bmp01

Have a look at this thread, might not be exactly the same but nevertheless worth understanding some of the worn carb issues . http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/chainsaws/107694-200t.html?highlight=ms200 Also, +1 on checking the fuel tank vent. One way to diagnose if it's this - run the saw until it gives trouble, undo fuel cap to allow air in (ie get rid of vacuum), refit cap and see if saw runs fine for a bit - until vacuum builds again. How old is saw? What's the service history like? bmp01

So, obviously you've checked the throttle linkage isn't tight sitting level... Back to the idea that it's fuel related, seems i had it arse about face in my previous post, so does it immediately idle slower when hung up or does it progressively get slower and finally stall? If it were rich at idle (I'm assuming it might well be from that plug) and then made richer it would get slower (and possibly slower and slower until it stalls). What's the orientation of the carb? I'm wondering if the metering lever and valve are working (but only just) when the saw is level, and not operating when the saw is hung (i know the spring on the metering lever ought to cope with this but if the valves not sealing, who knows). Solution in this case would be: check the valve, set the metering lever correctly, make sure the metering diaphragm is up the right way and also that the gasket is between the carb and the diaphragm etc. If that's good you could try squashing the metering lever down a 1/4 mm in the name of experimentation ... Also is the metering chamber vented to atmosphere or is there a compensation for filter blocking? bmp01

Top result, well done ! You'll be out scouting for more "fixer-uppers" next :lol: bmp01

Nice set of options for WoodED to choose from Just looking at the thickness of the bridge (on the bar) and the amount of slack in the chain, if the heel of bar is ground out and the bar moved forward to tension the chain - its got to be touch and go whether the bar will be located by the "screw" that WoodED refers to. Add in a little wear and further adjustment .... Also what's the situation with adjuster travel? WoodED take the screw out temporarily, so you can see where the bar needs to sit - that'll answer the question. You could also work out where the bar would sit with a 1 link shorter chain, ie moving the bar inboard by 3/8". Rob - what's the "known" set up that others have used successfully on this saw? That's probably the best guidance. bmp01

Knock off 2 more on the opposite side then, that'll fix it. ..

You can not remove that screw, it's the only thing that keeps the bar aligned and stops it rotating around the single clamping stud. Have a look at the wear pattern on the screw where it contacts the bar that tells you it's doing a job. If it were a cheap old bar you might consider cutting the slot right out the end (like the Stihl).... bmp01.

Thanks for the thought. It's a long reach HL135 hedge trimmer with the usual rod bearing failure due to a lack of maintenance. I should probably just bin it really. ... bmp01

Wow, how is she not dead ? ? ? So here's the thing, how do stupid people get away with stuff like this? Anyone with half a brain would be so tentative it would have gone wrong .... Is there some sort of higher power looking out for stupid people or something?

I was looking at Farmertec gears for Stihl hedge cutter gearbox. Number one requirement has to be material quality and correct heat treatment. So thats another good plan down the drain then. ... bmp01

Thats never a good sign - fuel screen missing. When you spray through the low speed adjuster hole you should see the spray coming out of the tiny jet holes in the carb port - 2 or 3 jets up stream of the throttle plate. Make sure each hole is flowing. Spraying through the high speed adjuster hole, spray will come out of the main jet (brass cylinder protruding into the carb post). Some folk like to use compressed air to blow through the passageways but Id be cautious of that. Sometimes the main jet has a rubber disc in it which needs to stay put, fuel screens can be dislodged, even the welch plugs .... HTH. bmp01

Spuds the man. I hadnt even considered you might have left the screws in place ! Worth gently winding the screws in first and noting number of turns it takes, sometimes gives a clue when you know where you are relative to the factory start point, (the 1 - 1 1/4 turns out). Just winding screws in and back out is sometimes enough to reset the clearances but if you have the time do it right.

Have you touched the low and high speed mixture screws at all? Take a note of screw positions before you start. I'd turn the low speed screw out a 1/4 turn anti-clockwise (= richer) and see what that does. You might get away with less. It might also need the engine speed screw winding in slightly (to increase speed) at the same time just to keep the speed the same. When its up to temperature do the low speed carb adjustment properly. And high speed if you know what you are doing. bmp01

Stevie, No point trying to stop you is there? Small practcal point then. After you have done any work on the saw, reassemble but leave the chain off. Last thing you want is for the saw to be revving its nuts off, chain flailing round while you try and figure out why the ignition kill doesnt work. Come to think of it, how about taking the chain off first thing, before you do any work on it. Start the saw and get used to the feel of it, get used to the controls etc. bmp01

It's a good method of fault diagnosis - swapping in known good parts - and there ant that many parts in the ignition system so yes should have worked. Leaves you with limited number of reasons why it's not working - - remainIng unchanged parts at fault, flywheel, wiring etc - you've installed the known good parts incorrectly, possibility of a short? - Known good parts have gone bad in the transition or been broken during assy. - known good parts not compatible, alignment issue with / without spacer? I'm grasping at straws... You could try the reverse, put the old parts on the 211, one at a time, might help to narrow down the suspects. Is the 181 barrel a genuine one by way?

