Stihl 031 AV issue

Speaking of capacitors on the shelf...back in shop class they always had a bunch of good spare caps on the shelf to be swapped out during troubleshooting of small engines...seemed like someone was forever grabbing one, charging it up, and tossing it to some unsuspecting victim with a "here, catch!"

 

Yes, My Dad(in his Mid 80's) and I are still pulling off those stacks. Probably over 50 cord there yet. That biggest shed with 80 cord got totalled out by a windstorm and we will tear it down and working on using the wood in there.

I decided to get set up here at my place and fixed up another barn that had been totalled by wind. It was a 3 year project but I retired eatly from the Day job and got it finished. Poured a nice floor in it and built a rack system to store wood here.



2 different close neighbors let me cut their dead trees and started hauling that in when fit and split inside when it was wet/raining.



Built a dedicated wood hauler last Winter and it has a push floor for unloading out the back and it made it all WAY nicer.



Ended up cutting close to 70 cord by myself and it's all split and stacked inside now.





Those stacks are 8 ft high by the way. I'll let that sit a couple years to completely dry even though it was all dead when cut. Mainly ash and beech with some oak.



Barn before. Wind had blown it off foundations and pulled rafters apart and whole roof was sliding down.



Barn after and quite a change.

 

Every time I see those pics .

 

Wondering what solid state coils you bought to replace the point ignition coils with?

 

I had bought mine a while ago. I just checked and the website link I used is dead so they must be out of business. No name on the assembly and says made in Argentina. I have used the modules shown in this link before ans they do work.

 

Gotcha.....I've tried using modules on these point ignitions without success, although I didn't try using the AVE model flywheel which I believe is what's needed to make them run right when switching to either an electronic coil/module or using a chip. The ones I did was done years ago with a chip and ran, but not right. It wasn't until several years later that I read that the flywheel from an AVE model is needed to make it run like it should (flywheel key location is different). I have watched that video several years ago and could tell that saw didn't sound right after the work he did was done. It sounded like the ones I did, I ended up going back to using points in those all those years ago. I still want to try using a electronic coil and or chip with an AVE flywheel to confirm that these would run right doing it that way.

 

I have gotten coils from Lil Red Barn in the past but just checked for you and they don't list any for it. I have an extra flywheel you can have for $5.00 + shipping if you want to go that route. I see you're in Ohio and if near Dayton, you could pick it up if you wish.

 

Got all the non runners and basket cases done now and that's a good feeling. Had a little 009L and and 026 and finished that this morning. Coil on the 009 and crank seals and fuel line on the 026.

 

You may or may not know this... I didn't until I recently ran into it. Some saws have a positive ground ignition system. Wiring in an electronic ignition chip as a negative ground on these won't work. I ran into a saw that needed it wired as positive ground and it worked. It wasn't the above saws but its definitely a thing.

 

Now whose stupid idea was that?!

 

I still have one or two of those (IIRC) Nova made modules, and yes I'm aware of the wiring of them. They still don't work on the 031av unless an AVE flywheel is used. They will run, but not right with the point flywheel.

 

Maybe international harvester? Lol. Some Tractors were positive ground way back too.

 

Got ya. Interesting these old saws are.

 

Yeah, that seemed weird too...but this, on a saw ignition, feels more like monkey see monkey do than someone in engineering did it for a good reason...

 

I was surprised for sure.

 

They will run with the non electronic flywheel if you take the key out and advance the timing one full flywheel fin. I had an av and ave both apart to compare with one I was working on that I put a nova chip in and that’s the difference in the two flywheels. If you advance a points flywheel one full cooling fin it will run with a chip I’ve done a couple since. Used to always change the flywheel but was running out of the electronic ones.

 

Good to know, I don't have any of the electronic versions at the moment to compare the flywheels.

 

They run with a points flywheel and a chip but are real lazy because the timing is way to early

 

I saved an image of both electronic and point style flywheels that show the key location pretty well between the two. Top picture is points type, lower electronic.