Stihl fuel pickup question

[rreidnauer]

I recently picked up an older 028 AV for a decent price. The guy said he replaced the fuel pickup tube. (which did appear new) Once home, and with fresh fuel in it, it started easy but after running it for some time, it would begin to run erratic and quit. Then it wouldn't restart. It'd try but wouldn't get going again. (guess I should have inspected it a bit closer, eh) I dumped out the gas, which came out muddy looking. A few shakes to get the last of the gas out, and out tumbles the disconnected fuel filter. (well, that explains fuel starvation with half a tank of gas) The filter was mostly coated in a thick, black varnish, as well as a big "scale" stuck to it, no doubt a fossil of the puddle of fuel it was probably lying in when it got put away two decades earlier. The filter had a rubber cap on the end, which when removed, had what would only be best described as mud packed inside it. I assume it's what's left of the actual filtering material.

So anyhow, I picked up a new filter and vent tube with worms (also missing on the saw) at my local Stihl dealer. I removed the pickup tube, installed the filter to it, refished the tube into the tank and installed the vent. Finally, here's the question. Is it normal for the filter be slightly suspended above the bottom of the tank? Neither of my Huskys are like this, as they have plenty of fuel line for the filter to lay on it's side on the bottom. Wrong pickup tube maybe? It runs great, but I haven't seen how it'll do once it gets down to half a tank and starts exposing the filter.

028 guys, whadaya think?

 

[smokechase II]

empty fuel tank

I don't recall any problem with the Stihl's I've run with the filter hose not being long enough.

I have noticed on 044's, 440's and a 064 that I run regularly that they do not want to finish the tank the same way the Husky's I have run did.

There seems to be a problem with some Stihl's cutting out periodically at about 9/10th of a tank. I always thought that might have been due to Stihl having a better gas filter, which may have a down side if true.

Guess one good rule of thumb to point out here would be most every time you buy a saw is to throw away the fuel in the tank, change the fuel filter, spark plug clean air filter etc.