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Ash_Williams | 07-29-2009 05:32 PM
Poulan sucks Just thought I'd throw that out there. I've been trying to fix a weed eater for the past week. In that time, I've ran across dozens of online reviews of the poulan weed eater, their lawn mowers, and chainsaws. Everyone has the same problem after a while, which is that they don't start and if you get them started they don't run. Not knowing this a week ago, I took a look at this weed eater and told my friend I could fix it in no time. What had happened is that the fuel lines had rotted apart (the thing was only 3 years old!). I replaced these and felt pretty good about myself. I was able to start it, and it ran ok. I tried it on my lawn, figured it was fine, then put it back in the garage. A day later I was going to return it, so tried to start it once more to make sure I didn't look like an idiot returning something that didn't work with a big smile on my face. It wouldn't start. Nothing would make this start. So I dug a bit deeper and ended up cleaning gum from the carburetor and putting it all back together. Also verified that I was getting spark. After I reassembled it, it ran again. I adjusted the idle, the one mixture screw, and had it running great. So the next day it wouldn't start again. What the hell? Took the carb apart once more to verify that everything was clean. Fuel was getting into the cylinder, the plug was sparking. I didn't get it. It wasn't even close to starting this time. At one point while messing with it, it started and ran great. I shut it off and tried again... started and ran great. I tried once more, just to be sure I wasn't dreaming... and it started and ran great. 15 minutes later, after I had cleaned everything up, I tried to start it. No dice. It hasn't run since. More recently I checked to be sure the exhaust wasn't plugged up, threw a different spark plug in just for the hell of it, dumped gas straight in, all the tricks I could think of. Nothing. Now I know this thing has the potential to run, because I've seen it do just that, but I just won't go. The fact that it actually has worked rules out a lot of stuff that could be wrong (ie. the spark at the wrong time, the carb still being plugged up, etc.) Anyway I'm totally frustrated with this peice of crap now. The only good that has come out of it is that after reading page after page of poulan reviews and repair tips, I will never make the mistake of buying one. It seems they may have been ok a decade ago, but with new emission standards they are crap and something like 50% are returned under warranty, then sold refurbished (often with missing parts.) Edit: I forgot to mention, the real kicker in all this is that the weed eater I'm trying to fix was recommended by consumer reports as a "best buy". If you read the reviews, you'll see 4 or 5 start out of 5 for people who say "I just tried this and it's great" and 1 star for people that say "I got this last week/ last month and..." Anyway, consumer reports sucks about as much as this POS whacker.

Gold Rules | 07-29-2009 05:48 PM
Re: Poulan sucks FWIW .......I bought a Troy built 4 cycle straight shaft trimmer a few months ago at Lowes ( this one has interchangeable ends ) the trimmer can be converted to a hedge trimmer - leaf blower - small snow thrower - small roto tiller & a few others so far it has surpassed my expectations......:yes:

Ag_man | 07-29-2009 05:50 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Poulan chainsaws suck d**k.

ruprick | 07-29-2009 05:58 PM
Re: Poulan sucks I know it is frustrating...there is still some crap in the carb somewhere....make sure the fuel tank is clean as well... Take it apart again and get out the air compressor and lclean every single port and hole again. I assume it is not a float type carb...but probably a diaphragm pulsation type pump? Make sure the little rubber diaphragm has no holes in it.....if it has spark and it has compression...only thing left is fuel. Oh, one last thought.....a lot of small 2 stroke machines get their exhaust plugged up with crap....I've seen this several times....make sure the muffler is clean and not packed with oily carbon gunk...this will create enough back pressure so the 2 stroke scavenging is soo poor they will not start or run very well. Also, make sure the fuel cap vent is working....letting air in but not out....I experienced this on a little 4 stroke once. I've seen it all...fixed a lot of crap and every now and then I experience a new problem....even after all these years.

Professur | 07-29-2009 06:00 PM
Re: Poulan sucks My weedeater rotted it's fuel lines too. Replaced them both ... then rebuilt the carb with a kit. There's a few jet holes that you can't really see until you pull it apart. Odds are there's a grain o rotted line sucked into a hole. When you pulled it apart, you did make sure to get all your gaskets in right, didn't you? 2 strokes suck air through the crankcase and if you've the slightest air leak, you're toast.

CrufflerJJ | 07-29-2009 08:05 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ag_man (Post 1842007) Poulan chainsaws suck d**k.
AGREED! I ditched my Poulan saw years ago & got a Stihl. Much nicer, less hassles all around.

gypsybiker45 | 07-29-2009 08:16 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Heres my 2 cents, Craftsman (which i owned) is made by Poulan. FWIW, mine NEVER started easy (at least 20 pulls) then would run decent, but stalled easyin tougher grass. I took the POS back to Sears 3 times, each time getting a new one. (this is within a week) finally I had given up, and Sears refunded my money, I was talking to a small engine guy afterwards and he said these newer two strokes are choked by the EPA to unbelievable lean conditions, if the oil mix is slightly rich, or the fuel slightly too old, no start! I watched him do the unthinkable on a weed eater, straight gas , fired right up, and he ran it wide open for about 25-30 second, bellows of smoke came out, then he refilled it with 32:1 mix, it ran fine, he said that happens 3-5 times a year on almost every Poulan, unburned fuel and oil lay in the crankcase and they just wont run.

SimpleMan | 07-29-2009 08:27 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Stihl is the only way to go. I have a chainsaw,blower, and a weedwacker. Not a lick of trouble. As far as chainsaws in the hands of novices, A quality tool is far safer! And professionals would own no other!

