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Stihl HT-101 Pole Saw running issues

Started by tstex, September 13, 2016, 10:15:25 AM

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tstex

Hello to All,

It's been awhile since I've been on the boards - good to be back and I hope everyone is doing well.

My pole-chain saw would not fire-up bc the primer-ball was not working to prime fuel into the carb.  The primer ball plate was $28 bucks, and a whole new carb w plate was $45, so I just replaced the whole thing.

The guy at the shop got it to fire-up after replacing the carb/primer ball, but it was running sluggishly.  He asked me how old the fuel was?  I had mixed a new batch about 2-3 months ago, and stored the gas container in a well built and concealed utility house where all my chainsaws, oils, fuels, etc are stored.

Got it back to the ranch and it was tough getting it started, but once started it ran but when it got to a near idle, it would die.  Not easy to start again either.

I called the guy back and he said to try fresh fuel and then let him know.  if w new fuel it did the same, to call him back and they would fine tune the carb settings.   He told me the settings come factory set when I asked.

Prior to when I last used it and all before, it wasn't that hard to start when on full choke after pulling cord 3-5 times...once I got it warmed-up, it idled well too, and restarted very easily.

To conclude, looking to get your advice and experience on what might be the issue(s)?  I really don't think it is the gas bc I have used what I think is older gas previously and did not have this problem.  If you have any questions, pls let me know and I will get right back to you.  I am going back out to the ranch again tomorrow [Wed] and would like to have resolved if possible.

Thank you very much for your time and help,
tstex

Ox

Ain't nothing more than a new carburetor needing some adjustment.  Very common.

Could be a bad batch of gas.  If you can help it, don't run ethanol fuel in it.  If you have no other choice, buy a product made to counter the ethanol in the fuel.  Ethanol is the scourge of modern humans.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

tstex

Thanks OX - I'll try the new gas, but unfortunately, the ethanol is unavoidable.  What fuel additives are you referring to that will counter the OH issue?  I use the Stihl mixture w my gas and 10% ethanol.  I use the lower octane gas; would a higher octane help?

dougand3

Agree with Ox - carb adjustment. Dealer should have done this. Carb probably needs a silly tool for H-L screw heads. I've seen 7 different variants of carb tool - Spline, D, Pacman, etc. One reason I like AM carbs - plain ole slot head.
If pole saw ran fine on 87 Octane before, bumping up to 89 or 91 won't help. Many small 2 cycles do call for 89 Octane (USA method) but many folks do fine on 87.
I use non-ethanol gas, so can't comment on additives.
Husky: 372xt, 272xp, 61, 55 (x3)...Poulan: 315, 4218 (x3), 2375, 2150, 2055, 2000 (x3)...Stihl 011AVT...Homelite XL...Saws come in broken, get fixed or parted, find new homes

Ox

Personally, I've always used the high test fuel.  Some do, some don't.  Around here, high test is ethanol free so it's what I use.  If it ran OK on 87 before, keep using it.  My brother in PA has to use ethanol as well.  He's got his own business in lawn care and landscaping.  He uses something called Ethanol Shield and swears by it.  No more problems with the ethanol.  There's something made by by Sta-Bil for ethanol I'm pretty sure, found at Walmart.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

tstex

Thanks again for your follow-up Ox - I am going to buy those fuel stabilizers...

Doug, if I can find the correct tool, are there any instructions or videos/or other that can show me how to fine-tune?  I will not try it if I do not have the correct tool...

thanks again guys, I really appreciate the quick responses - tstex

dougand3

mweba has a great chainsaw tuning video. The principles are the same.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29FiGmDQkaM

You can search youtube for "String trimmer tuning". I don't know which is good.

Look at your H-L screws and see what the heads are. Most are Splined. You can jury rig a copper tube or electrical connector to turn screws....but you need to know if you're really turning or slipping.

What I do is pull the screws and dremel a slot in screw head. Or if in a hurry, just cut the collar, too.

https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/36829/H_L_mix_screws3.jpg
Husky: 372xt, 272xp, 61, 55 (x3)...Poulan: 315, 4218 (x3), 2375, 2150, 2055, 2000 (x3)...Stihl 011AVT...Homelite XL...Saws come in broken, get fixed or parted, find new homes

tstex

Wow !!!  Thanks Doug, I appreciate that.

While there are some unscrupulous people in this world, it never ceases to amaze me of the generous people on this forum and others just like it that spend time to make videos in the hope they can help out someone else. 

