Super EZ gets tired and stops!

[gerryw]

 My Super EZ started from storage on the second pull and idles nicely. Full throttle is no problem.
I let it idle for about 10 to 15 minuets and then it stalls. Won't start again. Let it sit for 1-2 hours and it starts right up. Then the cycle starts again . 
                                                                          any thoughts?
                                                                                                     Gerry 

[edju1958]

Start with a new fuel filter & see how that works.Easy things first.

[charles]

Sounds like a bad check valve  (duck bill valve) . This allows air in the fuel tank as fuel is used up .  Try to loosen the fuel cap (carefully) and see 

if the saw runs normally . The valve is known to gum up and fail , but a quick and cheap fix !

Charles 

[tangobravo]

All excellent starts to check on. Also might check for wood chips & oil blocking the cylinder fins and flywheel and the associated passages. Heat will build up and stop the engine from running after a few minutes if it can't pump cooling air over those areas.

[ronaldt]

I would replace the sparkplug also.

[w30bob]

Hi gerry,

So what everyone is saying is your issue is either fuel starvation or the engine is semi-seizing due to lack of cooling. Your ignition could also be going south as the coil heats up, but it's fairly easy to check and figure out which one is your problem. Start the saw and let it run and do its thing. The second it stops try to pull the starter handle. If it rotates normally it's not seizing from over-temp. Pull the plug and check for spark while hot. If it's neither of those.........it's fuel related.

regards,
bob

[okie]

Does it just stop all at once or does the idling change before it dies? (like sputter and surge or maybe idling gets slower or does it just die all at once?)

During the 10 minutes of idling, if say at 5 minutes you rev the saw a few times will it idle for a longer period or shut down sooner?

Reason I ask is, trying to get some hints as to if the saw is loading up and flooding due to a too rich condition such as L jet little bit to far out and rich, ignition failure or ?
Does it fail faster if the gas tank is completely full vs 1/2 full? (will fail faster and more often if venting problem with the gas tank full)

[edju1958]

A good point brought up by Bob with the ignition system starting to fail when hot.Back when I first started out on saws,I remember a guy who owned a saw shop told me that an ignition problem can mimic a fuel problem & vice versa.This can be a tough fix if you're centering on only one problem like the fuel system.The ignition system is easier to figure out (IMO),so if you've got consistent spark then you can rule out the ignition system & move on to the fuel system.

[gerryw]

Ok, here's an update.  Thanks so much for all your replies. After reading them all, I went out and loosened the fuel cap slightly and started the saw. Started up and I throttled up and down a few minuets and went back to idle. Set it on the ground and left it there a good 20 minuets. Still idling fine. closed the gas cap snug and left it another 10 minuets.
Still running! So I revved it up and back to idle. Shut it off and it started right back up.
Let it idle another 10 or so minuets and shut it off. After 15 min. it starts right back up!
Short story is , I can't get it to duplicate the problem!
  I love this little saw. It's a brute and in good looking shape. In my late teens and living in upstate New York, we bought this new in about 1973- 74 to help heat the house in winters. Brought it with me after retiring to Florida. It has sat for many years and lately started messing with it for old time sake. Not much use for it in this retirement community! 
 So I guess I'll keep monitoring it for now.
Just want to thank you all for your quick and knowledgeable responses.
                                      
                                          respectfully, Gerry

     p.s.   If Leon is reading this. Thanks for your excellent videos, I've learned so much. 

[edju1958]

Sometimes the carb just needs some fresh fuel in it to get things moving again & swell the gaskets & diaphragms that might've dried out from yrs.of sitting.Now it's important to not let it set for a lengthy period (45-60 days) with the same fuel in it unless you're using a fuel stabilizer.StarTron is about the best out there.

[okie]

Mar 24, 2022 13:09:08 GMT -5 edju1958 said:

Sometimes the carb just needs some fresh fuel in it to get things moving again & swell the gaskets & diaphragms that might've dried out from yrs.of sitting.Now it's important to not let it set for a lengthy period (45-60 days) with the same fuel in it unless you're using a fuel stabilizer.StarTron is about the best out there.

AND try to stay away from ethanol fuel for your saws and small engines.
It will causes troubles especially when equipment is stored and not used often.

As edu states probably the fresh mixed fuel has brought the dry carb diaphragms back to life.

[downndirty]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a replacement coil for a Homelite EZ? Thank you

[blythkd]

Electronic ignition or point ignition?

If the coil is light blue, it's electronic.

If it's black, it's point ignition and there are 2 different types that it could be. If so, the flywheel will either say Wico (or Prestolite, same thing) or R E Phelon.

[bobby167]

As blythkd said, there are different ones. Could you post serial number & UT number,on the saw,if the tag is still there. This will help narrow it down.

