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baymee

Echo chainsaw won't idle

baymee
14 years ago

I got a chainsaw that starts easily and runs well at high speed. It will go down to low speed and rev up again if you catch it fast enough. But it won't idle for more than a second or two.

Took the Walbro carb off and found not a speck of dirt inside and blew out the passageways. The only thing I saw was a slight crinkle in the diaphragm, but it appeared to be like new.

Put everything back together and it has the same problem. Plug, air filter are new. Hi and Lo settings are limited. Muffler is clean. Gas is clean and primer works.

Any suggestions?

Comments (12)

  • ladylake
    14 years ago

    Sounds like it's rich on the idle circut if it accelerates good from idle, it could be a little gunk in the needle valve letting to much gas in. I'd try turning the low adjuster in some 1st, and then try turning the idle speed adjuster in for a higher idle speed . If no help take the carb apart pull the needle and clean ,

  • baymee
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    It will only idle for a second or two before stalling. It starts again easily, but if you don't catch it immediately when it drops to low speed, it will stall rather than accelerate.

    I had the carb apart and everything inside was spotless. However, I didn't pull out the needle.

    Does this information change your advice at all?

  • davefr
    14 years ago

    Maybe your idle speed is set too low. (vs. the L jet)

    You generally increase idle speed until the chain just starts to turn and then back it off a tad.

    How old is the saw? How old is the gas?

  • computeruser
    14 years ago

    I'd re-baseline the carb adjustments and go from there. It does sound like Idle and L settings are out of whack, even if they are netting out to a kinda-idling saw with decent acceleration.

  • baymee
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    How can you adjust the L setting without removing the limiters? It only has a small range. I wonder if the caps can be removed. I moved up the idle yesterday, but it still didn't stay running.

  • ladylake
    14 years ago

    Is your air filter clean, must be if you had the carb apart. There is a idle speed adjuster is above the other 2 adjusters, you would turn it in to increase the RPM's. If your saw ran good before there should be no reason why it would get richer other than a leaky needle. When I pull the caps I thread a drywall screw in the center hole kind of tight then carefully turn counter clockwise untill the slot lines up and pull, I've only had to do that for a lean high or low. Steve

  • baymee
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Thanks all. I'll look at this again with the new information,.

  • ckr74
    14 years ago

    You may have to remove limiter caps. I did on my Echo. Once you're done you can re-install caps. Very easy to do.

  • jamesclose_earthlink_net
    12 years ago

    I'm having similar difficulties getting my ECHO chainsaw to run, after spending the winter in the shed. I did a pretty thorough job of cleaning, and lubricating, but the hi-lo speed screws are all out of whack. The owners manual talks about turning until lightly seated (whatever that means), and then backing off the respective screws approximately one full turn. Did that, but saw still won't catch and run. Any advice?

  • ewalk
    12 years ago

    Sounds like you may have gummed up the carb jets from sour gas sitting within the circuits. If you have ethanol fuel even more so . Seating the jets means turning in until the needle seats within the orifice. Over-tighten and you can bent the jet and damage the seat. So turn in the needle very gently until it bottoms out . This is done to dislodge or clean any debris within the seating area. Usually cleaning with carb cleaning fluid is also required. The adjustment is anywhere from one turn out to 1-1/2 out depending upon the manufactuers and model . Is your fuel fresh and the fuel filter clean ? Spray some carb cleaner within the spark plug hole or carb venturi and see if the saw fires . If so fuel restriction is the key. If not perhaps your plug is not firing ? Test by grounding it to the cylinder head while pulling the starter rope , look for a good blue spark . If no spark then bad plug , plug wire or ignition module is faulty . Let us know your findings James !

  • baymee
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    More recently, I've found that the fuel lines are cracked and won't hold pressure from the tank. The motor starts and will rev up, but slowly dies, as the fuel isn't delivered to the carb as it should be. The cracks allow the fuel to vent back to the tank as soon as you let off the throttle.

  • ewalk
    12 years ago

    You mean to say Bay that in over two yrs you still have not replaced those dam fuel lines...Roflmbo !