw cause if a tree falls funny or something it wont matter much if it gets smashed. . Have not run right in a long time. Might even have been bad from the factory.

 

[billyboy]

You might also check your fuel tank vent. My 028S became hard to start and then I noticed an air gasp and fuel blown out when I opened the cap. The vent tube had shrunk around the grub screw and it couldn't breath properly. Makes it hard to get your impulse line working when your cranking for cold start.

 

[Wood Doctor]

I have noticed that whenever a chainsaw engine has not been run for awhile, it hesitates to start and several extra pulls are required. Makes no difference what the brand is. That's how many 2-cycle engines operate. Very seldom does a dormant chainsaw engine ever start easily. Start it again the next day and it's usually raring to go.

 

[stihltech]

Did the crankcase leak get repaired. Very common to need the seal under the flywheel, fuel and pulse hoses. Also make sure it has a good fast idle.

 

[12fergus]

Hi,

just got a 026 from a friend a he told me that he can not start (hard to start) it he needs to pull it 12 to star.

our local Stihl dealer look at it and told us that is a model defect.

do you know something that I can do for that

This was only use for 10 contracts and stored is like new.

So I feel bad to not use it

Reply is a bit late, but 026 has a plastic choke that does not close properly unless you manually hold it in close position. Not all of them. Take the filter , etc. off and check how far out from closing it is. If it's out …1/8 inch you can pull a long time before firing.