Homelite chainsaw fuel caps

Nordic

Member
I have several good old Homelite chainsaws from the '70's and 80's. One thing they seem to have in common is the challenge with fuel cap ventilation. I don't know if I've ever had one with an exception. When you tilt the saw to fall a tree gas runs out the vent hole in the cap (with a full tank it just guzzles on some of them). Back in the day when they were close to new I bought a new fuel cap and it still did the same thing. Has anyone come up with a solution that works? Is there any other type of aftermarket cap available that would replace the original and not leak? I would appreciate to hear thoughts and experience, thanks.
 
(quoted from post at 14:19:57 05/23/19) I have several good old Homelite chainsaws from the '70's and 80's. One thing they seem to have in common is the challenge with fuel cap ventilation. I don't know if I've ever had one with an exception. When you tilt the saw to fall a tree gas runs out the vent hole in the cap (with a full tank it just guzzles on some of them). Back in the day when they were close to new I bought a new fuel cap and it still did the same thing. Has anyone come up with a solution that works? Is there any other type of aftermarket cap available that would replace the original and not leak? I would appreciate to hear thoughts and experience, thanks.
have two of those old saws. Both did as you have stated. the fix is to remove the brass piece in the cap that the gas is leaking out of and clean out the old duck bill check valve and replace with a new one. Put the brass plug back in and I was good to go on both. Mine had turned from rubber to mush, could not tell what it used to be. Ordered a pack of them from ebay but any small engine shop that works on weed eaters and the like should have them as they were pretty common for a while. Its been a while but it seems the duck bill end goes to the center of the cap and the open end goes toward the brass filter plug. Fixed mine and also have them on a weed eater brand string trimmer and an older craftsman chain saw but those two are in plain sight not hidden under the brass plug.
 
That's one place I wouldn't use E-10 gas, I had a problem with a saw I bought in 72, the gas cap swelled up so I had to use a wrench on it. Probably got some E-10 gas by mistake! After a year or so of being more careful it's back to normal. When you have something that old it may have parts that are not ethanol compatible.
 
(quoted from post at 17:53:28 05/23/19) That's one place I wouldn't use E-10 gas, I had a problem with a saw I bought in 72, the gas cap swelled up so I had to use a wrench on it. Probably got some E-10 gas by mistake! After a year or so of being more careful it's back to normal. When you have something that old it may have parts that are not ethanol compatible.
have seen that happen on a couple of the poulan yellow 20 inch saws a friend had for the same reason. Rinsed them off in plain gas and let dry out for a week in the sun and they fit almost like new again.
 

Go on Ebay and do a search for "Homelite duck bill" and you should find multiple offers for the valve you need. IME they ALL leak eventually. Avoid ethanol fuels if possible and it helps.
 
I was a tree cutter and climber for Asplundh back early 70s. All our saws were Homelites. XL-101s, XL-12s, Super-Wiz, Super XL-925, etc. All those saws had top mounted fuel caps and the gas tanks themselves were non-vented. They all dribbles a bit when turned sideways - even when brand new. Many if not most new saws today have caps on the sides and are non-vented, with the gas tanks vented instead.

Maybe what you have is newer though? Depends on what model.
 
(quoted from post at 06:16:57 05/24/19) I was a tree cutter and climber for Asplundh back early 70s. All our saws were Homelites. XL-101s, XL-12s, Super-Wiz, Super XL-925, etc. All those saws had top mounted fuel caps and the gas tanks themselves were non-vented. They all dribbles a bit when turned sideways - even when brand new. Many if not most new saws today have caps on the sides and are non-vented, with the gas tanks vented instead.

Maybe what you have is newer though? Depends on what model.
he two I have are one XL12 and one super XL12. Both have that same cap with the brass filter and duck bill in the caps. Both very good powerful saws for a 20" bar. One with just a pump oiler and the other with an auto oiler as well as an oil pump. They both seem to be very good saws but no chain breaks and very heavy after a few hrs. The bars for those old homelites are getting pricey. I modified a Oregon from an older, think 80's poulan 20" to fit. Took a little time but works alright and not 65-70 dollars as I recall.
 
I bet I have over 20 bars for those XLs in my old saw stack of parts. Crude but rugged saws for the time. My favorite back in the day
was the XL-101 or blue XL-12. When the red XL-12s came out, quality seemed to go down a bit. I was working part-time as a mechanic for a
Homelite dealer back around 1970. Back then Homelite had a really good obsolete parts department in New Jersey. I was collecting what
were old saws then. Like the 4-20 and 5-30. Homelite used to name models by horsepower and weight. So a 4-20 was rated 4 horsepower and
20 lbs. Things have really changed.

When I was working as a tree-man and all we had were Homelites? We had to have twice the saws normally needed because half would not
restart once hot. I spent a lot of time hanging from trees with saws that would not idle right, die, and then not restart. Things have
really changed.

I think around 1971, we took on Stihl saws before they had an official depot in the USA. I still have my S10 and 040. MUCH better saws
then any Homelite ever was. Start when hot, idle well, and even had automatic oilers. Many of us tree guys at the time hated the idea of
automatic oilers - but got to like it real fast. Some of those old Stihl saws had governors that was kind of weird. If you revved too
fast, the choke closed. Like the 08S.

Homelite used to make some really neat stuff. I kink of hated to see the original company die.
 
Thanks everyone for advice and info... sounds like I have the path to a solution for my fuel caps.
 

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