It was really flooded.

[graygun]

Stihl MS 170 ran fine but next time would not start or even sputter a bit.

I don't know how it got flooded...friend was using it...maybe it sat on it's side for awhile after he used it.

Had good spark and I put a little fuel directly into it,no go. Local guy said to pull it about 20x with the plug out and go from there. I did it 30x and replaced the plug...about 10x later,it started to respond...a few more pulls and it was running w/o dying. A few moments later it was growling. :lol:

 

[gunzo]

Could have been a simple internal combustion engine freak of their nature & a small particle got lodged in the fuel shut off valve(needle & seat)
or...
Human in nature & the operator using too much choke or not turning the choke off.

Borrowing or lending a chainsaw is a clear risk. Cantankerous doggone thing a 2 stroke is.

 

[JackpineWillie]

My brother had that issue one time except it was flooded with bar oil! Woops!

 

[exavid]

I always kept a can of starting fluid in my tote when I was using my chainsaw. Once in a while they will flood, some times one of the little flaps in the pump don't quite seat due to a bit of dirt under them. It's a lot easier to give it a short snort of ether most often that will clear things up without having to pull the plug and crank air through it.

At that least that worked in my Sears saw and my long bar Stihl 028. When we lived in Ketchikan, AK it took about seven cords of wood per year to heat our house. Pretty easy back when they were logging, all you had to do was drive the 100yds from the house and start bucking up drift logs that escaped the rafts when they towed them past. You used to see a lot of "wheels" laying around on the beaches near town. Those were the ends of the logs that had the brands stamped with the logging companies name so they could reclaim them if they got loose. Even though they hardly ever did reclaim them.

 

[daveg.inkc]

My Stihl weedeater FS45 does that. Plug gets wet and won’t start. I remove plug and let cylinder dry. Then I keep dry, extra plugs ready. Then it’s one or three pulls.

 

[pete44ru]

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They're not named Stihl because they're easy to start...….. :mrgreen:

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[Mobuck]

"They're not named Stihl because they're easy to start..."
Not necessarily so. I ran my Stihl FS 130 trimmer dry 3 weeks back but due to "stuff" going on I didn't get fresh gas mixed and time to run it again until today. Fill tank 1/2 full, set choke, push primer bulb 4-5 times and pulled the rope. Five pulls and it fired. Choke off, pull again and it ran w/o a hiccup. I don't consider 5 pulls on a unit that was run totally dry weeks previously as being hard to start--it might have fired on the first pull if I'd primed it 10 pumps instead of 5.
As for the OP, you may have a gas tank vent problem. If the tank doesn't vent as it warms up, the fuel has to go somewhere. That somewhere is most likely into the engine.

 

[blume357]

Old geezer at my church was listening to my chainsaw story about loaning one out to a friend and getting it back and putting it away for a couple months... I was in a hurry when my 'buddy' brought it back and just stuck in on a shelf.... when I went to use it... I had loaned out a Huskivarna 55 and it was now a 51....

Anyway... this is what the old geezer told me: "you never loan out a chainsaw. A chainsaw is like a woman, if you loan her out she won't come back the same as when she left."

 

[WAYNO]

I have replaced most of my yard equipment with Stihl products. It's just easier having tools that I can get parts for, and get repairs anytime by simply going to the closest Stihl dealer, which happen to be everywhere.

That said...When cold, my little Stihl 170, (1 YEAR OLD) chainsaw is the most fickle-starting of any of my Stihl machines When I flood it, which happens easily, there's nothing I can do to get it started. I just step back and let everything dry out and try later. In the meantime, my other (larger) Stihl chainsaw starts wonderfully easily. Customer reviews also indicate the 170 is notorious for flooding.

None of my gas-powered tools have ever seen ethanol.




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[Mobuck]

Very likely nothing to do with the OP but here's a tidbit:
Quite often hard starting or flooding is caused by mechanical issues that may not be readily apparent. My FIL ran Mac saws that were constantly having hot start flooding problems. He could pull the plug, clean it, yank the rope a few times to dry the cylinder, and it would start fine. I determined that he was using non-compatible oil in the gas/oil fuel mix and that this was causing carbon buildup on the plug resulting in very little spark after about one tank of gas. Some Mac's were notorious for starting issues that were most likely a result of a combination of weak spark and carbon build up on the plug.
Be sure to use oil mix that matches your 2 cycle engine, the best gas you can buy, and keep the mix fresh. I don't much care for the "synthetic fuel" being promoted as the best thing ever. I took my FS130 (4 cycle that runs 2 cycle gas mix) brush whacker to the local dealer for a tune up. He ragged on me about the gas I was running(I'll admit it wasn't as fresh as I normally run) and filled the tank with "super dooper synthetic fuel mix". I took the unit home and ran that tank out wondering if the engine was already ruined since it had so little power and ran so poorly. I finally got through the tank of mix he'd put in and began with a fresh gallon of 91 octane and Stihl synthetic oil mix. WOW I had my brush whacker back again. Runs great, pulls great, doesn't stumble and gag like it did on the bottled "stuff".

