When you are cutting wood you need to know how to tune a chainsaw. If you don’t, you can end up with a dull, inefficient instrument that will not cut through wood easily.
If you are not familiar with the process of tuning a chainsaw, it is very important to read the manual that came with the saw. Here are some general guidelines for tuning a chainsaw.
Steps on How to Adjust a Carburetor
- Start with a few basic carburetor adjustments. Make sure the spark plug wire is connected securely, that the air filter is clean, that the chain is sharp and that the bar is tight. Make sure that the gas tank is filled to the proper level.
- Warm the engine up by running a few full-throttle bursts. This will help the lubricating oil to flow freely.
- Adjust the idle speed. This is the speed the saw runs when the throttle is released. The saw should idle at approximately 2700 rpm. If you don’t have a tachometer, set the idle speed so that the chain stops rotating when the throttle is released.
- Adjust the low-speed fuel adjustment. This adjusts the mixture of air and gas at the lower throttle setting. You should be able to adjust the throttle so that the engine will “load up” and then “bog down.” This adjustment controls how much fuel is delivered to the engine when it is operating at a low speed. To adjust the low-speed fuel adjustment, hold the trigger down and turn the screw clockwise until the engine begins to stumble or starve for fuel. Now turn the screw counterclockwise a small amount and release the trigger. If the engine responds, keep turning the screw counterclockwise a small amount and release the trigger. Continue doing this until the engine runs smoothly at low speed. When you are finished, the screw will be turned about halfway between the lean and rich settings.
- Adjust the high-speed fuel adjustment. It should be adjusted so that the engine will rev up when the throttle is released. But before this step, check the RPM setting as it has been adjusted in step 4. This is not a setting that can be adjusted by ear so use a tachometer or a strobe light to sync the engine speed to the throttle setting. When these are synchronized, the high-speed fuel adjustment will be set correctly.
- Repeat step 4 once again to confirm that the low-speed setting is set correctly.
- When done, double-check that the throttle and choke controls work properly and that the throttle and idle speed are set correctly at the beginning of the throttle.
- Fill the tank with fresh fuel and enjoy the “new” saw.
Why Do You Need to Adjust Chainsaw Carburetor?
The carburetor is the heart of the chainsaw. It is responsible for mixing fuel and air before passing it to the engine. If the carburetor is not adjusted correctly, the chainsaw will not work properly. It will also cause the engine to fail or even break down.
Chainsaw carb adjustments should be done whenever you change the bar or chain. It is also important to check and adjust the chainsaw carburetor whenever you use the chainsaw for the first time.
The Bottom Line
There you have it. A step-by-step guide on how to adjust chainsaw carburetor. Tune up your chainsaw and you shouldn’t have any problems cutting firewood.
While it’s true that tuning a chainsaw is not rocket science, it is also true that you will not get good results if you don’t do it properly. If you follow the procedure outlined in this article, you can rest assured that your saw is ready to cut.
But don’t stop there. Keep your saw in good condition by doing oil changes regularly, checking the chain tension, adjusting the chain guides, and doing other small jobs that maintain your saw’s performance.
