This saw hasn’t been running well for years, mostly just set it aside while using my 361. It would always bog down, then often quit under a load. The symptoms sorta mimicked what would happen if the spark screen was totally blocked. That wasn’t the case, no screen anyway. I tried about everything, including new carb, gas line out & checked, fuel filter, adjustments, etc.. I was thinking about selling it to a local fixer upper guy, specializing in revamping saws. Mind you, this saw has been to one, maybe 2 shops for a checkup, for this problem. I emailed the shop that was interested to buy the saw. Before I committed I wanted one more go of it. I tried it on a modest tree, no change, quickly bogging down. I ran the symptoms through Google, looking at some repair videos. Low & behold the lady honed in on ‘fuel tank vents’, with symptoms that were what my saw was experiencing. I looked where my vent was supposed to be, the tube long gone, just a stem left. I cleaned the hole with a wire, did a practice cut. The saw ran 100% fine, no bog, no stall. I have to cut more to confirm everything, I’ll put a better chain on, test more tomorrow. I just wonder why a shop wouldn’t have looked there? There was no vent in place, had a shop looked they likely would have put a new vent in, even if it wasn’t the problem. I wonder if anyone else has a similar story, bad vent causing the engine to be starved of fuel? I had this saw apart so many times, gas line out twice. It always seemed like a fuel problem. I bought the saw new in 1993, always used non-ethanol fuel. The saw has seen a good bit of use, but treated well.
Shop maybe wanted an easy fix saw for a cheap price. Sad but not rare. Glad you got it back up and running.
Nice that you found the issue and were able to DIY. I had an MS290 that was my lone saw for many years. Bearing seized on the clutch drum which I diagnosed after looking into it and a little internet research and it was a simple fix. Im not big on fixing OPE. Cant say anything bad about my 290. Treated me well for over ten years.
Since I’m off work a few days I’ll do a little saw fiddling today also. I want to make sure I have a good sharp chain on the 029 for proper testing. Funny thing, I started thinking about a backup, small saw a few months ago. The initial plan was maybe electric, ended up with an almost new Echo cs-3510. Then I ordered an Echo 590. Now maybe my 029 is fixed, my 361 can take a rest. I’ll be sure to rotate use, don’t like them sitting too long. I’ve been watching a few saw tutorial videos recently. What’s the deal on ‘clutch replacement’? Is it recommended before any failure? A DIY task? I see it’s mentioned, hasn’t really crossed my mind, the 029 would be the 1st candidate if it’s a thing? They mention how the sprocket can get worn over time, makes sense.
Here’s an update; I made a temporary fuel vent with a small tube, then I found a modest tree to cut down & up. The saw performed outstanding, no cutting out, no stalling. I think my problem is fixed. I gotta say, all those saw maintenance videos I watched did a number on me. I took two chains & carefully filed them in my bench vise, prefer off the saw as able. Besides the teeth, I took the rakers down a fair bit. I mostly eyeballed them, errored on the low side. Part was I was experimenting, then also planned to cut softer wood. The chain was cutting great. I could almost just go with my homemade tank vent, but I ordered the proper one anyway. Just in the last 2 weeks my saw numbers went from one working to now 4, ready for anything.
If you know what a new one looks like, you can see when they are getting worn. Changing the clutch is a DIY job, at least if you have basic mechanical ability, and some tools. I personally like to swap out the clutch for an aftermarket one with a rim sprocket, if they are available, and assuming that OEM is not that way already (obviously) It's nice to be able to just swap the sprocket out, or change sizes, without changing the whole clutch, which yeah, its not that big of a deal to do, but still my personal preference.
I have to say, AI is pretty good these days for troubleshooting. And it actually helped me with my latest used saw purchase regarding price.
