Stihl ms291 farmboss

[BrandoninColorado]

Hello, can someone instruct me as to what I should do after leaving my Stihl ms291 farmboss about a year in storage. I did not drain the oil or gas I just put it away one day after using it before life's chaos ensued. Do I change the fuel lines? I just need some guidance on what I should do. The only thing worse than not having a chainsaw is running one that ain't running right, just my opinion.

 

[atpchas]

If it was my saw I'd
1. drain whatever fuel is in it
2. inspect fuel line and filter - fuel line should not be soft or gummy feeling, filter should pass fuel easily
3. fill with newly purchased gas mixed with proper amount of quality 2-cycle oil
4. try starting. If no go, dribble some mix into carb throat and try again.
If still no go,
5. pull carb, clean, and maybe install new diaphragms. Make sure metering needle is sealing but not stuck to seat.
6. try starting again.
If still no go, come back and tell us about it

 

[atpchas]

PS - At several points I would be pulling the spark plug to see if it is wet (maybe flooded) or dry (maybe not getting fuel).

 

[Wood Doctor]

PS - At several points I would be pulling the spark plug to see if it is wet (maybe flooded) or dry (maybe not getting fuel).

That's one of the first things I check for -- a dry plug after trying to crank the engine for awhile and never hear a pop. If the plug is good and delivering a spark, that usually means a fuel issue.

However, I recently ran into a Stihl 194T that had both problems -- no spark juice being delivered to the plug and a carb that could not deliver fuel to the combustion chamber. I replaced the coil and still no go. So, I removed the carb and then I found an intake manifold with a distorted lip pressed against the carb. That distorted manifold lip set up a huge air leak. So, I repaired the intake manifold, and finally the saw started and ran OK. I then yelled, Hooray!

 

[esean]

I used to have a Farm Boss and routinely let it sit with gas in it for a six-month stretch every year for 15 yrs. Never had any issues, and that was with E10 most of that time. Put in fresh gas and try it out. If that doesn't work, follow the advice above.

 

[Overlooker]

I have ten running Stihl saws, some of which don't get used for months at a time, and still, they all routinely start, run, and idle when I need them to. I'm not good about draining the fuel before I park them, probably because I'm not really sure when I'll run them next. I do, however, only use ethanol-free fuel. My oldest Stihl saws date from the nineties, while my newest saw is about 4-5 yrs old. I'm not using chainsaws professionally, only for property maintenance and for firewood. BTW, I also have 5 running vintage Homies dating from 1968 to 1992 and a late-model Husky top saw. If I'm not careful, I might become a victim of CAD! O

 

[user 122190]

Hello, can someone instruct me as to what I should do after leaving my Stihl ms291 farmboss about a year in storage. I did not drain the oil or gas I just put it away one day after using it before life's chaos ensued. Do I change the fuel lines? I just need some guidance on what I should do. The only thing worse than not having a chainsaw is running one that ain't running right, just my opinion.

I had an 880 that sat with the same fuel in it over 3 years. Started fine before I sold it.

 

[Patrick62]

Greetings from another colorado cutter.
Did you get it going?
I run a non-ethanol fuel, and have very little trouble with fuel sitting in the saws, sometimes for months, if not years.