Chainsaw problem

JRBrown

New User
I have a cheap Poulan (stop laughing), that I use infrequently. I was cutting apart a tree trunk today and the first cut went well, then halfway though the second the chainsaw froze. I took apart the case and this is the part that is stuck.



What is it?
Is it fixable, and how?

I'm currently unemployed and not sure I can afford a Husky or Stihl, nor do I think I use it enough. Maybe once or twice a year.
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Can't really see anything from the picture. Maybe you engaged the brake. Most saws are rigged so in the event of a kickback it locks.

I had a Poulan saw onetime and deliberately drove my tractor over it to put it out of my misery. I replaced it with a Stihl and can't say it was that much better but at least if I crank long enough I can get it running when I need it.
 
You're asking about the aluminum flywheel won't turn?

Need to do some more disassembly. Take the other side off, where the clutch is. Make sure nothing is wrapped around or come loose. When you get all the covers off, and down to the bare engine, and it still won't turn, then decide if you want to go any further.

Nothing to loose by trying, but if it is seized internally, it's probably not economically feasible to repair.
 

I have a little Poulan I bought in 2000. It is a tuff saw and has wore out several chains and bars. It is the saw I use for nasty fence row work. Sorry to hear yours is locked up. Making one cut and then having the saw sieze is "classic forgot to use two stroke/fuel oil mix". Using straight gas (no oil) will cause the piston to sieze to the cylinder.

Remove the muffler and spark plug to look scoring of the piston and/or cylinder. Typically the saw would not be cost effective to repair.
 
Hello JRBrown,

Check and make make sure the chain brake did not get activated. If you are lucky thats all it is. If you
used straight gas? #+?#!?,@#:

Guido.
 
Stephen Newell,


I have a Stihl 034 to start it, I put the choke on full if it kicks over just a little I take the choke off up 1 notch.

If I pull just once more time with the choke on I won't get it going, have to let it sit for an hour or so.

I've pulled my guts out on that ***8 thing for years I before learnt how, almost scrapped it.

I've had it since about '84 it's been a good saw since I learnt how to start it and cut a lot of wood.
 

n
Note, the chain brake should stop the chain - the engine will still rotate. Unless the clutch has somehow locked up, then yes, the chain brake will also lock the eingine.
 
thanks for the replies, all. I used oil/gas mix. 1/20 I think? I don't do much work. I had used it earlier too, but the chain had worn out, and just bought a new one. I take it apart on the other side and see what I can figure out.
 
I have a MS280 and mine would never start if you took the choke off a notch. You just have to crank it a hundred times until it starts and then let it sit and idle for several minutes before attempting to cut anything with it. Then I have to flood it to turn it off because the off switch doesn't work.

I don't work on chain saws myself and haven't been able to find someplace to have it done. I took it back to the dealer where I bought it and took it to a different dealer and neither can make it work like it should.
 
If you are running 20/1 which I doubt, that's very oil rich, it is not seized up. Straight gas and it's done. Like mentioned take off the chain cover
and look at the clutch side. See if anything is bound up. Also as mentioned after taking off both side covers and you can not get that flywheel to
spin, pull the muffler and look in to the piston. If blown up it will have visible scoring on the piston. 2 stokes always seize on the exhaust side.
Intake fuel cools the intake side of the piston but the exhaust side runs very lean. Even if running at 50/1 that's not much oil.
 
I'm guessing that since the oil/gas mix sat for a while it settled and was the same as putting in straight gas? Would an electric model be better for infrequent use? Not being the best at this type of stuff, I'm reluctant to keep encountering similar issues.
 
Mixed gas should not separate, unless you were using ethanol gas, is that possible? 20-1 oil mix is a lot too rich, it could
be gummed up from too much oil. Take the bar and chain off, make sure the safety brake is not engaged, make sure the clutch
is not seized. Have you ever greased the clutch bearing? Take the spark plug out and pour some oil in and try to work the
flywheel back and forth. If it truly is seized up then it's probably not worth fixing, as others have said. Especially if you
can't do the work yourself.
 
I'm guessing its the round shiny thingy with the fins on it that won't turn? That's your flywheel. The bad news is its connected to the crankshaft and piston and that is probably where your froze-up problem is. It looks like you already took the bar and chain off the other side, so you probably have the chain brake off as well.

How old was your fuel? When did you mix it up?

Pour out your fuel into something clear and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. If its cloudy, or if something settles out the bottom then fuel was definately your problem. Old fuel deposits restrict the passages in the carburetor and then the engine runs lean and overheats until it quits because it lost compression or it seizes.

Another thing you could do is you can take the muffler off and see if there are brown deposits on the piston. Brown deposits are made by running old fuel too.