Ag_man | 07-29-2009 08:28 PM
Re: Poulan sucks The best gas trimmer I've ever had is an Echo. Starts every time on 5-6 pulls. JJ, maybe we were brothers separated at birth. First Taurus and now Poulan!

SLV>GLD | 07-29-2009 09:19 PM
Re: Poulan sucks I heart my echo trimmer.

Zilver | 07-29-2009 10:21 PM
Re: Poulan sucks 1 Attachment(s) Quote:
Originally Posted by SimpleMan (Post 1842235) Stihl is the only way to go. I have a chainsaw,blower, and a weedwacker. Not a lick of trouble. As far as chainsaws in the hands of novices, A quality tool is far safer! And professionals would own no other!
I am a Stihl addict 8 Stihl chainsaws and a Stihl weed eater are out in the barn, one Husky too (I must like orange things?). I recommend accumulating a few extra saws to use like gold or silver as shtf trade items:fan: http://goldismoney.info/forums/attac...1&d=1248919765beans, bullets and chainsawshttp://goldismoney.info/forums/attac...1&d=1248919765 .

Government Chee-tos | 07-29-2009 10:28 PM
Re: Poulan sucks How do you think they got their name? Cause thats what you'll be doin'.....you'll be pullin!

St. Germain | 07-29-2009 10:53 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ag_man (Post 1842007) Poulan chainsaws suck d**k.
Agreed - the new ones are junk. I inherited an old Poulan - thing had to be twenty years old. Hard years. When it finally died (parts no longer available) i bought another and killed it in 3 days clearing a field. Only Stihl and Husky now. Echo trimmers and limbing saws seem to work well. ST

elroy | 07-29-2009 11:03 PM
Re: Poulan sucks I bought a Ryobi weed whacker at Lowes about 10 years ago. It has been unbelievably great. I cannot say enough good about it. I've replaced a couple fuel lines and replaced the plug a couple of times, that's it in 10 years. In the spring it starts up within 1 or 2 minutes and then starts fine for the rest of the summer. Also I don't take very good care of it either. Never use fuel stabilizer for storage, just add new gas and fire it up.

electric-amish | 07-29-2009 11:04 PM
Re: Poulan sucks I have an Ancient Poulan Chainsaw from 1976. Its can still be coaxed into running and cutting way better than it should. Every thing on it is old school metal. E-A

roldgold | 07-29-2009 11:05 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Stihl and echo have always worked for me.

mayhem | 07-30-2009 12:48 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by roldgold (Post 1842495) Stihl and echo have always worked for me.
Ditto.....after years of experience.

farscott | 07-30-2009 06:07 AM
Re: Poulan sucks For me, Stihl and Shindaiwa work well. My Stihl edger is twelve-years old and runs like a champ. My Shindaiwa string trimmer and blowers are two-years old. I actually wore out my Stihl string trimmer, but I got ten years out of it.

rad | 07-30-2009 07:46 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Stihl for me. Chain saw. Hedge trimmer. Weed wacker.

Twisted Avatar | 07-30-2009 07:55 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by gypsybiker45 (Post 1842227) Heres my 2 cents, Craftsman (which i owned) is made by Poulan. FWIW, mine NEVER started easy (at least 20 pulls) then would run decent, but stalled easyin tougher grass. I took the POS back to Sears 3 times, each time getting a new one. (this is within a week) finally I had given up, and Sears refunded my money, I was talking to a small engine guy afterwards and he said these newer two strokes are choked by the EPA to unbelievable lean conditions, if the oil mix is slightly rich, or the fuel slightly too old, no start! I watched him do the unthinkable on a weed eater, straight gas , fired right up, and he ran it wide open for about 25-30 second, bellows of smoke came out, then he refilled it with 32:1 mix, it ran fine, he said that happens 3-5 times a year on almost every Poulan, unburned fuel and oil lay in the crankcase and they just wont run.
There is your high failure rate reason right there.......... The heavy hand of Gubbermint strikes again. Cant you just wait to see what they do when they get nationlized healthcare up and running???:s10: T

Professur | 07-30-2009 08:20 AM
Re: Poulan sucks just be glad they didn't insist on catalytic convertors for them,eh?

Twisted Avatar | 07-30-2009 08:25 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Professur (Post 1842933) just be glad they didn't insist on catalytic convertors for them,eh?
Please.......... dont give them any brite ideas eh??

Jimfrancisco | 07-30-2009 12:35 PM
Re: Poulan sucks They've already had that idea - 2010 onwards, cats will be mandatory. Quite a few recent chainsaws already use them.

RushIsABand | 07-30-2009 12:42 PM
Re: Poulan sucks "Poulan"...... Sounds French.......Hmmmm.

hypervel | 07-30-2009 12:48 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Just picked up a H 576xp and rully rully laaaaahk it. From a freshly filled tank-previously empty mind you- she gave me a pop after the 5th pull. OY! Tore down one of the 350's last night for a bath and schprokkitt change. Sigh. Seems the guys I know who have problems with 2 strokes don't run a good fuel/oil combo. I damn near own a percentage of the folks who make Sta-Bil. I'd like to chucke about that, but can't seem to. Even more folks underappreciate the need for maintenance of engine-equipped tools. They chuck a hot unit in the shed in fall, and gripe how it doesn't want to start in the spring. Oh, well. My shi* works. My only problem with Stihl as a company is their dealer network requirements. Maybe there's a beauty to it. Maybe I'm not much for the exportation of the Meister system. Daimler is bad about that, too. Happy cutting, all!

Mercenary | 07-30-2009 12:59 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Grew up using a Poulan chainsaw - same problems as you describe. A few years ago bought a Poulan Weedwacker - same problems as you describe. Moral of the story? POS then, and a POS now.

