Stihl ms391, help?

Arborist Forum

Help Support Arborist Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Chainsaw Collectors

ArboristSite Guru
Joined
Dec 5, 2023
Messages
560
Reaction score
803
Location
Merrill, WI, USA
I recently acquired a stihl ms391 from an elderly man that does small engine repair. He said he installed new piston rings and a new coil, but he’s not sure it was the right coil. He also played with the coil gap. It does currently have spark and fired a couple times. Sometimes the decomp pops up without the saw even firing half way thru the pull and hurts my hand in the process. Also, the fuel he had in it was pretty much clear, isn’t all 2 stroke fuel blueish? Maybe I’m just used to my Lawnboy and Husqvarna fuel mix being tinted, or maybe the old man forgot to add oil… If it has spark and even fired a couple times I’m assuming the coil is right or suitable. Perhaps an issue with the decompression valve? Any ideas? He also said he installed new piston rings.
 
First thing I do on any saw brought in for work is dump the fuel that is in it, no one knows what ratio or how old it is so it gets dumped. New fresh mix gets added before even a test firing. When someone else has dicked around with it then it is the same run of tests always performed , no matter what the previous operator or owner tells me. If they knew what was wrong with the saw they could fix it, difficult to trust anyone concerning a non running or hard to start saw.
 
Back
Top