[B]I bought a poulan 2 years ago. But my arms are getting older and a small saw is in order. What do you reccomend.....disclaimer . I hold noone responsible! if i buy the wrong thing .....just me.So jump in and share with me. I want a 12" if i can little bigger if necessary thanks agai n for the help bob s:D[/B] ps i have gift certificates for Craftsman saws i can use.

This engine is on a mower and it is now a good time of year to turn it into a project. Here are the symptoms. Engine typically starts on first pull and runs fine initially. In the summer after a few minutes the engine develops a small popping sound. I hear the popping sound around once every five seconds or so. This continues for the duration of its operation. The last few uses in the late fall it was fairly cold - around 40 degrees F. Engine started as usual on the fist pull but did not start any small popping sounds until after around 30 minutes of picking up leaves. So in warm weather the light popping sound started after 5 minutes but in colder weather the same popping sound only developed after around 30 minutes of operation. If also did not pop nearly so frequently in the colder weather - maybe once every 45 to 60 seconds or so. I was looking for what might cause this type of symptom. I am kind of thinking it may be a carbon buildup on the exhaust valve but what do you think? This is a rather old Briggs engine in the 150cc size range. Steve