Jimfrancisco | 07-30-2009 01:17 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Yep, too many people add "a slop" of oil to the gas, don't measure it, and then try and start it up the next year on a half-tank of stale fuel which has been sitting in a shed all year... Quote:
Originally Posted by hypervel (Post 1843440) Just picked up a H 576xp and rully rully laaaaahk it. From a freshly filled tank-previously empty mind you- she gave me a pop after the 5th pull. OY! Tore down one of the 350's last night for a bath and schprokkitt change. Sigh. Seems the guys I know who have problems with 2 strokes don't run a good fuel/oil combo. I damn near own a percentage of the folks who make Sta-Bil. I'd like to chucke about that, but can't seem to. Even more folks underappreciate the need for maintenance of engine-equipped tools. They chuck a hot unit in the shed in fall, and gripe how it doesn't want to start in the spring. Oh, well. My shi* works. My only problem with Stihl as a company is their dealer network requirements. Maybe there's a beauty to it. Maybe I'm not much for the exportation of the Meister system. Daimler is bad about that, too. Happy cutting, all!

Professur | 07-30-2009 01:20 PM
Re: Poulan sucks I'm not playing Devil's advocate, but weedeater starts on the first pull every time. The only times it didn't was when the hoses rotted off, and when I rebuilt the carb. Each time, the reason was obvious and easily solved.

TLM | 07-30-2009 01:21 PM
Re: Poulan sucks I've had my Poulan chainsaw for 2 years, I've never had a problem. I always drain all of the 2-stroke gas out of it, then keep yanking on the pull rope until it won't fire anymore. I Fill it up with fresh the next time I use it. 43cc/18" Poulan pro... it's no stihl or Husky but it works fine for me at 1/3rd the price.

Ash_Williams | 07-31-2009 11:10 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
I'm not playing Devil's advocate, but weedeater starts on the first pull every time. The only times it didn't was when the hoses rotted off, and when I rebuilt the carb. Each time, the reason was obvious and easily solved.
I've gotten the impression that there is a huge range of quality for the same model. If you read the reviews it looks as if most people have a problem before fuel lines or carburetor gum should be a problem (ie 1 or 2 months). Some rare folks say the product is perfectly fine, even after a few months. I personally don't understand why they would use thoes fuel lines that can only lead to trouble. What does that save on the production costs? 80 cents over lines that wouldn't rot? The huge market for refurbished poulan trimmers and chainsaws suggests to me that the products being returned under warranty is extremely common. One website claimed it was nearly 50%, but cited no source.

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Ash_Williams | 07-31-2009 11:18 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Yep, too many people add "a slop" of oil to the gas, don't measure it, and then try and start it up the next year on a half-tank of stale fuel which has been sitting in a shed all year...
They do. The reason is that it used to work. I have old equipment I still do that with, that outlasts new crap. So what changed? Is it the EPA regulations? Something is different now so that nothing runs on stale gas anymore, and a carb will clog up in a month if you let something sit unused in the garage. In my opinion, that kind of performance is unacceptable. I know it's not good practice but older equipment ran no problem on stale gas after a year, and you could abuse them that way for over a decade and they'd be fine - that's why a lot of people don't think to run the things dry. The only new small-engine I'm satisfied with is my Stihl chainsaw.

Professur | 07-31-2009 11:37 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1845197) I've gotten the impression that there is a huge range of quality for the same model. If you read the reviews it looks as if most people have a problem before fuel lines or carburetor gum should be a problem (ie 1 or 2 months). Some rare folks say the product is perfectly fine, even after a few months. I personally don't understand why they would use thoes fuel lines that can only lead to trouble. What does that save on the production costs? 80 cents over lines that wouldn't rot? The huge market for refurbished poulan trimmers and chainsaws suggests to me that the products being returned under warranty is extremely common. One website claimed it was nearly 50%, but cited no source.
Dunno, but when I went to the shop to buy the replacement line, the guy at the counter didn't even blink, and he had a ton of the right size on hand.

Jimfrancisco | 07-31-2009 12:00 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Ethanol in modern gas eats the fuel lines, common problem. And the additives thrown into modern gas to up the octane evaporate off quickly (like butane), resulting in varnished up carbs. And the carbs are tuned at the factory, on non-ethanol gas, to super-lean EPA limits. Add ethanol, and you have trouble. Most people break off the limiter tabs/caps (illegal, of course) and retune the carb to a proper mix, if they know what they are doing.

Professur | 07-31-2009 12:07 PM
Re: Poulan sucks *whistles tunelessly*

horseshoe3 | 07-31-2009 12:58 PM
Re: Poulan sucks There's Stihl and then there's everything else......... and then there's Poulan.

mtnman | 07-31-2009 04:24 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Poulan are the BIC lighters of yard tools. When it runs out of gas throw it away. Stick with Stihl, Husky and Echo.

TechGuy | 07-31-2009 05:30 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by electric-amish (Post 1842493) I have an Ancient Poulan Chainsaw from 1976. Its can still be coaxed into running and cutting way better than it should. Every thing on it is old school metal. E-A
My dad has an old school poulan that is a 30 inch bow saw... 50cc engine if I remember right. That thing was a beast, he used it heavy for 20+ years. Poulan is a shadow of it's former self. I have had really good luck with echo. hands down best trimmer i have ever owned. (still hate weed trimming....)

scyth | 07-31-2009 07:01 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Huskys bark every time. scyth

Jimfrancisco | 08-01-2009 11:46 AM
Re: Poulan sucks A Stihl man myself these days, have 9 of them. You do know who owns Poulan, don't you? Hint - it begins with Husq...

