Is This Old Stihl MS170 Chainsaw Worth Fixing?
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2024
- This old Stihl MS170 chainsaw has many problems but the main complaint is it bogs under load. It's never seen any service, and this video shows several tests and procedures to get it back up and running again. The same principles apply to most any two-stroke lawn and garden gear made by the likes of Husqvarna, Echo, Red Max, Shindaiwa, Craftsman, Ryobi, Poulan, and many others.
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Any links to products are likely affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases (Thank You!), with no additional costs to you.
00:00 I'm not Tom
00:55 Overview of problems
02:20 Remove and clean muffler
04:24 Clean spark arrester screen
05:20 Compression check and piston check
06:22 Remove carburetor and linkage
09:29 Remove and replace fuel filter
11:09 Disassemble carburetor
15:46 Replace fuel inlet screen
16:13 Replace fuel pump
16:36 Replace needle
18:23 Replace metering diaphragm
19:28 Pressure and vacuum test crank seals
23:15 Replace carburetor and linkages
25:39 No joy in Mudville
Wear your safety glasses, or you'll shoot your eye out. Try on some gloves. Take off that spark plug boot. Clean your room. Open the windows, those fumes are nasty. Just 'cause I do it, don't think it's the end all, be all solution. There's plenty more ideas out there, I can't take responsibility if you slice off a few fingers after watching my videos. And don't just pour that toxic stuff down the sewer or in the ditch, dispose of waste responsibly. Just be safe, OK?
Follow along with me elsewhere:
/ thelawnmowerlady
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Titles, opening graphics, and music by AbleVFX.
Disclaimer: The content of this video is purely for my entertainment, and is available to you for informational and educational purposes only. It's not substitute advice from small engine mechanics with professional training and certifications, nor does it create any kind of relationship between the The Lawnmower Lady and you. Your situation may be different, and the The Lawnmower Lady makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the fit, accuracy, or applicability of the information shown in this video, and implies no guarantee of results. The Lawnmower Lady and any sponsors of this video are not liable for any damages of personal injury, property damage or loss of any kind that may result from the use or reliance on this video and/or any parts and procedures represented in this video. You are using the information presented in this video solely at your own risk.
#stihlms170 #chainsaw #lawnmower #smallenginerepair #DIY
DISCLAIMER: In my haste of reassembling this saw for the umpteenth time, I assembled the metering diaphragm side of the carb with the gasket flipped. This will cause flooding. However even if assembled in the correct order, this would not address the gaping hole that was sucking in air on the worn intake manifold boot at 26:24 The correct order is carb, gasket, diaphragm, cover. My sincere apologies for any confusion this might cause.
If this video helped you, please consider clicking the $THANKS button above 🙌 Watch this video next to see how I fabricated my pressure/vacuum tester: czcams.com/video/HbSbugUHTxA/video.html
Compost happens. You corrected it.
@@jimbrewer2893 😹
While a new saw might be the go, a new intake boot would fix it and it would do another turn. Having put all the parts into it, it seems a waste to throw it in the parts box. Why not fix it and buy a second new saw?
Put a fully adjustable 025 carb on it
@@Wanous-hv7zo that works too, but that wouldn't fix the worn intake manifold
As soon as I saw that exhaust I knew that the spark arrester was fully blocked, lol. The rest of the saw was a real mess. As usual you’ve done a great job and very thorough.
I appreciate you watching!
As a MS170 owner for the past 6 years who has performed basic maintenance on my saw, I found this video very informative and well done. I’m at the point of having to perform some of the maintenance shown here so what I learned will be put to good use. A tip O’ the hat to you.
Glad it was helpful!
Wonderful job talking us thru what you did & why you did it. If I was in your area, I’d drop off my small engines for your patient repair. Since i’m not, I appreciate your taking the time to show us how it’s done. Thank you!
I appreciate you watching. Cheers!
