The Forestry Forum

General Forestry => Chainsaws => Topic started by: woody367 on November 06, 2015, 01:24:24 PM

Title: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: woody367 on November 06, 2015, 01:24:24 PM
My Stihl 026 ran fine last week now it will start and the  die like it is out of fuel. Even wit the choke set it does the same thing, what might be wrong with it? It has plenty of gas in it.  Thanks
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: sawguy21 on November 06, 2015, 01:33:46 PM
Check the fuel and impulse line for cracks. The in tank filter may be plugged. There is also a small screen in the carburetor that gets plugged with flock from the tank filter if it has that style.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: joe_indi on November 07, 2015, 06:43:53 AM
^^^^^ plus is your fuel fresh or old?
Is the air filter clean?
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: DelawhereJoe on February 25, 2016, 09:03:51 PM
I had that problem with mine a few years ago, the carb had gotten gummed up. I cleaned the carb, reset the hi and low and had no more problems.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: CTYank on February 25, 2016, 09:40:02 PM
May have a prob w/H mixture setting. Many of the carbs used on 026s have fixed H mixture.

I'd also check that the carb is properly attached.

Because of the reported sudden emergence of the problem, it has to be something obvious.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: btulloh on March 05, 2016, 07:45:51 AM
Did you get your saw running?  I had this problem with my 20 year old  026.  Ran great one day, next day it started and then died right out.  Tried all the easy stuff first.  Ordered an $9 rebuild kit for the carb, cleaned the carb real good (soaking the carb in a bucket of cleaner).  Runs better than ever now.  I love my little 026. 

Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: logeeland on March 27, 2016, 06:58:34 PM
Check the tank vent.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 03, 2016, 12:17:29 AM
Quote from: logeeland on March 27, 2016, 06:58:34 PM
Check the tank vent.

So, where is the tank vent?

My 026 is doing the same thing. It's not the carb, because it will run perfectly for up to 30 seconds or so, then just dies and is hard or impossible to start for a few minutes. The tank vent makes sense, so as I asked, where is it?

Jim
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: starmac on April 03, 2016, 12:57:37 AM
This happened to me last summer. I was using a saw regularly then didn't use it for a couple of weeks. When I got ready to use it again it would start like it was new, idle fine for 30 seconds or so but die as soon as I touched the throttle.
I did all the easy stuff, changed the fuel line, filter and plug, with no change. I just used another saw and didn't mess with it for a week or so, and then decided to adjust the carb, now remember this saw was running perfectly a couple of weeks prior, but the carb was so far out of adjustment it would do nothing but start and idle.
It had been riding in the bed of the pickup for the two weeks I didn't use it.
This may or may not be your problem as it was the first time it has ever happened to me.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 03, 2016, 09:17:56 AM
That's not the problem with my 026. Mine starts and runs strong, will cut well for a little bit, then dies and won't restart for a couple minutes or more. Then it goes again and quits.

Where is the tank vent? I'll look for it if nobody tells me soon, but somebody could save me a few minutes.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: logeeland on April 03, 2016, 09:38:09 AM
I have had similar issues. Many times it is the tank vent. It is to the right or left of the carb attached to the tank.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 03, 2016, 12:46:49 PM
Thanks!
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 07, 2016, 03:03:18 PM
A few more questions. First how is the tank vent removed?

Second, it looks to me like there is about 5/16 of an inch of the metal tube exposed where the pulse line attaches to the carburetor and it makes me wonder if the pulse hose is barely connected and leaking at that spot.

Last, how is the back end of the saw disassembled to check or replace that pulse line?

Thanks. Sorry to keep coming back with more questions.

Jim
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Texas-Jim on April 07, 2016, 09:03:27 PM
Its very unlikely its the tank vent. The vent can cause the problem your having but it take several minutes to pull vacuum on the tank. More than likely its not getting fuel, either impulse isnt working (impulse line) or there is prob with the carb.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 07, 2016, 11:04:28 PM
Quote from: Texas-Jim on April 07, 2016, 09:03:27 PM
Its very unlikely its the tank vent. The vent can cause the problem your having but it take several minutes to pull vacuum on the tank. More than likely its not getting fuel, either impulse isnt working (impulse line) or there is prob with the carb.

That makes sense to me. How do I get at the impulse line?

Thanks
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: ZeroJunk on April 08, 2016, 06:48:26 AM
You can do it with long needle nose pliars. It is easier for me to get the big end through the carb box wall and then put the end on the nipple. You may invent some new words in the process. It's tight.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 08, 2016, 09:25:46 AM
Quote from: ZeroJunk on April 08, 2016, 06:48:26 AM
You can do it with long needle nose pliars. It is easier for me to get the big end through the carb box wall and then put the end on the nipple. You may invent some new words in the process. It's tight.

So would a dealer mechanic disassemble more and charge for the extra time, or would he do it with the long nosed pliers?

I took another look at my saw and can't see how it would be possible to get the pulse line plugged onto the crankcase nipple without major disassembly. Hope there's a trick that I am missing.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Texas-Jim on April 08, 2016, 07:51:24 PM
Before taking it apart you can check it. You need a vacuum gauge, just put small metal nipple on gauge and put it in impulse hose under the carb. Pull the rope sharply, the gauge will flutter. In order for impulse line to work it goes back and forth from vacuum to pressure as the saw runs, that alternating difference is your fuel pump. Im very bad at explaining things so if i confused you ill try again if you don't get what im saying.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 08, 2016, 11:29:42 PM
Your explanation is clear to me. Thanks. I guess part of my blindness was not realizing that taking the carb off would open so I could get at the hose.

Still don't see what to take apart if I need to replace the hose. Can I do that through the opening where the carb fts?
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: sablatnic on April 09, 2016, 01:20:41 AM
To put the pulse line back on the crankcase nipple you just need a pair of long nosed pliers, and then you need to unscrew the left vibration isolator to get a bit more room - it is tight, but it is possible, just, done it myself several times!
How are your vibration isolators?
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on April 09, 2016, 09:40:06 AM
Isolaters seem good. Ignition wires seem to be still well insulated in that area too.
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Jim Davis on May 06, 2016, 12:59:49 AM
Well, I've been using the 026 for a few weeks now. It has been running great and starting easily when warm. Today, I was using it lightly on long milling cuts (shallow cut) and it was still working well. Then it took to just dying out in mid cut. It would start easily with one pull, but then after a few seconds in the cut, it would die again.

I set it aside and used my 020. When I finished, I picked up the 026 and it started on the first pull and seemed to run fine. I made one tiny cross cut with it and it ran normally.

Why might it be dying out on a long light cut?
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: joe_indi on May 06, 2016, 01:31:51 PM
Stiffening of the metering diaphragm could cause the leaning out in a long cut. It would cause fuel starvation under load.
Does the carb have a white plastic connector for the fuel hose? This connector has the habit of coming loose slightly, enough to cause air into the carb. I had this problem on my 026 and a bit of epoxy solved the problem
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: motohed on May 06, 2016, 10:24:50 PM
It is easyer to to pull all the tank mounts and carb , it sounds like a lot of work . It's not anymore work then damaging the pulse line with plyers . I've been there done there done that . That way you can check the tank vent at the same time . JMHO
Title: Re: Stihl 026 trouble
Post by: Ashbored on December 20, 2017, 11:26:59 PM
In my case the problem was a fuel line I purchased on line. It was crimping where it bends from the tank to the carb. When the engine heated up, the line softened and the crimp got worse, cutting off fuel. A better designed line from the Stihl dealer solved my problem.