Chainsaw gets gas, spark, but won't start

[Robert Enenkel]

Hi -- I recently bought a used Husqvarna 268SE chainsaw. The previous
owner said it started and ran for a while, but then died when it
warmed up. I gave it fresh gas/oil mix but can't get it to start at
all. Not even a hint of trying to start.

I tried some experiments. I disconnected the spark plug lead and
stuck in a piece of bare wire and held it about 1/8" from a cylinder
fin, and when I pulled the starter handle, blue sparks did jump. I
removed the spark plug after trying to start it, and the plug was wet
and smelled from gas, so I assume the carburetor is working. The
spark plug gap seemed okay.

I hooked up a compression gauge to the spark plug hole and pulled the
handle a few times with the throttle open and got 55 psi compression.
Is that enough? I don't know what it should be.

I tried putting a small amount of gas/oil mix directly into the spark
plug hole, put the plug back on and tried to start it. No luck.

Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
compression???

Thanks for any help,
Robert

[Brynk]

clogged air filter?
--
Barry

Post by Robert Enenkel
Hi -- I recently bought a used Husqvarna 268SE chainsaw. The previous
owner said it started and ran for a while, but then died when it
warmed up. I gave it fresh gas/oil mix but can't get it to start at
all. Not even a hint of trying to start.
I tried some experiments. I disconnected the spark plug lead and
stuck in a piece of bare wire and held it about 1/8" from a cylinder
fin, and when I pulled the starter handle, blue sparks did jump. I
removed the spark plug after trying to start it, and the plug was wet
and smelled from gas, so I assume the carburetor is working. The
spark plug gap seemed okay.
I hooked up a compression gauge to the spark plug hole and pulled the
handle a few times with the throttle open and got 55 psi compression.
Is that enough? I don't know what it should be.
I tried putting a small amount of gas/oil mix directly into the spark
plug hole, put the plug back on and tried to start it. No luck.
Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
compression???
Thanks for any help,
Robert

[Mike Romain]

Ummm.... how about a dead spark plug?

Having spark in the wire is just fine, but you need it in the cylinder.

2 stroke plugs fail a 'lot'. No one that I know uses one and goes any
place without a spare plug or two.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Post by Robert Enenkel
Hi -- I recently bought a used Husqvarna 268SE chainsaw. The previous
owner said it started and ran for a while, but then died when it
warmed up. I gave it fresh gas/oil mix but can't get it to start at
all. Not even a hint of trying to start.
I tried some experiments. I disconnected the spark plug lead and
stuck in a piece of bare wire and held it about 1/8" from a cylinder
fin, and when I pulled the starter handle, blue sparks did jump. I
removed the spark plug after trying to start it, and the plug was wet
and smelled from gas, so I assume the carburetor is working. The
spark plug gap seemed okay.
I hooked up a compression gauge to the spark plug hole and pulled the
handle a few times with the throttle open and got 55 psi compression.
Is that enough? I don't know what it should be.
I tried putting a small amount of gas/oil mix directly into the spark
plug hole, put the plug back on and tried to start it. No luck.
Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
compression???
Thanks for any help,
Robert

[Napalm Heart]

Post by Robert Enenkel
Hi -- I recently bought a used Husqvarna 268SE chainsaw. The

previous

Post by Robert Enenkel
owner said it started and ran for a while, but then died when it
warmed up. I gave it fresh gas/oil mix but can't get it to start at
all. Not even a hint of trying to start.
I tried some experiments. I disconnected the spark plug lead and
stuck in a piece of bare wire and held it about 1/8" from a cylinder
fin, and when I pulled the starter handle, blue sparks did jump. I
removed the spark plug after trying to start it, and the plug was wet
and smelled from gas, so I assume the carburetor is working. The
spark plug gap seemed okay.
I hooked up a compression gauge to the spark plug hole and pulled the
handle a few times with the throttle open and got 55 psi

compression.

Post by Robert Enenkel
Is that enough? I don't know what it should be.
I tried putting a small amount of gas/oil mix directly into the spark
plug hole, put the plug back on and tried to start it. No luck.
Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
compression???
Thanks for any help,
Robert

Is there a vent for the fuel tank that might be plugged? If the vent
is plugged a vacuum will be created fairly quickly and no fuel will
make it out of the tank.

Good Luck,

Ken

[ed]

could try running it on a sprits of ether but sure sounds like a bad plug to
me.

[ed]

try connecting the unscrewed spark plug itself to the connector and lay it
against ground and see if the actual gap is arcing.

[Toby Cowger]

In rec.autos.tech Robert Enenkel <***@hotmail.com> wrote:
: Hi -- I recently bought a used Husqvarna 268SE chainsaw. The previous
: owner said it started and ran for a while, but then died when it
: warmed up. I gave it fresh gas/oil mix but can't get it to start at
: all. Not even a hint of trying to start.

: I tried some experiments. I disconnected the spark plug lead and
: stuck in a piece of bare wire and held it about 1/8" from a cylinder
: fin, and when I pulled the starter handle, blue sparks did jump. I
: removed the spark plug after trying to start it, and the plug was wet
: and smelled from gas, so I assume the carburetor is working. The
: spark plug gap seemed okay.

