iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Old Husqvarna 266se very hard to pull

Started by craig345, May 21, 2018, 11:39:17 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

craig345

Hello everyone.  I'm new to the forum and am trying to repair my old Husqvarna 266se chainsaw from the early 80's and hoping someone here might have some suggestions.

The saw has always run well but within the last 5 years or so it's developed an issue where the pull cord becomes extremely difficult to pull.  Actually it's so difficult that I'm not able to start the saw.  I've done some research and tried various things to rule out potential problems.  When the spark plug is removed the cord is easy to pull.  With the plug in, it's next to impossible.  I've removed the pull cord assembly and it pulls easily without issue.  Even with the bar/chain and muffler removed, the cord is hard to pull when the plug is in the saw.  

I've also tried removing the plug and spraying WD-40 into the cylinder through the spark plug hole to clean any carbon etc. from the top of the piston and cylinder.  No change.  I also removed the plug and pulled the cord repeatedly for a period of time to correct a potential vapor lock condition.  That was a suggestion that I found on the internet.

The only other thing that I wanted to mention is that when I pull the cord with the plug removed, there is a fine spray of fuel that comes out of the spark plug hole.  I don't know a lot about 2-cycle engines, but I didn't expect the fuel to be drawn into the cylinder when the compression is so low without the plug being removed.

Also checked the flywheel and there isn't anything blocking or binding it.  I also cleaned the areas around it and the clutch assembly very thoroughly.

I did take the saw to a local shop twice in the past and was told that they "cleaned it."  Unfortunately whatever they did didn't last after the saw sat for an extended period of time.  

I got the saw running without the bar/chain for a brief period of time yesterday but it died after a few seconds if I didn't give it throttle.

Not sure if links are allowed, but the saw in this YouTube video is doing the same exact thing that mine is.

Husqvarna 268 hard to pull thru - YouTube

I would appreciate any advice to get this saw in working condition again.  Thank you very much for reading my post!

knuckledragger

My first thought is a bearing has become seized. Leading up to the problem did you notice any roar to the saw. Fuel spray is normal for the most part. Replace crank bearings & seals and I suspect that you will see a difference. In it's day the 266 was a hot rod. 40:1 minimum of 89 octane no ethanol after the bearing change. The task of changing the bearings is relatively easy one. Generally takes me an hour. BTW, welcome to the forum.

mike_belben

Find the issue before you buy any parts.  Remove starter and see how much resistance it has.  Pull muffler and look at piston skirt.

Id guess its a scored bore.  Maybe a chip of ring jammed in there.

Whats the cranking compression?
Praise The Lord

Jack S

from your description it sounds like to much fuel and hydraulic lockup . you mentioned that you had fuel spurting out the spark plug hole with the plug out. ya can't compress liquid. better find out why carb is passing to much fuel  

Hilltop366

Correct Sparkplug?  Unlikely but if the threads on the plug are too long...

I would dump the gas out then with plug out and throttle wide open and kill switch in the off position pull it over for a few minutes to make sure all gas is cleared out then try it with the plug in.

barbender

I had a Husky, I think it was a 66 special or something like that.  It was a real booger to pull over too, I traded it in so I never figured it out.
Too many irons in the fire

Canadiana

In the youtube video referenced above the guy says he solved his issue by removing the limiting caps on the carb adjustment screws and leaning the "L" fuel supply at idle. But i figure you've read that already...
The saw is more fun than the purpose of the wood... the forest is trembling 🌳

mike_belben

All these old husky jugs have room straight ontop the jug to drill and tap a decompressor btw, just need to drill a hole in the top cover.  

When i weld a dome onto a husky 61 piston i have to put in a decompressor or itll just break the starter. 210 psi.  
Praise The Lord

Al_Smith

I have a 2100 Husky that by it's nature is hard to pull ,99 cc  .That aside it was the bushing in the starter drum was worn causing it to run eccentric .Originally a nylon thing I made one out of brass on my lathe which cured the problem .

craig345

Wow.  Thanks to everyone for the overwhelming responses.  Where should I begin?  So many suggestions.  

