Your McCulloch chainsaw won’t start. You yank starter cord, and engine fires but quickly dies out. You try again and again.
After several attempts, saw quits working entirely. That’s a common complaint about these budget-priced tools. But it doesn’t necessarily indicate that something are wrong with the saw.
Instead, cause of the inconsistent starting is typicaly a minor mismatch between air system and fuel system. Often, fixing it is easy, and affordable. First, check the gas.
Common Causes And Simple Fixes For Stalling
Check for Old Fuel
Stored gasoline have an expiration date. Blended fuels with ethanol will expire faster then pure fuel. Old gasoline that was left in saw all winter probably got gummy and gummed up jet of the carburetor.
It tries to suck in fuel, but what it gets is air and engine stalls out. Drain whatever old fuel you suspect might be in there and then fill with fresh mixture of unleaded gasoline and two-cycle oil. Many starting problem are solved with this simple refill, which take just minutes and costs next to nothing.
Inspect the Air Filter
Check your air filter next. All those sawdust particle produced by the chainsaw want to get into engine. The filter prevents that, but won’t let air through when it’s clogged from lack of cleaning.
If the filter is completely full, the engine can’t breathe. This creates a fuel mixture that are too rich for the engine to burn correctly. Gently remove and shake out the filter to get rid of any dust that has build up.
Unless it’s a disposable foam filter, don’t try to wash it in water. Keeping the filter clean ensures a proper air-to-fuel ratio. The saw will immediately run smoother.
Replace the Spark Plug
Spark plug also cause stalls. Over time, electrodes becomes worn. Carbon also builds up on surface, which blocks a good spark from occuring.
Without a good spark, the engine cannot keep igniting. Simply take out the plug, inspect gap (usually.025 inches or something close in your owners manual) and re-gap to spec. Clean the plug with a wire brush if it’s oily and black and replace if electrodes are worn or the porcelain is cracked.
A spark plug is not expensive and ensures every cycle has energy it needs to help with reliability. Last, check the carburetor adjustment. There is two screws that control the fuel mixture, idle and high speed.
Adjust the Carburetor
And can moves out of tune over time. Too much on the idle screw will cause starvation once you release throttle; too much on the high-speed screw will make the saw stall under a load. Check your manual for factory settings and go slow turning the screws, a little at a time.
Listen to pitch of engine and adjust till it idles smoothly without racing. It takes patience but brings engine back into its proper operating range. You should of used more patience.
You can fix a McCulloch chainsaw by troubleshooting or performing basic repairs, as most problems with these tools are not significant issue. Tune up your carburetor, check your spark plug, change air filter and be sure to top off with fresh gas. That’s how you get your saw running consistently, which is the underlying cause of an engine hesitating.
So keep your chainsaw’s filters clean, the fuel fresh and you’ll find yourself spending more time cutting down trees and less time yanking on the pull cord. A good working tool does last longer and it runs better if kept in good shape. It’s moddern tools can be tricky but works fine when maintained.
You would of found that easier with a manual.