POULAN " WILD THING" CHAINSAW ENGINE FAILURE DIAGNOSTICS AND TEARDOWN

[@alfonzo907]

For people that never owned an original poulan chainsaw , I'd like to set the record straight about them !!!!!!!!!!!!!! I.m 73 yrs. old and since about 1960 , I have owned many poulan saws . I still buy old poulan saws , even if junk because I would not be without one to three of them all the time. I'm continually lending one of them to my kindred . Thanks Jake Williams for your positive comment about poulan products . I have owned several poulan push mowers and they would far outlast 4 cycle engines , if good gas and sufficient oil was kept in them . What has happened to give poulan a bad rep. is the same thing that has happened to many a good American made product . Around the 80s , especially after the NAFTA agreement , a lot of Good American companies left the USA to relocate in countries with cheap labor and no EPA regulations . The worst trouble was two things . They didn't want American workers any more that wanted decent wages and they were money hungry , producing products of the cheapest quality to sell back to American consumers . They didn't care that American workers and consumers were the ones that made them multi-billion dollar companies . The thanks we got was traitors to the American way !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The second thing was , them already filthy rich and using the cheapest labor , they produced nothing but pure junk to sell back to the American consumer . There can be no forgiveness for what they have done . Many today are spending years in prison for a lot less !!!!!!!!!!!! Most things the American consumer has bought since the 80s wasn't worth carrying home . Poulan products are no different . Besides , Poulan has been purchased by other companies and is not the original products that used to be made with quality in America by American workers . This is from Wikipedia . " Poulan was originally an independent American company based in Shreveport, Louisiana, founded as Poulan Saw Co. in 1912 by chainsaw pioneer Claude Poulan. Purchased in late fifties or early sixties by the Beaird Company, also of Shreveport, it was known as Beaird-Poulan. The company was acquired by Emerson Electric in 1972, and was purchased by Electrolux in 1984 " . Poulan is now affiliated with Husqvarna . I am with President Trump all the way . It's time to return to American industry , in America , made by Americans , with quality control . I am sick of junk coming form China and Mexico . It's a shame what China has allowed American conglomerates to do that's tarnished their good name for quality . China is second to nobody when it comes to quality products . Neither was America in the past !!!!!!!!!!!!!---Ernest E. Johnson

[@doglegjake6788]

ive got a 1998 42 cc wild thing , i removed the engine and used concrete adhesive to reseal the crank seals and clamshell , i also drilled a hole in the tank to take a larger main fuel line and used a stihl fuel filter ,, on first start up it would rev to almost 16,000 rpm , i shut it down and retuned the carb ,, i started it again between my leggs and it went full throttle close to 17,000 rpm and the flywheel exploded between my leggs and blew my left nut and half my left leg away ,, be carfull moding these saws they hit full rpm very fast they are a beast

[@georgetucker336]

Thanks for the well explained tear down instructions on the Poulan.

[@andybcumming1]

Man I am so glad your back. I missed you. You make awesome videos. Thanks for everything you do.

[@fishman211]

Great video from someone who knows what he is doing. thanks.

[@rafaelalexandercabreravale7182]

Nice video Jeremy, i have 2 questions for u, first..do you have to disarm the whole engine in order to give maintenance to it....2nd, how long can u be running the engine of those chainsaw's ? like maybe for 20 minutes, less or more time without stopping it ? thanks

[@AlchemistLair]

Good to see you back, Jeremy!! Glad you did this video. I have the same chainsaw (maybe a little better cared for) but it's been a great chainsaw for medium duty on my property for about 10 years now. I would like to rebuild the engine some day just for fun and to freshen it up so I hope I can find parts for it!!

[@SteveRobReviews]

I dont work on as many as you do but I wonder if this saw had the spark arrester pluged solid as well. I remove the as soon as they start to plug up,noticeable power loss. Great vid. Thanks.

[@donyboy73]

you're back dude!

[@captainsledge7554]

These engines live for years if you treat it right. Drain fuel out every winter, and let it warm up before revving it. For some reason nobody knows the correct way to maintain a 2 stroke. My wild thing has been running since i bought it new when it first came out.

[@doglegjake6788]

i honestly dont know why people trash poulan saws , its the people using them that mess them up by using cheap gas and cheap oil or forgeting to ad oil to the gas ???? these saws with the proper mods will run harder than any husky or stihl 42 cc class saw i promise

[@JOEZEP54]

Nice breakdown. Looks very similar to a Craftsman.

