Prep to start hardly used 2 stroke chainsaw

[anonymousrapscallion]

The saw is a 2 stroke Makita that I bought maybe 12-14 years ago. It still looks new and had very little use; maybe a couple of small jobs, soon after I bought it.

It's difficult to admit being such a gobshite, but I think that the saw still had fuel in it when I last hung it on the garage wall and left it to fester, ten or more years ago.

I have not attempted to start the saw, so other than caked on fuel residue, there should be very little wrong with it, mechanically, *right now*. Of course, that could all change as soon as the starter cord is pulled. The question, then, is: are there steps that I can take to minimise the risk of damage when I make a first attempt to start it? My first thoughts are to drain any existing fluids, remove spark plug, rinse the tank and the combustion chamber with fresh fuel and perhaps leave overnight.

Any advice, or bets on outcome?

Cheers.

Ant.

[harry]

Don't fret. Drain petrol put in fresh, (2T) don't forget. Pull the cord a few times. Get some "Easy Start",(Halfords) remove air cleaner & squirt in replace air cleaner. Probably start easily.

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

harry laid this down on his screen :

Unless the carburettor is gummed up with fuel and oil residues.

[Paul]

You don't have to get yourself dirty you know.

There are small engine repair shops that can clean it up for you. And those are a good source of repair, once they're past their "peak" load of machines to fix.

Was it kept in a dry location, or left outdoors ?

If left for 12-14 years, there could be rust. It could be seized.

*******

This is the first video I looked at, to show how a DIYer does it. Cans of spray chemicals. He basically just wants to pull the gum through the carb and needle valve.

One chemical is to "loosen and lubricate" the cylinder. You pull the spark plug and put a ten second burst of some oil and solvent to help free up the piston. Screw the spark plug back in, and let it sit for ten minutes to "work".

He also liberally doses the air intake with diethyl ether. (Note: Don't wave that stuff around if any open flames, cigarettes, pipes, or heat sources are around!) I'm surprised he didn't start a fire with that stuff. Usually, it doesn't end well if feeding that stuff to an engine. One mistake, is spraying that stuff on a hot engine block. (The engine in this case is cold.)

And he had a third material, but I did not catch what it's purpose might be. The suggestion here, is it was a carb cleaner. So he cheated and added something to the fresh gas after all. He wasn't as careless as he looked.

And it took a lot of pulls to start that thing. He did almost as much work, as someone starting a briquette based barbecue.

With the money he is earning from the video, soon he'll be able to afford a new pump.

Paul

[Thomas Prufer]

Sounds excellent.

I'd add: When the plug is out, a few drops of oil in the cylinder and give it a few pulls to spread it around. Once the plug is back in, leave the HT lead off and give it few pulls to get fuel-oil mix into the crankcase and give it a chance to spread before it actually runs.

I'd guess it runs:-)

Squirt of fuel into the cylinder will get it running for a few seconds, even if the carb is gummed up. Useful to differentiate between "carb doesn't work" and "something else doesn't work".

Bar oil could have gummed up, too -- do check...

Thomas Prufer

[John Rumm]

I would drain, and flush with petrol as you describe. The refuel with the proper 2 stroke mix. Then before you start trying to start for the first time, remove the spark plug and pull gently and make sure it turns over easily. Assuming that is ok, then try refit the plug and follow the normal procedure.

What works for my DC430 is to give it a couple of pulls with the choke on, and ignition off. Then turn on the ignition, and set the throttle to the start position. It normally then starts first or second pull.

(ISTR someone posting (some years ago) a procedure for rebuilding the carb on these if required)

[Martin Brown]

A quick clean, a bit of lubrication and fresh fuel mix should help. The old stuff still in the pipes may mean it is a bit unwilling at first.

It might not at that age. Carburettor or fuels pipes may be suspect.

Mine and my neighbours strimmers both failed to wake up this year. His first. The fuel pipes had denatured with age and swollen internally with a sort of gel making it impossible for the thing to get fuel properly. It could barely manage a stutter let alone run.

Replacement fuel pipe is dirt cheap on eBay so it isn't a show stopper. It was fine once the engine could actually get some fuel into it.

The mechanism that deploys strimmer cord remains just as annoying as ever though...

[AJH]

I have a bit of a collection of old saws and often some are not started for years. I seldom have problems with fuel becoming stale but it can't be bad to drain the fuel and get fresh in as the more volatile fractions may have diffused away.

The only serious problem I encounter with a saw that has been left with fuel in it is where it has drained into the crankcase and evaporated, leaving the oil in the crankcase which soon fouls the spark plug.. If it doesn't start in the normal manner (3 pushes on the purge bulb if it has one, choke and ignition on, 4 or 5 pulls. If it fires choke in, if it doesn't 4 or 5 pulls with choke off and repeat with choke on. If it doesn't fire then I would take the spark plug out and check for spark.

I have one saw without a purge bulb that always takes 7 pulls with the choke on before it fires from cold.