Poulan Wild Thing Starting Problem

[MossRoad]

As I mentioned before, I sprayed a shot of ether into the carb and gave it a few pulls. No pop. I removed the plug and set it right next to the plug hole and on the first pull ether shot out of the plug hole and ignited instantly in the open air. Instantly. I repeated this several times and it was always the same.
/QUOTE]

All I'm saying here is the path for air to the cylinder will be open. The use of ether is entirely up to the OP.

I have had occasions where holding the trigger down will allow a saw to start.

Moss, did the fellow who borred the saw let it sit for so long cause it was cutting real slow??:laughing:

Yeah, I'll try the full trigger with a shot of ether next. I don't have a compression gauge. I know its harder to pull with the plug in and spins like a top with the plug out.

Here's the deal on the saw... it involves my wife's father, brother, a really nice Stihl saw that got borrowed and never returned for a really long time, a lame attempt at reparations, another borrowed saw, another really long time, another Stihl saw and the return of the lame reparation that we are discussing here! :laughing: Its soap opera quality. :confused2:

 

[speedy2]

About 8 years ago I gave my son a small McCullar saw and he left it in my barn for the last 6 or more years. Not long ago I went and got it and the tanks were dry. I poured about 4 tablespoonsful of seafoam in it and pulled it thru and let it set for about an hour and a half. Then filled it with gas, choked it and it fired right up. That seafoam is great stuff. Speedy2

 

[Scooby074]

Without having some basic diagnostic tools such as a compression gauge, your going to be chasing your tail.

Hence my original suggestion of throwing it out

You got spark. You had fuel (ether). That only leaves compression, at least for now. A stuck ring or gouged cylinder are options. Id bet its down in compression if i was to guess, but without a gauge to confirm, who knows?

 

[MossRoad]

Without having some basic diagnostic tools such as a compression gauge, your going to be chasing your tail.

Hence my original suggestion of throwing it out

You got spark. You had fuel (ether). That only leaves compression, at least for now. A stuck ring or gouged cylinder are options. Id bet its down in compression if i was to guess, but without a gauge to confirm, who knows?

Yar. How much does a gauge cost anyway?

 

[Scooby074]

Yar. How much does a gauge cost anyway?

Under $30 for the deluxe HF model. Over 100 for a brand name.

Compression Test Kit

 

[B Sea]

HI All,
Just joined this interesting site. As of a few hours ago I have a similar problem with a Poulan saw except that our's is about 2 years old & was running fine when it just quit -dead. Now I've done quite a lot of work on small 2 strokes & frankly was pessimestic that there would be an easy fix. Nonetheless, we checked spark & that was fine, dumped the gas into a pail but no sign of water, put in fresh anyway & disassembled & cleaned out carb (no problems). Tomorrow I will check compression but I want to point out that on quite a number of 2 strokes that simply will not start or even bark, I have found that there's scoring on the cylinder wall between the intake port & the crankcase. When this happens you can still get a decent compression reading at the spark plug but the crank cases blows back thru the port so you won't compress the next cycle's charge. In these cases, you will never find a wet spark plug.
Now my question/statement is that this seems especially common on the cheaper brands - We're still running a couple of really old Jonsereds (1970's) & an old beat-up Oregon Farmer, so why does a 2 year old Poulan suddenly give-up?
B Sea in BC

 

[bigd74]

try a different spark plug i just fixed one doing the same thing plenty of spark and fuel but no fire changed the plug took right off

 

[B Sea]

The Poulan has died b/c as another poster mentioned earlier the piston/cylinder became scored by the exhaust port. No compression = No Go.
So I ponder again, why a 2 year old Poulan becomes a landfill donation, yet my ancient Oregon Farmer, Homelite Xl12 & even older Jonsered keep on going? Did the old ones have a steel cylinder sleeve? We've been using these saws for a long time & we are careful to use the right 2-stoke oil/mix so I am curious as to why, that Poulan just suddenly got scored up.
B Sea in snowy BC

 

[Dan Hunter]

I owned one of these briefly. It NEVER ran well...just wouldn't get on the pipe and stalled EVERY time I tried to cut with it. I think it had more rotations of the crankshaft from trying to start it than actually running. I'd have been better off if I'd pulled the spark plug, rested it on a branch and pulled a lot. I felt great throwing it in the trash and better when I replaced it with a Stihl.

 

[xyz123]

Every cheapie poulan that is brought to me after someone buys it with running problems is usually so lean from factory (can you say EPA) they are set for failure from the get go. Lean = burning up. I re-set carbs and 30 min muffler mod and they seem to last forever. There is one out there for I bet 10+ years now.

Guys just need to learn how to tune carbs and sharpen chain and listen to the motors on all saws etc IMHO and not just try to run them straight from the box. Failure is only a short run away if you do not learn. I have seen MS660 burned up from being on lean side and D.A. running super dull chain for extended cuts and that is a $1000 saw.

