Service & Maintenance Question
I have a Husky 141 around 11 years old. Changed fuel filter,...
Service & Maintenance Question posted September 20, 2014 by Greg Bulger
62 Views, 9 Comments
Question:
I have a Husky 141 around 11 years old. Changed fuel filter, fuel line, brake assembly, bar and chain. Problem is that it will not start if the chain is on. If I remove the chain and leave just the bar it is fine and starts and runs on 2-4 pulls. Very frustrating any help would be appreciated. To note the chain spins free and with a pull of the chain by hand it will get almost a complete rotation so nothing binding it. Truly baffled.
Answer
Greg,
An interresting problem, but obviously the only connection to the engine when the chain is on, or when it is off is due to the clutch. Also since you said you did some work on the brake, there is also a connection between the clutch drum and the brake band. So the two things that I would check is that your brake is working properly, and then also make sure that your clutch spins free of the engine.
If your sure that both of them are working properly then what I would try next is give your "T" clutch speed adjustment one full turn clockwise, this will cause your idle speed to increase, it should also cause the chain to run when the brake is not on.
Next, start up your chainsaw being aware that your chain is going to run a little, so be careful. Once the saw is running, turn the "T" clutch speed adjustment slowly counter clockwise, just until your chain stops rotating. If you cannot adjust the clutch to either make the chain run, or to make it stop running, then there is something wrong with your clutch, like weak clutch springs.
I hope this helps, If you need additional help please give me a shout.
PS. I am Not a Husqvarna Representative or Authorized Repair, just an experimental chainsaw person.
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Ok I completely forgot I turned that down thank you for that. My husky has ran high idle since I bought it. I would never have tied that to the issue I was having since removing the chain it would run. All that work and I am back to where I started. Husky runs for 10-15 minutes then heats up so much it shuts down. I have to leave it off for 30 minutes plus (dependent on weather). I use all non ethanol gas with the husky 50-1 mix. Since the saw is getting older does it need to run richer? I literally have used these and Stihls since I was freshman in college and never had the issues I have had this year. So any ideas on what makes a saw that ran for 11 years problem free (regular maintenance of course) suddenly start running so hot it turns off ?
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sound and solid advice from karl once again. I concur sir...
even more simple and to the point, just release the clutch brake and fire it up. do not allow the chain to make contact in the dirt when starting sans brake. the chain has no bearing as to a saw starting or not. and karl is right on the mark when saying the clutch drum should not be rotating at idle. the shoes and springs are engaged and rotate at idle, but the drum/sprocket/chain should free wheel on the needle bearings at idle and not rotate.
I have seen this problem before many times. the new brake band may be slightly under sized. it may need a bit of stretching if the fit is almost right. but just a bit too tight.
to simplify testing, attempt to pop on the brake at idle, if it strangles the engine to death, we know what is happening for certain, and remedy can be as simple as making a round wooden jig just slightly larger diameter than the clutch drum, placing it in the jaws of the open brake band and locking it down with the engaged band. allow it to sit for a while so that the band stretches a bit.
after this quick fix attempt, re-install the clutch cover, brake released fire it up, slap on the brake and lets see what happens...
betcha it runs now. good luck greg...
if the saw was behaving as it should before the new band, then I doubt the shoe springs as a culprit.
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I really didn't fully explain cause and effect or my reasoning. if the new band is undersized, it can bite onto the drum so forcefully that a deformation occurs and the drum rolling outward now makes contact with the shoes at idle on the top back edges of the shoes.
as we all know in this biz when the shoes friction the drum it either must rotate the drum/sprocket/chain, or put a big dragload on the engine. thusly, death by brakeband strangulation... I may be wrong, but I doubt it...
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Does this cause it to basically overheat ? I have the band detached and trying your steps. Again it will now start again but wow does it get hot. I am tempted to run it without the brake band just to see if that it.
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copy that, getting very hot at idle with clutch cover removed. now we investigate further. heat is caused by friction and several possible reasons for the excessive friction.
too lean a mixture, meaning too much air & not enough fuel. but 1st lets address the clutch area. the centrifugal clutch works so well on a chainsaw because of the science that supports it. the shaft rotates at idle while the engine runs, and the dogs, shoes & springs rotate right along with the shaft. the drum does not. it stays relatively stationary as the needle bearings under it are rolled by the shaft. as RPM's go up-up-up the springs that pull the shoes inward away from the drum lose the ability to hold the shoes inward because of centrifugal force. now the shoes are thrown outward and make friction contact with the drum forcing the drum to rotate right along with the shaft. since the sprocket is connected to the drum and chain to sprocket, now the entire system is rotating in lockstep with the driveshaft and engine.
now that you have this background of how the centrifugal clutch should function, I need some information through observation on your behalf. at idle RPM's is the drum rotating forcefully or just freewheeling nicely on the needlebearings that it glides upon?
if it glides, a pencil with an eraser head should be able to stop it just by making light contact on the outer top surface of the drum. also, when the engine is off, place your thumb under the bottom and index finger over the top of the drum and attempt to rock it to and away from the saw casting. it should be in good shape with very little play but should be super easy to spin around and around.