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 12:49 PM
Re: Poulan sucks 3 Attachment(s) Ok, I banged my leg up pretty good yesterday so I'm going to be hanging around the house today. Seemed like a good time to take another look at that damn weed eater. I have it all apart and I've gone and put the carb back in the cleaner... after a couple of hours I saw that it hadn't gotten all the gum off last time and more was dissolving. So there's a couple pics below. I assume screws A and B are the air/fuel ones? B had that orange plastic cap on it (a limiter cap I assume)... I took it off to see if it had a screwdriver head on it without the cap and it does so I can adjust it later with a slot. C is the channel where a ton of gum was built up last time and this time. The diaphragm is the corner of one of the pics, it seems to be fine and airtight (no holes or anything.) The primer stuff is to the right, the primer pump thingy works fine and fuel flows through this really well (it had been gummed up before). Anything else I should be taking apart in this? Anything to look out for? I put the carb back in the cleaner and maybe later today or tomorrow morning I'll put everything back together and hope something makes noise.

Golddust | 08-01-2009 01:04 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1846903) Ok, I banged my leg up pretty good yesterday so I'm going to be hanging around the house today. Seemed like a good time to take another look at that damn weed eater. I have it all apart and I've gone and put the carb back in the cleaner... after a couple of hours I saw that it hadn't gotten all the gum off last time and more was dissolving. So there's a couple pics below. I assume screws A and B are the air/fuel ones? B had that orange plastic cap on it (a limiter cap I assume)... I took it off to see if it had a screwdriver head on it without the cap and it does so I can adjust it later with a slot. C is the channel where a ton of gum was built up last time a nd this time. The diaphragm is the corner of one of the pics, it seems to be fine and airtight (no holes or anything.) The primer stuff is to the right, the primer pump thingy works fine and fuel flows through this really well (it had been gummed up before). Anything else I should be taking apart in this? Anything to look out for? I put the carb back in the cleaner and maybe later today or tomorrow morning I'll put everything back together and hope something makes noise.
If you have had gum build up again?? You are going to make sure that the tank is clean.. Other words where is the gum (new?) comeing from?? If the carb is getting a clean gas/oil mix and the carb is clean it should run .. Make sure the tank is clean, I have used bb's and lead shot to clean out tanks put the shot in with solvent and shake the devil out it, it will loosen up all the crud. Just saying.

Jimfrancisco | 08-01-2009 01:08 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Yep, B is your mixture screw. Richen it up and make sure you only use aircooled engine 2T oil - Stihl or Husky, either. Not just mower mix, mowers don't hit 14,000 rpm! For carbs, I soak them in Methylated spirit - maybe known as something else where you live, but it's basically that "Everclear" with a purple colorant. An ultrasonic bath is ideal, but otherwise just "soak and shake". If the carb is really bad, just buy a carb kit for it - cheap money, and contains all you'll need to keep it running.

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 01:08 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
If you have had gum build up again?? You are going to make sure that the tank is clean..
The tank's clean. I just didn't get all of it before. I don't work with small engines, so I put it in the cleaner for a while, got some gum off with a tiny screwdriver, and figured that was that because it looked really clean. This time I'm letting it soak much longer and I'll look a little closer before deciding it's all done.

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 01:12 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Yep, B is your mixture screw. Richen it up and make sure you only use aircooled engine 2T oil - Stihl or Husky, either. Not just mower mix, mowers don't hit 14,000 rpm!
What is A? It controls how high that springy piece of metal goes (I'm not a master of small-engine terminology) and I believe if I unscrewed it completely I'd be able to remove the stuff below it. Should I be taking A out completely and messing with anything beneath? It all appears to move around nice and easy and springs back so I left it alone. Also, for B, "in" means richer and "out" means leaner?

Golddust | 08-01-2009 01:26 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1846929) What is A? It controls how high that springy piece of metal goes (I'm not a master of small-engine terminology) and I believe if I unscrewed it completely I'd be able to remove the stuff below it. Should I be taking A out completely and messing with anything beneath? It all appears to move around nice and easy and springs back so I left it alone. Also, for B, "in" means richer and "out" means leaner?
Use this link and find the model you have they should have a parts breakdown for your carb and trimmer. Hope this helps

Jimfrancisco | 08-01-2009 01:57 PM
Re: Poulan sucks "A" should be your needle valve level, normally no need to mess with it. If it all springs back nice and easy, then leave it well alone until it doesn't! "B" - backing it out normally means richer. Ideally you want to have it set so that it "4-strokes" (sounds a bit rough) at full throttle when not working, then when strimming or chainsawing it will smooth out and sound like a 2T engine normally does!

SLV>GLD | 08-01-2009 02:25 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimfrancisco (Post 1846924) Methylated spirit - maybe known as something else where you live, but it's basically that "Everclear" with a purple colorant.
Denatured Alcohol. You are correct that it is primarily Ethanol but it has Methyl Alcohol added to classify it non-taxable and non-drinkable. Methyl alcohol is nasty stuff and soaks through the dermis and the fumes are highly toxic as well. High enough exposure leads to blindness and permanent CNS damage. Use proper PPE when working with this stuff (gloves at a minimum). The upside is that disposal is a matter of evaporating in the outdoors.

Jimfrancisco | 08-01-2009 02:47 PM
Re: Poulan sucks We use it here with no problems - it's got the nasty stuff in it to stop people drinking it. Trangia cookers run on it, old blowtorches use it to warm up. PPE while using the stuff is daft - if you don't drink or bath in it, it won't hurt you!

