spudulike

It all depends on when the failure occurs!!

I am glad I stayed out of this....all I can add is that "Belt and Braces" basically means a back up solution to ensure if the first fails, the second will ensure carnage doesn't occur. In this example, we are looking at keeping ones trousers up hence the "Belt" and "Braces" reference. If the belt snaps, the braces keeps your strides up, if the braces break, the belt will do a fine support job. Blimey, I can't believe that needs explaining......I take it you know what "braces" are?

Nothing wrong with the 260, decent enough bit of kit, pistons can get slappy, carbs can get fidgety and the wiring can earth out through wear on that top AV mount but we are talking after much abuse.

L&S are pretty much the best for getting Stihl/Husqvarna parts, on carb bits, try Rowena Motors. They have an exhaustive knowledge of carbs and are usually, IMO, very helpful. The only difficulty will be if the carb is a Stihl specific OEM carb and not based on a generic design, you do come across this sometimes. Rowena Motors WWW.ROWENACARBS.CO.UK Authorised dealers of Walbro, Zama and Tillotson carburetor and carburetor parts for lawn mowers, karts, brushcutters, and other light engines. Based in the UK, trading internationally.

I missed the response, as previously mentioned, if the plating is not scored through, clean the bore up chemically, abrade the oxide off, lightly hone/rub the bore with wet and dry and then fit a new piston. Just be aware that the OEM bore is an odd 44.3mm so the replacement piston needs to be the same and not 44mm or 45mm.

This is good advice on the OPs first post. I drained a lot of tanks when running much of my business via courier and used to put the fuel through a funnel with a home made fine gauze strainer and used to get loads of sawdust and shyte/old fuel filters out of the tank including water. How many find the carb gauze strainer is full of crap and don't go back to draining and straining the fuel tank? You should....a decent post.

The silverside bore is 44.3mm. what is wrong with the cylinder? You may get a good result just fitting a new piston. OEM, Meteor, Hyway in that order are best.

You may get away with it on up to a 60cc saw but the 372 is too big an engine for a 1.3mm chain unless it is for speed trials or personal amusement.

Just read this again, the idle screw turned all the way in should bring the saw up to mid revs. If you get no increase in revs, the saw is either running very rich or something else is amiss. Are all the linkages on the carb working and fitted correctly? The strato air valve should open as the main throttle valve opens. Is the saw picking up and revving out OK and the issue is just the idle?

If you haven't got a garden, are there any work groups, allotments, historic homes that need volunteers. At worst, you may meet some decent people. You sound a bit like my younger brother.

Have you got a garden eggs? Gardening lifts the soul, is a good workout and anchors you to the seasons. Old Jeremy Clarkson says he didn't have a clue before he farmed! Get a decent winter project on, those gloomy days need filling with something uplifting!

That was for the first version of the MS201..the non Mtronic one, the one that was utter shyte with a topping of shyte. The first time I tried to rev one it sat in my hand going Mmmmmmmm with the chain stationary and then burst in to life...that is why they introduced the kit of bits. As Mark Skyland says, if the idle is sweet then just do the normal service -plus try fitting the mesh air filter rather than the flock one if fitted and check the muffler - you need to ensure the bottom isn't cracked, a common issue from heat expansion. The first sign that the solenoid is faulty is that the saw will keep stalling on idle, best fit the filter and solenoid kit if that is the case. The new fuel filter is much finer and guess Stihl found the old type let through too much dirt and supplied a finer one. Just opening up the existing muffler outlet hole with a Dremel will give the saw a bit more go if needed.

I am assuming that the impulse line is correctly pushed on to the brass connector just under the cylinder between the air box and cylinder? I am asking as I have had a lot in with this issue and it would cause an air leak. Another favorite issue is the diaphragms (both pump and metering) and spacer gaskets being the wrong way round. It may be a split inlet manifold - as others have said, a pressure and vacuum test would make sense. It sounds like it may be a large air leak so if you plug the exhaust port, inlet manifold and plug hole, you could just blow down the impulse line and see if leaks.....if you don't have the correct kit.

What was the question again....ah yes...... how to kill bindweed. Seems to vary between digging the roots out, using a systemic weedkiller on it or cutting it down. As I said, I just carefully spray each bit I find and eventually, you get the better of it.

But it was a lot of fun as a schoolboy.