The said thing is that saw probably only cost you $120-$140 new, so unless you can fix it yourself, you are probably in the market for a new saw.
 
3 times on my McCullough a bolt backed out behind the flywheel and jammed it up---finally had to use locktite
 
I get them in like that all the time. If the clutch drum is free. Engine is most likely locked up. Toss it. Parts and labor will cost you more than it
is worth. Poulan's are not what they used to be.
 
Guess I should have checked this post sooner.

First, put on a pair of leather gloves. Hold the saw and try to turn the chain by hand. If it turns, then your problem is engine related.

If the chain does not turn or turns stiffly, have you put bar & chain oil in? Also, check to see if the oiler is working correctly. When cutting wood, you should be able to see a slight trace of oil sling from the chain just before the chain contacts the wood. I've seen oilers get so gunked up with sawdust that it prevented proper oiling.

Something else that can stop the chain is if a piece of wood/limb/stick wedges between the gear drive and the case. This will be easy to check.

If none of the above tips work (this post and others), remove bar from chainsaw, hold bar vertical so that cutting tip is pointed up. Try to spin the chain. If chain doesn't spin, get a new bar.

...But like was said before, let's just hope that the brake engaged without your realizing it.
 
happen to my friend. Let it sit 8 months, grabbed it to saw a blow-down limb, locked up. Cylinder & piston ruined. As others say, too expensive to fix.
 
20:1 is way too much oil not enough gas. People think more oil is better. It isn't.

The saw will run lean, score the piston/cylinder, and lock up. Same as if you straight-gassed it.

Take the muffler off and shine a light into the cylinder area. Do the same at the carburetor. I suspect you will see bad scoring in one or both locations.

That saw is pretty much ruined, and not worth fixing. You can find similar saws at pawn shops and on craigslist.

Nothing wrong with cheap saws if you take care of them and they do the job you need them to do. An expensive saw would have made for a more expensive lesson.
 
I have been running all my saws at 20 to 1 for all my adult life including all my newer saws. Never, ever, had a problem. That includes my
big Dolmar, 56 cc EFCO, 52 cc Dolmar, 48 and 55 cc Poulan Pros, 55 cc Husqvarna, and many old Sthils. Oil mix recommendations were lowered
to cut down emissions, not make saws last longer. And yes, more oil means less gas and a slight carb adjustment.
 
I assume that is a Poulan-Pro and not a Poulan? Poulan-Pro has nothing to do with the original Poulan saw company and is made by the same
company that makes Husqvarna and Jonsered. I Have half-a-dozen Poulan-Pros around They are my "disposbable" saws that I leave behind in
places where can get stolen and I won't have a stroke over it. 42 cc, 48 cc, and 52 cc. All have been fine for cheap saws from Home Depot,
Walmart, or Tractor Supply. Not fast cutters for the size, and none seem to idle very well when sitting or a while. When I am cutting
trails, I can use my Sthil or Husqvarna all day and when I sit it on the ground, either will idle and keep running. Not my Poulan-Pros
though. That being said, they have certainly been rugged enough. A farmer-friend of mine just threw out his Poulan-Pro Wild-Thing that was
over 10 years old and used a lot. Engine seemed to be seized and he was told it was not worth fixing. I took it and later found it was
just the recoil starter that was stuck. I fixed it in 10 minutes and now have another "beater" saw.

I have found that all the Poulan-Pros, new, run too lean and the main jets have to be opened up or I'd be afraid of them burning up. Easy
to do with the correct tool (or a homemade one).
 
Number one problem with cheap poulan saws according to dealer is bent crankshaft. He said from pulling out when pinched. I would not have believed it if not heard it myself, plus warranty does not cover it.
 
I have several family that have Poulan -Pros and take good care of them but they don
't hold up or last as long as Stihl,Husky,Echo,and other top brands. They are both on their second saw and I still have my original saw and cut more wood than both of them.
 
Poulan is more likely to call for 40:1 (That's what mine use, 3.2 oz 2-cycle oil per gallon of gas)


Check before taking our word for it.
 
when I bought my new husky saw I was told by the dealer not to run ethanol gas in it, that it would damage
the engine. I don't use it that much but I took his advice and also use stabilizer in the gas. Hope you get
your saw fixed or replaced. doesn't matter what brand saw if it works for your purpose.
 