I need definitive answers to all of the previous questions such as, saw running at idle, slap on the brake, does it strangle the engine and die? I need answers to the clutch questions before we move forward as well...
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Free spinning I can with bar and brake off easily stop the clutch from spinning. Depressing the brake when running does not stall it or cause any noticeable hic ups. The clutch does have around 1/8 - 3/16ths inch of play in it. That being I can pull it away from the main body of the unit about that far.
I use the husky brand mix. the small container that mixes one per gallon of gas. Have been using this for years with ethanol free gas. I have worked on these a bit and besides forgetting to reset my throttle have pulled this apart and replaced the same parts on this and other brands in the past. I have always used Huskys for limbing work and a Stihl for larger cuts (24 plus diameter). Been doing this for 20 plus years and this year been running into a lot of issues. makes me really wonder if I need to have some of the gas they are claiming is ethanol free tested. I use it in 2 Honda mowers, an old 8 horse White chipper shredder, echo weed eater and this is the first year I have had issues. Like I said frustrating since I do regular maintenance, saws get drained and come into basement in the winter. Thank you for all the follow up on this. I am capable of doing the work just do not do it a lot so when things come up that are this one off type of an issue I do not have the experience to understand what could be causing it.
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I can help you to resolve any issues with that 141, but you gotta work with me so we don't waste a bunch of steps in this journey of diagnostic evaluation toward troubleshooting, identify the problems and then resolve them. I can't help without accurate answers.
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allright greg, great answers. fuel should be mixed in small quantities. example; 25 oz of fuel - 1/2 ounce of jaso 2cycle oil is a 50~1 ratio. 20 oz fuel - 1/2 oz jaso 2cycle oil = 40~1 ratio. I do it all the time and never allow fuel to sit for extended periods of time, FOR CAUSE> very simple to do. the yellow lid on a can of liquid wrench is exactly 1/2 oz volume when filled. you can prove it in a measuring cup using water, fill the lid 4 times dumping into measuring cup and bingo= 2 oz water. I also use a prego jar for the mixing of the fuel because the volume is tested tried and true. then I funnel into a jack daniels bottle because I can fill my saws without spilling a drop. and I got a boatload of empty jack daniels bottles, but i'm not quite certain how they accumulated.
now onward, clutch is good, brake band is too tight. jigsaw the circle out of a 1" board just barely larger diameter than the drum and place the new wood jig into the brakeband, throw on the brake, and allow it to sit overnite. it will stretch and work famously next outing.
now further onward, I think an accumulation of gum may be in the carb and restricting fuel causing too much air and too little fuel which is as we know lean, and lean maketh frictional heat un-necessarily. I do not want any jet turning at this point. douche the carb thoroughly with carb cleaner and allow it to soak in good for a solid 1/2 hour. pull the plug and blow out the jug thoroughly with a narrow hosel aggressive blow gun. blow out the carb with choke gate open, then blow out the jug one more time. also, if the 141 has a CRV remove it when you pull out the spark plug.
take a capful of jaso 2cycle oil and pour it into the jug thru the plugseat, pull the recoil several times to distribute the oil all around the sleeve. everything I am asking you to do is important. I don't think the drum deformation is a big deal because you can easily hold it from rotation at idle, and if the shoes were rubbing good enough that would heat up fast. it also sounds like the needle bearings are fine, but you need to grease them well when you are tracing out the jig for the brakeband stretching.
to stop the gumming empty the saw before putting it to bed, start it running and accelerate lightly til starvation kill. do this religiously, and you will never have to clean out the carb again.
mix small batches of fuel so you use up most of what you mix. fuel begins to evaporate instantly and changes the ratio of fuel/oil every single day.
stretch that band slightly and continue to love your saws by keeping them pristeen clean bar and clutch/oiler area and all. take my advice and the saw will not overheat, it will run very nicely, and it will always love you back...
now if you do all of this and it turns out that you need tuning help, then I will be glad to help my friend...
my email directly is
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