Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It will
run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air cleaner,
replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the same issue.
Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or hopefully try to
repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help would be great.

Matt

It sounds to me like you aren't getting enough fuel flow from the
tank to the carb. The initial 5 minutes just runs on the fuel in the
carb then it's starved for fuel. Check the fuel line(s) for kinks and
crud inside partially blocking it. If there is a fuel pump it may not
be working properly.
Art

"Matt" wrote in message
...
Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It will
run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air cleaner,
replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the same issue.
Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or hopefully try to
repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help would be great.

Matt

On May 22, 8:48*pm, David Starr wrote:
Matt wrote:
Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It will
run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air cleaner,
replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the same issue.
Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or hopefully try to
repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help would be great.

Matt

Check the fuel tank vent. *There has to be an air inlet to the tank,
otherwise a vacuum builds up as the fuel is sucked out into the carb. It
doesn't take much of a vacuum to keep gas from feeding into the carb.
If the vent is closed or plugged up, you get your symptoms, the engine
starts, runs for a bit and then dies. *NB, the tank vent often can be
closed, to prevent gas from leaking out the vent when the tool is
stored. *You have to open the tank vent before starting the engine.

--
David J. Starr

Blog: *www.newsnorthwoods.blogspot.com

I like that suggestion.

"Artemus" wrote in
:

It sounds to me like you aren't getting enough fuel flow from the
tank to the carb. The initial 5 minutes just runs on the fuel in the
carb then it's starved for fuel. Check the fuel line(s) for kinks and
crud inside partially blocking it. If there is a fuel pump it may not
be working properly.
Art


Might want to check/replace the fuel filter, if it's got one. (I don't
know much about chainsaws, so I couldn't tell you.)

Puckdropper
--
If you're quiet, your teeth never touch your ankles.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

Matt wrote:

Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It will
run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air cleaner,
replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the same issue.
Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or hopefully try to
repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help would be great.

Matt

All the suggestions I would check. If nothing works it's probably the carb.
When they sit for long periods the gas turns to turpentine and clogs some
of the parts and corrode some of the rubber parts. You may need to rebuild
the carb.

--
"You can lead them to LINUX
but you can't make them THINK"
Running Mandriva release 2008.0 free-i586 using KDE on i586

samson wrote:
In article r9qZj.10116$dh.795@trnddc05, says...
Matt wrote:

Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway,
it starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It
will run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air
cleaner, replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the
same issue. Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or
hopefully try to repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help
would be great.

Matt

All the suggestions I would check. If nothing works it's probably
the carb. When they sit for long periods the gas turns to
turpentine
and clogs some of the parts and corrode some of the rubber parts.
You may need to rebuild the carb.


That was my first thought -- left the gas in too long. I can't
remember how long it takes before it turns to gunk. Three months?
Then you have to boil something in acid or something like that.
That's what my mechanic told me when I had my rototiller in
for that reason.

No need to boil anything in acid (that's a "hot tank" and it should
_not_ be used with aluminum). You want to "cold tank" it which is a
fancy way of saying soak it in parts cleaner.

Get a carb overhaul kit and a service manual, a can of carb cleaner
(note--get a quart or gallon, as well as a spray can--you're gonna
want to soak the parts for a while--Berryman has a nice little set
that includes a gallon of cleaner and a dip basket that fits a gallon
can, some "canned air" (Dust-off or the like) if you don't have a
compressor with a tank, and you should be able to get it going if you
have any mechanical aptitude. If you can't find the manufacturer's
manual, Clymer has one for about 30 bucks that covers something like
800 models
http://www.clymer.com/Book.aspx?bid=745&title=Chain+Saw+Service+Manual+-+10th+Edition.
Note that I gave the Clymer link rather than the Amazon link becaus
Clymer says they have stock but Amazon, for 4 bucks less, says they're
sold out.

Of course by the time you've got all this stuff you've gone over that
80 bucks, but you'll know a lot more about the saw than you did and
should be able to fix it for the price of parts next time it goes bust
(just remember to keep the lid on the carb cleaner--it evaporates
_fast_ if you don't).

Wear goggles when you're working with the carb cleaner--you don't want
to get that stuff in your eye.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

That was my first thought -- left the gas in too long. I can't
remember how long it takes before it turns to gunk. Three months?
Then you have to boil something in acid or something like that.
That's what my mechanic told me when I had my rototiller in
for that reason.

No need to boil anything in acid (that's a "hot tank" and it should
_not_ be used with aluminum). *You want to "cold tank" it which is a
fancy way of saying soak it in parts cleaner.

Get a carb overhaul kit and a service manual, a can of carb cleaner
(note--get a quart or gallon, as well as a spray can--you're gonna
want to soak the parts for a while--Berryman has a nice little set
that includes a gallon of cleaner and a dip basket that fits a gallon
can, some "canned air" (Dust-off or the like) if you don't have a
compressor with a tank, and you should be able to get it going if you
have any mechanical aptitude. *If you can't find the manufacturer's
manual, Clymer has one for about 30 bucks that covers something like
800 models
http://www.clymer.com/Book.aspx?bid=745&title=Chain+Saw+Service+Manua... ..
Note that I gave the Clymer link rather than the Amazon link becaus
Clymer says they have stock but Amazon, for 4 bucks less, says they're
sold out.

Of course by the time you've got all this stuff you've gone over that
80 bucks, but you'll know a lot more about the saw than you did and
should be able to fix it for the price of parts next time it goes bust
(just remember to keep the lid on the carb cleaner--it evaporates
_fast_ if you don't).

