spudulike

Most carbs tune up in a very similar way and if the L screw is making no difference then I suspect a fault. The theory is that if the screw is turned all the way in, the engine will die as it is getting no fuel. If it continues to run, I would suspect a leaking welch plug allowing fuel to be picked up through the leak rather than via the normal route - past the L screw. One thing I have found on some saws that have been messes around with - the idle screw is turned well in and the L screw is well out of position so would personally take the limiters off and turn the screws all the way in then both out one turn and then lower the idle until the idle is around right and then re adjust the L screw to make sure it is OK. I usually use a tach to adjust the carb and that is on a saw that has been checked over - fuel system OK, the throttle is being held open to its maximum opening, breathers etc You can check the plug colour and it gives an excellent indication things are correct but the tach does do this in a much shorter time - I can't cut a cubic ton and then do a plug chop on each saw - the tach as well as the factory settings give a nice clean easy way to set a saw up and will be used by any decent tech. If the tach is used correctly, the plug colour should be OK. The method you have adopted is fine! Custom tuned saws are a different beast and to go by the sound/plug colour is common but would still use a tach to bench mark a saw - I usually set a tuned saw up to maximum revs or a few Krpm over if it is heavily fourstroking still.

It looks like that MS201 cover has seen some heat from the brake band rubbing on the clutch drum, I reckin it has disorted the moulding that holds the band making it ride out with use. Looks like new cover time!

The way the rubber and plastic parts work are the rubber manifold pushes over the cylinder inlet connection, the impulse connector is part of this and pushes in to the impulse hole. The plastic part then pushes on to the rubber part to provide a support and retaining function - the clamp around the outer part seals the edges whilst the plastic part gets a retaining pushing effect from its location in to a cut out on the upper crankcase cut out. The issues I have had have been around the impulse and around the outer clamp and will only be noticed by pressure and vacuum testing - predominantly with pressure testing at 10psi. Old manifolds appear to shrink and cause issues - I have learnt of a couple of tricks in this area that resolve this though:thumbup: TBH - I don't like this design but have learnt to live with it as I like the range of saws!

I experimented with this once and the results were the paint burning and then the metal burning and no decent weld however I have joined aluminium pieces using a kit I purchased. I don't reckon it will work, the large casting will wick the heat away fast and too much heat will melt the casting. Tell me I am wrong:001_rolleyes:

I have repaired similar with liquid glass fibre resin inside the de-greased tank but it needs to be spotless. The outside can be repaired as Stubby says - aluminium plate with JB weld sandwich and mechanical fixing - won't be pretty but it will save a scrap saw!

I'm afraid it does smack of fact, the mileage away from your place of work to book a meal on expenses is correct - not sure if it is 35 miles though. The law is an ass in just about all areas - squatters rights....need I say more:001_rolleyes:

Right - STOP - the markings on the side of the saw are with the LIMITERS in place, you have probably got the limiters removed, it is no wonder the saw is screaming like this - it will be running VERY lean. Take a look at the screws with a torch and if you can see a red and a white plastic cap on the H & L screws they are limited but if they are typical slotted screw heads, they have been removed and using one turn out on each as a starting point will be best. I have seen an MS880 killed in the way you have adjusted the carb!!!

Good call, sounds like the most plausible reason. If the saw has flooded, pull the plug, turn it upside down, turn the ignition off and pull the saw over fast to clear puddled fuel. Heat the plug up on a gas cooker or using a blow torch and than try again without the choke on. I would check the metering valve - something I do when rebuilding the carb:thumbup: Don't use the decomp valve when trying to start - the 365 has a big squish clearance and tends to lack high compression!

The IPL says these are 501 87 68-05 but look damn similar!

You will probably find the coil is limited at around 13.5k so start with the carb rich and then lean out until the Tach goes all over the place which will be around 13.5krpm:thumbup:

The OEM suppliers will buy their bearings from the big suppliers like SKF, and add their mark up. As long as the bearing is specifiied to the same spec - rpm, OD, ID etc, it should be OK but the manuactures do have a habit of having some wierd sizes!

Plug fouling, smoke on the garden (Deep Purple) and oil dripping down the air filter but it does get rid of stale petrol/oil mix:thumbup:

You probably have a limited coil, you need to know what the maximum revs are for the engine and then bring up the revs from 2k below just to the point when they go wobbly - that is so the carb and the coil are limiting at the same point. It is the coil having this effect -caught me out first time, Husqvarna coils have the max revs engraved on the coil!

You are missing the plasic insert I gave you the number for - put "254xp IPL" in to google and download the PDF - you will see the missing part!

