Chainsaw pull start not working

[Fulcrum156]

Take a look at the video please:
chainsaw problem pull start - YouTube
First it behave as in the video. Then I replaced the pull start pull start part with one from an equal chainsaw, it kinda worked for like 5 pulls, then it misbehaved like in the video again.

[sawguy21]

I don't understand the problem. Is it slipping? Binding? What model of saw?

[Caloren]

Sounds like the starter isn't engaging the crankshaft.

[Fulcrum156]

That's true, the starter isn't engaging the crankshaft or, more precisely, out of 5 cord pulls only one will shortly turn the crankshaft.

The saw is a knock-off of e.g. this one: saw

Moreover, both of these guys pawl spring clip are not broken, move and are returned to their initial position by a spring, as should be.

[Michael]

Enjoy your Chinese saw

[Tacotodd]

Similar to what @sawguy21 has said before, you get what you pay for. I have the hardest time telling my friends that same thing; at least to get them to realize what I'm trying to tell them is factually true. Because yesterday a friend of mine said "I can get that exact big saw (372xp) from ———— in blue and it's going to be the equivalent of yours"; and my return comment was "I'd be extremely surprised if it were". Something tells me that my friend doesn't get it. After all, he's always trying to find the "cheapest" way out of things and it ends up costing him more in money, or at least time. His only saw- Poulan of roughly 35cc that doesn't run, hmmm, correlation?

[Fulcrum156]

Please without further comments about the quality of this saw. I got three additional branded chainsaws, all of them working. Despite that I'd like to fix this chinese one.

Update: if I remove the spark plug (therefore no compression) and pull the cord, all right, the crankshaft rotates. But if I put in the spark plug, well, then the flywheel doesn't move.

[sawguy21]

Either the piston is hitting the spark plug which would be obvious looking at the plug electrode or the saw has high compression. You may need  to change your starting technique.

[Fulcrum156]

If I turn the flywheel by hand it turns the crank. Perhaps something's wrong with pull start.
Is there anything between the flywheel and the crankshaft? I begin to wonder what made the pull start-part break. Day came, when the initial pull start started misbehaving, like not pulling always as intended, then it broke, replaced it, and the replacement one broke immediately again.

[sawguy21]

The flywheel is mounted solidly to the crank and is held in place by a woodruff key. You are discovering the downside of the cheap clone saws.

[Fulcrum156]

Perhaps this will end the life of my two chinese saws. Both of them have unresolved issues with fuel delivery and both of them have now problems with pull-start.

 

 
 

[Tacotodd]

Like @weimedog said once you work through the problems you've probably spent about the same amount of money as the real thing, but the education is priceless.

[Fulcrum156]

On the other hand, if I learn to repair saws at home I can save money in the future ;D

[weimedog]

Often on the chicom stuff its actually cheaper to just replace a part like a pull start vs. try and fix stuff that probably had geometry issue causing the failure. I ran into the in the early versions of the 660's and 372 AM parts. Hyway had a good pull start option for awhile on the 660's then eventually the Farmertec folks had their version worked out. Sometime folks miss the "Clone" 372's & parts were based off early 365's . It wasn't until the later Farmertec g372xp & xt there was more "matching" parts to the later ones.

I'm not going to put time watching a video to see a problem, I choose to watch those with positive things or new information that helps move things forwards. One's with a problem defined and a solution..

SO What model saw? And what specifically is the issue? One early Stihl clones often swapping carbs to OEM along with the rubber parts & plastic control parts were the solution. 

[Tacotodd]

It's looking like some sort of clone of a home owner saw with that clamshell construction. I can't tell what it's a clone of, but it'd be low on MY short list of stuff to get. If I wanted some of saw that bad then I'd just get the real thing, home owner or other, but not that.

But that's just me  ;D

[dougand3]

The pulley (rope goes around it) looks ok and not worn. But plastic starter pawls?? I bet that's the problem. Even the cheapest new Poulan, McCulloch or Homelite saws have metal L pawls that are spring tensioned. Is there any spring on the pawls? If not, they'll just slam to the outside and not touch the pulley = FW/crank doesn't turn. Kinda hard to start like that.

[sablatnic]

Is it one of those grandma starters? One of those where you don't turn the engine directly, but you tension a spring, which then turns rhe engine?

[Fulcrum156]

The plastic starter pawls are spring tensioned, they look to be working but dunno, perhaps they're worn enough that don't function properly anymore.
I been told that there's a clutch inside the pull-start assembly.

Plot twist: I gave this saw to a person I know, he'll use its engine parts to replace a gripped saw cylinder he has.

[Al_Smith]

By looking at the starter drum you have 3 out of 4 with rounded off corners .So it's down to 25 percent reliability it will engage .If the pawl is also rounded it's lower than that .