I use ethanol fuel all the time with no problems for years and never drain any more. I use Opti-2 with briggs & stratton fuel stabilizer. I have been using the stratton stabilizer in every thing 2 or 4 cycle engines and fuel stays good up to 3 years.I have been using Opti-2 for about the last 14 years and the Stratton fuel stabilizer 6 years. My Stihl and Echo dealer got me started on these products and manufacture will honor warranty using them.
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Ethanol will separate from the oil. My dad was an Echo dealer back in the late 70's up to mid 80's. Echo voided all warranty claims if ethanol fuel was used. When someone came in with a locked up saw. Dad would pour the fuel into a quart jar. I know the fuel had to set in that jar for at least two full days. Then the oil would separate from the ethanol and the warranty voided on your saw.

Dad has three saws. Two Echos he sold new and then bought back on the owners estate sale. And another saw he bought new in the early 90's.

The two old Echos are 32-1
The saw he bought in 1990 is 40-1
Most saws made in the last 15 years are 50-1

We use 40-1 mixture in all three saws.
 
RE . . " find an old Homelite like a XL or XL-12 they're easy to start and dependable"

Are you kidding? When I first went to work as a tree cutter and climber in the 60s. I had XL12s and XL101s. Those saws are junk compared to a 50 plus cc saw today. Low chain speed, not much good at idling very long, hard to start when hot, etc. When I switched to a Sthil 08S and an 040, I felt like I had gone to saw heaven they were so much better. My 52 cc Dolmar has much more power then a 54 cc XL12. I also never have to put points in it.
 

2 comments-

Anyone who has never had issues with ethanol fuels in small engines is simply lucky that they live where the blends you get are not as bad as the blends we get. Ethanol fuels WILL eventually give you problems in this area. It's a certainty.

The old Homies like the XLs are still good saws. They may not suit everyones tastes and are definitely old tech, but they are still decent saws.
 

You probably have enough reading material here for a month LOL.
But you mentioned electric chainsaw as possibility. I think it's good idea. I have gas saws and one electric and the electric works fine with a sharp chain, always starts. They can be had for low $$ both new and used. If you are using the saw 1-2 times/year, electric is good way to go.
 
I always buy ethanol -free gas for out 2-strokes, and I use 3 oz. of oil per gallon. I use this in everything from my 45 year old Little Jon (made by Poulan) to my 4 year old Jonsered. We have about 10 small air cooled 2-strokes and really don't have any trouble with any of them, and I don't ever use Stabil or any other stabilizer.
 
And yes, more oil means less gas and a slight carb adjustment.

Yes, a "slight carb adjustment."

First off the saw the OP is using either doesn't have an adjustable carb at all, or has one of those ones that needs a special (illegal for anyone but a small engine mechanic to own) tool to adjust.

Second off, and no offense intended to the OP here, but considering the level of knowledge the OP has demonstrated, I don't think he knows anything about carburetor adjustments.

If you run 20:1 and don't adjust the carb, you will roast your cylinder just as if you'd straight gassed the saw.
 
(quoted from post at 11:55:52 02/24/17)
And yes, more oil means less gas and a slight carb adjustment.



First off the saw the OP is using either doesn't have an adjustable carb at all, or has one of those ones that needs a special (illegal for anyone but a small engine mechanic to own) tool to adjust.

Okay, just FYI, I don't know who started the rumor that owning a carb adjusting driver was illegal, but NO! It's not true. You might void the warranty or you might screw the saw u even worse than it is, but it isn't ILLEGAL to own a freakin' screwdriver no matter what the driving end looks like.
 
problem was the fuel. I poured it out and compared to my container of clean and they were the same. I remembered I had an old crapsman that I had pinched the bar on, so I married the two and finished the job. It looks exactly like my poulan. While I was fiddling with the poulan though, I did manage to get the fly wheel moving again. I was attempting to take off the bolt for the flywheel. Using the ratchet, it started moving again. I had to use a chisel to keep it from moving, but I even managed to get it started and shut it off right away. Not sure if it's going to work, but I'll keep it as a backup, parts, or to experiement on. One problem, I had this piece left over, I think. And if anyone is ever in the neighborhood (woodbury, NJ), look me up, I'll smoke some meats or something. Here's a prime rib I just did for wife's birthday and scalloped potatoes. Thanks everyone for all the help.
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To answer some of the questions, no idea about adjusting the carb, etc. I'm depriving a village of their idiot when it comes to all things engine, etc. I know just enough to be a danger I guess. But I do learn fast, rarely make the same mistake twice, and can follow directions.

It's not a poulan pro from what I can see. We bought a refurbished one, P3416.

I did score an electric Remington pole saw, it's only 10", but that's generally enough for my needs. I do need a new chain, but for $5 including an extension cord, and $2 for a bush and brush cutter chain saw attachment, I figured I did okay.

Thanks again for al the info. I also stumbled across this link,

http://www.ehow.com/how_7765848_chainsaw-flywheel-stuck.html

which was pretty informative too.
 

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