The " WTF" !? Thread

[Simondo]

We have a thread for things we have forgotten to do when working on saws ...How about a thread for things that have made us say "WTF" ..."I just can't see what is wrong"
Post Um up if you have a tale of Pure frustration to tell.

 

[Simondo]

Il go...
Stihl 024 av..bought as a runner . Started lovely but was all fluttery and smoky at full throttle. Checked the choke flap ..all good....turned on, turned off. Rebuilt the carb incase the metering was wrong and checked all the rubber .No different!!
Rebuilt the carb twice more and checked there was no rev limiting on the coil..all fine .
At this point I'm saying "WTF" and was about to put the saw on the shelf when i took the filter cover off while the saw was idling and happened to give it the beens.
What did I see.....the choke flap at full throttle get sucked closed and flutter against the spring pressure of the mechanism . Shortened the spring to make it stiffer and all was well. Stout and perfect runner that i Really liked ....just happened to have the carb "TOTALY" rebuilt ..Twice..when not needed and reduce me to Cussing while stomping round the workshop !

 

[Mastermind]

Dolmar 5100. It wasn't getting enough fuel, so I drilled the jets in the carb. Still not enough.....drilled some more.

The impulse line was off.

 

[jmssaws]

Dolmar 5100. It wasn't getting enough fuel, so I drilled the jets in the carb. Still not enough.....drilled some more.

The impulse line was off.

I worked on a 046 for a hour after I ported it trying to find the massive airleak, I didn't hook the carb boot up!
Jackass!

 

[jmssaws]

What's the most anybody has ever missed on machine work?
I got a 064 that's free ported a 1/6" that wasn't planned.

 

[jmssaws]

Ain't nothing a couple extra washers on the spark plug can't fix.

 

[Rains]

I have proven to myself many times saws like the choke on when I start them !!

 

[Simondo]

I should Add to the 024 AV tale that since then I have come across 3 more Stihl saws with this problem "Slack Choke Flap Spring" . Its one thing I now have learnt the hard way and now include it in my service check list.

 

[jmssaws]

I've had a couple wj69 carbs stick the choke.

 

[Jughead]

Have a Redmax GZ4000.brand new fired and ran like any new saw should.tore it down to check squish and remove the base gasket.used flange sealer stick.damn thing wouldnt start.after changing the gas line no start.tore the damn thing down 3 times and resealed it and it still won't start.done this while my cousin had died to take my mind off everything and just threw it in the box.almost 2 years and still haven't had a problem with anything else.just don't get it.

 

[Simondo]

Have a Redmax GZ4000.brand new fired and ran like any new saw should.tore it down to check squish and remove the base gasket.used flange sealer stick.damn thing wouldnt start.after changing the gas line no start.tore the damn thing down 3 times and resealed it and it still won't start.done this while my cousin had died to take my mind off everything and just threw it in the box.almost 2 years and still haven't had a problem with anything else.just don't get it.

I have a Dolmar 115 that misbehaves with no outward reasons why !! That saw is in the store room on a shelf, every time i go in there I say under my breath " Your for parts Buddy " !!

 

[dougand3]

WTF!?!?! Why won't my Husky 55 start??? 30 pulls and my shoulder is gonna fall off!....Oh, the kill switch is engaged.

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

One of my first saws was a pioneer p41 that would start on the first pull every time. I took it apart to clean it up and put it back together and I didn't think it would ever start again after pulling my guts out.
I was so relieved when I realized that I had mistakenly left a little red plastic plug in the intake when I put the carb back on.

 

[Hinerman]

I had an echo 360t; I think my first non-electric chainsaw. Needless to say, I was green around the ears. Saw started but chain wouldn't turn. I revved and revved still nothing. Saw started smoking. Put it down and tried later; same thing, saw started smoking again. Problem: chain brake on.

 

[Motorhead]

Had a 266 I changed carburetors twice on, reset the metering needle a couple of times,after a couple of hours of desperation I changed the spark plug no more problems.

 

[ajschainsaws]

Dolmar ps-3410 yesterday changed lower coil and ended up putting the faulty coil back in after taking a phone call in the middle of the job then procedded with stripping it all down again and nearly put oil in the gas tank as you know the carb is at the front of these saws

 

[stihl saws]

I messed with the first 026 I rebuilt a long time. I found out the aftermarket air filter I installed wasn't letting the choke work correctly. I've never felt any dumber.

 

[RIDE-RED 350r]

Husky 394, first attempt at startup after a complete overhaul including carb rebuild, fuel line, filter.....the works..

Pulled 5 or 6 times and she popped, as one might expect. Pushed the choke control in the saw started, briefly.. And refused to fire again. Pulled and pulled, about a dozen more times.. Something's wrong. Raw fuel seeping out of the decomp, seeping out from between the muffler and cylinder... WTF??!! Pulled the plug and dumped what I estimated to be a few tablespoons of liquid fuel out of the engine... WTF????

Pulled the carb back off to check for a stuck metering lever/needle. It was only then that I noticed that the metering diaphragm button is actually supposed to hook the lever! I am not as experienced with saws as many people here, and every diaphragm type carb I have ever worked on the metering diaphragm did not hook the metering lever..

After realizing my oversight, I installed the diaphragm correctly hooking it to the metering lever and whatya know...saw started and ran!

I won't forget to check for what type of diaphragm/metering lever setup I am working with when I open up a carb again any time soon!.

 

[Terry Syd]

I think my best brain-fart was getting distracted just as I started to tune a Stihl with an inverted carb. I tried tuning the thing for 10 minutes without getting it even close to working right. It ran, sort of, but WTF?

Light comes on - The low speed needle is not always on the LEFT side of the carb - it is the needle closest to the jug.....

 

[merc_man]

Put carb kit in my sons poulan saw and fuel was pouring into cylinder through impals hole. Wtf is wrong with this pos. Pulled it apart 3-4 times before i noticed i put wrong pump diafram in. Put propper one on, no more leaking gas. Spent over 2 hours on it. Man did i ever feel dumb after that.