I KILLED a chainsaw. Only I don't know how I did it...

Normy · 01-11-2008, 06:34 PM

Well, last summer I decided that this sable palm in my back yard was more ugly than anything else, so I went to the Lowes about a kilometer from my house and purchased a chain saw.

This is a Poulan P3314, which means that it has a 33 cc 2stroke engine, and a 14 inch bar. I know a little bit about yard appliances, and the Poulan name is NOT the best, but since I figured that beyond the 22 inch-wide palm and the occasional coconut cluster....I'd probably not use the thing much. Walk into your local Lowes, and look for a green chainsaw. This is the unit I'm talking about.

Well, it took care of the sable palm in a big hurry. Of course, that's not saying much, since a sable palm is basically a giant celery. There is no "wood" in a palm tree- they are basically fibers and pulp. The chain died quickly- I've since learned that chain sharpening is literally a black art. Take it to a shop, or just replace the chain each time you cut down a tree.

Last week I took it to an investment house we bought in Fort Lauderdale, and used it to cut down two small black olive trees that were wrecked by the hurricane and in no hurry to re-create themselves. I tried to cut the first down, and nothing happened but smoke. Back to Lowes I went, where I bought a new chain: Suddenly, the formidable wood turned to balsa and the saw went through it in seconds. I was 75% done with the second when the saw ran out of gas.

Or so I thought...

I let it cool 10 minutes, and then filled the tank. Then I spent 30 minutes working my right arm pulling that starter again and again, to no avail. I figured that I'd just flooded it. I tried it the next day- same thing. I changed the plug, drained the gas, tried it again. Nothing doing, it wont start.

Ominous: When it was new, you definitely had to use your foot on the handle to hold it down when you used the pull starter, as the compression was very high. Suddenly it was much less, about the same as my 4-cycle weed-whip.

I finally got pissed off and took it all apart, down to the crankshaft. This is what I found, in the picture below. It looks like sand has gotten into the combustion chamber, though I don't know how that could be possible. I checked the filter, a simple piece of felt mesh about 1/4 inch wide, and it was installed properly. What's more, there was no dirt flying while I was chopping the trees.

-What I wonder about is my fuel. I took an empty 1 gallon container that looked clean and added a gallon of fresh gasoline. I then poured 3.2 ounces of the 2-cycle oil that came with the chainsaw into the fuel as directed.

I did NOT shake up the gas-oil mix. I swirled it around, and then tossed it in the back of my Aerostar van for the trip to the other house. When I got there, I fueled the chainsaw, and then started work. It ran for probably 25 minutes on this fuel before it quit.

What happened? I can't figure out how the piston shown below got so badly scored. The ring is literally gouged into the piston!

$109 down the drain...

N!

Hugh R · 01-11-2008, 06:41 PM

Looks like no oil to me. You should shake the container every time you add gas

il to the gas tank IMHO. The scoring is on the sides of the piston that see the wear (i.e., in line with the direction of travel. No scoring on the wrist pin side.

TerryH · TerryH's Garage

I would have just taken it back to Lowes and said "it no worky."

Hugh R · 01-11-2008, 06:58 PM

Warranty is probably expired. I'd go buy another one of the same model, clean the old one up real good, and put it carefully back in the box of the new one, and then return that one. I did that once with an automatic cat litter box that stripped the plastic rack and pinion on the advance. Stupid design, the rack should have been replaceable rather than molded into the body of the shell.

dbrisson · 01-11-2008, 06:58 PM

Definitely metal transfer from either too lean or not enough oil. The piston cylinder are toast. Always good to run them a bit rich. Debris or sand would give a very fine dull look to the p&C.

sketchers356 · 01-11-2008, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Warranty is probably expired. I'd go buy another one of the same model, clean the old one up real good, and put it carefully back in the box of the new one, and then return that one. I did that once with an automatic cat litter box that stripped the plastic rack and pinion on the advance. Stupid design, the rack should have been replaceable rather than molded into the body of the shell.

You actually do this? Sounds terribly unethical.

Normy · 01-11-2008, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Warranty is probably expired. I'd go buy another one of the same model, clean the old one up real good, and put it carefully back in the box of the new one, and then return that one. I did that once with an automatic cat litter box that stripped the plastic rack and pinion on the advance. Stupid design, the rack should have been replaceable rather than molded into the body of the shell.

NO I won't do that! Come on-! That's basically theft! Get real dude!

Hugh R · 07:50 PM

Yeah, I actually did that with the cat litter box. It stripped the pinion the day after I bought it and the store refused to take it back because it was "used" by the cat. How the hell was I going to operate it except if it was used by the cat! BTW, the "exchanged" cat litter box has worked for the last two years. I believe it was a bad injection molding of the rack.

LakeCleElum · 01-11-2008, 09:27 PM

Lack of oil (Should have shaken the mixture well) OR Failure to follow break-in procedure.
Break-in usually requires extra oil the first few tanks and don't run wide open for prolonged time period?

KFC911 · 01-12-2008, 02:12 AM

+1, Operator error, pure and simple

. Anyone who thinks a chain needs to be replaced or sharpened after one tree should learn how to operate a chain saw...or even better, hire someone (and I'm VERY serious). Chainsaws in the hands of a novice causes me great concern...please be careful!

DanielDudley · 01-12-2008, 04:01 AM

Put the oil in the bottom of the gas can, and add gas. Shake , shake, shake.

I get oil in the premeasured for one gallon size, usually in six packs. MMMM !

Be safe. The chain may bite, but the tree will try to jump you.

Aurel · Aurel's Garage

Call Nickies and JE for high performance custom P&C. Send the head to Atlantic Anchor for porting and polishing. Have him twin plug that baby too. Slap an SSI exhaust on that, and your chainsaw will scream all the way up to 15,000 rpm.

.

Aurel

turbo6bar · 01-12-2008, 04:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

Put the oil in the bottom of the gas can, and add gas. Shake , shake, shake.

Yep, oil first. Then gasoline. I don't shake. The high flow of the gas pump will certainly do a lot of mixing. A few can shakes can't hurt, though.

Mo_Gearhead · 01-12-2008, 06:14 AM

Poulan???
Pfffft!
Time to MAN-UP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvAI7-Qa2Io

williecoyote · 01-12-2008, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbo6bar

Yep, oil first. Then gasoline. I don't shake. The high flow of the gas pump will certainly do a lot of mixing. A few can shakes can't hurt, though.

+1

Then every time I refuel the saw, a quick shake of the gas can first.

Paul K · Paul K's Garage

If you weren't so far away I'd lend you my Husqvarna. Might want to look on Ebay and see if you can find a parts saw?

Normy · 01-12-2008, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul K

If you weren't so far away I'd lend you my Husqvarna. Might want to look on Ebay and see if you can find a parts saw?

Nah...it was a $109 cheepie. I used a hack saw on the plastic frame to free the crankshaft and connecting rod/piston assembly. I'm going to mount them on the wall in my garage, a "*****s and giggles"decoration. If people ask, I'll just blame the girlfriend. It makes sense and she won't catch on anyway.

Buy another one? I have use for a chainsaw about once in two years; That thing was just taking up room in the garage, and it's cheaper just to rent one from Lowes.

N!