Fixing A Poulan Chainsaw That Won't Start Out Of Storage

Links to products I have in my tool bag.
Carb Adjustment tools. amzn.to/3k7cgxe
Compression tester. amzn.to/2NMgeze
Spark PLUG TESTER. amzn.to/3jEcZH3
Inline Spark Checker. amzn.to/3bnXjmA
Feeler Gauge set. amzn.to/3rTsZK6
Chemical bottle. amzn.to/3eWcGVs
Above are affiliate links which means we receive a percentage of the revenue made from purchasing products via those links.
I worked on this chainsaw over a year ago and I've asked to use it for a project.
Hopefully it has been ruined in that time.

[@mattfleming86]

Hear the noise from the chain/sprocket? Notice how quickly the chain stops moving when RPMs dropM Now it's a little too tight. Safer than too loose, but qhite risky for the machine. You want to tighten it enough that it doesn't have any sag, but loose enough that it still moves freely. Moving the chain my hand with the engine off will give you a good feel for the tenstion/friction. Too loose and it will derail, too tight and it makes a LOT of friction (think of it as a long high-speed brake band) this heat will transfer to the bar and to the clutch assembly. If the clutch gets too much additional heat added to it (and remember, clutches ALREADY get quite hot) it will wreck the crank bearing and/or the crankcase seal on the PTO side. Too tight also chews up bar rails and nose sprockets very quickly. I'm not knocking you at all. I don't intend to come off preachy. There was a time when I didn't know myself, and chainsaws have a lot of nuance and general rules to learn. I have spent a large portion of my life heating with wood and with additional production for sale. Enough that I keep two professional chainsaws inside my house ready to go at all times, and usually run a saw at minimum 1 day per week, often more.

[@ethanmiller3935]

Another important thing when using a chainsaw is PPE. Chaps are a must for me. One wrong move, or miscalculation and you could be in the hospital with serious injuries and depending on the situation six foot under. I have both the Stihl Function/woodcutter chaps(black) and their promark orange chaps. The promarks are a 9 layer chap vs the 5 layers for the others. The promarks ran me $125 - a lot less than a hospital visit. You can search Wranglerstar and he did a cheap vs promark test, and l can agree with his hate to cut the new chaps for the test. My brother has a husquavarna set that seem good also. I was working on a saw a while back and the chain was turning at idle (it was a combo of to fast idle and worn out clutch springs, the springs were the biggest issue) and when l went to turn the idle screw l knicked my finger with it. Thankfully it only got the skin on my knuckle and l only needed a stitch or 2. I now have a scar as a reminder, and no other issues with my finger, but it could've been a lot worse. And that was trying to fix the dumb thing not trying to cut with it at wide open.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks for your time

[@mattfleming86]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE And thank you very much for yours. I struggle with some 4 cycle engines and governors and the like. I have learned a BUNCH from you. Much appreciated!

[@Rein_Ciarfella]

Thank you very much for such a thoughtful and well written comment! I know some of this but never really thought it through to the negative conclusion before. Makes perfect sense and something I’ll be more careful about from now on.👍🙏🔧

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem

[@GuysPlayingWithTools]

I keep my toys drained when I am not planning on using them for a while and still hold my breath when I put that first fuel in for the spring shakedown, so far, I haven't had to do anything more than fill the tanks every spring.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's pretty news then.

[@GuysPlayingWithTools]

@INSIDE HOUSE GARAGE Mower is 3 years old, BP blower is 13, weedeater is 12-ish. They aren't spring chickens but they act like they are. 😁

[@MikeJones-jr5hb]

I drain mine but I’ve heard some say they drain the fuel then fill it with just 2 stroke oil. I’ve had good luck with my way but to each his or her own way 😂

[@GuysPlayingWithTools]

@@MikeJones-jr5hb I agree completely. I have a way that I recommend to everybody, but guys that have a system that works well for them over the years... they should stick to what works for them. Too many people in the world insist there is only ONE way to do things, I don't want to be one of them 🙂

[@apatterson8128]

Yes. I’ve been doing it that way for years. Never had a problem. However, I DO make the sign of the cross and say a little prayer before I start each machine every spring. 🙏 lol

[@christophermarshall5765]

Nice easy fix. My mini chainsaw is battery powered. Only gets used for pruning trees.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nothing wrong with that.

[@NootNoot67]

Those little Pre-StratoCharge Poulan saws are fun and easy to work on. For what they are, they are not a half bad little tool. If you take the muffler apart and open a hole in the front where the big dimple is and close up those louvers in the back that blows up against the aluminum plate, re-tune the carb and it will really wake up the power.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I'll have to keep that in mind, thanks

[@NootNoot67]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I may be able to send pix to you if you like.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

sure, [e-mail]

[@mattwaters6987]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing! 👍

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thanks for watching!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

I use a full tank of Tru-fuel and oil so the saw is readyn to go. Good video and Blessings!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Thank you Lewie McNeely

[@lewiemcneely9143]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE U 2!