[@daveycrockett9447]

Awesome Video. I have a Poulan P4018 I am working on trying to resurrect. Thanks for all the direction!

[@sdowney717]

so clean the carbon off and put it back together and run it. You did show 180 psi which means the piston-cylinder-ring are working. And that ring moved, I saw it move, so it was not stuck. I just pulled apart an old Poulan 2300 with 16 inch bar. Engine had small amount carbon buildup. Cleaned it up-replaced the 3/32 oil line for the pump. Saw has good power, cuts good. These engines can tolerate some wear-grooves on the piston. The cylinder though should be smooth.

[@paulbrodie331]

I wish I found this video a month ago, but better late than never, thank you for the lesson!

[@josh33025]

When I take a clutch or a self tightening bolt off, if your looking straight at it, it comes off in the direction that it spins

[@joefinn75]

Jerry I just completed my Stihl Silver training and I really enjoy your video's!

[@philliphall5198]

Have you tryed a farmer Tex kit yet??

[@midnightpassion43]

Oh my gosh, I'm so glad that I watched this video. I tour down this old chainsaw that wasn't working, and so I wanted to try and put it back together. An I couldn't figure out why my carburetor wouldn't sit right and bolt up right. Oh my gosh, watching this video I have the cylinder on backwards, I can't help but laugh at myself. Go thing I wasn't fixing someone else chainsaw or that one was working. Thank you for the video.

[@cliffperrino3015]

Very good thanx,I have a poulan saw262 pro no spark. replacedthe integral coil and wire assembly, gapped at 15 thou to flywheel,sanded lightly fly wheel contact points; last year replaced all the fuel lines, fresh gas......no spark any ideas?

[@josh33025]

Look who's back!

[@skyscraper37]

Also what should the compression be

[@daphlavor]

These saws require 40-1 gas oil mix, would you suggest using 50-1 instead? To avoid the carbon build up? Thanks

[@PaulApollonia]

Hope everything is ok with you and your family? Welcome back!!

[@biophylia]

excellent video. Thank you for the upload.

[@larryreno8293]

People, listen up! If you get to this point just put it in the trash. These saws are not worth fixing. This is a great educational video if you want to repair you poulan.

[@09hoseclamp]

so apart from someone's time to do teardown/rebuild, would it even be worth it in parts alone to do this rebuild vs buying new?

[@davylee88]

Great video. Just one question.You can't repair chainsaw with such engine problem? Thanks

[@DigBipper188]

You could... but for the money you spend on new pistons, rings and re-honing the boar, you'd be better off just buying a new saw! it's not like rebuilding a car engine where all the parts have a high value... most consumer grade chainsaws are built to serve their purpose and fail just out of the warranty period... When that happens the parts are more expensive than the saw by the end of it usually.

[@lawnmowerdude]

yookang lee they make cylinder piston sets you can buy online.

[@2cyclemix]

What brand of compression gauge is that?

[@carstenkjller6680]

Why dies the fuelline rot?

[@donyboy73]

sure i'd like to know

[@pacheco464]

How manu psi has to have?

[@timewass]

I have a Poulan wild thing 2375 which I have had since 2001. Still runs good but is there a kit available to bump the CC's of this saw from 42? Also it's an 18" 3/8 bar and chain. Can you get anything longer in 3/8?

[@fred7705]

Unfortunately i got a poulan 2250 that i inherited from my dad and i know its bad cuz all my friends laugh when i come for tree cutting chores on their lands. What would be my problem if i told you that when get it to finally start ...i have to hold the gas on that sucker until i m done cuz on idle it coughs and dies on the moment. Thanks for this vid

[@gcbonfiglio]

Very clear, very useful. Thank you

[@hollissmith5467]

hi have a wild thing got gas and fire. but wont crank. does it have a flywheel key. it is almost a new saw. let it set up with bad gas . put new carb on it fired right up about 6 times next day wouldnt not start hasent started yet.

[@HappyScrappy47]

Great video !

[@pacheco464]

Engine psi on this poulan?

[@georgecarter4744]

THANKS FOR THE INFOMATION

[@jonbailey7706]

Have a 2375poulan saw it has a lot of kick back when u crank it . i checked flywheel key it is good it has 120 compression. It has good spark when i put gas in carb it will not hit a lick if it has compression and spark it should at least hit. the rod has a little rattle in it could it be binding up and how would u tell? help. i checked seals with air and vacum all good.

