I also asked about possible points ignition a few posts back. Mark would certainly not be afraid to service a points system should it indeed have one..., and he realized it did.
Some folks just assume 028s were new enough to have electronic modules, which btw are a common 0000-400-1300 universal coil. They are about as bullet proof as they come and I've never seen a failure or heard of them being problematic in any of their many applications.
The good news is, they'll also swap right in to a points 028. No flywheel change and run just fine. Just snip the points setup and go. Play with timing if you like, but it's usually not necessary -- and the 028s aren't exactly known for being screamers anyway.
Port timing would be easy enough to check if it's suspected to be causing the problem, but my money is on the ignition. Hell, may have originally been points and someone converted to electronic and simply used the wrong module.
BTW, aftermarket 1300 modules are cheap and the ones I've used work fine -- if I don't have one just laying around. They were in everything for quite a few years. New OEM these days is well over $100 for one.
Could also be an aftermarket carb and not realized.
Usually easy saws to revive even from terrible condition and can become reliable workhorses, though a bit slow and heavy -- like many of us are becoming. LOL
