OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Chainsaws and Concrete Cutters Petrol Chainsaws and Concrete Cutters Jonsered 2050 Starting Problems

Having trouble starting my fire evacuation saw. This is a high reving old saw. When I try to start it seems to grab the starter and refuse to fire. Suspect fuel blockage or ignition problem. Does it help to remove rust around magneto fields on two stroke solid state ignitions. Is there a carby clean product that helps unblock fuel obstructions, eg. fuel gel, blocked fuel screen, jets etc. Is it safe to use ether, propane or butane to start these small machines? Regards, Gomower.

Gomower,

I would suggest cleaning any rust from the magneto, replacing the fuel filter, spark plug, fuel and maybe the diaphragms in the carby.

For carby cleaner we use THIS

Gomower, I would not use ether, propane or butane to start 2 stroke
motors, it will wash the oil from the piston/cylinder increasing the risk of damaging the piston/cylinder due to lack of lubrication.

I have heard that some mower shop so called mechanics use start you bastard because they have problems working out what is wrong.

As you said it will cause damage but any good mechanic should be able to work out what is wrong with the engine.

I definately agree with both gmax and Bruce with the problems that can arise with using "Aerostart" or "Start Ya Bastard" on a regular basis, but to put Gomower's opening statement in context, if I was trying to evacuate from a FIRE and the saw was needed to facilitate my escape, I would have NO hesitation in using either of the ether based products; in fact I would have a can placed next to the saw for just that purpose. In that situation, you need it to start first pull, every time!

We all know the speed in which a fire can approach, there's no time to worry about cleaning the carby, or whether the local so-called mechanic was a twit, the equipment just needs to start pronto!
This could be a life or death situation...One should be prepared.

Interesting discussion re Aerostart.

I think the product changed a number of years ago when CFCs went out the window and since then ive used WD40 (Butane gas propelled) or on my cars (Old project cars with dry fuel lines) I use Aldi fly spray which seems to be highly flammable. (And $2 a can!)

Might have to re evaluate this practise now.

Thanks guys, I have not repaired the saw yet, I removed the exhaust as a last resort but have not had not had time to work on the saw, I have the parts list but no workshop manual or cash to replace diaphrams or tools to measure pop off pressure. I also have another old chainsaw, brushcutters, and a two stroke mulcher (briggs and strat). I met one guy who used degreaser spray to start 2 stroke engines as it has a hoydrocarbon propellant i.e. propane, butane, etc; as does hairspray etc. The problem for me is that this saw has never been dismantled before and I am scared of the tiny springs, fuel screen etc in the carby. Are there and chainsaw workshop mannual repair files on the chainsaw link. I also have a problem with the choke, thottle linkage on this saw for cold starts, perhaps I just need to bend and try and adjust angles, or bronze and file etc. When if I get some cash does anyone have ideas about new saws around the farmboss, stihl capacity, quality saws. Thanks again guys for so much help on topics. Gomower

would never ever use degreaser to start an engine, it would dry the bore of oil quicker than any other propellant.

It is hard on any piston-and-cylinder engine to put liquid solvent into the cylinder - whether it is petrol or some other solvent is not all that important, what matters is whether oil is soluble in it. That is why I tend to recommend priming engines through the carburetor air intake rather than through the sparkplug hole: you can hope the solvent will be in vapour form by the time it enters the cylinder. Some of the solvents mentioned are even less suitable than the others; in particular the solvent sometimes used in flyspray and some other pressure packs is kerosene, not petrol, and this is not a good fuel. If the engine starts at all on kero it will probably detonate. Things like hairspray have lacquer in them and you do not want this inside any part of your engine.

Most pressure packs - degreaser is an exception - usually emit the solvent in atomised form, so it is likely to vaporise on its way through the throttle, intake manifold, and port. I think you can still buy spray cans of ether for starting engines, but it is relatively expensive and in my experience only marginally effective.

In a technical sense, squirting hydrocarbon vapour into your engine is less harmful than using a primer bulb (which squirts liquid petrol into it). That is one of the reasons I was much happier with Briggs' old chokes than I am with their new primer bulbs. The main point though is that if there is nothing wrong with the engine you should not need to do anything other than follow the manufacturer's starting instructions. If it won't start reliably by doing that, fix it. Yes, keeping a can of ether near a fire pump or emergency chainsaw is an exception: if you end up completely ruining the engine starting it that way, that is a trivial matter so long as it did the job once, when you needed it.

Hi grumpy, well said, mate, Amen to that!!