New Stihl MS200T - stalls after refueling or during use....

[deanbrown3d]

Could someone tell me if I need to adjust the carbureter setting on this chainsaw? It mostly works perfectly until it runs out of gas, then its a REAL PITA to start it again and it splutters for a second and quits. Then I pull it 20 times, no luck. I persever and get it to splutter to life, stall, try again, stall, again.....yawn my arms are already tired..... and if I bring the revs up VERY slowly I can get it to full speed and use it. After then, it may cut out, maybe not.

I've used the thing 2 days now. When its working properly, its a DREAM of a chainsaw. My other MS460 never quits on me. Air filter is clean, its NEW damnit!

Hope its just a setting,

Dean (ps thinking it might need adjusting to lower altitude as I'm in NJ, height around 100' above sea level?)

[deanbrown3d]

Ps its fresh Sunoco regular gasoline, with oil stabilizer and Stihl oil to the right mix.

[George]

Not to say it's your problem, but I ran my chainsaw dry _once_ , and went through something similar, until I opened and cleaned the flapper valve in the carb. A shaving clogged it.

Be real careful when you're fueling so as not to get gunk in the tank, and don't let it run all the way out.

I swish and dump occasionally now.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Could just be a setting. Since it is new, your deal will be happy to make any adjustments needed. My dealer runs them before you take it out of the store.

[deanbrown3d]

Good call George, I'll try that.

Edwin - they ran it in the shop too, before I bought it. Seems to only happen when its hot though. I'll call them tomorrow.

Dean

[Wilson Lamb]

[das]

The new 2-stroke saws are jetted so lean they will barely run or start when cold. Most of them don't even have mixture screws anymore! I have three Stihl saws, 064, 026, 180. When I run 'em dry I pull off the air filter and hold my thumb (or whatever is handy) over the carb intake. Pull the starter a few times and you will prime the system enough to start. Actually I don't do this on the 064 as it is a big engine and would suck my thumb right off. Dean (not original poster)

[Leon]

If you are running it out of gas it sounds like air in the lines. If it has a primer, pump it several times after refueling to purge the air out of the lines.

Try not to run it out of gas.

[deanbrown3d]

Ok thanks all. It does seem to splutter to a stop quite often though, even once its been running for a while.

Dean

[Larry Jaques]

On 8 May 2005 15:07:14 -0700, the inscrutable " [e-mail]" spake:

It sounds like a fuel and/or mixture problem and is PROBABLY just your lack of experience with that machine (or 2-strokes in general.) Give it a week and you'll be on to all of its little quirks.

Does it have a priming bulb? I find that my neighbor's Husky needs a prime again after just 90 seconds or so of off time. It cools quickly. Also, running the choke ON for one pull will self-prime it and it will start the very next pull if I forget to bulb-prime it.

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[deanbrown3d]

Nope I've been using many different such machines for years now. Other Stihl always works fine. There's no priming bulb.

[deanbrown3d]

Isn't it the low speed (idle) that I need to adjust?

[George]

Probably. However, if you look in the manual, you'll see a base setting for both. I generally start there every time, then adjust slow speed and high speed as required.

Clean the filter before you adjust, as a dirty makes for a rich mix.

[deanbrown3d]

Yeah I was just letting it run dry before refueling. Guess I'll have to change my ways!

THX

Dean

[Tom M]

I wonder if storing a 2 stroke for a few months, one should leave the carb. dry or not? Tom

[George]

No worries. It'll evaporate to dry.

Of course, most recommend draining.

[Larry Jaques]

On Tue, 10 May 2005 08:52:59 -0500, the inscrutable [e-mail] (Tom M) spake:

Run it dry if possible to prevent the oil in the gas from hardening into a sticky mass in the bottom of the bowl, etc.

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[barry]

Hi, Dean.

Had that sort of thing happen to a saw with its gas tank right next to crankcase. Some call it "vapor-lock." If I gave it a little cool-down time, or started it with choke, all was fine.

Your gas pickup should be on a flexible hose in the tank (with a filter on it), so it's always sucking at or near the bottom, regardless of saw's orientation. Thus making sudden sucking of debris on running dry a non-event.

HTH, John

[Fly-by-Night CC]

Somewhere or other I read that for best storage and engine longevity one should use premium grade gas for things like chainsaws, trimmers and lawnmowers - as well as to top the tank at the end of every usage.

Anyone have a definitive answer?

[George E. Cawthon]

Huh? As soon as you turn the engine off the carb dries out. Or do you mean draining the the fuel? I have never drained anything out of my 2 stroke engines, mostly chain saws. Never had a problem and usually sit from October to May. Hey there is oil in that gas, right? The fuel tank is fairly tight, so there is little evaporation, especially with an oil/gas mixture. Everyone that I know that drains, 2 cycle and small cycle engines of gas, has problems. Now store it for 2-3years is a bit different.