[@Travis_H]

welcome back, long time no see cant wait to see more vids

[@stevecieply9630]

when my saw gets hot it gets out of adjustment. any ideas. when it's cold runs mint then gets hot and gets screwy.

[@Oldcoinsandstuff1]

Someone gave me this saw today. I took the muffler off and it has one scratch / gouge on the piston that doesn't seem to have effect the ring. The saw has 110 psi. Compression. Worth running or parts???

[@skyscraper37]

I’ve got a pp4218 that will idle but I cannot get trigger at all tried adjusting the hell out of it and cleaning and maintenance and still no where...is it hooped or just need fine tuning?

[@raymondw4926]

Question.....Poulan Wild Thing. 125 psi, clean plug, good 40:1 gas, strong spark, brand new carburetor, exhaust flows clear, will not start, puff, back fire anything , even when using starter fluid..... Looking for suggestions....thank you

[@ChrisUrsiny]

those are definitely paper towel saws, i got a garbage can at my shop full of these pieces of scrap.

[@Crlpope]

Smart people never have much trouble with a Poulan saw no brain people will never get one to work! I have two 2300 saws I use to cut firewood for the last seven years still working great!

[@thebigtruckguy]

I have the same saw. What piston and ring do I need? I’ve been looking on eBay but not sure which one to get

[@shawnlester8388]

I got a saw it use to run perfect then I let it set for a few years it won't even started

[@A35pickuptruck]

I have the same model saw. My problem is I can't keep chain oil in it. It runs out as fast as I pour it in. Can you help me as to what my problem is. Dave

[@jonbailey7706]

I have a poulan wild thing. when u try to start it it kicks so bad that it wont crank. When piston is at top dead center u can turn crank shaft about 1/2 of " and piston wont move Same at bottom u can turn shaft about 1/2 " and piston dont move. would that make it kick?

[@MrOutasmokes]

I recently got a poulan chainsaw..couple things wrong I'm guessin..first..wen I pump the primer bulb nithing happens..dry...secondly when I try ro pull start the damn thing its has a hard jerky pull..before I try to tear it apart maybe you could maybe give me some inssight to what I may be looking for.never owned a chainsaw.needed one forever but never afford one..but my health prevents me from swingin an axe or hand sawin anymore..please..any info is much appreciated..tyia.

[@THEMOWERMEDIC1]

poulan makes equipment under the craftsman badge

[@allisonbuchiere7980]

I have a poulan Wild Thing chainsaw, when I pull the cord sometimes it pulls right out of my hands like there is super compression.. what can I do?

[@wcjcnc]

I had one of these come in my shop today. It had been run with the brake on. It got the clutch REALLY hot and melted a bunch of plastic around the clutch, ruined the clutch spring, and ruined the brake. I took the clutch and brake off. It will crank but runs like crap no matter how you adjust the carb. I'm guessing it ruined the crank bearing and/or the crank seal. Is that a posability? Thanks.

[@Italianracer724]

wcjcnc mine did the same thing.

[@hollissmith5467]

hi how do u remove th sproket

[@bure998]

thx for the vid bro...my fairly low-hours wild thing used to start very hard but when warm would run like a champ and start first pull. this season when i got it out, put in fresh gas and oil (it was stored empty) and attempted to start it just wouldnt. after probably 300 pulls it coughed to life a couple times (using ether), then died. i'm wondering if i should troubleshoot it or just get a new saw..these seem to have a bad reputation....

[@Wanous-hv7zo]

duh why did you buy it in the first place? they are junk

[@johnwells7931]

that's a very good saw ,, people that buy them fuck em up with cheap gas and oil , I've got several stihl farm boss saws and I I'm impressed with the poulan 42 cc class saw it's bad ass I've owned one for 15 yrs and work it hard and never had a problem with it ever

[@gpro76rmp]

Can you replace these with a cheaper chinese engines(stihl clones)?

[@JeffreyStrader]

Without touching any of the settings (screws) on my carb, what can make my Ryobi chainsaw idle at 90% throttle ....again I touched nothing on my chainsaws carb. I simply started it, and it idles almost beyond its rev limit.....any clues?????

[@kurtsimmons1587]

From other videos I’ve seen it looks like it was a lack of warm up too!

[@mikebuch]

I have a Poulan wild thing saw and when I go to start it the pull cord jerks out of my hands like it has super compression. Any ideas on how to fix it?

