MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: jeeps on November 01, 2011, 11:42:09 PM
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Hey guys,
just a question, does anyone have any tips on how to start a flooded Stihl MS170? It works great at home but so far this year i've taken it camping a few times only to find that it's (i assume) flooded and for the life of me i can't get it to start. I take out the plug, even put a new one in, etc but only after i bring it home and let it sit for a day or two will it start.
Any advice?
cheers
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A few things to consider, check your not adding to much oil to the 2- mix - really common issue. Old fuel or water in the fuel can also be investigated).
There will be a flame surpressor covering the exhaust, take if off and clean it , they block all the time (a lot of people i know throw them away because they cause problems starting but this can be problematic (irrisponsible) in the bush with dry grass around).
Once you get it started you should tune it once warm and gradually with the high (h) adjuster screw first, then check its idle and adjust the low adjuster screw (L) so that it idles nicely. Let it idle a little high for a few times of use to ensure its settled. Also check the head studs, sometimes they can be loose and they become tough to start (and run).
Other then that...i am out of ideas!
Good luck!!
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next time you go away, try taking it with no fuel, when needed put some fuel in might stop it flooding cheers wayne
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Okay, this is showing my age, but way back in the 70's, I was trained in the Army that you tip the chainsaw upside down. The old (new then) McCullouch had a floatless carburettor, and inverting the saw allowed the built up fuel to soak into the air cleaner element, and clear the carby of excess fuel.
Technology has certainly changed, and that system may be completely obsolete, but one thing I found out 2 weeks a go with a little Poulon, that throwing the saw 20 metres doesn't help them start any better. But then again, it didn't make it any worse.
Cheers
Ian
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I agree with the transporting it empty... but turn the choke off and hold it nailed worked on some old Huskys we had in RFS.
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Thanks for the replies. After the weekend's trip i had a good play with it today and i still can't get it to start so it might be something more sinister.
cheers
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Stihl Website:
http://www.stihl.com.au/dspArticleIndex.cfm?cmsArticleID=93
I allways use a lean oil mix. Too much oil is a pain in the butt.
If you havnt allready, throw away the current mix you are using and start again.
Travelling with an empty tank wont make any difference IMO.
Altitude can cause problems also. I get my saws serviced on the flats. The farm is at 1000m. They run out of breath up there unless i adjust the fuel richness screw by a quarter turn.
Make sure air filter is clean too.
Cheers.
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need to start it full throttle with no choke, Be carefull how you do this though as it can be very dangerous (not blowing up, if chain brake is not working you could possibly cut yourself)
chainsaws are bloody dangerous regardless.... Yes I use one, but some of the things I see people do with them is ridiculous and have a mate whos a nurse and hes seen some dam good injuries...
Dont fiorget your chaps ;D
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p.s leaving sitting in the sun will also help it flood.....
cheers
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Thanks for the replies. After the weekend's trip i had a good play with it today and i still can't get it to start so it might be something more sinister.
cheers
take it and get it serviced.. maybe the exhaust is oiled up too if its been running rich.
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Dont fiorget your chaps ;D
I think having other blokes around won't help the problem??????
Seriously, what are chaps for. ?........ to keep the woodchips off your legs or to keep you from getting scratched. ?
If your stance is correct, it can't be to protect from the saw........I'd be more worried about my arms if a chain came off/snapped. ???
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Chaps are designed to shred and therefore bind the chain up before it cuts completely through your leg.
Chainsaws are quite unforgiving.
It is surprising how many experienced operators have nicks and cuts from safely using their chainsaw. The best I have seen is a series of tooth marks on an instructors forehead, very pretty. Kick back - whats that?
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Chaps are designed to shred and therefore bind the chain up before it cuts completely through your leg.
Chainsaws are quite unforgiving.
It is surprising how many experienced operators have nicks and cuts from safely using their chainsaw. The best I have seen is a series of tooth marks on an instructors forehead, very pretty. Kick back - whats that?
As I said, if your stance is correct ( only talking about normal firewood cutting...which is mainly on the ground ) I'd Be more worried about arms!!
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You can get arm guards too but I agree, I never use my saw with the correct PPE
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Seriously, what are chaps for. ?
(http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/logging/images/chain_body.gif)
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/logging/manual/logger/chain_saw/saw_injuries.html
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Chainsaws are quite unforgiving.
Hi,
(http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10092/242/Brocks_cut.jpg)
(http://www.stihlusa.com/graphics/testimonials/testim_slicedchaps.jpg)
A bit of reading here. (http://www.madsens1.com/chaps.htm)
The video is worth watching.
stay safe
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HI Jeeps I bought a ms 180 a few months ago used to flood on me as well .I carry mine dry untill I get to my block.I found if you give it a few short pulls to prime it then only leave it chocked for a couple of full pulls flick the full choke off even if it hasn,t fired and it doesn,t flood and usually fires.Look at your mix as well. Tinkera.
