Any way to tell if a air leak vs lack of oil caused a saw to burn up?

[xyz123]

How would we know the contents of the links? Just take your word for it? For all we know, you could be a russian hacker using human engineering to get folks to sign up for stuff. :laughing:

TBN links work weather your signed in or not.

Cant fix stupid :confused3:. Guess you havent noticed my other chainsaw threads here to know. Later :laughing:

 

[crazyal]

The problem is that I have signed up for way too many forums to see one thing and then never return. I'm still a member of a Hyundai forum even though I just needed to see where the crank position sensor was for a friend. Sure you can cancel but do forums ever take your name off their site? Now I get spam from a number of these sites. I appreciate the offer and maybe I'll sign up but if I'm not going to be an active member, chainsaws are just not something I really care that much about, do you really want me?

 

[MossRoad]

Cant fix stupid...

You left out an apostrophe...

 

[Coyote machine]

Oil/gas mix CAN separate out over time and in a gas can will leave the heavier part in the bottom of the can=oil in can, low ratio gas/oil mix in saw. That's why many manufacturers of saws tell one to shake the mix can vigorously before putting mix in a saw, or any two stroke engine, and to do same with the saw before starting.
Believing otherwise with today's gas is sheer foolishness. And anyone who uses E-10 gas should use it up quick or risk serious consequences to their engines.
I have seven Stihl saws I use for different jobs, and ONLY run Ethanol FREE gas with Stihl Ultra oil. I shake the can and the saw before starting, after refueling every time. I also do NOT use any gas containers that can vent to atmosphere. They are all sealed, and do not allow any outside air in.
When in the field, the plastic 'can' is stored in the shade, or covered, and NEVER left open except when refueling.

IF you value your equipment, I suggest adopting these exact practices, and not wavering from them going forward. I hope you find this info useful to long saw/equipment life.

 

[Sodo]

Believing otherwise with today's gas is sheer foolishness. And anyone who uses E-10 gas should use it up quick or risk serious consequences to their engines,,,

Is it sheer foolishness or sheer luck? Or could it be older gas engine vulnerabilities with a healthy dose of internet legend? Could be a mix of all.

I drain the "older" carbs, ignore the more modern ones, & haven't had ethanol problems for 5 years. Actually much more than 5 years. 5 years ago is when I decided to man up and buy Stabil - even though I wasn't having problems. But the ethanol unrest was just starting to ROLL and I was jumping on the bandwagon at that time. Then I had difficulty actually mothballing my 50+ engines. I looked back on what this Stabil bidness might gain me, not actually having genuine problems prior. So abandoned the Stabil bidness and its been fine. So I've had much more than 5 years to question ethanol unrest.

I open carbs from time to time and do have to clear out jets etc. I do this when I buy a neglected old engine, look thru the carb and clean it out. Bought a jeep with 1979 engine, it ran like crap. Carb cleaner thru every passageway and it purrs like a kitten. And new engines sometimes need a first cleaning.

Typically no problems from then on, but I'm careful not to put a dirty gas can filler into the tank (etc). I don't recall this as being any different than the pre-ethanol days.

But the average modern man doesn't know how to do these things, or considers it a major problem and may well think theres something else to blame. I know lots of capable mechanics who err on the side of caution, do all the internet things. That method works for them, but I consider it unnecessary by my experiences in NOT doing it. With 50+ engines I should have s couple problems per week if you believe the internet legends. I've never opened the carbs on my Stihl saws in 5 years (never changed the gas either) but probably should go thru the carbs.

Cant fix stupid :confused3:

I'm gonna try. Got a 2013 Stihl MS201T that Stihl screwed up, then fixed in 2014, and wants full pop for the upgraded parts (carb & flywheel & ignition). I think I finally got all the info how to mod the parts (except ign).

On orig. topic I agree the guy probably ran it on straight gas (or somebody did). Pretty easy to confuse gas cans if you don't have a good system.

 

[Fawken]

My Weedeater trimmer and Poulan saws sometimes sit for 4-5 months without usage. If there is any mix left in the tank when I go out for the first cutting I just dump it as a matter of practice.

 

[crazyal]

The oil I use is black in color. You can't miss the difference between straight gas and mixed (in my case). Even in the red plastic gas cans it's day and night. But I also run between 36:1 and 40:1 ratios. I've never fouled a plug and I don't use too much fuel a year, maybe 3 gallons. So I prefer to use up the oil a little sooner vs having it sit on the shelf for a couple of years. I did buy a can of the gas from Lowes. I wanted something that could sit for a year or two and still be good. You never know when a tree will fall and block the drive. Even though it's mixed it's clear in color. I suspect that the non mixed fuel they sell is also clear. I could see how someone could just grab a can without looking assuming it's all for 2 strokes only to find out that it's not.

 

[Sodo]

Never seen black, but I do appreciate the dye (I have green or red). I run 80:1 in some motorcycles, the color kinda hard to see sometimes. The 50:1 is easier to see.

I have a lot of engines and a lot of gas cans. I label all my cans and police them like a nazi, which puzzles other people. Have 3 types, straight, 50:1, 80:1. And in the summertime now will have a 4th type (non-ethanol). And have diesel cans too. It's a PITA, have enough other complications, not thrilled about adding more cans. No surprise to me that somebody could get confused and pour straight gas in a 2-stroke.

 

[crazyal]

My chainsaw is the last 2 stroke engine I have. Even my Honda weekwaker is 4 stroke. After using it and feeling the extra torque compared to the Stihl I was borrowing from a friend I'm wondering how long it will be before we see 4 stroke chainsaws. It was always weight being the limiting factor but I think with the EPA cracking down on 2 strokes killing their power and the advancements made with 4 strokes it's not as far off as it once was.

 

[MossRoad]

My chainsaw is the last 2 stroke engine I have. Even my Honda weekwaker is 4 stroke. After using it and feeling the extra torque compared to the Stihl I was borrowing from a friend I'm wondering how long it will be before we see 4 stroke chainsaws. It was always weight being the limiting factor but I think with the EPA cracking down on 2 strokes killing their power and the advancements made with 4 strokes it's not as far off as it once was.

A few things are probably keeping 4 strokes from chainsaws. Most notably, weight, expense of repair, complexity of repair, and initial cost. If you compare dirtbikes, 2 strokes VS 4 strokes, they pretty much had to double the engine displacement class to get the same speeds. Here's an interesting article on that subject. It doesn't favor one or the other and seems very unbiased.

2 Stroke vs 4 Stroke Dirt Bike - How They Measure Up On The Track | MotoSport