That's also a great close-up pic of the carb !!

Truly amazing - tstex

ZeroJunk

Without knowing how many hours is on it the valves could need adjusting. And, if it really has a lot of hours on it the cam gear could need replacing. If it only has a few hours on it then yeah, could just need a carb tweaking.

I usually adjust the idle for max RPM and then richen just enough to hear it start to slow down.

tstex

Hey Guys,

It was one thing breaking after the other, and I had to go back into town so I just dropped-off the c-saw to the dealer and they said they would finish-up the tuning.  I do have 3 other chain saws an I know one of them needs some tuning, so I am going to follow the video...none of these need the funky tools to fine-tune carb...I'll post back and let you know if where was anything else that need to be done besides fine-tuning.  I also put a note on there to tell me what was done to get her fine-tuned and post that back.

Thanks again to everyone - tstex

Ox

Quote from: ZeroJunk on September 14, 2016, 07:45:11 PM
Without knowing how many hours is on it the valves could need adjusting. And, if it really has a lot of hours on it the cam gear could need replacing. If it only has a few hours on it then yeah, could just need a carb tweaking.

I usually adjust the idle for max RPM and then richen just enough to hear it start to slow down.

We're talking about a 2 stroke engine on a pole saw.  No cam gears, camshafts or valves involved.  :)
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

tstex

 8)

"The less moving parts it has, the less it will cost you"

I'm all for that - thanks Ox

dougand3

I just looked at the IPL. This engine does indeed have cam, valves, rods, etc. It must be a "4 Mix" hybrid. It's a 4 stroke that needs 2 cycle mix because it doesn't have an oil reservoir.
So, if not a simple carb tune - lotsa disassembly to diagnose and fix.
Husky: 372xt, 272xp, 61, 55 (x3)...Poulan: 315, 4218 (x3), 2375, 2150, 2055, 2000 (x3)...Stihl 011AVT...Homelite XL...Saws come in broken, get fixed or parted, find new homes

Ox

Oh dear.  Those pesky 4 strokes that run like 2 strokes always trip me up.  Didn't even think about it.  So yeah, some adjustment to those little valves may be in order.  Zero Junk had it right, I was wrong with my assumption that it was a 2 stroke.  I had a mini 4 stroke Honda that didn't run well and a valve adjustment made it run like new again.  The smaller the engine the more an adjustment seems to make a difference. 

I remember we were running an International 1466 farm tractor.  It ran and started perfect, plenty of power, good smoke, no clue anything was wrong.  Then entire head needed rebuilding, the seats were all gone.  No clue!  See above idea about small engines being more picky.
K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid
Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without
1989 GMC 3500 4x4 diesel dump and plow truck, 1964 Oliver 1600 Industrial with Parsons loader and backhoe, 1986 Zetor 5211, Cat's Claw sharpener, single tooth setter, homemade Linn Lumber 1900 style mill, old tools

ZeroJunk

Quote from: dougand3 on September 15, 2016, 11:06:18 AM
I just looked at the IPL. This engine does indeed have cam, valves, rods, etc. It must be a "4 Mix" hybrid. It's a 4 stroke that needs 2 cycle mix because it doesn't have an oil reservoir.
So, if not a simple carb tune - lotsa disassembly to diagnose and fix.

Unless the valves themselves are damaged the cam gear, followers, and push rods are easy to get to. Take the top cover and starter cover off, take an air wrench and remove the starter pall deal whatever you call it. There is a four screw cover that comes off and the cam gear comes right out. there are two pins , one for the gear and one for the followers. They slip right out. Put the motor at TDC which is where the arrow on the flywheel points at the bottom screw on the ignition coil and put the new cam in with the arrows on the cam pointing at the two little bosses at like 4 and 8 o'clock inside the crankcase. Really not much to it.

joe_indi

That Pole saw has the same engine as a F100 brushcutter. They are extremely sturdy. But old fuel affects them. But since your carb is a new one, you need to check the filter in the fuel tank (the pickup body).
One very important thing to remember is to store these engines on the compression stroke. Anything else will cause rust formation on the valve seats, especially the exhaust valve.
Insect intrusion/invasion too is a risk.
Usually the 'first aid' that I carry out for these 4 Mix engines is to add some nitro cellulose thinner and some vegetable oil to the fuel (coconut?sesame/canola/castor).
Remove the air filter.Start up the engine and let it idle. Once in a way blip the throttle.
Hopefully the fuel system and the valve seat will cure themselves.
In case you need some guidance on opening up the valve gear(cam wheel, tappet assembly etc) or setting valve timing, my video on youtube might be of some help.The engine used in the video is a FS130. It is more powerful but otherwise everything is same as on your 101 engine
https://youtu.be/mxzcR5jD5KM

