Husqvarna 445 clammy build

yep!!! that's how they work. I'm all over that and understand the theory well, but I'm still having issues figuring out what is wrong with this one. I feel like a 1st grader sitting on the stool facing the corner with the tall cap on... I've sprayed carb cleaner all through this thing and all the ins and outs seem to be flowing and going the right places... I'll put another carb on it when it gets here. I've already changed the purge bulb and all the lines... Done all the vacuum / pressure checks that I know to do. I just need the men in white coats to come get me and the tool team to take all my tools away...

I hate to give up my man card, but...

I'm sure it's something really stupid that I've overlooked...

 

That's definitely the way it feels sometimes. You mentioned something about the impulse line and you maybe affecting it with your porting. Have you fully ruled that out yet?

 

I taped my card to that plastic Poulan before I sent it packing. Now the nephew is pulling his hair out over it. Lol.

 

I suspect that could be what happened to the poulan 260 I gave up on. I kinda went berserk on it with the grinder to see what would happen.

 

Ruled out. Porting didn't come close to it. Tested good in vac / pressure testing as well. It's getting plenty of gas. The saw cuts fine. just WILL NOT idle...

I'll get it one way or the other. I will play with the jets again till the new carb gets here. Kevin has me thinking to re-trace the basics...

 

Any luck MAF143 ?
What is your coil gap set at...need to be tighter? A long shot, but worth a try.
That other thread made me think of this..

 

I'll check it but I set it with the same index card I set all saws with. I'm taking all suggestions at this point. I'm hoping to get some time on it this weekend.

 

I had a few minutes this evening and checked my index card that I set my gap with. It was .016 so I found one that was .009 and re-set it. Also was thinking about what Kevin had said about the jets... Just so happened a guy that I had fixed his 029 just bought a Husky 450 and wanted me to do a muffler mod to it. So I started his and it ran fine. Basically the same saw as this 445 that's breaking my ..lls. Hi jet was at 1-5/8 turn out and Lo is at 2-1/4 turn out. So the 1 & 1 isn't where to start on this saw. I even checked the metering lever height... again...

Well I ran it and it runs better but still is wacky at idle. Then I started moving it around and when I put the bar straight up, it settles way down then stalls cuz I probably have the idle screw whacked. I always though that the seals would be suspect when it behaved this way but I just did the Vacuum / pressure testing twice on this saw. It runs at high idle (not actual high idle) until it is rotated straight up or rolled to clutch side down.

I'll try to get a video tomorrow and post it to show the behavior. I'm still looking for suggestions cuz I'm still puzzled.

I'll poke around the intake boot while it's running to see if that maybe where the issue is although I sprayed WD-40 around in there and that didn't do a thing.

 

Did you swap carbs with the 450 to see if that made a difference?

 

No time yet but I'm gonna. Tonight is dedicated to cattle stuff, mostly...

 

I got the soil samples in the pastures all taken and got some time to play with this saw. A new carb for it got here today also.

The full story on this saw is that it got to me not running so I did a carb kit in it first. I thought I was getting an OEM kit but it didn't come with the welch plugs. The metering diaphragm was bad so I thought a good cleaning and the diaphragms would do it. It still ran like crap and wouldn't idle. So I ordered a new knock off carb. I couldn't get it to run either so this saw just sat for at least a year. Well, I decided to put all new seals in just cuz it was a beater even though the original vac / pressure testing didn't indicate a problem. I think I was just itching to grind a clammy after talking to Steve... you know the exhaustive oil testing, Rit dye boiling, magnesium torching wild man...

I even ordered another new carb for it. Both new ones came with the jets about 8 turns out so that was no use and I just went with what I knew from the few other saws I've worked on and set 'em at 1 and 1 to start out... Chased my tail. In steps the man of the hour, huskihl and saves the day with the simple statement that not all carbs start out there... And then, the fortuitous coincidence of a 450 sister saw showing up on my doorstep to reveal the jet settings that I needed to start with being the rookie carb guy that I am...

So long story short... New carb today with newly found jet settings got me started on the right path. The other new carb I have is probably OK if I set the jets at the starting point of L2-1/4, H 1-1/2 but that's a tale for another day. Just happy this thing is finally running and I'll try to get it in some wood tomorrow to see how it goes. I even ordered a full chisel chain for it and a rim sprocket clutch bell also. The chain will get converted to square filed prior to ever touching wood. The only chain I have for it is a semi-chisel. It'll get used when I'm working fence lines back in the woods.

It seems to run OK although I'm not impressed with the cheepo carb adjustments. Just isn't as precise and definitive when adjusting like an OEM carb but I'm trying not to break the bank on this saw... (although I think that ship has already sailed...) This has certainly been a learning experience for me.


to huskihl and the rest of you who provided guidance down this winding path of learning for me.

 

I'm 95% sure I'm gonna make it to GTG so if you could make it that would be great to get a feel for how much a little work can "enhance" one of these overlooked workhorse saws that have warmed the hearths of many, many homes. At least I hope these have been "enhancements". It's always fun to compare saws. If we can make it happen, I'll post the info we figure out.

 

Glad to hear you got it figured out. Carb adjustments can be fun (frustrating) sometimes, especially initially settings.

GTG sounds good. I have it penciled in. I've been wanting to make it years past but never did. Seeing as this is Dennis least one I'll try to at least make it up there 1 day.

 

That was a premature celebration...

I got a chance to put it into some wood today. Idles fine and sounds good but when put into wood it falls on it's face. It's right back to doing exactly what it was doing when I first got this saw. Sounds good, four strokes on WOT, put it in the wood and it cuts, but bogs very easily and is ssssloooowwwww. When trying to tune it in the wood, it behaved exactly like I remember it acting when I first got it. I've changed the fuel line and filter.

I'll swap the carb with the 450 that runs great after the MM on it.

Back to square one.

 

Darn.
Sounds like you farwood stihl gonna get cut by that other brand...

 

Well shoot Monte.

 

Have you checked compression? I can't remember if you replaced rings or a piston. Kinda thought you just ported it.

 

new ring and slight crosshatch in cylinder, nice thump thump on pulling the rip-cord. My schedule is hectic. Gonna swap carbs as soon as I get a chance. I'm grasping at straws on that one, but the two new carbs I put on were aftermarket cheepo's... both acted a little different, but this last one is acting the same as the original OEM carb. The one on the 450 runs great so I gotta put that one on to definitively rule the carb thumbs up or thumbs down.

 

I'm also trying to fix my 445, how did you pressure and vacuum test your saw? I can block the muffler side with a tapered piece of old inner tube easy enough but the carb side has so many little pins in the way. I only have a Mity Vac for vacuum testing and probably also need to pressure test if I can block those openings. My saw is not running correct. New carb last year and it ran great until it stopped sparking. Then new module and it ran great for a day when I dropped and sawed up two large trees. Then since then it's not so good. Carb adjustments help but it just doesn't get to the right spot with fluctuating idle speed being the greatest problem. I would like to verify it is a cranks seal before replacing them.