[mja1981]

I have recently had a similar issue with my saw getting tired and I'm looking for some feedback if possible. My issue is this...
Saw starts and idles fine. I limbed a downed tree no issues then started bucking it up. I was cutting with no issues in 6-10inch or so wood but when I go to the last few bucks using my whole 16inch bar I noticed
My saw would be half way through a cut and the power would drop right off and the saw would quit if I didn't pull out of the cut and flutter the throttle. Seamed to me to be running lean. Also noticed that the saw was now also lay to return to ideal. So I gave a little more to the low jet to fix the lazy idle and also gave the high a touch more also. This corrected my issue for 5 min then the power dropped off again a couple cuts later.
I'm guessing that I have a heat issue and as the saw gets hot it's burning the fuel better. But not wanting to kill my 40 year old saw I quit while I was ahead instead of going richer and richer.
I have removed the starter cover and the saw is quite clean around the flywheel and ignition compared to some I have seen so I'm not sure why it's running hot besides bad fuel / ratio.
Anyone happened to know what I can look for? Is it possible that as the saw gets hot that it's allowing an air leak that wouldn't be noticed at lower temps. Sadly I'm not equipped to do pressure testing of any kind.
Thanks for any input anyone can provide
Edit: I just found the forum section with the repair manuals and it has given me things to look at such as muffler port, spark plug and others. Also I know I need new duck bills for both my gas and oil caps but I don't think I have a vapour lock issue because my gas cap leaks due to the duck bill being bad. But as mentioned help is still appreciated

[okie]

mja1981

You have posted in a very old thread. I would suggest you OPEN a new thread about your EZ issue SO AS TO GET FASTER REPLIES.
Only people that have been subbed to this OLD POST will see your issue questions.

I've seen chainsaws act like yours and they can be ruined/destroyed very fast if they are running lean. Ok when limbing but seem to loose power in a 30 seconds or more full bar cut with a heavy load on the engine at full throttle.
The piston can be swelling into the cylinder wall due to heat from running lean and then the piston starts chewing on itself and the cylinder wall. Take the saw out of the cut and let it idle or run at lower rpm,s or cool down and it's ok when limbing but back to the full bar cut and same thing again.

I have some threads posted in this forum about how to use a IR thermometer and monitor the block temp when in a full bar cut to detect such. If the block temp get to 350 degrees or above it is getting too hot. When too lean the temp when in a full bar sharp chain cut will start getting to 350 rapidly within or less than 30 seconds. Take the saw out of the cut and gently piss rev to get a cool down. Immediately killing the saw allows the temp to increase.
I've seen them lock up and not turn over until several hours later or not at all because the piston is chewed to the cylinder wall. When the engine starts losing rpm,s it's piston skirt friction and the engine is eating itself, so be cautious.

I adjust the carb for a full bar cool run instead of watching rpm's on a tach. Usually when correct the H jet is adjusted rich slightly ccw from the high rpm tone and the saw will give the 4 cycle tone when rich out of the cut.

[mja1981]

Okie

Thank you for future posting advice, I didn't think it would be appropriate to create a new post since there was already this one. I noticed that the site sorts the post based upon last post so people would see there was new activity on the older post. I see though how not everyone would be looking at the forum as frequently as I have been lately and might not be seen.

As for the heat, I have been wanting an IR thermometer for a while now and it might be the time to get one or a tach even.
I had a feeling I was on the edge of killing the saw. It did stop in the cut and at first didn't fire back up but I knew it needed to idle to cool back down properly so I made sure within a couple min to get it back running. Thankfully it didn't freeze up.
I understand what your saying about having the 4 stroking bark on the H when out of the cut and it should go away in the cut, maybe I'm not tuned just right yet. Might need carb work. My saw sat for I'm guessing 10+ years and it took running half a tank of gas through it before the carb started to work properly again. The tree I dealt with was the first thing the saw has cut in some time. I'll be extra careful until I have a chance to check the heat properly. I could try running richer but if it's over heating and not from being lean but instead for some other reason then I'd only be over heating faster maybe and be in more danger? Is lean worse than rich in regards to heat? I'm still quite novice so all the feedback is very helpful. Thank you again

[okie]

You asked:
Is lean worse than rich in regards to heat?

YES

Lean is what ruins a chainsaw fast especially when in a loaded cut. Just minor limbing where on and off the throttle within 1 min or so will usually never be noticeable because the engine will run cooler.

Gas hitting the piston helps keep the piston cooler.

Start another thread. Lots of the guys just look under new posts and will not see your questions.
Post up a link on here so I'll know about your new thread.

I've got couple of IR thermometers and use them for engines, heat air, checking cylinder balance on engines by reading their exhaust temp, coolant temps at the thermostat if engine is showing heating, etc.

Pull the muffler and look at your saws piston/cylinder.
If it's ok proceed. If it's already scored you don't need to buy anything else.
Them EZ carbs are easy to kit but not user friendly re-installing the carb, Easiest is to take the handle apart to do the throttle linkage.
Also run non-ethanol gas.
I've got some EZ's that are 40 years old and only one carb kit. Do not put the carb through any Ultrasonic or carb cleaners, just install a kit. They have some non-serviceable check valves inside that can be ruined by aggressive air pressure cleaning or carb cleaners.