Stihl ms036 very hard to pull start

[nrayandrews]

hi there, after reading many threads and following lots of tips i am still stuck with my ms036 being extremely hard to pull over, i have checked and done the following.
1. checked pully cord
2. removed muffler and checked for exhaust block
3. new clean fuel and plug
i have had this saw in to the dealer twice but they have not resolved the problem, they greased the clutch last time.
when i remove the plug it pulls over fine.
i can keep trying to pull it over but only get a few inches and nearly breaks my wrist.
if i persist with pulling bit by bit it does free up and i can start it and it runs fine.
i can then use it and restart it it fine then at times it does the same thing and i have to work past the hard pull bit to get it going again.
i cannot locate a decompression valve on this model.
any advice welcome, i have hit the wall with it.
thanks
Neil

 

[dmb2613]

Age, yours and mine, not the saw lol

 

[BuckthornBonnie]

Take the recoil off, check its function while off. Take some pics of that, the flywheel/coil area, and the pto side (drum on and removed). Wiggle the fw and pto side crank stub in all directions.
If you can turn it over by hand with the plug out (just carefully rotate the flywheel and listen for anything weird), that’s a good thing. Is it the right plug? Is your plug wet with fuel during the problem? You could have a flooded crankcase.

 

[Old2stroke]

Check for uneven wear on the recoil components that engage with the flywheel. Pulling under compression loads could be skewing something off centre and jamming the starter.

 

[LogSawyer74]

I built an 036/360 out of parts I had laying around my shop. When I tried to start it, it was very hard to pull over just like you. I eventually figured out that there are a few different flywheels that were used on the 036/034 saws. The flywheel I had on the saw had a double "ring" around the engagement area/flywheel nut. It actually rubbed a little bit on the starter rotor, and was very difficult to pull over. I changed out the flywheel to another I had and it fixed the rubbing and was easier to pull over. Just a thought.... In my opinion, I'd probably check out the flooded saw idea first. If the crankcase area if full of fuel, that could definitely make it hard to pull over

 

[Mad Professor]

Flooded. Full of mix.

036 don't even need a decomp.

Is it the same, if you pull the plug, turn it over, then put the plug back in?

 

[rupedoggy]

Look at your avatar. No wonder it is hard to start. You don't have any muscle!

 

[Pioneer]

"if i persist with pulling bit by bit it does free up and i can start it and it runs fine."

I have the same problem with one of my small saws that has 185 psi compression. If it has been sitting for a while, it is very hard to pull over until you do it a few times slowly. It seems you need to loosen the oil drag on the piston/cylinder or something to that effect, or it feels like you are going to break your wrist if you try pulling it fast the first time. The problem also goes away after it has been warmed up.
Ever measure the compression? I have another similar saw with less compression, and it does not have this problem.
A couple of different Stihl consumer models I own have stupidly small recoil pulleys, If the 036 is similar it compounds the problem. Stihl's have their share of engineering mistakes, the pulley is one of them, under oiling is another.

 

[nrayandrews]

Flooded. Full of mix.

036 don't even need a decomp.

Is it the same, if you pull the plug, turn it over, then put the plug back in?

hi there, thanks for the reply yes it is the same if i pull the plug and turn it over a few times, i cant see that its flooded

 

[nrayandrews]

I built an 036/360 out of parts I had laying around my shop. When I tried to start it, it was very hard to pull over just like you. I eventually figured out that there are a few different flywheels that were used on the 036/034 saws. The flywheel I had on the saw had a double "ring" around the engagement area/flywheel nut. It actually rubbed a little bit on the starter rotor, and was very difficult to pull over. I changed out the flywheel to another I had and it fixed the rubbing and was easier to pull over. Just a thought.... In my opinion, I'd probably check out the flooded saw idea first. If the crankcase area if full of fuel, that could definitely make it hard to pull over

hi - thanks for the info ill go in a bit deeper and look into the flywheel

 

[LogSawyer74]

Flywheel on top is one I had trouble with. Both marked 1125

 

[SteveSr]

hi there, after reading many threads and following lots of tips i am still stuck with my ms036 being extremely hard to pull over, i have checked and done the following.
1. checked pully cord
2. removed muffler and checked for exhaust block
3. new clean fuel and plug
i have had this saw in to the dealer twice but they have not resolved the problem, they greased the clutch last time.
when i remove the plug it pulls over fine.
i can keep trying to pull it over but only get a few inches and nearly breaks my wrist.
if i persist with pulling bit by bit it does free up and i can start it and it runs fine.
i can then use it and restart it it fine then at times it does the same thing and i have to work past the hard pull bit to get it going again.
i cannot locate a decompression valve on this model.
any advice welcome, i have hit the wall with it.
thanks
Neil

Check that you have the correct diameter OEM starter rope. The aftermarket stuff (Oregon) is smaller diameter and may jam the pulley. Also check the pulley for cracks/bulging under load.

 

[SteveSr]

View attachment 825362View attachment 825362
Flywheel on top is one I had trouble with. Both marked 1125

Top one looks like an "improved" design (o36/MS360) with labyrinth seal to keep the crud out of the recoil pawl mechanism.

 

[nrayandrews]

View attachment 825362View attachment 825362
Flywheel on top is one I had trouble with. Both marked 1125

thanks for the follow up pics