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You can get arm guards too but I agree, I never use my saw with the correct PPE
The only PPE I use (if I'm not wearing thongs ) are boot guards so sawdust doesn't get down my boots. !!!
And yep.....these things can be dangerous...stand correctly....plan your cut..etc. etc
And don't use a big saw if you don't need to !!
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When I did my chainsaw ticket, the instructor demonstrated the effectivnes of chaps, a 066 magnum at full revs straight into his leg!! Not even a mark on his jeans, most accidents when cutting firewood happen when the saw isn't in the wood..
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Hate to get back to the topic (flooded chainsaws) but I am very good at flooding small engines so hence am very experienced trying to get them started. The first thing I normally do is kick the machine then curse because I hurt my foot (yes I am also a thong wearer). Seriously though, take the spark plug out and give the starter cord half a dozen pulls with the fuel (or switch) off. This should empty the chamber, give the spark plug a clean and try again.
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I'd be getting the saw looked at, sounds to me like a blocked carby (ie) blocked jets, if you have cleared it and changed the fuel, leaned the mixture and it still won't start, it could be a carby issue.
One other thing, have you checked the spark ???
Baz.
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When I did my chainsaw ticket, the instructor demonstrated the effectivnes of chaps, a 066 magnum at full revs straight into his leg!!
You'd have to think this bloke is a moron to even contemplate attempting that and hope he was not able to breed. They do fail sometimes
"... After six months, all six remaining pairs of chaps were recovered and cut tested. Only one of the six pairs needs to fail for the legwear to fail the New Zealand standards test. In this case three pairs of chaps passed and three failed. This finding caused a great deal of concern because the chaps are normally worn for many years!
The presence of nicks/cuts does not appear to have affected the result of the test at three or six months. Even when the protective pads were visibly damaged, the leg still passed. The higher weight of the left leg provides some evidence to support the anecdotal evidence which suggests that the left leg is subjected to a greater amount of petrol/oil contamination, but there was no evidence to suggest that the left leg was subject to more wear.
Washing appears to have affected the result of the test. Two of the three legs that passed at six months had never been washed, while all three pairs that failed had been washed at least once. The samples that failed also appeared to have a higher level of oil and petrol contamination than those that passed. However, due to the small sample size, the large number of confounding variables, and the experimental design, no firm conclusions can be made regarding which factors caused the legwear's deterioration. This research found that after six months use by full time loggers the level of cut protection offered by the protective legwear had deteriorated to a level below that required by the New Zealand Standard"
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. This research found that after six months use by full time loggers the level of cut protection offered by the protective legwear had deteriorated to a level below that required by the New Zealand Standard"
But this standard would be of many magnitudes greater protection then that offered by the thongs and stubbies weekend cutter?
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6 months usage by full time loggers would be 5-10 years of cutting for a weekend cutter.
When you do your chainsaw operators ticket PPE is drummed into you. I like my eyes, ears, legs, arms so I wear it.
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As I said earlier my mates a nurse he sees the injuries all the time.... No offence but its great talking about using the right stance but its not that easy... You have to use different stances for different situations, its tricky stuff, then you need to evaluate what you are cutting before starting, is it a branch thats fallen down... Where are the tension points, whats going to move when weight is changed, have you checked for widow makers above your head... I worked out in the bush sawing for a while and its dangerous work that requires high constant concentration...
CHAINSAWS ARE BLOODY DANGEROUS... PPE (personal protective equipment) is good insurance that should be used with GOOD THINKING... Use both and you should be right, guarantee accidents happen to the best of us, so take the necesary precautions to save yourself bleeding to death in the middle of the outback cause you cant contact the ambos to come pick you up IF they can get there and if they make it in time...
****Come on guys we are talking about being out in the bush here not 5 minutes from the nearest hospital, even then it can still be a close call...
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Hi Jeeps
We had a brand new saw last camping trip. For the life of us we couldn't start the bloody thing. Gave the owner of the property a go and it went second pull. The secret was full choke - then when it kicks even the slightest bit (which was first go once we understood) move it off full choke. Never missed a beat after that - was only our inexperience that gave us the grief.
Not saying this is your situation - just worth a thought.
Regards
Justin
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Stihls are notorious for it. just buy a husqvarna and problem solved
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The secret was full choke - then when it kicks even the slightest bit (which was first go once we understood) move it off full choke.
That's how I start mine
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That's how I start mine
same here if cold, full choke til it barks, (usually first pull) then half choke second pull, then release throttle lock and cut wood.
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Stihls are notorious for it. just buy a husqvarna and problem solved
true to an extent when comparing consumer range stihls (ms 170/180/250) to a husky 345XP , but huskys consumer saws are re-badged talons so hardly a relevant comparison,
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They say Husky are more user friendly but when I looked at the choke leaver and trigger setup it looked a bit weak wouldn,t take a bump but they tell me there easy to start.I,ll stick with the Stihl. I have the starting worked out now like I and others have said don,t leave it on full choke for more than a few pulls even if it doesn,t fire.Tinkera.