Stella, this was absolutely the best video I have seen in a very long time. The detailed narration with rationales was over the the top for me. BRAVO!!!! How you kept it all together with all the tiniest of parts and assembled with confidence was simply breathtaking. I am so impressed with your cool demeanor, confidence and expertise. You are one of those special people that makes this country great!! Thank you so very much for sharing your projects. Whomever provided you with this challenge should be thankful for your skill and expertise, including your physical dexterity!!! What a PRO you are. God Bless...! 😀
Thank you so much Mr G!
Great tip on how to preasure test the crank case. Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
I love the MS170 ! I own 2 off them and some bigger versions. But these tiny saws never let me down! Just clean them good after use and they run for years.
Take good care of anything, and it lasts a long time. I appreciate you watching.
That bottle of pinot grigio helped.. Thanks for taking us to school Stella.
😀 Any time Mr Bruce! Cheers!
Friend gave me his Stihl weadeater & shindaiwa blower in that condition both needed tune ups both work much better now great video Tom!
I appreciate you watching. Cheers!
Good video Stella - it clearly shows the amount of work and frustration associated with repairing low cost chainsaws - thanks for sharing this.
Thank you very much Claus! They are frustrating.
Excellent videos. Thanks!
And a huge Super Thanks from me for supporting my channel! I truly appreciate you watching my videos. Cheers!
Great video Stella. I hate working with the linkages on a chainsaw. I love my Vessel screw drivers. I have a mighty vac 8500 kit and it is very handy. Have a great day!
Cheers Bob! I love mine too!
wow! That was sure a lot of time consuming effort. Great Instructional video. I really enjoyed that. Thank you.
I appreciate you watching!
Great work!
Your explanation in each process helped alot!
I have a little 170 that I pair with my 261.
They are pretty good little saws for what they are.
Great to hear!
Wowsers, this video flew! well done on this one
I honestly wish I knew why, LOL. Thanks for watching. Cheers!
Oh snap! I was waiting to see a great running saw, after your excellent repair work. Personally, I did something really foolish that led to the demise of my MS250, same age as the MS170. I bought a new one, and have the original for parts... Great video.
You and me both! If it were my saw, I might have fixed it, but I don't blame the owner for pulling the plug before repairs got expensive. He now has a great parts saw. That piston was in great shape. I appreciate you watching. Cheers!
Great video thanks Tom
My pleasure!
Nice video and thanks for sharing. I totall agree, sometimes is just not worth it and you gotta know when to hit the brake. Nice video and goor thoughts as always. Cheers! 👍
Thank you so much Anders! I appreciate you watching.
I like your pressure tester, I need to get one.
It's a great diagnostic tool, let alone a good brake bleeder for my scooter. I've already purchased the MV8500. I've gotten my money's worth on that old kit.
Another great video!!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great Job , Well Done
I appreciate you watching. Cheers!
Good job.i want to learn more❤
I thought that at the beginning Stella, being $199.00 a Stihjn shop would of charged an arm and a leg plus parts-
Best path is to replace and keep old one as a parts machine😊
I think a happy customer at the end of the day is a good thing. Thanks for watching.
When you showed the piston going up and down it looked like there weren’t any piston rings on that piston.
It was hard to see, but the rings looked good. Still had 135 PSI
@@TheLawnmowerLadyexactly
Thanks!🙏
Whoa! Mr G!!! It's my pleasure. Super thanks to you for supporting my channel. Cheers!
I have a clamp on vice I put on my outside bench any time I have a muffler like that. I burn off the spark arrestor and the muffler completely. The muffler always produces a lot of smoke and flames up a bit when the carbon starts to burn. I keep going, into both sides, until it stops smoking. Does a thorough job in a fairly short time.
Good ideas.
I have seldom found a new lifter lever to be improperly adjusted. I always use every new part in a rebuild kit, including the spring. Did I see you put the gasket on the pump side, first. The diaphragm goes against the carb body on the pump side and then the gasket. On the metering side the gasket does go on first and then the diaphragm. I use a Might Vac for pressure testing.