SLV>GLD | 08-01-2009 03:31 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimfrancisco (Post 1847008) We use it here with no problems - it's got the nasty stuff in it to stop people drinking it. Trangia cookers run on it, old blowtorches use it to warm up. PPE while using the stuff is daft - if you don't drink or bath in it, it won't hurt you!
Your misleading information is dangerous to public health. Yes, it burns perfectly well and is great as a fuel with no adverse effects from burning it. It is, however, highly toxic through skin and lung absorption and protection is not "daft" but prudent. http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/M2015.htm Basically, if you are going to advocate the use of a toxic substance to a global audience then you should take the responsibility of also advocating the use of personal protective equipment and relaying the specific dangers of that substance. If you choose to expose yourself without protection that is fine but don't expect everyone else to ignore the safety hazards themselves.

Jimfrancisco | 08-01-2009 03:44 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Where I live, it is widely used with no PPE and no health problems. If you don't drink it or bathe in it, you won't have any problems. Christ, my grandfather lived to the age of 91 - a doctor by profession, and always used meths to clean his hands, as I still do. Get a grip on reality - grilling food also gives you cancer. Everything that is fun kills you. I would rather live a short, happy life, than end up in a care home, incontinent and not even knowing who my children are. Your choice, my choice. Do you wear PPE when filling up with gas?

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 05:34 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Ok well here's a twist. A neighbor has a newer weed eater that starts but won't run well except on 2/5ths choke. So, I borrowed that from him. I tried his carb on mine... no dice. Then I put my carb back together and tried it on his with my gas tank and lines - it ran great. So apparently mine is just incapable of working. I pretty much just ruled out the carb, fuel, gasket between the carb and the rest of it, etc. I got my carb adjusted perfectly using his weed eater so it would start on one pull and ran perfectly, idled great. Put it back on mine and nothing. I have spark, what's left? Compression? I don't have a way to test that. And it's run before, just a few days ago...

Golddust | 08-01-2009 05:52 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1847233) Ok well here's a twist. A neighbor has a newer weed eater that starts but won't run well except on 2/5ths choke. So, I borrowed that from him. I tried his carb on mine... no dice. Then I put my carb back together and tried it on his with my gas tank and lines - it ran great. So apparently mine is just incapable of working. I pretty much just ruled out the carb, fuel, gasket between the carb and the rest of it, etc. I got my carb adjusted perfectly using his weed eater so it would start on one pull and ran perfectly, idled great. Put it back on mine and nothing. I have spark, what's left? Compression? I don't have a way to test that. And it's run before, just a few days ago...
Ash You brought up a good point.. Have you looked at the flywheel? If it slipped the spark may be out of time.. It is rare but the flywheel has the magnet and if it slips on the crank shaft that can put things out of time???? Just a thought.. Also how is the compression??

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 05:59 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Just through eyeballing it earlier it looks like the magnet will pass the ignition coil at about the same time the piston is in it's highest position. I don't know what the timing is supposed to be on something like this or how to figure out what it currently is on this machine.

Golddust | 08-01-2009 06:02 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Dum Question You do have spark?

Golddust | 08-01-2009 06:09 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Does the carb intake draw air when the engine is turned? Is the crankcase sealed like it should? Not sure about your engine but are the fuel intake into the crankcase valve, or reeds working?

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 06:10 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Yep, sparked with the original spark plug, sparked with a new one I put in just to completely rule it out. I pulled it out, hooked it to the wire and touched it to the casing while pulling the cord, small blue sparks. Now I have no idea if it's sparking as much as it should (working on cars I never actually look at the spark), but it is sparking.

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 06:16 PM
Re: Poulan sucks <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> Quote:
Does the carb intake draw air when the engine is turned? Is the crankcase sealed like it should? Not sure about your engine but the fuel intake into the crankcase valve, or reeds working ?
I believe it does since it is easier to pull when the choke is off. The crankcase is sealed with a rubber seal and a plastic cap (because poulan sucks). I can't be sure air doesn't get in but I do know that oil doesn't get out. I don't know how well fuel is getting in. If I prime it and pull it a bunch the plug will be wet.

Golddust | 08-01-2009 06:30 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1847266) <!-- / icon and title --> <!-- message --> I believe it does since it is easier to pull when the choke is off. The crankcase is sealed with a rubber seal and a plastic cap (because poulan sucks). I can't be sure air doesn't get in but I do know that oil doesn't get out. I don't know how well fuel is getting in. If I prime it and pull it a bunch the plug will be wet.
I am running out of ideals , Your exhaust is not restricted? If you have compression, fuel(wet sparkplug) and spark (if in time) it should run. This is the kind of problem I enjoy getting my hands on to see what is wrong and fix if possible. May be some one else on the thread may have the magic answer.. One last question ? How old is the spark plug?

TechGuy | 08-01-2009 06:40 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Is this a 2 cycle? If so, you need to acquaint yourself with the 'reed valve' and whether or not your engine has one (all 2 cycles do not, some are engine ported). It is the equivalent to the intake valve on a 4 cycle engine. If it is gummed up, the engine will not suck in the intake charge and will not fire.

TechGuy | 08-01-2009 06:42 PM
Re: Poulan sucks http://www.oldengineshed.com/twocycthry.html I looked this up, it may help explain it.

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SLV>GLD | 08-01-2009 06:44 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimfrancisco (Post 1847066) Do you wear PPE when filling up with gas?
Nope. I also do not wear anything when handling methanol. You're missing the point entirely. It's not about what I do, it's about delivering a deserved warning with the information I submit. Just because you do not take responsibility for suggesting that people use a substance who may have no knowledge of the potential hazards doesn't mean you should mistreat me for taking the time to point out that it is a hazardous substance and they should be prepared in that respect.

