Craftsman chainsaw help

[pawandmaw]

Spray the carb with carb.cleaner into the carb then try starting it. If it is the carb and it not getting fuel spraying it with carb cleaner gives it enough to start for one minute. Before buying a carb. I would also recommend taking off muffler and checking the cylinder to make sure you that it is worth buying a carb. OR doing a compression test. To make a motor run you need fire, fuel ,and compression. On the older ones I always check compression . One more question did your spark plug have gas on it when you cranked it, was it wet from gas??? OR DRY???
You did well you came to a good site to ask your questions.
Paw

[Arkie]

Good advice about checking compression first.
AND some of the Sears Poulan saws that does not have the primer bulb will take several pulls of the rope with FULL choke when the engine is cold, especially if the engine was run until it ran out of gas or the carb is initially dry of gas. Leave the choke on full and crank until it pops or starts, if pops and don't start remove choke or half choke and crank again. Install a new proper type spark plug.
Sometime you can give it a small prime of mixed gas into the muffler port, when the muffler and engine is cold and priming thru the muffler is easier than priming thru the carb.
I very seldom place chainsaw carbs in a carb cleaner, just remove the old gaskets and reed diaphragm, carefully install new kit, and all ok. I've found that inspecting the old reed diaphragm in small carbs then re-installing same one is usually a waste of time when it don't take but few minutes to install a new kit. (I get the proper new kit before taking the carb apart) I've seen reed diaphragms that looked ok but the carb not operate properly and kit cured all.
Sometimes a complete new carb can be found very reasonable priced.
Some of the chainsaws will even require a full or partial choke to get immediately re-started after being killed.

I don't run my cold hard to start chainsaws out of gas now days like in the past years. I use a mix of non-ethanol gas with Stihl oil/gas mix and just leave the saw stored with fuel in the carb and some in the gas tank instead of running the carb dry for storage. The saws with fuel in the carb are normally stored at times for about 6 mo's before a restart. For storage period of longer than 1 year I usually just dump the fuel start the engine and let it idle until out of gas and kinda expect could have carb issues when removing the saw from long term storage. The Stihl chainsaw gas/oil mix now days has what seems to be real good fuel stabilizers and actually lubes the carb gaskets and carb internals when the fuel evaporates. (But I'm still testing)

[Blackriver]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Like I said, I already replaced the fuel line and filter, and the saw will run a few seconds with a little gas in the spark plug hole. It wil not draw gas into the fuel line. I'm sure it is a carb issue, as the diaphragms were fairly dry and brittle. I have a compression tester. what should compression be on these saws?

[KE4AVB]

Most 2 cycle need at least 100 psi to even ignite the fuel. I have seen some below 100 to ignite the fuel but just not many. Normal compression on a new engine is around 135-160 psi depending on the setup on these smaller saws so your reading should be somewhere between the low and high. It may take a few pulls to get a good reading.

Bigger saws sometimes use decompression valves to make starting easier for the operator but this Craftsman doesn't have one. Honestly I haven't ran a compression test on the Husqvarna Ranchers that my customers bring in; just haven't needed to. I know they have a lot more compression than smaller saws that I work on and I use the decompressor when starting them. The next one comes in I think run the test just out of curiosity.

[Deere2me]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Like I said, I already replaced the fuel line and filter, and the saw will run a few seconds with a little gas in the spark plug hole. It wil not draw gas into the fuel line. I'm sure it is a carb issue, as the diaphragms were fairly dry and brittle. I have a compression tester. what should compression be on these saws?

Did you pull the muff. and check the cyl.,rings, and port? Since the carb looks to be NLA , slap a kit in it and see what happens. G&D kit is #D10-WAT, repair kit is # K10-WAT.
You could also have crank seal leaking issues, but for now, I'd slap a G&D kit in it.

[Blackriver]

Well, an update. Today I got my carb kit in, and rebuilt the carb. It would suck fuel up to the carb, but was blowing gas out the exhaust. I decided I had the little piece that holds the fuel inlet in upside down. Its the part that has the little spring under it. I put it in the other way, but the saw won't start for anything. I replaced the spark plug, it has good spark. It won't even hit if I put gas in the spark plug hole or spay some starter fluid in the intake.....did I flood it? I also checked compression, it was well over 100.

[StarTech]

Yes it could be flooded and takes several pulls with the plug out to clear it.

I would also check the flywheel timing as the key may be sheared. THe will fire but at just at the wrong time.