: I hooked up a compression gauge to the spark plug hole and pulled the
: handle a few times with the throttle open and got 55 psi compression.
: Is that enough? I don't know what it should be.

: I tried putting a small amount of gas/oil mix directly into the spark
: plug hole, put the plug back on and tried to start it. No luck.

: Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
: that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
: compression???

: Thanks for any help,
: Robert

Pull off the exhaust pipe and see if the piston or rings are burnt. I
had a saw with similar no-start symptoms and took it to a Stihl dealer
for a tuneup. It too them about 45 seconds to determine I now had a
doorstop and no longer a chainsaw.

[bob]

Post by Robert Enenkel
Hi -- I recently bought a used Husqvarna 268SE chainsaw. The previous
owner said it started and ran for a while, but then died when it
warmed up. I gave it fresh gas/oil mix but can't get it to start at
all. Not even a hint of trying to start.
I tried some experiments. I disconnected the spark plug lead and
stuck in a piece of bare wire and held it about 1/8" from a cylinder
fin, and when I pulled the starter handle, blue sparks did jump. I
removed the spark plug after trying to start it, and the plug was wet
and smelled from gas, so I assume the carburetor is working. The
spark plug gap seemed okay.
I hooked up a compression gauge to the spark plug hole and pulled the
handle a few times with the throttle open and got 55 psi compression.
Is that enough? I don't know what it should be.
I tried putting a small amount of gas/oil mix directly into the spark
plug hole, put the plug back on and tried to start it. No luck.
Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
compression???
Thanks for any help,
Robert

I 2nd the air cleaner as the first place to look. If plug is wet, it may be
flooding. Dirty air cleaner will cause that. So will stuck needle in carb.
Check plug (or replace if foulded at all and remove it as potential
problem), remove air cleaner, spray starting fluid in carb and yank on rope.

[ottertailfamily]

If you really only have 55psi, theres your problem. Try putting a half a
teaspoon of oil (two stroke oil or regular 10W30) right down the spark plug
hole. Turn the engine over a few times before you put the plug back in,
then give it a whirl.
tad

Post by Robert Enenkel
Hi -- I recently bought a used Husqvarna 268SE chainsaw. The previous
owner said it started and ran for a while, but then died when it
warmed up. I gave it fresh gas/oil mix but can't get it to start at
all. Not even a hint of trying to start.
I tried some experiments. I disconnected the spark plug lead and
stuck in a piece of bare wire and held it about 1/8" from a cylinder
fin, and when I pulled the starter handle, blue sparks did jump. I
removed the spark plug after trying to start it, and the plug was wet
and smelled from gas, so I assume the carburetor is working. The
spark plug gap seemed okay.
I hooked up a compression gauge to the spark plug hole and pulled the
handle a few times with the throttle open and got 55 psi compression.
Is that enough? I don't know what it should be.
I tried putting a small amount of gas/oil mix directly into the spark
plug hole, put the plug back on and tried to start it. No luck.
Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
compression???
Thanks for any help,
Robert

[t***@mailcity.com]

As Ottertail said: "You don't have compression." 55 is way too low.

Just went through this with my brushcutter -- different tool, same
principle.

I'm guessing new ring and piston would probably fix you up. Saw shop
probably would bite you about $120 to $140 for this. Mine tab was $111,
but my shop is on the low side.

Could do it yourself, of course.

[D***@yahoo.com]

Low compression lets the air/fuel mixture back into the case, so
the saw doesn't draw fresh mixture into the case, and if the engine
fires exhaust gases get into the case and really mess up the mix.
The spark should jump a half-inch or so between the lead and head.
1/8" isn't much, and if it won't jump any farther than that you have a
weak mag. On compression the spark has a much harder time jumping the
gap, since air is an insulator, and you won't have any spark at all. We
test plugs to 120 psi; if the spark quits before then we junk them.
Most often the in internal resistor is bad.

Dan

[Robert Enenkel]

Thanks very much everyone for all the valuable advice! I'll give your
suggestions a try this weekend and let you know what happened. Best,
Robert

[C. E. White]

Post by Robert Enenkel
Thanks very much everyone for all the valuable advice! I'll give your
suggestions a try this weekend and let you know what happened. Best,
Robert

One more suggestion - make sure the flame arrestor over the
exhaust is not clogged. They usually use a wire mesh. These
can get caked with soot/parrtially burned oil, etc. If the
screen is sufficiently clogged, your exhaust is essentially
blocked. No old charge out, not new charge in, and the saw
won't run. I've seen this problem on multiple 2 stroke
engines. If you remove the mesh and heat it red hot with a
propane torch, so can usually clean it in a couple of
minutes.

Ed

[Larry Caldwell]

Post by Robert Enenkel
Any idea what might be the matter? I can't think of anything else
that could be wrong if it's getting gas, has a spark, and has
compression???

Just take it to the local Husky dealer and have them give it a tune-up.
The carb diaphragm may be sticking, or the jets may be set wrong, or who
knows? They can bring it back to factory spec. It should cost you
about $35.