[@Shovelheadfxwg]

Someone ran cheap oil, or outboard motor oil in this saw. If people would buy good synthetic oil like Bel-Ray MC-1, or H1R, these saws would last a lot longer. I have run Bel-Ray at 40:1 in cheap chainsaws, and after five years, the cylinders and pistons still look nearly new, and little to no carbon build up. I have a $59 Homelite bandit weedeater that is 16 years old and still runs good. I have only run Bel-Ray at 40:1 in it since I took it out of the box.

[@peteraz5956]

Hello, thanks for the info I didn't want to hear. I just bought a used chain saw from a craigs list guy exactly like the one you took apart. The seller showed me it started up and I thought is was okay. When I got home, I started it up and felt that the pull string was really hard to pull at TDC and when it started it went to max RPM so I shout it down quickly. I did that several times so I surmised that the carburetor is bad until I saw your video. Now I'm thinking I got a lemon. Wood I be correct ? No, I have not taken a compression test yet because I don't have one that screws into the head. What should the compression be in PSI anyway. Thanks

[@skipwavedx5151]

So the oil that lubes the chain also lubes the crankshaft?

[@donhannam4819]

does anyone know if the lower back part of the throttle handle is part of the gas tank ??? would like to mount a tail on mine thanx

[@jeromewallace3868]

Hi I would like to know how to remove the oiler from under a break band. My POULAN "Wild Thing" isn't oiling when I cut

[@animalcorvair]

remove the clutch its right under it easy fix had one of mine go bad

[@Wanous-hv7zo]

the platis oiler is shot. you have to remove the clutch not brak band

[@melisacummings4161]

Texas chainsaw my biggest fan....oh my gosh!

[@fangorn1000]

Excellent video. thank you for sharing. I have 3 Poulan Chainsaws and none of them works, regardless what I do.

[@daltonhamilton8225]

My dad had a Wilde thing then a part to the bar broke so I took the bar off and straight piped it.

[@pl747]

Why does Poulan recommend a 40/1 mix and everyone else uses a 50/1 mix?

[@inspyrdbychet]

My Poulan 2150 has a rubber seal on the cylinder head side of the carb adapter, and the gasket kit for this model has an actual gasket rather than the rubber seal. I'm wondering if it would be best to discard the seal and use the gasket only or use both?

[@inspyrdbychet]

Ooops, wrong saw ^, it's a PPB3416.

[@kevr1331]

can someone tell me why my poulan model#3416 chainsaw piston cylinder fill with gas when tipped on its side?

[@THEMOWERMEDIC1]

LONG STORY WILL SEND YOU A MESSAGE ON WHAT GOING ON

[@chichipersiancat]

I have one of these saws perfect loaner saw never used it myself but if someone breaks it not too bad compared to a pro saw

[@andybecker2693]

I wish people would stop buying these $150 saws. If you really need the power of gas you need to buy (at the very least) a farm/ranch grade saw from Husqvarna or Echo. Stihl is a good saw but only in the pro line.The real problem is that 80% of people don’t know how to run or maintain a gas saw let alone sharpen a chain. The number of videos on KZbin about saws that have been straight gassed and have scored cylinders/ pistons is evidence of this. If you need to trim trees or other small jobs,just buy a good battery saw. They are a lot better than they used to be a few years ago.

[@chaytonruijsenaars3971]

found one just like it, same model number exactly, saw itself is in great shape, carb is pristeen, spark that can jump a fence and good compression, just a little scoring is all, but it wont run for shit, cause its a pullin pro? cause its a 2 stroke? why? . . .it dont make sense that perfect condition, good plug, not flooded, saw in working order wont work

[@farmer190xt5]

yes very

[@trevorbone4350]

Stops running when hot

[@driveitbreakitfixit7496]

When I try to start my pollen wild thing it runs for about 30 seconds the it chocks itself out (NEED HELP)

[@ThunderMan88]

Can someone tell me if running a chainsaw at lower rpms is dangerous?

[@THEMOWERMEDIC1]

no i do it all the time....no need to wrap a saw to 12,000 rpm to cut a little twig.....just use common sense and yould do just fine

[@ThunderMan88]

JEREMY FOUNTAIN Thx for the quick response.I appreciate it.

[@sindrome303]

its not dangerous, but they do need to rev, other wise carbon fouling will build up

[@imoehl123]

checkmyleetskill old thread, but yes a mid range throttle is dangerous, for extended periods. A chansaw has 2 jets, one for idle , one for WOT (wide open throttle for guys who have asked that question.) At idle, your pilot jet (or low speed or idle jet) is simply put- keeping the saw running. a saw needs WOT when cutting to both make the fuel/oil mix, work as it should. (low rpms= less combustion temp= carbon fouling like in this video. Plus mid f=range throttle cutting does not move enough air via magneto or flywheel to properly cool the engine. that is aside from porting or jetting a saw, changing sompression and squish and timing.