[@mateo85tx]

I use true fuel or motomix and keep them full. My thought is metering diaphragm might get crunchy in the carb if it’s left dry. New to your channel, enjoying it so far ! 👍🏻

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you Mateo fish handler! I appreciate your time.

[@mateo85tx]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE, I work on small equipment for a living also and love it. Get a weird satisfaction from it. Ha

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nothing wrong with that

[@mateo85tx]

@@raymondcampbell2346 I shouldn’t have said true fuel, I’ve actually never used it before. But I have ran Stihl MotoMix now for last 10ish yrs without a single issue.

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

Awesome little saw. I empty out all the fuel & then purge the fuel system with 2Cycle oil.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you Will Grant

[@aaronpowell4885]

Nice catch on that one👍🏻 I just do not use "gasoline". I use either 100ll avgas or canned alkylate fuel. Neither one has ethanol nor will they turn to varnish. For me, as a user, hobbyist and collector with 20+ pieces of 2 cycle equipment, those fuels pretty much eliminate the need to drain fuel for storage! Also... I don't drain bar oil, just check/add before next use.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you Aaron Powell.

[@mateo85tx]

100% in the same boat and agree !

[@jameshedrick605]

I keep mine dry when i'm not going to use then for a while. But i have that same saw that doesn't want to stay running right and i think it might need new crank seals

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you James Hedrick

[@rogerstlaurent8704]

i was going to say the same thing If it's not the Card then its the Crank Seals Good point

[@michaelmacvicar2654]

To answer your question, I keep fuel in my chainsaws. I started mixing SeaFoam into all my small engine gas including two strokes. I run super unleaded now with 1 oz per gallon of SeaFoam in all my small engine gas. The reason for this is that 3 times now, I haven’t had to tear things apart with old gas in them that didn’t run right. 3 times I’ve had engines that had something clogged in the carbs because of sitting for an extended period of time. And three times I’ve tried adding SeaFoam to the gas, running the engine and then letting it sit for a time. Three times, the running issue has been solved by doing this. The engines were an arctic cat 340 snowmobile, a Honda harmony lawnmower and a tecumseh snow king snowblower engine and in all cases, running a rich mix of SeaFoam to gas ratio has solved the problem so now I just mix 1 oz per gallon in everything.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

interesting, I'm going to have test this.

[@RussellHoughton]

My Saws get used often. I don't do anything special but I will add stabilizer if I know I won't be using it for the rest of the season.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you Russell Houghton.

[@edgartobias2406]

You're the man, you stared!

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks

[@garyalensr]

IHC quick question totally not related to this video which was awesome btw, but do you know if the Bolens bl160 weed eater has a clutch? I can't find anything online about it and don't want take it apart if I don't have to. Thank you for any and all help you've helped me with

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

not a problem, according to Ereplacmentparts dot com, yes it does have one and it's not that expensive

[@garyalensr]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE thank you so much, the head on the one I just fixed spins all the time. If I adjust the idle down it still spins. The trimmer itself is only a few years old so I'm assuming the clutch is bad?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

seems like it, specifically the spring might be weak.

[@braidenlentz2790]

Sir my poulan 2150 will prime fuel into the carb but it doesn't exit out of the return line to the tank. It was leaking out of the carb, out of the adjustment screws, and pooling underneath. I just replaced the carb, lines, and bulb and it's still doing the same thing. I don't know what else it could be.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I think your fuel lines are backwards on the bulb.

[@braidenlentz2790]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE I tried both ways and it was the same result. I’ll try it again. Thank you.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

no problem

[@rickthelian2215]

Was the Oiler lubricating the bar and chain. The cardboard test.😊

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Yes it was

[@isaacmanhire7360]

ive got a sanli chain saw and it starts but dies straight away so i pulled the carby off and all the Diaphragms are bad so im just waiting for them to arrive as it was running fine a few months ago and for left in the sun with fuel in it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

good luck with it.

[@two-strokeworkshop1154]

So I got a question completely unrelated to this so I got an older echo chainsaw it’s a 300 evl. And about December 2022 I put it up and didn’t start it for a good 3/4 of the month and now it’s not starting

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

okay, as long as the fuel is fresh, I would always consider a non-starting chainsaw to have flooded. Have you tried to un-flood it?

[@two-strokeworkshop1154]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE yes but it still won’t crank

[@josephmeadows8521]

Love it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you

[@josephmeadows8521]

You're welcome buddy😇

[@TonyHarper-j7f]

I emptied this saw and stored it for two years. When I attempted to start it, I got nothing. I barely used this saw two years ago. IS THERE ANY HOPE?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes there is. Question though, did you empty the fuel and run it until it stopped? If not there was still fuel in the carb that may have damaged the diaphragm. I'd replace the carb and you're good again

[@TonyHarper-j7f]

@ Thanks. I emptied it completely and I “think” I ran it until it stopped but I can’t remember without any doubt. I thought I did though.

