sandycb

1 hour ago, openspaceman said:

NW Surrey near M25 j11

Thanks. I've got a new (well, old) saw. Still thinking about whether to persevere with the 266 or sell it. Are you looking to ditch the donor saw or sell it? 

On 07/01/2022 at 19:28, openspaceman said:

There have been lots of suggestions to try out and I cannot add anything without seeing the saw but I do have a donor 266 with most of the engine bits (mice ate some of the plastic parts as it was put away with vegetable oil in the tank) if you are close.

Thanks... Andover area? 

On 07/01/2022 at 20:50, spudulike said:

BTW....where are you based?

And I am not looking for work!!!

Near Andover 

On 08/01/2022 at 13:13, spudulike said:

Very good Mr A, he did indeed say that he has fitted a new top end. He may have fitted the piston back to front, seen that before! If not, that blokes compression gauge is a bit iffy....unless it was 120 on one pull

Sorry, missed some of the replies in the thread. Yes, new piston so not scored. Properly fitted (arrow / exhaust port etc). The gauge was at a saw shop so should be fine, and multiple pulls. It hangs fine on the pull cord.... doesn't fall at all, so unless the cylinder and piston were crap to start with, I think top end is OK. I will have a look at the carb, but until it overheated the carb was fine, so not sure why it now would be shot? Bit worth a look. 

56 minutes ago, spudulike said:

Very unlikely as you are priming the saw with fuel and the primary compression and vacuum in the crankcase will not effect combustion, it will only effect the amount of air you are drawing through the carb and the pressure up the transfer ports (as pressure and vacuum will leak from the crankcase) and as you have already primed the saw, it should at least fire.

A teaspoon of fuel may have just flooded the saw. A burst of brake cleaner, WD40, GT85, carb cleaner etc down the carb with the throttle held open will be more effective.

OK... I will give it a go. I assume the air filter will need to be removed? Don't really understand or assume prior to the replacement cylinder and pot the saw started pretty much first time every time. I do deek that the the compression isn't quite what it was though.... used to rip my hand off. It's still pretty aggressive but not like before. 

1 hour ago, Macpherson said:

Husqvarna 268 Workshop Manual - Chainsaw Workshop Manuals

CHAINSAW-WORKSHOP-MANUAL.COM

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Husqvarna 268 Workshop Manual to service and repair the 268 chainsaw. FREE page images or download full PDF to print or...

 

Thanks! 

23 hours ago, spudulike said:

I think we have lost the fella.....guess he may have used the Husqvarna dipping oil

It is possible he used too much oil around the bore and flooded the saw....easy to do and usually just needs clearing and putting a bit of heat on the plug to help combustion.

No...., 'fraid not. Having rebuilt the top end, was still only getting 120psi on a compression test. Dried the plug, put a teaspoon of mix directly into the chamber etc...tested the spark. No joy. I think it's probably either got a leak in the crank seal or it's not keeping a vacuum, but I don't have access to pressure / vac testing kit and buying other for the one test is not cost effective. So I've called it a day for now. I'll see how I go with the 268 and maybe resurrect the old girl if I have time! 

Gave up and got myself an old 268xp!  Anyone know where I can find a PDF of a manual? 

15 minutes ago, Stubby said:

Two other things you can do are a vac test and a pressure test but I still think for compression 120 psi is not enough . Have you done as ADW suggested and checked to see if the fly wheel key has sheared putting it out of time ?

Thanks  - had to work hard to find someone with a compression tester, so not sure if I can do the same for a vac test/pressure test...I did see what ADW suggested but tbh I lost the thread, and am probably not able to do a bottom end rebuild.  Top end was about my limit!🤥

1 hour ago, Stubby said:

Do you mean a pressure test or a compression test ?  If its a compression test it should be at least 160 psi . 120 psi might not support combustion .

Hi Stubby - sorry, compression test.  Yes, I was expecting it to be a bit higher, but they reckoned it would start at 120.  But I'd be more comfortable if north of 150.  Certainly I seem to remember that the pull cord could rip my fingers off especially when cold but now it's just a good hard pull.  Not sure what else could have gone when it overheated....perhaps I just need to seal the gaskets with some motoseal (and perhaps strip and clean the carb, although that's not a pressure thing).  Otherwise the old girl may be retired......

So, managed to get a pressure test at local shop. It came up as 120psi. A bit low for a 266 (67cc) but should at least start, but nothing.

Stumped! 

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Got a bit of lost in some of it but I think the starting point is a pressure test and if it is low work back from that. Any guidance on what I should expect from a 266 xp? I did change the plug as suggested but no joy. I should probably have a look at the carb bit wanted to do the pressure test first to save me wasting time if the pressure was too low. 

12 hours ago, spudulike said:

Most issues are carb/fuel system related. A holed fuel line, old fuel filter, blocked tank breather or blocked carb gauze strainer may be the issue. Other than that, a really bad air leak can cause starting issues. 

I am assuming that with the saw seizing, it is unlikely that the coil or plug somehow failed in the rebuild process.

Probably worth changing the plug as it gets a lot of vapourised aluminium on it when a saw seizes and can make the spark fail under compression.

Is the plug getting damp with the attempted starting?  

12 hours ago, spudulike said:

Most issues are carb/fuel system related. A holed fuel line, old fuel filter, blocked tank breather or blocked carb gauze strainer may be the issue. Other than that, a really bad air leak can cause starting issues. 

I am assuming that with the saw seizing, it is unlikely that the coil or plug somehow failed in the rebuild process.

Probably worth changing the plug as it gets a lot of vapourised aluminium on it when a saw seizes and can make the spark fail under compression.

Is the plug getting damp with the attempted starting?  

I managed to 'cook' my Husky (not sure if wrong mix or jets not set up right) and had to replace the pot and cylinder. Local shop could not repair its as it's too old to get OEM spares. I got some AM parts and fitted them all fine. Kept the original carburetor. It still won't start. Seems to be sparking fine and it feels grunty to pull the cord (don't have a compression tester though). Put a tiny bit of fuel down its throat and tried that.... won't so much as cough. 

Any ideas? It's a great saw but have already spent £50 on diagnosis, another £50 on parts so there's a risk of throwing good money after bad. Against that, an equivalent new saw is about £600-£800 I'm told. Help! 

Dean (not Dale!),

Thanks - close shave. I will keep looking. I have a couple of other sources but I have a feeling it will be a long hunt.

Yes - thanks....I have heard it said that the Stihl heads are rubbish. Hence hard to find. I think they can be repaired but it is a major hassle.

Thanks Dale - it should be with me shortly....do you mind holding the head for me until I can check it over? The seller has said it'll need its carbs cleaned out and generally spruced up, but that it runs ok with good compression. So should be able to tell you that it is OK (or not) shortly!

The link is below; hope it works.

STIHL HL75 LONG REACH PETROL HEDGE CUTTER/TRIMMER on eBay (end time 06-Jun-10 19:13:01 BST)

Dean,

Sounds like a deal. I have bought the machine on ebay, and it has yet to arrive, so have not actually clapped eyes on it. I could send the link to you, from which you can see what I bought (!). Then we can say for certain whether it will fit. But yes, £35 is done if it is what I need! Thanks, Sandy

Hi all,

I have a Stihl HL 75 long reach hedge trimmer but no cutting head. Does anyone know where I can get a used cutting head from? I need the entire assembly, as I just have the shaft and engine.

thanks

Sandy