Yes, did you read my pinned comment? Mitivac is a great tool for small engine diagnosis.
good advice
Glad it was helpful!
"Tom" re the mityvac, I had one delivered about 8 hours ago after seeing the rave reviews. I have a dud. Box is internally battered and it holds no pressure or vacuum. The dial is all scuffed and I think they sent me a second hand unit. No user instructions BUT the warranty was present. Yet to do my return request as I got too busy watching your vids. Keep 'em coming.
Dang! That's terrible. If from AMZN, yes there are often QC problems with returns. I hope you get a good one soon. I already bought one, no regrets. Thanks for watching. Cheers!
@@TheLawnmowerLady Yep AMZN, have been good overnight but i have ordered a new one and instructed them to contact the company and perform QC and better packaging. AMZN gifted me £10 but I just wanted what I ordered. HeyHo, I have to wait another fortnight.
@@hubby-tubadventures01 Score! A £10 discount.
Sorry to hear that mate, that sucks :(
Gave up too early on this one. I suspect the spark arrestor was only issue and the throttle arm fell off when he was monkeying with it. The symptoms match up exactly and I have personally ran into that problem a few times before. Excessive idle time and/or heavy oil mixture does it and was also indicated by the spark plug condition (although the spark plug was still fine and would have cleaned up). The later problem of it not running was caused by the carb rebuild which was probably identified after talking to the customer and the decision was made to go new. I don't suspect the intake boot because it held vaccum with no problems and if there was an issue it would have showed up there. Even if there was a tiny issue a light smear of rtv would have solved it but I don't believe it was necessary in this case and feel the vacuum test proves that theory. The saw had great compression and it was a xmas gift from a parent so while financially more labor sometimes doesn't make sense the sentimental value may.
No I'm not Tom. I'm the lawn mower lady. Nice work.
I appreciate you watching. Cheers!
Hahaha
great video
Thanks!
You might want to put a rag or something blocking the exhaust port when cleaning to prevent anything from getting inside.
You are absolutely right. Cheers!
Respect 👍
Thank you for watching!
Great detailed video, thanks for sharing.
What is your opinion of clone chainsaw kit and of the cheap Amazon chainsaws?
I appreciate you watching. I think you nailed it on the head… Cheap, and near about disposable. There’s far better quality in an established brand as well as the follow-up customer buying it from a local shop.
Glad to find your channel. I love my Sthil 170 but exhaust has been wet since new. I threw away the spark arester. Is it OK to spray that brake cleaner in the cly and wash away the lube ?
If you do that, you'll need to add a few squirts of 2-stroke oil in the cylinder, pull the starter to get those rings we'll lubed. Expect it to be a little smoky when you first start it. That brake cleaner will flush out all the good stuff. Thanks for watching.
In the UK for the Carb Manifold the OEM 1 is $20 and the cheap ones from China about $3 to $7.
That’s to bad after that work it didn’t operate Stella. Any way, that’s the way it goes, have a great weekend. 👍🏻👍🏻👋👋
Thanks, you too! I appreciate you watching. Cheers!
Great useful video.. I think you may have put the metering diaphragm gasket on the wrong side of the diaphragm causing the needle valve to open early.. Sorry if I'm wrong..
You ARE right! Gasket first on Metering Diaphragm side! Will cause flooding!
Yikes! I'm busted.
Thanks for pointing that out. I did pin a comment to address this. This chainsaw was a multi-day challenge, (wrong parts arrived, multiple days I could not work on it blah, blah, blah) and if you notice that glove I'm wearing only on my right hand, I slammed my knuckle trying to start it the week before. I'm not saying this is any reasonable excuse for this oversight. There are often hours of video takes to get a good camera angle, or decent lighting. And we all make mistakes sometimes. This would not fix the gaping air sucking hole due to the worn intake manifold boot (26:24)
@@TheLawnmowerLady
It’s True Confessions at Stella’s! 😂👍❤️
I have had mine for many years and abused the living heck out of it. Using for roots and stumps with carbide chain the last few years. Still runs like a top. But the chain started coming loose quickly. New bar, chain, sprocket and adjuster. Same thing. Loosens up after a couple revs. Shaft is spinning visually true with no binding. Last thing I'm gonna do is change the cover since these don't have the bar bumpers like the bigger saws. 200 bucks for a new one so not gonna put anymore money into it.
