Gas Cap Expanded and wont fit, Poulan Chainsaw

fig · Aug 10, 2005

Spiker,

I did not think of that. I was thinking about taking the cap and running a beed of silicone around it and let it set up to form a thicker gasket. I need to do something soon. I will be cutting down some sizeable penoak's before fall comes. I am tired of those danged leaves getting in the gutters...not to mention trying to bag them with the mower!

Fig

SPIKER · Aug 11, 2005

Pin Oaks are not nearly as bad as White Oaks, the pin oak leaves are smaller, and a little less slippery when wet. those white oak leaves are nearly a foot long and have as wide, and very glossy with a good fall leave drop you can ice skate on dry leaves on a smooth deck, (don't ask how I know this.) only problem wiht the skating is the danged acorns that are even harder on the head when they fall form about 40' /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif anyhow I'm gonna take a wrasp to mine I think to get it fitting a bit better. maybe heat it with a flame (away form the tank mind you, to soften it a bit afterwards and smooth out any rough edges. I did notice a larger casting bump in the thread vally that may bhe causing some of the problems, a good razor will remove that first them proceed cutting out a bit more and checking fit each little bit...

MarkM

fig · Aug 12, 2005

Mark,

Let those pin oaks build up on the ground a little and they will get pretty slick; at least under my feet they do /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif!

Fig

SPIKER · Aug 17, 2005

Hey all:

I thought I would ppost back to let everyone know what was up

I took my pocket knife and trimmed the cap a bit after letting it set out og the saw for a few days. it was soft plastic and I was able to get it to fit again with out much problems. I tried to smooth the cap out after trimming using a torch, was too hot a flame and would cause the polastic tro bubble too quickly but a colder flame or a soldering iron would smooth it out probably pretty well
After taking the knife to the casting nub at the front I found the cap was cracked there too, the torce was used initally to try & melt the cap crack closed and did work for that though. I've done plastic welding before wit success this was little different as normally I would have gotten out the adjustable temp soldering iron I had but that is here at home and not at the farm where I was working on the cap...

ok anyhow I think letting it be away form the gas fumes may have helpped it some too??? I trimmed the width of the thread down as well as slightly the height of the thread. removed all parting lines/ casting defects too. after I was all done the thing turned in better than it ever did even when NEW.

MarkM /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

jerrybrown11743 · Apr 25, 2009

I have a Poulan Pro PP4218AVX. It's only 2 years old. When I went to use it for the first time this spring, I could hardly get the gas cap out. There was about a half tank of gas left from last fall. It was very dark. Something had disolved in it - probably part of the cap. The cap had swollen so bad that I couldn't get it back on. Furthermore, the o-ring seal had been shredded by a sharp ridge (probably flashing from the molding process) on the lip of the opening.
Betcha they're made in China. We need to wise up and start paying the price for quality. That's one way we could fight outsourcing.

jerrybrown11743 · Apr 27, 2009

Well, I took off the cap and put it on a shelf to dry out. This morning I could get it into the opening without pounding on it and actually twist it one turn. In another day or two it should be useable. So, I'm going to order a replacement O-ring and sand off the burr on the sealing edge of the opening. From now on, I'm draining the tank and leaving the cap out to dry when the saw's not being used.

Countrygent · Oct 31, 2010

I have 2 Poulans an older 2150 and a newer 3516 with the same swollen gas cap problem. It is caused by the ethanol in the gas. Poulan customer service sent me a new cap for the 2150 and it screws in and out OK but has not been exposed to a lot of gas yet so can't really say if it is fixed. For the 3516 I have to use channel locks to get the cap in and out.

The ethanol is damaging most all small engine equipment. It has ruined two weed eaters for me as well, a Homelite and a Weedeater.