[@johnme7049]

+checkmyleetskill A chainsaw should operate at ONLY two speeds. Idle and Full Throttle.

[@qubanquban5709]

all about it

[@animalcorvair]

they are good for the price easy to fix will run an run put it up against any new made saw i have 6 start every time got them down pat run 93 gas is the trick

[@daltonhamilton8225]

Well it was a part that spun the chain.

[@imoehl123]

Jeremy, thought you were a backyard mechanic within the first 45 seconds of the video, a compression test without the throttle WOT, new guy mistake. But hey, you know what you are doing. good job, also if you said it or not in the video, poor quality oil will do the same, for all you guys reading. Also, for all you budget minded guys who are buying poulan saws to use once a year and dont have alot of experience with a saw, please buy a stihl, husqvarna, dolmar, something with a reputable name. (even though poulan used to be a damn good saw. maybe you wont use the saw enough to see the engine difference, SAFETY is always good. Poulans anymore lack in that department. Just remember, if you buy a saw from walmart, the customer service desk cant tell you what went wrong with it, but an actual dealer can. A new ms170 is like 200 bucks, plus you get an actual dealer to work with. budget minded is good, but so is peice of mind that your initial investment will last.

[@beingsneaky]

I am sure the main reason they break down is because, WHO looks after a 150 dolLar saw like they would a 5-900 dollar saw? plus ppl who buy those saws are noobs, no nothing about saws and just want one or need it for one job... you know ppl who dont look after them. watch another youtuber small engine dude say " they will last as long as any other saw as long as you look after them proper. you may not be falling big azz trees with it but for little work they are fine.

[@lawnmowerdude]

It almost seems like these homeowners saws have to handle more abuse than the professional ones.

[@sunnydays4966]

I would save the parts you problem not as common as carbs save that carb and bar and chain also if clutch wheel good save it I seen them dent and jam just with pitch log

[@zx8401ztv]

What a shame, but as you said they are short lived so... Smashing stripdown, never takes you long :-)

[@alfonzo907]

One more thing after completing the video . Thanks for the demo. You seem to be very knowledgeable except for one thing . Your refference to polan being a " paper towel " saw is correct about them , but so is most products today. T H R O W A W A Y is the norm . Someone on a farm blog said , poulan is a throw away saw after about 5 to 8 hrs service of use . Not before the time of the NAFTA agreement in the 80s . I am rural and for many years , i depended on firewood , because most of my land is timber . I have used a pouland saw year after year for several years and many many cords of firewood before getting another poulan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They lasted hundreds of hours . The consumer is getting more knowledgeable about the government and big business getting into bed together and robbing the people by higher prices and no quality . Have you noticed the left's agenda to make everything wrong , backwards , upside down , inside out , truth a lie , etc. etc. Pouland has fallen under the industry standard , called planned obsolescence . They're products are designed to fail in a short time . An O L O G O P O L Y is a market form wherein a market or industry is dominated by a small number of large sellers (oligopolists). Oligopolies can result from various forms of collusion which reduce competition and lead to higher prices for consumers. Oligopolies have their own market structure. When they moved most of our industry out of the USA , there was no more competition , therefore they had an almost monopoly on their products !!!!!!---Ernest E. Johnson

[@connorrampage7817]

For being disposable, you sure did over-talk this video.

[@curbshoppin]

they are like bick lighters, when there out of gas you throw them away

[@Crlpope]

Stupid is as stupid does smart people never have much problems with these saws. But you can't fix stupid I guess! My saw has ran for seven years and cut firewood each year and still runs great!

[@madbull9988]

paper towel chain saws lol. i coulden't agree more...there just garbage

[@harrisonp3727]

Best to buy Chinese !

[@raymondw4926]

Question.....Poulan Wild Thing. 125 psi, clean plug, good 40:1 gas, strong spark, brand new carburetor, exhaust flows clear, will not start, puff, back fire anything , even when using starter fluid..... Looking for suggestions....thank you

[@davidbarrientos4703]

On the top of the carb on the right side it has a plastic black part that has a spring. Does someone know what that part is called. And can it be bought without buy the hole carb. Any help will be helpful thx.