Lot of the saw failures I have seen is usually the owners fault not knowing how to tune and do general maintenance on a chainsaw. It's to easy people learn and save yourself $60 a hour at the dealers. Look at it as paying yourself.

Oh and if you are one of those guys that pays $99-$129 for a cheapie saw, why do you expect $300 saw outcome. You get what you pay for. You can make it better on your own if you do go cheap route.

 

[Fixemall]

Dollars to donuts that thing was straight gassed and now suffers from lack of compression.

 

[johnecash]

try a different spark plug i just fixed one doing the same thing plenty of spark and fuel but no fire changed the plug took right off

I have run into to this same problem quite a few times.---- plug looked new and gave a good spark when it was out of the cylinder, but wouldn't fire when faced with compression. With the price of a plug ---- I'd try it.
If nothing else you'd have a spare

-J.C.-

 

[5030]

The answer is in your last sentence.

Throw it out. Those wild things are poison and you'll end up throwing more at it in parts (and frustration) then its worth.

I agree. Landfill it. Get a real saw. Poulan saws are rubbish. Emerson Electric (parent company) is rubbish.

 

[xyz123]

I agree. Landfill it. Get a real saw. Poulan saws are rubbish. Emerson Electric (parent company) is rubbish.

Please just put in box and ship to me any unwanted poulans of the models I like. :laughing::thumbsup: Never heard of emerson having anything to do with poulan Sure that wasnt E-lux.

Just a few on the list I am taking in.

 

[LD1]

Hey XYZ... did you grab up that poulan 415 that was on craigslist. Posted the 17th in greenwich for $60????

I thought about calling but that is over an hour away.

Kinda funny I was just thinking about that say and then you post and say it is one of your "perfered" models of poulans.

Did you also see the 295 in marion for $75?

 

[brin]

I agree. Landfill it. Get a real saw. Poulan saws are rubbish. Emerson Electric (parent company) is rubbish.

I've always bought and use Poulans...the one I have now I have had for over 15 yrs. not a problem at all...ever ! I don't know where you come up with this sweeping statement slamming Poulan....you must have an agenda or have had a bad experience...From my experience they are great chain saws.

 

[5030]

I've always bought and use Poulans...the one I have now I have had for over 15 yrs. not a problem at all...ever ! I don't know where you come up with this sweeping statement slamming Poulan....you must have an agenda or have had a bad experience...From my experience they are great chain saws.

No agenda other than I had a couple when I owned and operated a tree service company in Ohio and they were prone to hot vapor lock and overall, weren't very durable. Back then I learned that it was a Stihl or a handsaw.

You always need a saw that starts first or second pull when you are up 50 feet in a tree, not a vapor locked turd. More than one 'fell' to it's death from my hands.

Glad you got a good one. I have none....now.

 

[xyz123]

Nope missed the 415. The 295 46cc isnt my cup of tea in the clamshell clan. The 260 and smaller brother 220 was nice.
The 260 with 3/8lp PS3 42cc would stomp my like new stihl 025 with 325 RSC.

I just finished up a PP365 complete rebuild with case split and crank removed. 49mm x 32mm stroke

Tonight I just put some crankshaft seals in a Partner 550 and redrilled oiler holes and bar adjuster holes on a 20" bar for it to do some comparison cuts. 44mm bore x 36mm stroke. Can put a 650 700 7000 topend on the 550 later

Lot of stihls are turds IMO just depends on WHICH saws were are talking about. There are good from every manufacture and there are turds from every manufacture. Buyers just need to do their homework. There are poulans I will take over a pro stihl even. Case point a poulan 305 3000 I will take over a stihl 026. I have owned all of them.

Now if you bought 200T I understand up in the tree. Those are top dog.

 

[LD1]

There are good from every manufacture and there are turds from every manufacture. Buyers just need to do their homework.

Pretty much sums it all up right there:thumbsup:

It is difficult trying to explain this to those that are so brand loyal they are blind.:confused2:

Personally, I like ALL good saws, and I dislike ALL bad saws. And EVERY MFG, has saws in BOTH categories.

And someone got a heck of a deal on that 415. I just assumed it was you. I seen it, and was interested, but I usually never call about an item until I have time to go get/see it. And I was tied up for a few days, and went to pull it up again, adn it was gone:confused2:

 

[brin]

No agenda other than I had a couple when I owned and operated a tree service company in Ohio and they were prone to hot vapor lock and overall, weren't very durable. Back then I learned that it was a Stihl or a handsaw.

You always need a saw that starts first or second pull when you are up 50 feet in a tree, not a vapor locked turd. More than one 'fell' to it's death from my hands.

Glad you got a good one. I have none....now.

OK , I see your point...My Poulan runs fine for my use but it does not start on the first or second pull....to first get it started it is four or five pulls and if I work it hard and shut it down it can vapor lock and I have to wait a few minutes...but then I am not way up in a tree so it works for me but I do see your point....if I was up in that tree I would want one to start right up...