Quick carb cleaning?

[Jcotrel1]

is it safe to spray carb cleaner into the carb while the saw is running? Saw is not as responsive as it was when it was new (last year).

[lxskllr]

I don't think so. From what I've read, it's bad practice. You have a chance of leaning it out, and scoring the piston/cylinder. I'd explore other avenues for the performance loss, and if you zero in on the carb, remove and clean/rebuild it. First step would be checking your air/fuel filters, then try twiddling the mix screws.

[Magicman]

There is no "quick" carb cleaning.  Cleaner sprayed into the intake is simply sucked through with the air and does nothing to clean any passages/jets where gas goes.

[Tom King]

To clean a carb, you have to take it apart.  If it needs cleaning, the parts that need cleaning can't be seen from the outside.

[Tacotodd]

It's easy to take apart/clean/re-gasket. Hardest part is R and R. I wouldn't spray with it on the saw. Check on inside condition of the aluminum body insides while you're there. Oxidation is questionable. Your nose is your friend. If smells like gas, no prob; varnish, replace with in-expensive carb unless your living depends on it. Then, OEM. Listen to these guys, it sounds like they are telling you very true things.

[gspren]

You can mix some Sea Foam gas additive to your fuel/oil mix and maybe luck out if it runs better after a few tanks, I've had that help with engines that set too long between uses.

[Real1shepherd]

No free lunch with carb cleaning and chainsaws....take it apart and do it right. Tilly's have their little Welsh plugs and screens to deal with.

I would NOT squirt carb cleaner in a running saw. Just like NOS squirting into a car's cylinders, it momentarily removes all the oil lubrication from the ring(s) and cylinder walls.....bad JuJu...even if it's only momentarily.

Kevin

[Eddie Southgate]

Go to Tractor Supply or Home Depot and get a couple of cans of VP premix fuel with Mechanic in a bottle in it . It's about $ 9 or $10 dollars a can . Run it and it should clean it as well as you can get it without taking it apart . I used it a while back on two saws that had set for two years and it worked on both .

The small saw started after about ten pulls and would idle but rough so I shut it off and let it sit overnight . Next day it started on the third pull and idled like it did new .

The big saw would not start so I pulled it about 20 times and left it overnight . The next day it would pop but not start. On the third day it started and ran but would not idle . Turned out the reason for inability to idle was bad hoses .

Since your saw starts and runs I believe you would see a much quicker improvement . Seafoam can work but I have not had the same results from it in a two stroke as I have had with four stroke automotive engines .

[Real1shepherd]

This whole issue could be because some ethanol gas got left in the saw. In that case, buying a premix fuel might right things....maybe.

Typically, if there is no air leak anywhere, a saw that won't tune or doesn't seem to run right is traced back to needing a carb rebuild. Taking the carb apart and finding some fine sawdust bits in there means you have a air filter/air box issue.

It takes a lot of hard service to get fine sawdust in your carb if you keep your air box and filter clean. I've seen people that don't clean either....just go with it.

Kevin