Look at muffler and spark arrestor if it has one. If its clogged with carbon it won't run. Check the rubber boot for the air intake off the cylinder also. It could be broken or cracker choking it out allowing too much air in

Sometimes it is hard to see if the plug has spark.
On a small saw like that just hold the plug and pull the rope slow.
You will be able to feel if the plug has life. Yes you will get bit a little, but it will be mild.

WS

One time I had gas and spark but it still wouldnt run...........took me forever to find that the plug wire worked good out of the saw but once you bent it a little to fit the plug it separated what was left of broken wires. Check your compression while you have your plug out also.

Was the carb worked on? It sounds like a mistake was made if it was. Thing about 2 cycles is, there is sooo much that can make em not run. I do a lot of work on them part time. A saw that wets the plug that quick, they may have just opened up the low idle mixture screw a tad to get it to crank, then gave it back to you. It does have an inlet needle, and it could be bad, though not likely. If they used compressed air to clean the carb, they may have knocked out the fuel check valve. Metering diaphragm may be old and stiff, and have fuel lever depressed. I could go on and on.....

Should have bought a Husky? LOL

I would also check the fuel lines. Could be cracked or broken

When my 250 did what you are describing, it was a burnt piston. Ran great, tried to start it 3 days later and flooding and no start no matter what I did. Of course check everything else mentioned in this thread also.

Would love to know the final outcome

My 250 did the same thing. Asked the mechanic at the farm store. He said to hold the throttle wide open and yank it until it starts. It worked then and have had to do it a couple times since. Let'er rip, tater chip.

Heck I thought everyone knew that, when a 2 stroke engine was flooded you cranked the engine with the throttle wide open ?

I’d guess it’s flooding from over choking. Every time I clean or replace a carb on a Stihl my choke/starting procedure changes. Before cleaning, you may notice the “pop” that indicates you can unchoke and pull again. After cleaning the “pop” can be real hard to hear and you might miss it. Next time you clean or replace carb it could be the opposite.

I would remove plug and dry it as well as pull cord with plug out to clear the cylinder of fuel. Only choke it one pull or better yet, no choke for first pull or two. You should be able to get it started.

So took it back and it looks as though it's the ignition module, sparks good for a bit then no spark, spark no spark , also pressurized the carb. It had a little bleed back the spring under the needle valve was weak.

I suspect you are going to find that it is burned up. I'm betting around 110 psi compression. Just enough to start when cold, and not run once hot.


1 Any small engine mechanic worth their pay would have pressure tested that carb after the rebuild. It should support 7 pounds for 7 minutes. This will not make a saw die unless it is really dumping ridiculous amounts of fuel, it will make it hard to start.

2. Ignition module issues are usually working or not working in chain saws. You don't really see the "it was running till it warmed up and lost spark". I would suspect compression long before spark.



I'm a Stihl Silver Certified Mechanic

I am no mechanic but my guess is it's the ignition module, and if you pressurize the carb, it'll have little bleed back due to the spring under the needle valve being weak. Just a guess though.

You sir, are a genius.

We'll see, I'm guessing the mechanic pressurized the carb. the first time as I said it ran fine for over an hour I shut it off a couple times to move logs around, they were hard wood logs 14 inches across,I t ran and started fine during that whole time, when it died I figured it ran out of gas and it was about dark so I quite for the evening.when I went back the next weekend is when it wouldn't start steming from when it died." I guess" so I worked with it and checked for spark I seen spark but was not convinced it was sparking all the time. When I took it back to the mechanic the first thing he checked was spark,then the carb it was getting bleed off and that's when he fixed the spring, then we ran it but it would not idle he ran it long enough it should have warmed up,so then he checked again for spark it then had intermittent spark, I feel it had intermittent spark when I tried to start it at home?? So my question to you is,could it be cutting hardwood logs and start up and sound like a rebel and not have compression?? I would say no but I'm not certified to say?

pillager,isnt that where big d!cks is,we pass by there heading to lotw,i had a shindiawa saw do this,spark-no spark,replaced the cheaper coil,wasnt it,replaced the exciter coil(more expensive)fixed it

this is what was wrong with mine. wasnt even cracked bad but for a few dollars i replaced and it ran fine

That's what I was thinking too. I had that very problem when there was spark and a wet plug. The kill switch wasn't disengaging.