I have tried a steam cleaner and it was hopless - I have a can of solvent from my printing days that works - the only boiling water I have in my workshop is in my tea:lol: I don't like water on saws - tend to set in rust in bearings and the clutch but may be OK on dismantled plastic parts, I may experiment one day:thumbup:

From your aearlier answer about there being lots of play in the crankshaft, it sounds like the bearing has worn and this has allowed the flywheel to contact the coil doing further damage. Fitting new bearings is ok if you have some engineering experience, splitting the crankcase is the first difficult part, a selection of pullers, a big G clamp and bench vice are useful - if you need to clump the end of the crankshaft, use a mallet and NOT a hammer. Pushing the old bearings out - do this with a suitable sized socket located on the outer race and use a big bench vice or G clamp. Inserting the new bearings - some heat the casing and freeze the bearing to gt an easier fit - I usually just clean the seats and use a socket on the OUTER part of the bearing and use a big G clamp to squeeze them in - make sure they go in the correct way if they are not symetrical and get them going in straight. Never push the bearing in from the inner race! Good luck - it will make a man of you:thumbup:

When they wrote that song, one went to mow a meadow, it was Barrie mowing that meadow - he da man on mowers:thumbup:

With the plug cap REMOVED, the timing will make no difference, if you had this when starting, it is a sign of advanced timing i.e. the spark is happening too early - I get a bit of this on saws I have changed the timing advance on and it can hurt. You must have somethng else coming in to play - perhaps the coil is rubbing on th eflywheel or the clutch is catching:confused1:

Used engine oil is carcinogeniic but new engine oil is clean and OK, some bio and veggi oils dry up in time making saw maintenence a right PITA as you can't remove this dried up gunge for love nor money - believe me. The Stihl chain oil is good from my maintenence point of view!

If you hold the flywheel centre and wobble it up and down then side to side, you should feel if there is wear in the crak bearings. 60psi is non existant - have you pulled it over 5-6 times hard or is hat just one pull and do you usually get 150 -170psi on a fit engine? If your compression reading is right, you may have a lump of your piston ring missing, damage or cracked piston crown or a small end/big end failure - even with a badly seized engine I would expect 80-100 psi:confused1: It is worth checking the ends, I usually rock the crank back and forth with the engine assembled and feel for excesive play before the piston moves up and down - there should be little play. If the engine is in bits, hold the piston on TDC and lift and drop it up and down and feel for play, it should be close to zero! I have seen excessive play in the gudgeon pin piston seat before! It is also possible you have a bent con rod - the impact with the coil may have done some bad damage! If the engine isn't a clam engine - loosen the cylinder bolts and with the plug out, rotate the engine slow whilst very lightly pushing on the top of the cylinder - any rocking from side to side and the rod is bent. You will also see heavy scuffing on the piston sides and cylinder wall. Have you checked the crank isnt bent:thumbdown:

No worries, glad the advice was of help:thumbup:

If seized, the saw will feel notch but not really at TDC, pull the muffler off and look at the piston, if seized, it will have scores on the skirt and may have the rings welded in to the grooves. It sounds more likely that the change in ignition timing may have done something to the piston crown through pre ignition - probably worth taking off the cylinder to see what is occuring inside the cylinder. If the saw turns over without the plug and without resistance but is harder with the plug in, it sounds like just decent compression as that is the only difference. You can get puddled fuel in the lower crankcase that can cause this issue - worth turning the engine upside down with the plug out and turn it over to see what comes out. The last saw I had you type of problem with was a 390XP and it didn't turn over when I removed the plug - it has so much carbon in the head, taking the plug out dislodged a big bit that caught the squish band and stopped the saw at TDC. Are you sure the coil is free and there is no play in the crank bearings?

Take the plug out, turn the saw so the hole is facing downwards and pull hard with the ignition off. If a lot of fuel and vapour comes out, warm the plug on a gas stove of blow lamp and repalce fast and try to start holding the throttle open without choke and pulling with your left hand. This will usually work and once the fuel has cleared, it should be OK or the above may have done it in:thumbdown:

I am not going to say as they have been 100% in the past and I have an open case and if they find the parcel and deliver it, they will have done their job. The trouble with Ireland is no post codes, not saying it is an excuse but one issue is a named house on a non named road must be a nightmare without a post code so am giving them a little slack. They are responding and investigating it - fortunately I had up to £1000 insurance on the kit so they may get a flumping great claim if thy can't find it!

Alec is pretty much spot on and have been using that logic for around 40 years now. If the saw was running before then it should work again. Most non startes are fuel related issues tbh, that or two stroke seizes on the saws I work on. If the machine is reluctant to fire but has spark, compression and fuel, heating the park plug up on a gas hob (if the other half isn't around) or with a plumbers torch helps reluctant engines, especially low compression or flooded ones - it helps vapourise the fuel:thumbup: An old timers trick but it has worked hundreds of times!