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Hey guys,
What model saws are the Stihl owners using? Was looking to buy a small Stihl for camping and around the house duties and the MS170 came to mind being relatively compact, cost effective and what not. After doing a very small amount of research I read that the MS170 has a lighter duty chain and bar etc. than some of the more 'serious models'. That got me thinking that I should put in the extra couple of hundred and get something that will be well and truly up to the task.
Cheers,
Kameron
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HI Kameron I bought a MS 180Stihl and I have been using it to clear a timbered block I have and it hasn,t let me down.But having said that your gunna open a can of worms on here mate Stihl vs Husky.Tinkera
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Hey guys,
What model saws are the Stihl owners using? Was looking to buy a small Stihl for camping and around the house duties and the MS170 came to mind being relatively compact, cost effective and what not. After doing a very small amount of research I read that the MS170 has a lighter duty chain and bar etc. than some of the more 'serious models'. That got me thinking that I should put in the extra couple of hundred and get something that will be well and truly up to the task.
Cheers,
Kameron
the consumer end of the stihl range arnt great but they are OK for light/occasional use as are small huskys and makitas (makitas are maid by dolmar in germany) , i guess at the end of the day it comes down to how much is the most you are willing to spend.
if you wan to but a saw that will last you 20years plus you could look at a pro saw but you will need to spend at least $700+ for that (and that would mean buying a husky 346xp or a stihl ms261. landed from the US). if you buy one of those saws locally your looking at $1250!
otherwise you could buy a "farm" saw such as an MS290 or a husky 455 rancher thay will cost you the same as the pro saw imported from the US.
makita are a very well priced saw in australia ATM and are definately leading the local pricing and are comparable with stihl and husky for build quality.
if you are only prepared to spend 300-500 your prolly looking at an ms180 at the cheap end and for 500odd i would look at something like a makita DCS460.
For the record i got an ms261 from the US landed for about 715 dollars, but the catch is you need to know someone over there to buy it and ship it for you as neither hasky or stihl dealers will ship a pro saw to Australia officially.
all the above advice is assuming you dont want a top handle saw.
hope i haven't confused you
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I have a MS170 as well and the thing always floods if you transport it fueled up. Once you are done with it, empty the fuel tank and then start it and run it dry.
Makes it a lot easier for next time.
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I have a MS170 as well and the thing always floods if you transport it fueled up. Once you are done with it, empty the fuel tank and then start it and run it dry.
Makes it a lot easier for next time.
keeping a any saw without fuel in it is good advice for all saws ( or any 2 stroke engines run infrequently).
stops the oil in the fuel gumming up all the ports in the carby.
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I have a Stihl MS 230 Easy2Start WoodBoss, 12mths on, never had an issue, gets transported on the camper, then thrown into the car to get firewood and has always started first go every time, I follow the starting proceedure of full choke pull till it fires, choke off, pull, fires first time every time.
Same with my other saws as well, I have two others, a Shindawa and an Ebay cheapy(Husky copy) great saws, starts first time every time with the same proceedure, the Ebay saw is nearly 4yrs old now, best $50 I ever spent, well $100 if you include postage, still going like a train :cup:
Baz.
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Hey guys just an update:
1) I always empty the oil but not the petrol tank, i'll be running the tank dry from now on.
2) I always use full choke to 'burp' the engine, then half choke to fire it and it starts no worries
3) I tried a new spark plug
4) I checked the spark
5) I took the spark plug out in the field and pulled it while turned off to empty the chamber of excess fuel etc.
After getting back from the camping trip, i tried to start the chainsaw all week with no luck. I put it in it's bag and forgot about it. Went away camping at an offroad motorbike competition i was competing in last weekend and then when we got back home earlier this week i thought i'd take it down to the stihl shop to get them to take a look at it. I decided to give it a go 5 mins before i was to leave home for the stihl shop and what do you know it fires up first pull on full choke. Not just a normal full choke 'burp' either but a good run on and now it starts all the time easily.
Tomorrow i plan to dump the fuel and change the oil ratio to 60:1 to reduce the oil build up as there is a bit of oil build up coming out of the muffler/silencer. I'm also going to test the 'run dry' method for transport.
cheers
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Tomorrow i plan to dump the fuel and change the oil ratio to 60:1 to reduce the oil build up as there is a bit of oil build up coming out of the muffler/silencer.
i wouldn't be doing that, 60:1 is pretty lean, what oil do you use?
i would rather live with a little oil residue than wear the jug, plug and slug out.
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That is way to lean. Be carefull you could bugger the engine with that mix, if you have not already. Low compression will cause a two stroke problems with starting.
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Im using the Stihl 50:1 mix but I'm going to back it off from that, it shouldn't cause too many dramas. I'm running 85:1 in my comp bike and my mates new bike has a recommendation of 95:1 so with good oil you can back it off a bit. Yes the chainsaw isn't a motorcycle but it gets very little use and is well looked after. Maybe I'll just use my motorex bike oil ;)
Cheers