Wear goggles when you're working with the carb cleaner--you don't want
to get that stuff in your eye.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)- Hide quoted text -

Thanks for the advice. It probably is the carb, or maybe a little of
all of the suggested issues. I am guilty of leaving the gas in to
long, wont make that mistake again.

matt

"samson" wrote in message
...
In article r9qZj.10116$dh.795@trnddc05, says...
Matt wrote:

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It will
run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air cleaner,
replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the same issue.
Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or hopefully try to
repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help would be great.

Matt

If you have to re-prime then you are losing fuel delivery. Check for a
plugged up tank vent, and for brittle fuel line from the tank to the carb,
letting air in the line. It might not hurt to look at the carb, but I would
not take it apart first - I would look at delivery problems first.



That was my first thought -- left the gas in too long. I can't
remember how long it takes before it turns to gunk. Three months?
Then you have to boil something in acid or something like that.
That's what my mechanic told me when I had my rototiller in
for that reason.


You really have to leave the gas in for longer periods than most people
think. Most people with chainsaws are burning gas that has been mixed up
for at least a year, with no problems. Most also have chainsaws that are
sitting around with last year's fuel in the tank. If your mechanic told you
three months, he's wrong. That would have to have been some very old gas by
the time you mixed it up for that to be true. My chainsaw will sit from the
time I finish putting up firewood around September or October, until I start
again in August or September. It sits with whatever gas is left in the
tank. My gas can contains mix that is at least a year old. I've been
cutting firewood for decades and have never varnished up a carburetor from
this practice. My snowmobile has sat for two years and never varnished.
Over that long a period, you can find sediments that settle out, but I have
not ever encountered varnish problems from it. I've seen varnish in carbs
before, and I really don't know how long those carbs sat with old fuel, but
I can assure you it's not from sitting 3 months. I do not recommend letting
fuel sit for two years as I've done with my sled, I only threw that in there
as an example of how long fuel can last. BTW - I do not use fuel
stabilizers other than what may already be mixed into the oil from the
manufacturer.

--

-Mike-

if you look in your gas tank there sould be a fuel line with a filter
on the end, if you use a wire hook you can pull it out and change
filter.
also check for air leaks fuel line to carb. try adding some seafoam fuel
additive.
ross

Matt wrote:
Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It will
run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air cleaner,
replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the same issue.
Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or hopefully try to
repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help would be great.

Matt

I had a similar problem with a weed wacker. Also check the spark
arrestor screen on the exhaust port to make sure it isn't clogged with soot.

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA

On May 22, 8:32 pm, Matt wrote:
Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times....

If doing all of the other things that have been suggested does
not fix it, then check the manual. If it doesn't have any helpful
suggestions look for the exploded-drawing and trace the fuel
flow from the tank to the carb. Some two stroke engines
use a diaphragm pump for the fuel pump and the diaphragm
can stretch or tear.

--

FF

It is probably NOT the carb as it runs fine for the first 5
minutes. Ditto for the spark arrester.
You most likely have a fuel delivery problem to the carb.
Go for the low hanging fruit first - clogged lines, filters, or
tank vent. Then progress to the fuel pump if there is one.
Art

"Matt" wrote in message
...

Thanks for the advice. It probably is the carb, or maybe a little of
all of the suggested issues. I am guilty of leaving the gas in to
long, wont make that mistake again.

matt

In article ,
says...
some "canned air" (Dust-off or the like) if you don't have a
compressor with a tank, and you should be able to get it going if you
have any mechanical aptitude.


Got to be *really* careful with compressed air around small
engine carburettors. You can easily rupture a diaphragm. You
can blow dirt into very fine vents that it will be extremely
difficult to get it back out of. You can do more damage than
good. The soaking is better, and a very careful drying with air
after, but not a blasting.

Been there, done that.

-P.

--
=========================================
firstname dot lastname at gmail fullstop com

Peter Huebner wrote:
In article ,
says...
some "canned air" (Dust-off or the like) if you don't have a
compressor with a tank, and you should be able to get it going if
you
have any mechanical aptitude.


Got to be *really* careful with compressed air around small
engine carburettors. You can easily rupture a diaphragm.

A carb overhaul should include replacement of all diaphragms.

You
can blow dirt into very fine vents that it will be extremely
difficult to get it back out of. You can do more damage than
good. The soaking is better, and a very careful drying with air
after, but not a blasting.

Been there, done that.

-P.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

I drained the tank, checked the fuel lines and everything seems OK. I
am going to try a new filter today. The manual is of zero halp. No
diagrams, parts list, etc. I am also going to check the manufactures
website.

Matt

if you check the size of the fuel pickup line in the tank the filter
will be pretty much generic.
ross

evodawg writes:
Matt wrote:

Well, it is a tool used to cut wood so I figured why not ask you.

I have a Poulan chainsaw, had it for 7 years. Been having problems
with it and do not want to spend $80 to have it looked at. Anyway, it
starts up fine and runs for about 5 miutes, then dies. It will
restart, but only after hitting the primer bulb about 6 times. It will
run for a minute and then die again. So, I cleaned the air cleaner,
replaced the spark plug, got new gas and still have the same issue.
Right now I am either going to send it to the curb or hopefully try to
repair it, but I am not sure what to do. Any help would be great.

Matt

All the suggestions I would check. If nothing works it's probably the carb.
When they sit for long periods the gas turns to turpentine and clogs some
of the parts and corrode some of the rubber parts. You may need to rebuild
the carb.


Yup. We always run 'em dry before putting them up for any period of time.

scott