Tom! That is Vintage! 😊❤
Sorta like me. 😹
@@TheLawnmowerLady Stella- you are the best vintage.
Hahaha
I use a .25” drill to seat the inlet screen in its hole.
That works too. Thanks for watching.
(Not a task 'anyone' can see to complete success.) Tom now at an impass;
Rubber gasket B trash
Dick is no help as well,
Failed, no time 2 dwell
Harry does concur
A new saw, fer sure!
Stella: Another great repair video showing the reality of small engine repair. Thanks for your valuable time and resources, so generously shared with us. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍
Thank you!!!
@TheLawnmowerLady BTW.. a thumb ring is a reminder that ride sharing need not involve an APP✌️👍
Sometimes on the parts cannon you gotta know when to cease fire and retreat , this one was more better off cost effective wise a parts machine for him well done stella 🔧
Haha! You know it. Cheers!
@@TheLawnmowerLady cheers 🍻
What is it pressure méter maschine What you use pressure text in carburator and engine?
Mitivac MV8500
Use Purple Power to clean saws with an old tooth brush and compressed air. This saw has been used a lot with bad fuel and left to sit a long time with ethanol fuel in it from what I can tell. The only way that throttle rod came off is for it to be removed by someone. I use Walbro or Zama parts on my saws. Sten makes some good parts but I do not use them unless they are all I can get, which is not usually the case. My MS 170 is sitting out in my shop loaded with Stihl MotoMix. I would bet money it will not run and it has been a year since I ran it.
Actually that throttle linkage can pop off when the choke lever is forced around that barb sticking out that engages the linkage into the 1/2 choke position. When that happens, the small bend in the linkage pushes around to the wrong side of that plastic barb. The linkage then pops off the throttle on the carb body when you move the choke handle past the 1/2 choke position into the off position. The same thing can happen if the choke lever is forced into 1/2 or full choke position without engaging slightly on the throttle.
@@TheLawnmowerLady you mean if someone forces the control lever out of its Norman stepped position the throttle rod can disengage. I have never had that to happen but I know how to crank a Stihl saw. I have about 20 of them.
Someone brought me a saw like this. The boot between the carb and the cylinder had a crack in it, leaned out the mix and fried the piston and cylinder. I sourced the parts and they cost more than a new saw. I found it kind a play on words, Stihl, steal. I was working on old school saws without the boot that were still running and just needed some maintenance. Very interesting, anti vibration turned into vibrating that dudes money out of his pocket. Yup, steal.
I hear ya!
Well Tom you can't say you didn't try, nice explanation as you went along though.
Amazon has the same MityVac MV8500 for $88 instead of $125 from Walmart. 👍🙂
Thx! That AMZN link is in the description. The pop-ups changes regularly. Thanks for watching.
Guess I better start reading the descriptions huh. 🙈🤣
There's a pile out back of every small engine shop composed of residential equipment like this. Owner could have taken better care but he knew what he had. Used hard, put up wet.
These are chainsaws for occasional use, it was probably never truly maintained as it should have been. That being said for everything you put into it depending on where you are and how some places price gouged you these chainsaws are selling for $200 and many places less so I would go with the new MS 170 at your local Stihl dealer not necessarily or Ace Hardware or anything else that marks them up.
Looking like you'll need to put a longer pull start rope in that saw😮
That would be helpful.
I would have built that little saw into an animal, stihl products are always worth the effort and money to rebuild 😊
If it was mine, I probably would tear it down and replace that intake manifold. Hard to justify that expense to a paying customer. I appreciate you watching. Cheers!
