91stranger
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2010
- Messages
- 1,806
- Reaction score
- 512
- Points
- 113
- Vehicle Year
- 2003
- Make / Model
- Gets Mo Chicks
- Engine Size
- 4.2 straight six powered by gremlins, goblins and mudbloods.
- Transmission
- Automatic
- 2WD / 4WD
- 4WD
I am actually pretty handy when it comes to small engines but this one is baffling me. I have an older stihl 031av with a 20" bar. I got it for $50 and the PO said it runs but is hard to start. I got it home and it actually fired right up for me but ran like crap. Had no torque, bogs when giving it gas and wouldn't stay running. I have so far put a new spark plug in, installed a chip to bypass the points and condenser, replaced the carb and all the gas lines except for the one inside the tank b/c it seems fine, the old gas lines were brittle from not having gas in them. I have fiddled with the high and low and idle adjustments and nothing I do will give it torque to cut through wood. It will run, idle and rev up and sounds like its getting good RPM but as soon as you go to cut a piece of wood it just struggles and can't cut through a 6" piece of wood without baby'ing the damn thing. At first I thought it was the points since that is the common part people say goes bad on these. Bought the chip and it had an old chip already installed. I replaced it anyway and still no luck. Found the carb on ebay for $14 so I put that on and still no luck. Not sure if I need to tear it down and rebuild the complete engine or what. Putting the carb to specs makes it run like crap as well. Any advice on this? I'd really like to use it for bigger trees and save the ms250 for regular bucking. Thanks in advance.
Forgot to mention that I am using 50:1 gas using Stihl synthetic oil. I pulled the muffler and cleaned the spark arrester as well.
Forgot to mention that I am using 50:1 gas using Stihl synthetic oil. I pulled the muffler and cleaned the spark arrester as well.