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 07:14 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
I am running out of ideals , Your exhaust is not restricted? If you have compression, fuel(wet sparkplug) and spark (if in time) it should run. This is the kind of problem I enjoy getting my hands on to see what is wrong and fix if possible. May be some one else on the thread may have the magic answer.. One last question ? How old is the spark plug?
Exhaust is not restricted. The muffler was fine, the spark arrestor screen was fine, and I took both of them off just to be extra sure before I assembled it last time, so there is no muffler on it right now. Spark plug is a few days old. Quote:
If so, you need to acquaint yourself with the 'reed valve' and whether or not your engine has one (all 2 cycles do not, some are engine ported).
I think this does not have the valve. It is 2 cycle. I can see piston moving in there once the carb is off and I shine a flashlight in. I guess you'd call it "Piston Controlled Inlet Port". I do like how I'm getting a crash course in small engines, but it just won't be as satisfying unless I get this damn thing to work! I went out to buy one of those compression testers but it's a long weekend here and everything is closed already.

Golddust | 08-01-2009 07:19 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1847327) Exhaust is not restricted. The muffler was fine, the spark arrestor screen was fine, and I took both of them off just to be extra sure before I assembled it last time, so there is no muffler on it right now. Spark plug is a few days old. I think this does not have the valve. It is 2 cycle. I can see piston moving in there once the carb is off and I shine a flashlight in. I guess you'd call it "Piston Controlled Inlet Port". I do like how I'm getting a crash course in small engines, but it just won't be as satisfying unless I get this damn thing to work! I went out to buy one of those compression testers but it's a long weekend here and everything is closed already.
Just take the spark plug out plug the hole with a finger turn the engine over if finger is blown off (no not that way):biggrin: you have compression you can feel the compression if you do.. And as you already stated it is harder to turn over with the choke on ..tells me you have compression..

TechGuy | 08-01-2009 07:23 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Does it start with starter fluid?

Golddust | 08-01-2009 07:37 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by TechGuy (Post 1847343) Does it start with starter fluid?
Tech That is a good thought. If it wont turn over with a shot of that, it is almost time to find a priest to say last rites for it. :biggrin:

hypervel | 08-01-2009 07:43 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Is the Check Engine light lit? Have you scanned it for codes/cleared the codes? I knew an old salt who'd run propane across the engine to find....... I'm funnin. Good luck figuring it out. My vote is bad compression.....but she ain't my rig. And it's Electrolux that owns Poulan....and Husqvarna. Check out Ebay and find the sale prices for 3XX series and earlier saws. YIKES!

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 08:49 PM
Re: Poulan sucks 2 Attachment(s) Quote:
Does it start with starter fluid?
I don't have any... and again, everything closed today. I'm working with the "spark at the wrong time" theory right now. Anyway, I can't try much else until things open because I now need some gasket material, as the pictures will demonstrate. Here are two pics. The first is demonstrating what I'm eyeballing as the topmost point of the piston's travel. The second is where the magnet is on the flywheel at that point. The flywheel turns counterclockwise from that view. It looks to me that the spark happens before the piston is at the top. I removed the piston and it's in good shape. Nothing looks bad inside the engine to me. The top of the piston had a lot of carbon on it. After I took all this apart I saw another hole that goes from the carb to the engine, narrow guy that I blew out with the compressor. I don't think it was plugged in the first place. On the bright side, once I had the drill hooked up to turn the thing, I noticed that I'm getting excelling spark. (Edit: the upload of pics switches them around... you can figure it out.)

TechGuy | 08-01-2009 09:08 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1847421) I don't have any... and again, everything closed today. I'm working with the "spark at the wrong time" theory right now. Anyway, I can't try much else until things open because I now need some gasket material, as the pictures will demonstrate. Here are two pics. The first is demonstrating what I'm eyeballing as the topmost point of the piston's travel. The second is where the magnet is on the flywheel at that point. The flywheel turns counterclockwise from that view. It looks to me that the spark happens before the piston is at the top. I removed the piston and it's in good shape. Nothing looks bad inside the engine to me. The top of the piston had a lot of carbon on it. After I took all this apart I saw another hole that goes from the carb to the engine, narrow guy that I blew out with the compressor. I don't think it was plugged in the first place. On the bright side, once I had the drill hooked up to turn the thing, I noticed that I'm getting excelling spark. (Edit: the upload of pics switches them around... you can figure it out.)
There is really no way with those setups that the spark timing gets off. UNLESS the flywheel has sheared it's key (if it has one) and is no longer lined up properly. I would bet that the spark is fine, and your problem lies elsewhere. Edit: YOu have probably figured out by now that most of these small 2cycle engines are made to be used for <80 hours and then tossed. There are only a few that are made to be rebuilt or repaired.

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 09:32 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Well I'm going on 80 hrs trying to fix the damn thing! At this point I have a much better understanding of the engine then back when I started (thinking that the rotted fuel line was the only problem). I just don't understand how it still doesn't work. What is left at this point? Compression? Would a small engine shop have a replacement piston ring? (I have everything apart already so I might as well put one in.) I've found other threads like this on the internet, and they ended without an answer. I want this one to have a damn answer!

Golddust | 08-01-2009 09:35 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Ash One thing that can be said about all of this.. You are having a learning experience and that is a good thing and it has value. When you took the piston off. make sure you replace it the same way and pay attention to the rings on the piston and where the gaps are , try not to move them when you replace the piston.(not sure of your engine know how) I agree with tech guy about the timing issue. Brought it up as one reason it may not run, but a weed eater almost imposable to shear the key on the flywheel. Now on a lawnmower that is a different story , you can shear the flywheel key if your blade hits something hard enough.. A string trimmer it would be rare as hen's teeth to do. Nice pictures.