Tin Man in Canada would have turned that little MS170 into a beast of a saw 😊
Fire it up elkskins the Legend Taryl no body Beat 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 p.s. Taryl wood have figured that out and saved this man in Alot of different ways😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
At 18:35 wrong order of diaphragm and gasket...😢
Did you read my pinned comment?
If this plug is bad, you should see my plug. It is very VERY oily. It has to be tho because my piston is scored and it has about 1.2hp from an 1.9hp
Why you not use Pascal and Bar pressure méter test? I use Bar my Stihl 880 and Stihl 171 and Stihl FS560 and Stihl HS45
PSI is most common for pressure and and inHG (inches of mercury) is used for vacuum.
18:52, Why does it look like there's a carb passageway not covered on that pump cover? I'm not familiar w/ these carbs so excuse my question please.
If I recall, that's an alignment stub. It doesn't pass through.
@@TheLawnmowerLady Ah so. Makes sense.
See this is what I want to see a regular person doing this stuff she isn't using anything that the everyday person doesn't have
I appreciate your observation. I try to make my videos accessible to the average homeowner that may not possess all the speciality tools that often make the job easier. Thanks for watching. Cheers!
A Champion plug is not the Stihl factory plug for this saw. It should be a Bosch plug. Bad gas is the most common two cycle problem. Not running them wide open in wood is another problem. They are made to operate at full throttle in wood. Failure to do so will block the spark arrester screen.
Champions are not shabby plugs. I can't say the same about Torch or E3, they go directly into the bin.
Hey, Stella! Thought you might want to see this comment I read on James Condon’s channel today.
“@comeasyouare4545
48 minutes ago
Build a shaker, or tumbler for gas tanks. An old cloth dryer makes a good one. Just disconnect the heating element. Drill holes through. the drum to suspend the tank in the center at four points solid cooper wire. Number 12 should do.”
Maybe time to scrounge one of those old dryers people throw away because they don’t heat anymore? 😉👍
If I lived on a farm, maybe. I’m sort of landlocked, and live in a tiny house, LOL
It's worth fixing but lot of work had to go into it to make it a lot better
If it was mine, I probably would fix it. But cost prohibitive for a client.
Can’t win them all. I’ve just recently worked on a ms170. It wouldn’t start, easy fix. Just had to put the plug back into it, somebody had taken it out and not put it back in !
Haha! If they were all that simple... I did get a Honda mower one time... the owner complained it would start easily, run OK for about 3-4 minutes. Turns out she was turning the fuel tap on for about 5-10 seconds, while she checked/added fuel. She then turned the fuel tap off, and then started the mower! SMH
In my opinion, the MS170 & 180's mufflers should be drilled out, this plate in the front of it should be widened with a flat head screw driver and all that to make it run a bit better. (i think it does help but i could be wrong)
Sounds good to me! Thanks for watching!
Use Moto Mix in it.
What problem this Stihl 170? You not know setting carburator Jack? I have Stihl 171 and Stihl 880
There are no adjustments on Stihl MS170 carburetor. What problem with you?
@@TheLawnmowerLady Why you say What problem with me??
Your comment sounded rude and condescending: assuming I don't know how to set the adjustment screws on a 2-stroke. Why call me Jack? Is that shorthand for I don't know jacks**t ? There are no adjustments on a Stihl MS170 carburetor. What do you not understand about that?
Even if there were H and L screws, no adjustments would over come the massive air leak presented by the old and compressed intake boot. Did you watch the video till the end? Further repairs would be more expensive that buying a new one.
Trash the spark arrestor entirely
This is why so much cheap equipment gets thrown away. My local shops charge $90 per hour. Throw in a few parts and you can spend more than its worth really fast.
Sad but true.
You doing ok Stella? I miss your awesome content and your can-do attitude. I hope you are just too busy to post videos right now.
Working on it Tom! Just on a little break. I appreciate you checking in. Cheers!
@@TheLawnmowerLady I worry about my peeps. I’m happy to hear UR OK.
Maybe the gas mixture was to rich, just a thought.
