MS 390 choke- tries to KILL ME

uncoolkid

So, My Stihl MS 390 apparently has some mixed opinions on here..... definitely interested in the muff mod.

but first,
the choke lever SUCKS!!!!

about every other time I try to pull it out of full choke, it pops out of its ScHitty mounting clip that it pivots on.

This causes the linkage to get all out of shape, and the Mag grounding spring clip gets trapped under the linkage, instead of riding on top.

especially because of my bad habit method of starting the saw- drop start it, and without the chain brake engaged, It would like to kill me when I dont catch the malfunction- stuck in part choke and full throttle.... The first time it happened it took me a while to figure something out, I WAS able to choke it out by pulling it back down.




is this just a horrid design that there is no fix to or is there something they have changed or I could do to keep it from popping out?

......as some say about the consumer grade cheapened out saws?






oh, and this is my first time on here..... I like your site.

Frank

KiwiBro

I hear you. Same issue on our 310.

A slight bending of the linkage to help it slip a little better between the choke positions worked wonders.

Also, when lifting the lever from full to half choke, I've got my thumb on the top of the exposed edge of the plastic disk that the lever extends from, so that there is less chance it's going to pop it's hinge mount.

Those two things combined mean I've seldom had any issue with it since but it's still a problem that just shouldn't happen in the first place. If lending the saw to others or they are helping out with it, then I have to show them what I mean and hope like hell the don't forget and end up fighting the choke lever, b/c I'm paranoid someone's going to break the hinge mount.

uncoolkid

thanks for your input. I might think about tweaking it. what part of the linkage are you referring to? and how much difference did it make?

yeah I'm afraid of breaking it too, but much more afraid of them (me/you) getting hurt, a WOT pissed off chainsaw is not a friendly thing to get hold of..... quite frankly, it's the most terrifying thing that has ever happened to me.....

KiwiBro

Our problem was the choke position getting stuck on the full setting and it being too hard to change it to half-choke without the lever popping out of the hinge mount.

Your problem seems to also be that it's not automatically releasing off choke when you blip the throttle (sorry if this sounds a little insulting, but you do know that depressing the throttle when she's screaming will - well it's supposed to - automatically drop the lever back to the normal running position) . Not sure what's up with that but here's some picks that may or may not help.

I bent the metal linkage up a wee bit to help it slide better between the full and half-choke positions:


And when I need to flick the lever back from full to half-choke:


Hope that helps.

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066logger

i understand exactly what you are talking about. i always had problems with that too. so after the saw blew up i just bought an 066 and never looked back. my advice to anybody thats serious about having good tools NEVER BUY AN ORANGE HANDLED STIHL EVER.you might as well go to home depo and buy a poland.sorry but its the truth.

KiwiBro

I must admit to being disappointed with the flaky nature of the design on the choke/kill lever when we got the 310 (is it the same on all 1127 series saws?). But so far, that's the only thing that I don't like about it and it was an easy foible to work around. In all other respects, it may not be a real pro saw but heck it's fantastic for our needs and I'd buy it again in similar circumstances.

Each to their own I guess.

Therrin

And after you get done buying your poland, you might want to also buy a poulan for your chainsaw needs!



I think the 390 sounds alot like the problem on the 250. We were using one the other day and when trying to put the air filter cover back on some piece connected to the choke/kill switch had jammed/de-linked/stuck and not only was it not switching properly, but the cover wouldnt go back on either.

It sounds almost exactly like the problem you're talking about with those other two saws. It really is a terrible design.

uncoolkid

yeah I know....

this function is all jammed up when it goes crazy. basically when the control rod pivot pops out, Everything gets all Fkkuked up! lol

the grounding spring tweak looks good,



and therrin, not Almost exactly, it IS Exactly the problem. it gets all wonky if the rod pops.

KiwiBro

When it pops the hinge, the grounding spring/linkage can end up being forced below rather than riding on, the track it's supposed to ride on. As such, there is no kill switch - blardy dangerous.

uncoolkid

yup. thats what happens.

KiwiBro

And it generally pops the hinge when it's forced, and it requires force because of that grounding spring/linkage not riding properly on the track it's supposed to ride on, and that, in my case at least, was because it was bent too far downwards. Bending it up a little, but not so much that it won't ground confidently when flicking to the kill position, made all the difference for me. Good luck.

windthrown

I narry have had a problem with any Stihl choke levers, and never on my 290 or 310s (I have owend several 310s). Actually 310s start so fast and easy that they are a non-issue, and in my view the easiest Stihls of any to start. Like one pull on full choke. My 044 and older 026s are far more fussy, though they are seriously modified. The 026 has two types of levers; one red and one black. They have slight differences, and they are hard to lever at times. All the 1123 saws I have owned (many) have had issues with starting, but not becasue of the choke levers. The carbs in those tend to pool or vapor lock when they get hot. The lever action was not that great, and they do get kitty whampas at times, but once you figure out how they fail, they can usually be fiddled with and fixed so that they stay in place. Generally the issues I have had with Stihl choke levers come from the plastic levers wearing or shearing off after a lot of use.