I did remove the starter assembly and it pulls easily by itself.  I've also removed the muffler and inspected the piston from the exhaust port.  From what I can tell it looks smooth.  I don't think that I've mentioned this before, but with the plug removed, I hear what almost sounds like a gurgle as I pull the starter cord.  I ordered a carb rebuild kit and fuel line/filter just to be on the safe side.  I've never rebuilt such a small carburetor but I've seen a few videos on YouTube that should be helpful.

I can check the compression as well as draining all of the fuel and pulling the starter with the plug out.  I hope that it isn't a bearing problem.  The saw ran great before this issue started.  It sat for long periods of time between uses which probably didn't help anything.

I don't know a lot about two cycle engines but am willing to learn what I can.  It would be great to get this saw running again since it's been around since I was a kid.

I'll report back after I try a few of the suggestions.

Thanks to all for the help.  I really appreciate it!


craig345

It looks like I forgot to answer a few questions and comment on the ideas.  Here we go:

1.  Didn't notice any roar from the engine before the problem started or when it was running recently.

2.  The amount of fuel coming out of the plug hole while starting was enough to make a wet spot on the rag that I put over the top of the cylinder in a short amount of time.

3.  The saw has had the same plug in it for some time and seemed to run fine and wasn't horrible to start.  Will double check.

4.  I did read the YouTube suggestion about the carb adjustment screws but as far as I know the carb adjustment has been the same for years and the saw seemed to run well.  Might be worth a try.

5.  I'm not super confident about being able to drill and tap a decompressor but appreciate the suggestion.

6.  It's possible that the starter drum bushing is worn.  I guess I could watch it as it spins to see if it wobbles while it rotates.

Hope that I didn't miss anything.  Thanks.

steele109

Hi the old 266 early 80s had a problem with the starter the string would wind over itself.They fixed the problem in the later models by putting a bigger drum in them.I have a 83 model I just rebuilt and got running today.I just ordered a new pulley for mine, it's a bear to crank as well. Good luck fixing it.

craig345

Thanks for the tip.  When I have some time to work on the saw I'll take a look at that.  I'm also going to drain the fuel and pull the starter several times with the plug out to see if that makes a difference before I rebuild the carburetor.

bushmechanic

Maybe you have an issue with your brake band being too tight on the clutch drum. Leave the bar guard off and see if it starts without it on, but be careful they can spin the clutch off while running! 

craig345

Sorry for the late reply.  Finally got some time to work on the saw.  If I didn't mention it before, the starter is difficult to pull even with the bar and chain brake completely removed.  

I just finished rebuilding the carb to rule out possible issues with fuel leaking into the engine.  I left the piston in the uppermost position in the cylinder for about a week while I was waiting for the parts to arrive.  After I put everything back together I was able to get the saw running and used it for about an hour or so.  The starter wasn't easy to pull but better than it was before.

After sitting overnight on its side the starter is difficult to pull again.  I'm going to disassemble the starter and see if there are any winding issues.  If so, is it possible to retrofit the newer starter?

Earlier someone suggested that the bar oil might be leaking through the seal and into the crankcase, causing hydro lock.  If that was the issue, I'm guessing that allowing the crankcase to vent by having the carb removed and the piston as high as possible wouldn't matter because the oil wouldn't evaporate like fuel would.  

Still fighting the good fight.

Thanks again for all of the help.


craig345

Just wanted to add that I didn't change any of the carb settings other than the idle adjustment.  This was my first chainsaw carb rebuild.  

Al_Smith

Well you have to start some time .Evidently it worked out .See how simple that was . 8)

sablatnic

You might have a split starter pulley or a too thin cord. The cord should be 4mm.
(.157" or 20/127") 
(5/32" would do nicely too)
AND when you stop the saw, pull out the cord 5 - 6 inches before stopping it. Then the engine has a chance to make a slight kick back when it stops. 

Like we see The Chainsaw Guy do here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVvvvmWILwI

BobbyG

I'm not trying to be a smart ass but when watching your video and listening to your narration, this pretty much is how all of my saws act if I don't engage the compression release.

Now I understand your saw is probably before compression release so with the plug in place you have compression making it somewhat difficult to pull. By removing the plug you remove any chances of compression which will also allow fuel to spit from the orifice.