 

[exavid]

I use non-ethanol adulterated gasoline in all my small engine powered engines including my 650cc BMW scooter. All seem to be much happier about it.

 

[graygun]

I use non-ethanol adulterated gasoline in all my small engine powered engines including my 650cc BMW scooter. All seem to be much happier about it.

adulterated?

 

[kramden]

I had an Echo chain saw that quit running about a year ago. Also an old Weed Eater that quit about 5 years ago. Both were in nice shape so I hadn't pitched them. Bought new replacements yada, yada. One day I came across a You-Tube video showing the way to rebuild those little Walbro small engine carbs. Bought 2 kits (2 for $6). Rebuilt both and in short they run like new. What happens with these carbs is the gasket with the small silver disc attached to it dries out (due to todays crappy gas) and that's it they quit. Was so simple to fix. I ordered a few more kits to keep on hand for the next time.

 

[graygun]

I had an Echo chain saw that quit running about a year ago. Also an old Weed Eater that quit about 5 years ago. Both were in nice shape so I hadn't pitched them. Bought new replacements yada, yada. One day I came across a You-Tube video showing the way to rebuild those little Walbro small engine carbs. Bought 2 kits (2 for $6). Rebuilt both and in short they run like new. What happens with these carbs is the gasket with the small silver disc attached to it dries out (due to todays crappy gas) and that's it they quit. Was so simple to fix. I ordered a few more kits to keep on hand for the next time.

I've rebuilt Walbro and Zama carbs. Sometimes it fixed the machines. Fuel lines go bad and crack. It's almost always a fuel issue...from what I've experienced.

 

[exavid]

I use non-ethanol adulterated gasoline in all my small engine powered engines including my 650cc BMW scooter. All seem to be much happier about it.

adulterated?

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=adulterated&t=ffnt&ia=definition

Much the same as adding a lot of water to your drink. I meant one will have a lot less trouble with small engines using gasoline, not gasoline that's had ethanol added. The ethanol increases the octane ratio which makes small engines that don't have a spark advance more difficult to start. Ethanol is hygroscopic, i.e. it absorbs water and it will become do some from the air if it's not in a sealed container.

The carburetor of an engine isn't sealed from the ambient air. It's purpose is to mix air and gas. If you store an a small engine for a length of time with ethanol laden gas there will be carb problems, corrosion being a major one. The best way to store any small engine is with the fuel system, tank and carb being empty.

 

[graygun]

You said "non-ethanol adulterated" which was puzzling.

 

[WAYNO]

And just because of this thread, I just went out to see if my 170 would start. It fired right up, in spite of not being started since last fall. Instead of using full choke, I tried the starting position, (partial choke) which is one click less than full choke. It worked this time, so a little experimentation is still in order, especially since this model does not have a primer bulb. I suspect too many pulls in the full choked position is causing the flooded condition. But without even a pop, and with no primer bulb, it's hard to know if you've even got fuel in the carburetor.

 

[exavid]

My 170B never failed to start either even in winter with a bit of heat under the cowl.

(Just a harmless joke, a play on the 170)

 

[gunzo]

I don't know about these threads sometimes. A day after this one was started & I commented, my 170 acted up.

It's nearly new & probably needs a bit more break in. Or, I might still need to learn the combo. Had a 1953 Harley like that. Using the right amount of choke, spark retard, & throttle setting, it fired right up. Get out of sequence & you start pulling plugs.

 

[graygun]

I don't know about these threads sometimes. A day after this one was started & I commented, my 170 acted up.

It's nearly new & probably needs a bit more break in. Or, I might still need to learn the combo. Had a 1953 Harley like that. Using the right amount of choke, spark retard, & throttle setting, it fired right up. Get out of sequence & you start pulling plugs.

If the plug is wet,it's likely fouled. You can try what I did to get mine going.

I assume you know the starting procedure with your 4-position switch.