Got a homelite 3514C chain saw earlier this year. used it around the yard then it's been sitting around. Doing fall work now and it starts OK, then ran out of gas. I mixed 1 gal regular gas and have some old containers (10 years old?) of sears 2 stroke engine oil that I want to use up. So I put in 2.6 oz from an opened but covered can to the gas. Filled the engine and it started up. After 10 - 15 minnutes of use, the engine stopped suddenly and there was wisps of smoke coming from the engine. I thought the engine seized - did I mix the oil / gas? I thought so.

I pulled the starter cord and it worked OK. Let it cool. Tried starting - I could pull, but no engine response. The primer bell seemed to work -I heard swooshing of gasoline when pressing it. I checked spark plug - unscrewed it and with held it to the engine and I did get a spark. The spark plug was an even light grey. I put it back together and kept priming. took out spark plug and it was dry. Looked in cylinder and it looked dry. Should I see gas in there? I guess not? It's just in the carb?

I am going to take the spark plug off again and with my thumb over the hole, pull the cord. I should get some suction / compression, right? I don't feel when starting it that I get as much resistance as I used to - but starter isn't broken... I do get some resistance.

Any thoughts on what I did that this won't start or sputter when I pull the cord? what else can I check or do?

thank you!

 

Sorry, forgot to ask - so is 10+ year motor oil too old? I don't think the can said anything about 50:1 ratio.... only lower number ratios.

and the spark plug of an OK engine - light grey sound right?

 

50:1 is very lean on the ratio if you are not using a quality synthetic oil. 10 year old open container sears oil probably doesn't qualify. I believe that saw calls for at least 32:1 if not stronger? 50:1 is the very leanest I would ever go if I was sure the carb settings were proper and the oil was top quality. I think you cooked the engine.

 

I think you cooked the engine.

Thanks : (

but what happens when you cook the engine? The piston still moves. it still makes a spark...

 

The piston any cylinder get galled, scored, the ring gets stuck, compression is lost. Remove the muffler and look into the cylinder and see if there are score marks on them.

 

THanks! I'll check that.

So is it better to go heavier on oil / gas ratio - 40 or 32 to play it safe?

I'm pretty analytical, so I know I did the right ratio, but with the old oil. That (the old oil) is enough to kill the engine!? What is good shelf life for oil? I have a couple more unopened cans of the older oil. Just recycle it to be safe I guess!

 

I'd still use the oil, I have used old oil lots of times, but 50:1 is just too lean. What does the saw call for? I doubt it wants anything less than 32:1.

50:1, especially in hard-working, heat-building chainsaws is just too lean unless the very best quality oil is used, and then it's still minimal.

 

oh, the chain saw calls for 50: 1

http://manuals.homelite.com/system/f...al_02.pdf?2012

It came with a little bottle of their oil - 2.6oz, it said. I had used that for the first gallon. then on this new batch of gas I filled that little bottle back to the 2.6 oz mark with the old oil and put it into the gas can that was already filled with 1 gallon of pretty fresh (couple months old) gas...

Somewhere else I read about better to put too much oil in - it'll foul things down the road, but that's recoverable vs. ruining the engine with not enough gas?!

 

Okay, I didn't realize homelite had any saws that required 50:1 ratio. I still suggest removing the muffler to check the engine.

I agree that more oil is better than not enough, but the right amount is best. If the carburetor is running lean, your minimal 50:1 oil ratio just got even leaner and the engine temp got higher; a deadly combination.

 

Good info above about oil quality and mix ratio of in a saw. The other thing is even if the shelf life of the old oil is OK, it probably does not have the latest additive package to properly lube your new engine and does not meet the certs/specs. Check you manual it probably refers to oil JASCO FD and/or ISO-L-EGD. Trash the old oil or put in old equipment you don't care too much about. Also, you should probably also run minimum of 89 octane and preferably 91/93 octane in a saw and most other late model two stroke power equipment. It help keep the combustion temps and knocking down.