Hydro-lock only occurs when the cylinder is full of fuel as liquids do not compress. You removed the plug and it cranked over perfectly fine.

An attached bar and chain should have no affect on starting the saw. My old Homelite, circa 1965, had no chain break or compression release and the chain never spun except when I'd throttle it up. Even today's saws should not spin the chain while idling unless there's something wrong with the clutch.

Sorry I cannot be of more help.   

garyy

I have the same problem did you ever find a solution> I have a huqavarna 435 and did research too on line and they said it could have broke the key on the flywheel and be out of timing. I've done a few things and even tried pulling it with Carb off, so Carb has nothing to do with it what so ever. I did what you did and removed the plug and pulls freely so it's not binding up from the brake being too tight. I decided to take the flywheel off as I read in another youtube that this is the main cause as these keyways sometimes break and throw off timing and it doesn't take much. My problem is I don't have a puller and I did take nut off and did bang on shaft of the crank but I even tried prying up a little to get it off. I don't see how in the hell it could break if I can't even budge the flywheel off. Any other suggestion from why it may be hard to pull?

garyy

I have the same problem did you ever find a solution> I have a huqavarna 435 and did research too on line and they said it could have broke the key on the flywheel and be out of timing. I've done a few things and even tried pulling it with Carb off, so Carb has nothing to do with it what so ever. I did what you did and removed the plug and pulls freely so it's not binding up from the brake being too tight. I decided to take the flywheel off as I read in another youtube that this is the main cause as these keyways sometimes break and throw off timing and it doesn't take much. My problem is I don't have a puller and I did take nut off and did bang on shaft of the crank but I even tried prying up a little to get it off. I don't see how in the hell it could break if I can't even budge the flywheel off. Any other suggestion from why it may be hard to pull?

Allar

Quote from: garyy on January 21, 2019, 01:04:47 PM
I have the same problem did you ever find a solution> I have a huqavarna 435 and did research too on line and they said it could have broke the key on the flywheel and be out of timing. I've done a few things and even tried pulling it with Carb off, so Carb has nothing to do with it what so ever. I did what you did and removed the plug and pulls freely so it's not binding up from the brake being too tight. I decided to take the flywheel off as I read in another youtube that this is the main cause as these keyways sometimes break and throw off timing and it doesn't take much. My problem is I don't have a puller and I did take nut off and did bang on shaft of the crank but I even tried prying up a little to get it off. I don't see how in the hell it could break if I can't even budge the flywheel off. Any other suggestion from why it may be hard to pull?
I'v heard that carbon build up on the piston can increase compression significantly and therefor making it harder to pull.
Firewood & Chainsaw videos: Firewood Warrior - YouTube

chuck172

I have the exact same problem. I have two old Husky 61's that are almost impossible to pull start. Once I get the saws to fire and heat up a bit, they start fine. Has anyone figured this problem out?

sunnycrest

Have an older 266 SE. Very difficult to pull over when cold and now too hard to turn over enough to start. Will turn over easy with spark plug out. Just ran out of fuel and sat idle for about 10 days so now it takes too much to pull over to start. One or two pulls would start it when hot and being used. As I stated pulls over fine with plug out. Any suggestions appreciated. Checked out many of the usual problems that would cause this but nothing obvious. Thank you.

Green Man

I had a Jonsered 920 that pulled hard like that. The previous owner had mentioned it when I purchased the saw. After a couple of years I found out that the impulse line hose to the carburetor was pinched between the top cover and the case. When I would attach the cover, it would shut down the port connection line that flows between the crankcase and the carb- which the carb needs for the fuel pump connection. 

Now you have compression on both sides of the piston - and you are pulling double duty as the saw is fighting you back.

The 920 had a hose at the base of the cylinder flowing to the carb for this purpose. The Husky 61,266,268,272 series has a port that flows through from the outside edge of the cylinder base, just inside the base gasket, and into a port next to the carb mounting bolts. These saws are similar but not the same and it would be easy to get the wrong gasket, incorrectly placed gasket, or carb mount that would shut down this port. The cylinder base gasket is close to this port and I imagine could also create this problem if the gasket, sealant, or debris plugged the port. Any place along this port flow line and into the carb would be suspect to the blocked flow. 

Thank You Sponsors!