Golddust | 08-01-2009 09:46 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1847463) Well I'm going on 80 hrs trying to fix the damn thing! At this point I have a much better understanding of the engine then back when I started (thinking that the rotted fuel line was the only problem). I just don't understand how it still doesn't work. What is left at this point? Compression? Would a small engine shop have a replacement piston ring? (I have everything apart already so I might as well put one in.) I've found other threads like this on the internet, and they ended without an answer. I want this one to have a damn answer!
On a earlier post I listed this link that has parts breakdowns you can look to see if your model offers rings for your machine. If they do have the kit do you know how to hone a cylinder? If you do great.

Ash_Williams | 08-01-2009 10:08 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
On a earlier post I listed this link that has parts breakdowns you can look to see if your model offers rings for your machine. If they do have the kit do you know how to hone a cylinder? If you do great.
Heheh yeah that page gave me the disappointing information that there was no rebuild kit for my carb... just order a new one they said. Good thing I didn't need one. They actually do have the ring. I know how to hone a car cylinder. I assume I can find something that will fit in my power drill and match the diameter of this cylinder. Anyway I'll burn that bridge if I get to it... no sense planning ahead at this point. I'll throw this out there: on that flywheel there are the two magnets at about 10 o-clock and 11 o-clock in my photo. The one at 10 seems much stronger. It requires a lot more force to push it past that one than past the 11, even if I turn it clockwise instead. What's up with that?

Jimfrancisco | 08-02-2009 12:36 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Ash - you can do a "dummy test" on the compression by holding it up, then hold onto the starter cord. Let it go - it should fall very slowly, if at all. It should really hang by the cord. Anddon't use stater fluid on it - it'll do more damage than good. Not much oil in THAT mix!

Jimfrancisco | 08-02-2009 12:43 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by SLV>GLD (Post 1847299) Nope. I also do not wear anything when handling methanol. You're missing the point entirely. It's not about what I do, it's about delivering a deserved warning with the information I submit. Just because you do not take responsibility for suggesting that people use a substance who may have no knowledge of the potential hazards doesn't mean you should mistreat me for taking the time to point out that it is a hazardous substance and they should be prepared in that respect.
No,you are missing the point entirely. It's like saying "Even if you are terribly dehydrated, do not drink water - it may contain Flouride!" Of course methanol is toxic, but there is really no need to wear gloves or a HazMat suit when using ethanol with a touch of the purple thrown in - nobody is going to die here!

Zilver | 08-02-2009 01:39 AM
Re: Poulan sucks Ash, . to "clean" the carb it must be completely dissembled. http://goldismoney.info/forums/attac...4&d=1249144556 what you are looking at here is: screw A it is NOT an adjustment, screw A is used only to hold a rod in place, a small fork pivots on this rod which is it's fulcrum. The fork hooks onto and lifts the needle valve. the diaphragm gasket that was between the pieces you dissembled, has a metal disk with a bump in the center that pulses from the pressure of the crankcase thus rocking the fork which moves the needle up and down acting like a valve being turned on / off allowing gas to enter in metered pulses through the needle. Remove screw A and carefully lift the rod and needle from it's seat caution: there is a very small spring under the fork, pay attention to where it sits and how the fork hooks onto the needle (so you can reassemble it) the fork will have a small dimple or bump that holds the spring centered The bottom of the spring sits into a small round pocket. The bottom of the needle will have a small tapered rubber seat near the point. The needle, seat and bottom of the venturi that the needle sits in should be sprayed liberally with your carb cleaner, use the red hose attachment that comes with the carb cleaner and try to pressure spray everything. This is usually the main area inside a carburetor that needs cleaning. When you are satisfied that these areas are clean reassemble in reverse order. (if you pay close attention during dis assembly you will have no trouble when putting it back together). Place the spring back into it's "well", slide the fork back onto the rod drop the needle into the seat and press lightly down depressing the spring while tightening screw A which will hold everything in place. I think you will find a small screen at your point labeled C Spray a forceful stream of carb cleaner into this. B looks to me like an idle speed adjustment but I can not say for sure without seeing a side shot. If it is tapered on the end and this tapered end rubs or touches the throttle plate then it is an idle speed adjustment. If it doesn't touch then it is a fuel adjustment needle. There has to be a needle adjustment on the carb somewhere first screw any needle clockwise before removing counting the number of turns required to lightly seat it and note this. Now you can return it to the same number of turns out when you reassemble after spraying a forceful stream into the needle seat. With most carbs you can start with about 1 1/4 turns Most carbs will not need a rebuild kit unless you find a puncture in the diaphragm or tear a gasket. It is a good idea to wet the diaphragms liberally with the carb cleaner which seems to give them more softness and flexibility. Spray the gas inlet tube and any place or passage where gas flows. It really only take a small speck of gunk or dirt to stop the proper flow inside these small carbs, so take your time and clean it all the way. If you had spark before, than don't mess with anything else until you are sure that the carb is spotless inside (leave flywheel, coil, etc alone for now)....Tackle things one step at a time. How are the gas lines? Is a line inside the gas tank with a small filter on the end? Be sure these lines are in good condition and clean as well as the filter. Check your air filter and be sure that it is not deteriorating, often when the foam type filters get old small pieces will flake and suck into the engine through the carb and clog everything right back up again.

