Friday, October 18, 2019

Another Poulan 260 PRO 42cc 18" Chainsaw


My last attempt at getting one of these running was a washout.


We'll see how I make out with this one. It's another machine that was given to me by the small engines place that I frequent. It's a saw that wasn't worth the shop's while to repair, so the owner just abandoned it. It's in pretty rough shape by the looks of it -- the chain appears to be off its sprocket and jammed. I'll want to attend to that first thing.

I'd really like to get this saw going. I have three sickly cedar trees at the foot of my backyard that need to come down.

Anyway, here's the saw's ID label data:

FAMILY 2000US EPA PH1
                YPWES.0424CS:EM
DISP. 42CC
SERIAL # 00075D 100235-3

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Jammed Chain

Clutch/sprocket/bar access is by way of a single cover that's held on by the two bar clamp nuts. The nuts are hex washerface items, M8 x 1.25, 13mm A/F (across flats). Note that the chain brake must be disengaged in order for the cover to be removable.

The chain on this saw may have been run out of oil -- it had many seized links that wouldn't traverse around the sprocket without jamming. With penetrating oil and a good deal of persuasion, I've gotten the chain to where it will traverse complete circuits. On with examination of the saw.

Bar Oil Reservoir

It's bone dry. That may explain a lot. I won't fill it unless and until I can get the engine to run.

Fuel Tank

There's some fuel in it. The fuel takeup tube is iffy, but its filter is still in place..

Top Cover Removal

Three obvious screws, T25 Torx recess.

Spark Plug

The spark plug had been installed very tightly. I had to take an impact wrench to it to get it loose.

It's a Champion RCJ7Y. It's a bit sooty, but not in bad condition at all. Hex is 3/4" A/F. Gap is a loose 0.025". A spark test revealed that I do have spark.

Priming

The primer bulb is a bit stiff, but it appears to be intact. The thing won't prime, though.

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Problems/Solutions:
  • A stiff metering diaphragm. The diaphragm in my scrapped Poulan 260 PRO was ok, so I swapped diaphragms.
  • Embrittled fuel line tubing. The fuel takeup tube looks to be virtually impossible to replace by squeezing it through its hole in the top of the fuel tank. I drilled out that hole to 5/32" diameter so I could slip-fit a replacement tube through. The tube's interface with the fuel tank is no longer fluid-tight, but the arrangement will get me going.
  • The bar and chain are past it. The bar and chain on my scrapped saw are good, so I swapped the bar and chain.
And after all that, I'm still getting nowhere. I can't get the saw to start, and I'm getting weary of putting in seemingly futile effort.

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Update -- MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019

My son pointed out to me that I have plenty of time on my hands. So, I decided to return to the chainsaw and keep on attempting to get it running, however futile the attempt might be.

After an outrageous amount of fiddling, I got the thing to run for awhile. Now I'm back to being unable to start it again. It's exhibiting high compression -- compression so high that I can't get a decent pull on the starter cord. 'Next visit to the small engines place in Pickering, I'll ask about that. I'm hoping that they'll have an answer.

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Further Update -- TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2019

I took the saw with me to Pickering yesterday to show it to the senior man at the shop. He deemed the saw to be normal. So, I have to confess that the problem is not excessive compression; the problem is my lack of upper body strength. When I got the saw home, I rigged a method whereby I could get both feet holding the saw down while I tugged on the starter cord with both hands. That got the saw started. Here's a view of my 'both feet' rig.


Right foot goes in the handle as per usual; left foot goes on the stick of wood. I can hoist the starter cord's handle with both hands, and away we go.

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I got my three ailing cedar trees taken down and limbed. Cutting up the trunks will have to keep for another day; it's raining today.

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