Have I killed my chainsaw

[felixe]

Hi
I have an old Husqvarna (about 15 years old) which has always run well. I got it out on Sunday and without thinking I put 4 stroke into it and started it up .
It ran for about 3 seconds and died.

Is it dead? If I drain out the fuel and leave it to dry out, what else do I need to do to get it running again?

Any advice is appreciated!

[johnc]

Fill with two stroke and give it a go, if it was only three seconds there may have been enough oil film in the bore to get away with it. However it doesn't take long to destroy the engine on straight fuel, even if it does go you may have done enough damage to drastically shorten it's life. I'm something of an expert having done exactly the same thing many years ago and destroyed a husky in the process, realised straight away and turned off but a couple of trailer loads of firewood later it died permantly.

[felixe]

Thanks john, I'll give it a try...

I have drained the tank and I'll let it dry for a day. It had not been used in 6 months so there may have been no film left.

Let you know of the outcome, if it dies I already have another picked out and will buy the new 240.

What a potentially expensive mistake!!!

[crowie]

G'Day "felixe",
Don't forget the internet and eBay.
My builder mates apprentice did the same thing on a "quickcut saw" except ran it for a few minutes.
Got a barrel and piston kit from USA on eBay for 1/3 the local price, fitted it and it goes as good as new.
Cheers, Crowie
PS - That's if it doesn't re-fire!!

[Wongo]

chainsaws are extremely dangerous. You killed it before it kills you. Wise man.

[felixe]

G'Day "felixe",
Don't forget the internet and eBay.
My builder mates apprentice did the same thing on a "quickcut saw" except ran it for a few minutes.
Got a barrel and piston kit from USA on eBay for 1/3 the local price, fitted it and it goes as good as new.
Cheers, Crowie
PS - That's if it doesn't re-fire!!

Thanks Crowie.

I wouldn't know where to start, I can clean the filter, adjust the carbuerettor, tension the chain. That's about it, I don't know anything about engines...

[BobL]

When you say 3 seconds do you mean 3 seconds and not 10 seconds? This 7 second difference is critical.

The first question is does it even turn over? If not, it is seized and unless you are comfortable pulling a seized cylinder and piston off the saw then you are best to get someone else to do it.

If it still turns over, the first thing to do is a compression test. Then pull off the exhaust and turn the crank over till you can see the top of the piston and the rings. If the top of the piston is (even a little bit) melted it's going to need major work. Even if it turns over and the piston is not obviously melted the rings could be jammed and the piston scored and some trace amounts of piston ally melted onto the cylinder. It will still need some work

Take a photo of the top of the piston on the rings thru the exhaust manifold, then slide the piston up and take a picture of the wall of the piston and post these here and we'll tell you if it is salvageable.

[felixe]

Hi Bob,

I will put some 2 stroke in it tomorrow,and see how it goes.
I have called a few local shops that do repairs, the general consensus is that the cost of local repair is the same or slightly greater than discarding the current saw and purchasing a new model.

[johnc]

Sounds familiar, seems a big price for a little mistake.