Jimfrancisco | 08-02-2009 02:08 AM
Re: Poulan sucks I hate having things that don't run , I will spend endless hours fixing them. The first time my father ever swore at me was at our BO place - he'd spent about 3 hours trying to get the generator going. After he went back in the house to drink whiskey instead, I had a play and got it running - I was about 12 at the time. He heard it fire up, set down a beer beside me, and said "You little b*stard f**cker, how did you do that?" I don't know how it started, I just drank the beer. Carlsberg Special Brew, I was blitzed after one can but the old man was so pleased he gave me another one, much to my mum's dissaproval. "Hush, wench, we have hot water and lights now!":emotions16: At 9% ABV, I was a very wobbly-legged child...:coolbeer:

Ash_Williams | 08-04-2009 10:30 AM
Re: Poulan sucks I think what happened to this machine is that the first problem was the fuel lines being rotted off, then the carb being dirty, and all through this it probably had borderline low compression (just enough so it could still run once it got going.) After cleaning everything and countless cranks on a cylinder that wasn't getting lubricated properly, I probably reduced the compression even further (by wear or by knocking off some of the dirty that was keeping the compression high enough to run.) I believe the compression isn't that great because of how much better it is when I put some straight motor oil on the piston and shove it back in. There is definitely air getting past the ring without the thick oil on it. I will get try to get a new cylinder ring sometime this week and put the thing back together. Then we'll know for sure. I'll update this thread then so everyone knows what ended up being wrong with it (unless it still doesn't work.)

Jimfrancisco | 08-04-2009 07:38 PM
Re: Poulan sucks New rings will at least be cheap and easy. But at least register at www.arboristsite.com and ask in the chainsaw section. Plenty of those boys have been fixing saws as a job for 30 years or more.

Ash_Williams | 08-05-2009 02:51 PM
Re: Poulan sucks The ring isn't coming any time soon so I put the thing back together and tried my compression tester. Compression is about 65 PSI. My neighbor's weed eater comes in around 120 PSI using the same tester. I'm surprised mine is so low because it doesn't look that bad. But numbers don't lie and there is the answer. It must have had enough to run until I fixed everything else... I'm thinking of just ordering the ring and waiting. It's like $5. Might order a new cylinder too if it's like $15 or something. This one is hard to hone since such a small part of it is cylinder as compared to the parts with big groves for the air and exhaust to flow. I realize it's stupid to spend money to fix this thing which is basically a piece of junk, but I'm considering this to be my 2 week long "small engines course" so I'd like to put it together and get it running again.

Jimfrancisco | 08-05-2009 02:58 PM
Re: Poulan sucks You won't normally need to hone at all on a 2-stroke unless the piston is scored and you are replacing it as well. 65psi is super-low, assuming you are using the right type of tester with a Schrader valve in the tip, you should be seeing double that, easily.

Ash_Williams | 08-05-2009 03:32 PM
Re: Poulan sucks The piston isn't too beaten up so I figured I'd let it be. The ring material seems to have held up better than the cylinder wall material. I think the wall is the worst part of it. Maybe some grit was in there or maybe the ring material is that much harder than the wall material. 65 PSI is super low but I wasn't spinning the thing quite as fast as the pull cord would (it's not hooked up so I use a drill to turn it instead). The air had more time to escape. Anyway I'll see about ordering the ring and cylinder and getting some compression back into this one. One final update once my parts come and and I put this back together once more.

Ash_Williams | 08-31-2009 11:21 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Time to close this off, for the benefit of anyone who's googled and ran across this or anyone who still remembers it... I didn't want to order a new cylinder head for the weed eater (I checked.. it was too pricey) so I put a want ad up for a broken machine of the same model. I got one last week with a bad carb and broken pull cord. I took the engine only out of it and put it in my broken one, using my original muffler, carb, spark plug, etc. Flywheel alignment was the same as on mine, so that had never been the problem. This engine had about 90 psi. It seems the final problem with my broken one was simply bad compression. With that done, the thing started up like a dream. 3 pulls and it almost started on 2. It runs beautifully. I got it done last friday and today I noticed I can start it on one pull with half choke and no primer. I'm very happy with how it turned out. Better than new.

electric-amish | 09-01-2009 01:15 AM
Re: Poulan sucks I'm sorry if I'm getting to you with this to late. Check to make sure the Kill switch isin't shorting. I removed the one on my old chainsaw because it was always on for some reason. there was a wire that was shorting from vibration (My guess) E-A

SilverSatan | 09-01-2009 02:54 AM
Re: Poulan sucks i love my Jonsered 2186 starts on the 2nd pull every time

Camp Bassfish | 09-01-2009 01:55 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Quote:
Originally Posted by Ash_Williams (Post 1896914) Time to close this off, for the benefit of anyone who's googled and ran across this or anyone who still remembers it... I didn't want to order a new cylinder head for the weed eater (I checked.. it was too pricey) so I put a want ad up for a broken machine of the same model. I got one last week with a bad carb and broken pull cord. I took the engine only out of it and put it in my broken one, using my original muffler, carb, spark plug, etc. Flywheel alignment was the same as on mine, so that had never been the problem. This engine had about 90 psi. It seems the final problem with my broken one was simply bad compression. With that done, the thing started up like a dream. 3 pulls and it almost started on 2. It runs beautifully. I got it done last friday and today I noticed I can start it on one pull with half choke and no primer. I'm very happy with how it turned out. Better than new.
By now you need a brush hog, not a weedeater!

TechGuy | 09-01-2009 02:00 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Ash.. congrats, you messed with it far longer than I have patience for! http://www.imitationpickles.org/camp...o_stubborn.jpg

Jimfrancisco | 09-01-2009 04:10 PM
Re: Poulan sucks Glad to hear it, Ash - always rewarding to get something dead working again. I have a workmate's hedgetrimmer to fix tomorrow - he has bought a new one already, went half on it with his neighbour - but I can't resist the lure of fixing an IC engine! BTW - you KNOW you want to go Stihl...:wink: A nice MS250 would suit you rightly...

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