[@adammosher1115]

I got to squeeze my throttle for mine to start is my idle speed to low otherwise it runs any suggestions for it

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

this is the same way, but there's a throttle lock. Does yours not have a throttle lock? otherwise most newer choke systems slightly open the throttle

[@adammosher1115]

@@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE yes but still have to pull the trigger for it to start it like the throttle lock doesn't hold it open even though it is on

[@ethanmiller3935]

I put away with fuel in. One of them has the spiral diaphragm in it so the fuel wont affect it much, and it gets ran at least monthly to keep fuel fresh in it. And the other we just got, and have been using it. That one l would be more apt to run dry because of the size of it, and the likelihood of needing/wanting it monthly. And they get 100% gas with Echo red armor that says it has stabilizers in it, and l put Amsoil fuel treatment in it too just for extra insurance.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you for the information

[@dillon7303]

Is that a dummy brake, just a hand guard?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

it's a guard

[@CrowMagnetron4233]

i store all of my small engines with fuel in them. i use high octane ethanol free stabilized fuel though. i also run them once a month at least

[@GuysPlayingWithTools]

Running them once a month is the key. I use stabilized fuel all year but still drain them when the season is over.

[@CrowMagnetron4233]

@@GuysPlayingWithTools True, but I start all of my engines even in the middle of the winter when there’s snow on the ground. Also I use ethanol free fuel. Ethanol is what destroys gaskets and gunks up carbs

[@GuysPlayingWithTools]

@Mitchell Morrison You are more ambitious than I am in the winter. Lol Even ethanol free gas degrades but starting them occasionally will use it up and take the thicker fuel off the bottom of the tank before it is unusable. If it has worked for you over the years, keep doing it! 🙂

[@bigrenegade7121]

I don't run the fuel out of my chainsaw when I store it, though I do empty the bar oil out has mine has a self feeding oil line and it will leak out while sitting. Now I only made the remark about not running the fuel out before storing it because mine happens to be an electric chainsaw so I don'[t have to worry about. ;-)

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thanks for clarifying

[@Patrick4959]

normally in my view i would use the good old Fuel Stabilizer and i have never had a problem with those liquids plus fewer starting issues too etc.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I agree with you, thank you Patrick Stapleton.

[@robertmailhos8159]

The chain definitely has to be re adjusted otherwise it ran great

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you Robert Mailhos.

[@nhvintage2981]

I use only echo red armor with fuel additives in it already

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice, I've heard good things about it.

[@brianbaird3]

I wish there was a way i could find a to get a new cylinder and piston for model super clean poulan from 1999 my cylinder is bad and doesn’t have enough compression to start

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

can you give me the model and serial number? I'll see if I can find it

[@powertoolexpert6999]

Morning

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

how's it going

[@jesmith1989]

My 4000 counter vibe has a leak in the gas tank when I tried to start it it started then I filled up the gas and tried to start it it tried to start but made a weird noise and smoke a little that's when I found the fuel leak

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

sorry to hear that, hopefully you can fix it.

[@Findlay419]

I thought storing dry would dry everything out in the carb and filter?

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

It's what they recommend what you do in the owners manual. And if you're worried about drying out the diaphragm, then keep it filled, but every couple of months you'll have to drain the fuel, put new stuff in, and then run the machine for a minute or two.. Most consumer will never do this type of routine, so dry is best.

[@sillyscarer2]

I think it's the Leatherface chainsaw replica.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

nice comparison

[@williamsnow1531]

All my equipment is drained empty of fuel. Small amount of time to drain the fluids to make sure you’re not spending lots of money and time in repairs when you finally need to use it.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you are correct.

[@leeholzmann1023]

nice piece of spalted maple you cut...

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

I know right, glad someone knows about wood. thank you Lee Holzmann.

[@electroddxful]

All my equipment I put it up with a empty fuel tank 👍🙏👍🙏

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

the best way!

[@CrowMagnetron4233]

that saw has a really noisy chain

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

yes it is noisy isn't it

[@StevenEverett7]

Since I use my chainsaws through-out the year I don't really need to empty them.

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

makes sense

[@ArtFerguson]

So I guess you should have just put a new chain on your saw. Lol

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

more than likely, most consumers won't ever change them.

[@jethrograyjr7534]

This one want stay running

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

you mean yours?

[@williambray4134]

Dry

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

thank you William Bray.

[@jjjuarez312]

Running a little lean...

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

Don't worry, I did a bit more fine tuning on it, while I was using it.

[@MattTavarez]

My cheap chinese one still going, fk these poulans

[@INSIDEHOUSEGARAGE]

that's good to know