homelite chainsaw overheating

[omiakinbac]

I have an early 80's SXLAO that starts fine then seizes after awhile . It cools down then starts runs then stops again. Any clues? [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] Oil-fuel mixture wrong??????? I know that's a little too simple, but I've learned to always try the 98-cent solution BEFORE I change the crankshaft. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[jimbrown]

I agree with DAVE but would also suggest that there is dirt what ever in the cooling fins. Flush them with highe pressure water or air.

[Marc]

Check also your air filter. take it off and clean it with diesel or gas. make sure it is dry when you put it back on.

Marc

[jml755]

I have a Poulan that started doing that this summer. It would run for awhile then quit. Had to let it sit a bit, then restart. After draining and putting fresh gas/oil mixture, cleaning air filter, cleaned regapped plug, I finally sprayed carb cleaner into it several times and that seemed to clear it up.

[Pat]

Poulan, properly pronounced PULL-ON because you pull on it and pull on it and pull on it and pull on it and whether it starts, runs, or continues to run while doing work is a separate issue.

A friend of mine commented that he would have been better off taking the spark plug out so it was easier to pull the rope and he'd get more cutting done that way.

Now seriously, don't let the thing set about with fuel in it unless the fuel was treated with STABIL and then less than 6 months. Only use PURE gasoline with no alcohol (ethanol) in it. Do be careful to keep the fuel clean as it doesn't take much to foul a carb for such a small engine. If you are going to store the saw for more than a couple days it is a good idea to empty the tank and start the engine and let it die from fuel starvation. (Good policy for generators too. don't turn them off but instead turn off the fuel and let them run the carb dry. This prevents gum and deposits in the carb.

Pat

[jml755]

Pat, interesting comment. Over the years, I have had bad experiences with McCollough (sic?), Craftsman, Homelite and at least 1 other I can't remember. Mostly starting issues, as I recall. A friend had recommended the Poulan for a low-end, occasional-use saw from a big-box store. Gave me no problems with starting for a year or so, as long as starting routine was followed: prime 5-6 times, pull twice with choke on, set choke halfway in cold weather, off in warm, hold throttle open and pull couple more times. Once it was warmed up, restarts after shutdowns were just pull it a couple of times. I agree regarding the gas. Smaller the engine, more critical the fuel. I run my snowblower and lawn mower out at end of season, but the saw is a year round item, so doesn't get same "put-to-bed" treatment. Probably should do a periodic "run-out" and clean, as you suggest. Anyway, now that I'm doing more cutting, I'm getting a "serious" saw. Probably a Stihl MS 361. Looked at Dolmar but dealer support is an issue.

Clearing a barn site, cut down about 100 trees in the last month or so with the Poulan and as long as the chain was sharp, it worked fine.

Small engines are a pain. I tossed a relatively new Craftsman weed wacker to the curb some time ago because no matter what I did, I couldn't get it to stay running. Service Center diagnosis and repair would have cost more than a new trimmer.

Side-bar: BIL recently gave me his "seized-up" power washer with Honda 5.0 hp engine. Turned out the pump was shot, so I've got a beautifully running 5.0 hp, horizontal shaft Honda on a nice pneumatic wheeled cart to adapt to "something". Probably will be the "ag-pump" with old B & S on it. Wife is starting to complain that my stuff that occupies half of our 2-car garage (my side) is growing toward her side and she has drawn a line on the cement and is adamant that she will NOT park her car outside this winter. LOL. I recall that you are starting to have similar issues with your much larger storage spaces.

[Pat]

There are only a few widely available GOOD BRANDS of chain saws. Husqvarna, Stihl, and Johnserd are right up there at the top of the list. Homelite, Poulan, and Craftsman are way way down the list.

I have two little Macs a medium Husky and one serious saw, a 32 inch bar Husky with an engine like a small dirt bike. When you yank on its rope you know there is an engine attached to it. IT is a good new bad news story. the bad news is it is heavy and hard to work with very long, especially overhead. The good news is it doesn't take long to cut whatever you are cutting. I have been thinking of getting a shorter bar for it as I just don't encounter many trees big enough to challenge it and it would be a little easier getting through brush etc as well as lowering bar friction and upping useful power. (Yeah right, like it needs more power!)

I have a Remington that starts instantly in any weather and is pretty aggressive for its size but you do have to take a generator with you. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Pat

[egon]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
have to take a generator with you

[/ QUOTE ]

How many pulls for the generator! [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Egon [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Egon, That is an excellent question. How does generator starting for an electric chain saw compare to starting the gas chainsaw? The hardest starting of my collection of generators could take more pulls than a chain saw to start (or be equivalent) but then could be left running while I drove from tree to tree or job to job in the same general area, something I wouldn't ordinarily advise with a chain saw. I don't ordinarily leave my saw laying around running even when not being transported but would leave the genny running while fussing with the cut branches or whatever.

The above referred to a Coleman 5kW pullstart genny. I also had until a couple weeks ago a Troybuilt 8kW with rope or electric start which beat even the easiest to start saws. I sold that to a friend for $500 just after getting it out of the shop for a complete carb and fuel system cleaning and tune up with new filters and plug etc ($104.) It would pull start on first or second pull but the electric start worked fine.

I sold the 8kW because I had just purchased a 17.5 kW electric start and didn't need the 8kW any more. There is no pull start on the larger genny. It is equipped with the idle feature so it runs slowly and economically until you put a load on it and then it runs up to full speed. It takes something like 50 Watts or so to trigger the sensor. It may be much more genny than needed for an electric chainsaw but with the idle feature it is not particularly uneconomical. Although the 17.5 kW came with wheels and has a lifting eye I opted for not having to handle it a lot and bolted it to a small (4x8 ft on deck) single axle (3500 lbs rating) trailer.

The trailer is easy enough to tow and can be towed by just about anything. A weldor of my acquaintance has his outfitted as a welding trailer with engine driven welder, bottles, tool boxes, etc and can tow it with his ATV. I don't have an ATV but I can tow it with any vehicle on the place except the Prius which has no hitch.

In addition to running a chainsaw on a telescoping pole so I don't have to hassle so much with ladders, it also powers an air compressor I put on the trailer (over 10CFM @90 PSI), my AC/DC Lincoln welder, Lincoln MIG, HyperTherm plasma cutter, etc. Yet another project in process but not finished. I want pigeon holes for various welding rods, mounts for fixed tool boxes and removable ones and task specific interchangeable ones (like for electric chain sawing.)

None of the above is to make any claims about electric chainsaws replacing gas ones for many typical tasks but a good light weight electric chainsaw on a telescopic pole sure beats a ladder and a gas saw much of the time (Oh yeah, ladder rack is on list of trailer accessories so I can easily haul my 24 ft extension ladder and 12 foot painters ladder.)

Pat