Saw lacking power - Maintainance tip

[Dean Lofthouse]

I run a little MS170 as a chipper saw, just lately it's been gradually losing power ( the bit of power they do have) .

 

One thing to check apart from the normal air filter clogging is exhaust clogging. Many saws have spark arrester screens or small apertures behind the deflector plate which, over time clog with carbon.

 

As you can see in the photos, mine was very clogged which was choking the exhaust gas flow.

 

You can wire brush it out but the best way if you have access to it is to heat the carbon with Oxy/acetylene which turns it to dry dust and can be brushed off

 

Before and after photos and now it runs like a new saw.

[skyhuck]

OR buy a proper saw!!!!!!!!

[Rupe]

Can you not just remove that part and chuck it?

[skyhuck]

Can you not just remove that part and chuck it?

 

Which part would you "chuck", its a tricky one, I'd chuck the larger of the two parts once separated.

[Dean Lofthouse]

OR buy a proper saw!!!!!!!!

 

It happens on ALL saws this was just an example .

 

edit: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ??????????????????????????????????????????????

[skyhuck]

Its never happened on ANY of mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

With the exception of the old 020t's which had a mesh spark arrester, which I used to remove when they were new!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dean Lofthouse]

You are the lucky one then !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

They do carbon up on the inside even if they dont have spark arresters, if the dont have spark arresters they will have an outlet smaller then the inlet to cause back pressure.

 

They will carbon up eventually, thats a fact. All two strokes do. Not so common now with modern synthetics but I dont use synthetic two stroke, I use castor oil

 

Before synthetic oils I can remember plugging up motorcycle exhausts and filling them with a bicarb mixture to disolve the carbon residues

 

Its only a tip Huck, you dont have to do it if you dont want to..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[skyhuck]

I was going to ask if you thought it was caused by your Castor oil.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

I use castor oil QUOTE]

 

Interesting - why? cheaper? exhaust smell? Better iyo?

[Dean Lofthouse]

Castor oil does run "wetter" ie you will see the exhaust pipe wet.

 

So it probably does carbon up more than Stihl synthetic. I use it because Castor has always been associated with high performance racing two strokes and is still used now.

 

I also love the smell although I can't smell it now but I often get comments on how nice my saws smell and it's partly nostalga from the days of watching speedway.

 

It is quite expensive as well so price isn't a factor