I dont understand this either. The only other component to change is the flywheel. But quite how that could go bad i have no idea.

Probably arcing internally somewhere when it achieves the required voltage, insulation breakdown. ... But it could be generating a voltage upto the point where it arcs internally and maybe that's what the tester is telling you. Of course if the voltage when insulation breaks down is not high enough to create an arc across the air gap of the plug then the plug never sparks. You could try closing the plug gap down to 10 thou, 0.25mm, it might arc. Arcing could also be from the plug lead or plug cap, especially if damaged and dirty. Plug lead will be integral to the coil on these no doubt though. bmp01

Damn ! I was really hoping there was going to be a magic answer to save me from my least favourite chainsaw job. .... really disappointed I've found a bucket of hot water with a splash of car wash stuff (traffic film remover) does a good job of softening the goo and breaks down the oil - plastic parts only, honest . Often need a bit of a brush as well, and an airline. Parafin works too, leaves it a bit oily though. bmp01

While you are doing what Spud says, with the metering chamber cover off, try your blow through test and lightly press the end of the metering arm at the same time (so you are manually opening the metering valve). That should allow you to blow through the pump side of the carb and through to the metering side. bmp01

I was quoting the third post primarily to point out that the saw you were looking at it isn't popular here, rightly or wrongly. ... In view of that 'fact', I suspect you are flogging a dead horse trying to get an opinion on the specific weak points of that model, with your intended type of use. About that Stihl 036, yeah of course it was a bargain and no point going looking for that exact saw. Neither is it worth looking on that auction site IMHO, the audience is too big for good deals and the asking prices are usually top dollar anyway. But Gumtree, local ads etc can often throw up a deal or two so long as you are flexible in what you are after. Are you in a position to make an informed second hand buy? I'd say so, you've used a saw for a start, you know how they should work, you'd recognise a maintained vs neglected saw. Buy locally, get the saw demonstrated and try it for yourself. I think there are a lot of good saws for sale that just don't get used for various reasons. bmp01 (also an engineer, also inflicted with CAD).

I don't know the answer to your questions. I think the third post probably gave the most applicable answer I am a little confused though, because you sound like you are now prepared to do some work to keep your proposed saw alive and kicking, so why not go for a branded secondhand saw with decent parts backup ? You can get a very nice saw for 200 and you are clearly up for a bit of homework .

neiln wants a 'turn key' saw, that's stored for long periods between minimal amounts of use. Classic carb killer. I'd hope long life fuel would protect more than just fuel hoses. He's not going to be using vast quantities of the stuff so yes it's expensive per litre but in the overall scheme of things it might save him some aggravation and a few repair bills. Just my thoughts.

A bit surprised it hasn't been mentioned earlier .... too obvious maybe ???

Your requirement for a saw - with such little use per year - will be viewed as a little "off track" for most on here but i bet fairly typical for the home owner. Stating the obvious, you're not going to wear any saw out in your proposed 10 years of use. Your most obvious problem is 'lack of use' and the implication on the fuel system. It's worth researching long life fuels eg Aspen if you want any saw to start after a year of non use. Even then you can imagine fuel evaporation leaving deposits in carb if you do this repeatedly. I suspect an older saw not running to the tight emission considerations of today will be more tolerant in this respect. My second concern would be degredation of low quality plastics and hoses etc - it has little to do with the design origin of the saw and more about the quality of the materials. The evidence available for you to see is in the type of 20 - 30 year old saws out there. I can't imagine too many of the current day saws lasting that long. Not sure that adds much to your quest. bmp01

Carb cleaning spray is a good start. But as others say you need to remove screws, spray through there too. You basically want to make sure the spray is coming of all the corresponding passageways and jets. The slow speed jets in the carb are typically the ones that get blocked (the ones around the butterfly throttle). Regarding the screw positions - just record where the screws are to start with, then you can always put them back where you found them. To do this, get a good look at the screwhead or the screw driver. Turn the screw in (clockwise) until it stops, counting number and fraction of turns. Repeat for other screw. Now you can return them back to where they were after taking them out for cleaning and after having a play with carb tuning. Take the time to learn to tune a carb, it's not difficult. bmp01

Sure it is, but no promises it'll help... Loosen the 2 coil screws, the holes in the coil are slotted, so now the coil can be moved closer / further from the flywheel. Gap should be set to approx 10 thou at the magnet, that will be where the coil gets sucked onto the flywheel. A business card is the typical tool of choice.... probably make no difference but worth trying for the effort it takes.