ZeroJunk

Nice video Joe. Wish you had taken the valves out. I have never gone that far. I have a carcass in the shop that I may disassemble just to see what's involved.

joe_indi

Quote from: ZeroJunk on September 16, 2016, 12:17:21 PM
Nice video Joe. Wish you had taken the valves out. I have never gone that far. I have a carcass in the shop that I may disassemble just to see what's involved.
Valves removal is a tool-less job! Unless a pen or pencil counts as a tool!
Use the pencil to keep the valve head in position, press down on the washer and slide it sideways. That washer comes off and thats about it. ;D.
If you want it in pictures I can post them

ZeroJunk

Thanks Joe, I think I can understand it from what you describe.  I have one in the shop that I am at a loss as to what could be the problem other than a sticking valve. It simply won't rev, but idles fine. I have changed the carb, ignition, and cam gear and it changes nothing. It would idle with the carb wide open for 10 or 15 seconds and then decide to take off and run. Then when you let it back down to idle it might take off again eventually. Now, it just maintains about idle speed regardless of how open the butterfly is or which carb is on it. Weird. I have changed gas lines, impulse and all that. Even soaked it with carbon cleaner for 24 hours. Not much left.
Of course, it is way past the time I have spent messing with it, but I'm just curious.

joe_indi

ZeroJunk, when I get those symptoms on a Stihl 4Mix, the first thing I check are the two pins, the one for the cam wheel and the one for the cam followers. Usually the cylinder side seat of the pin for the cam wheel and the cover side seat of the pin for cam followers become oval and the causes the valve clearances and valve timing to change. I use a piece from a beer can to tighten up the loose seats and it works fine.

ZeroJunk

Good to know. The cam seat I know was worn because I robbed the new cam out of it yesterday to fix another unit and when I put the cover on with no cam in it the pin would not stand up straight and made it hard to get the holes in the cover to line up so I could stick it back on.

tstex

Wow, thanks for the additional info guys and the clarifications.  I had this thread set-up for auto-reply to email but it must have stopped - I am glad I came back to view it.

Joe-indi, thanks for video.  I would appreciate, when convenient, the pic's of the valves, removal and what inspection needs to be done, then replacement, if that's possible?

Also Joe, what part of the beer can are use using to tighten-up the seats?  it is the pull-tap or are you cutting the can bc you need something very thin?

When I rebuilt and old 1952 John Deere MT 2-popper, there where 3 different types of shims [.0005, .0010 & .0015] used to increase the check-valves clearance in the valve-housing.  If you sneezed, it looked like they would have torn...didn't mean to get off topic, but I'm real cyclical when it comes to working on things and I forget some of the basics, so visual aids and video's are really great.

Thanks again,
tstex

tstex

Got the pole chain saw back and it was not the carb settings or other, the the throttle body setting.  Once this was adjusted, it starts almost the first pull and runs great wout any shutdowns...The tech said it should have been adjusted when the primer ball/carb was replaced, but was not.

Just wanted to let you guys knows -thanks again for everyone's help...it is greatly appreciated - tstex

tstex

Hello to all,

After getting my pole saw fixed, I have been using it more than often. One thing I noticed is that it sure becomes extra gummy w sawdust, and I attribute that to what I believe as an excessive amt of chain-oil being released.  It's always done this.

W my other 3 chainsaws, underneath the main body, there is a setting that allows you increase or decrease the amt of chain-oil that is released.  I looked in my HT-101 manual and I could not find anything re something that calibrates the oils release.  Is there anything that can allow to you control the release of oil?  If not, is there anything else I can do to slow down the flow of oil, or is it designed that way to make sure it gets plenty of oil?  If so, is there a specific reason as to why?

Thank you very much,
tstex

dougand3

Make sure chain is sharp. Dull chain = more sawdust. I think I'd just blow saw head off with a compressor when done. I'd much rather have too much oil than not enough.
Husky: 372xt, 272xp, 61, 55 (x3)...Poulan: 315, 4218 (x3), 2375, 2150, 2055, 2000 (x3)...Stihl 011AVT...Homelite XL...Saws come in broken, get fixed or parted, find new homes

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