Author Topic: Altitude (Read 3639 times)

Jerry · « **on:** January 05, 2012, 09:45:36 AM »

Will there be any effect on the performance of chainsaws at an altitude of 9500 feet. I am fixing to get started building a cabin in Colorado at that altitude need to cut some pine and aspen and was wondering about the effect of altitude.

pineywoods · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2012, 10:01:30 AM »

Unless your saw has one of them fancy microprocessor controlled carbs, it will run rich at that altitude. Need to lean out the high speed jet a bit. Don't forget to reset it back when you come home.

weimedog · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2012, 11:58:46 AM »

Quote from: Jerry on January 05, 2012, 09:45:36 AM

Will there be any effect on the performance of chainsaws at an altitude of 9500 feet. I am fixing to get started building a cabin in Colorado at that altitude need to cut some pine and aspen and was wondering about the effect of altitude.

It will run rich as the air density/pressure is less. It won't hurt the saw to run a little fat, I would first just try and run the saw as some will be more effected other. If its running too rich and blubbering on the higher end of the rpms and that's causing issues in the cut or stalling at idle ..then worry about tweaking those adjustment screws..and as was posted in the prior post, just set them back if you tweak when you get to the lower elevations. I lived out there for 11years and did a lot of motorcycle riding up in the Medicine Bow National forest, some bikes needed to be re jetted and some didn't as much.

Al_Smith · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2012, 03:08:08 PM »

We used to deer hunt near Vail at about elevation near 10,000 .My little poulan s-25 ran okay but at that altitude would boil the gas in the tank if it got low . You have to remember though to can't hardly get water hot enough that high to even boil an egg.

Seems to me we had to advance the spark on the Jeeps about 4-5 degrees also .At 10,000 there's somethinhg like 30 percent decrease in O2 levels . Machinery actually runs better than people do if you're not used to it .Takes a couple of days to become aclimatized so to speak .

s grinder · « **Reply #4 on:** January 06, 2012, 06:33:40 PM »

Don't know about small engines,but rule of thumb is any naturally aspirated engine looses three percent horsepower for every thousand it climbs above sea level

Ironwood · « **Reply #5 on:** January 06, 2012, 08:05:49 PM »

Al,

Not sure about the "Boil an egg thing" I have cooked at fairly high altitude 15K. Your BODY on the other hand will definitely feel something, and it varies greatly, and fitness doesnt have anything to do with altitude illness. And sometimes you wll be fine, other tiimes hit you like a ROCK.

Ironwood

Al_Smith · « **Reply #6 on:** January 06, 2012, 08:23:50 PM »

That was a slight exageration but water boils at 195 at 10,000 .We always took a pressure cooker with us anyway .

The summit on red and white mountain in Eagle County Col. was something around 11.5 .We were at about 10 more or less where we made camp .

I have no idea why the gas boiled but we had a little Pioneer 2 cuber with us and it boiled too .Didn't hurt anything just odd .We just leaned the high speed jets a tad on both of them and they did fine .

Al_Smith · « **Reply #7 on:** January 06, 2012, 08:32:13 PM »

About that 3 percent drop ,it's probabley right .In those days with carburated 350 Chevys on those 3/4 ton trucks they struggled making it up the slopes on I-70

Modern fuel injection with electronic engine control you probabley wouldn't notice it or at least not as much .

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