I think just years of neglect. The only reason it was running before I cleaned it up was it was so clogged up. It was getting air through the manifold leak enough to idle, but the screen was so clogged, it died
Opti-2 to the rescue.
Interesting. I had to look that up. Do you use that in your 2-T gear?
That air filter is hard as a carp! And there's yer dinner.
Stella aren’t they only $199 new ?
Yep! I showed some ads towards the end. If it was mine, I might have fixed it.
Crank seals
Nope, that's what I showed when I blocked off the intake. The crack seals held pressure and vacuum.
Great job but cant win them all
I know, right?
As much time as you had invested in this saw, you should have finished the job and replaced that seal between the carb and cylinder. I wouldn't have charged the guy any extra time because it's something that should have been done when you had the carb off for rebuilding. That's just my 2 cents worth.
Thanks for watching.
@@TheLawnmowerLady I failed to mention in my earlier comment that you are a knowledgeable mechanic and I like your technique. I use old gas as my cleaning solvent too.
Great might keep those grandkids off those iPads
I don't understand why people spend all this money on equipment and don't do general maintenance on it.
I know. Right?
That is not the factory plug for a MS 170. It should have a Bosch WSR6F in it. The owner is lying about his saw.
Granted the owner has never taken it to a shop for service in its lifetime, but calling him a liar is a bit harsh. I don't think changing a spark plug, or replacing the chain (which he as done) really moves the needle here. I drive antique 2-stroke motor scooters, and I don't consider swapping out a spark plug on the side of the road as service or maintenance.
The owner should just buy an electric chainsaw rather than another Stihl MS170. I think that electric chainsaws have made low-end gas chainsaws more or less obsolete. Gas may still be king for professionals, but they aren't the ones buying $200 chainsaws, and they know how to maintain them. For someone who just uses a chainsaw for occasional yard work at home I think they'd have better luck with an electric one.
I agree.
May need gloves when spraying carb cleaner . Not good to get it on the skin.
I often forget, it is a good idea.
If it was that bad after a life time of mechanic work I would not be 73 and cutting firewood all day
I just set the muffler on fire and let it burn it out
That works too!
It's always better to repair the older equipment. Tere just built better. And people need to know how .some day you may not be able to buy a gas-powered saw.
I agree, especially if it was my own saw, I would likely complete the repairs. But I would be doing a disservice to my client if my parts/labor for the repair exceeded the price of a new one. I appreciate you watching!
@TheLawnmowerLady I've always been a fix it my self kind of guy.one of meny things my DAD tought me as a kid.im now in retirement age I should have more time. And you're welcome. I like watching clips that have good information. Tha k you.
Looks like he is using bad gas and the wrong mixture.
That poor saw looks like its been abused !
Very disappointed that after all that, he needs a new saw. What a waste.
NEVER... EVER use gasoline as a cleaning solvent
Why not? Service manuals for decades suggested this exactly. What do you think is in a petroleum based de-greaser?
The best cleaner out there 🤣
People that don't want to take care of there gas powered equipment. Should just buy battery powered equipment. This saw is horrible I have a ms170 my dad loaned me. Way better shape it's 5 years old. People got money to burn in my opinion.
Why do you have a ring on your thumb? That has to be uncomfortable!!!
Thumb rings are a normal Lady thing.
Not sure why really. It is uncomfortable on my right (dominant) hand, say if I have to grip a screwdriver.
Nunyabiznis! 😉
Cause she can
I like the content that you
NO. Go buy a MS360
It’s a step up for sure.
@@TheLawnmowerLady In my experience you will save money buying bigger pro saws. I burn those little ones up. Always someone sticking it in some thick hardwood it was not meant for. Pro saws are far easier to service also.
One of the worst saws I ever owned, and have zero regret having sold it.
Hahaha! I get it.
Ther's an artery on your thumb it's the main digit for your hand loose it you are f--ked listen to me I have rainards syndrome in my hands i'am 71 and having real trouble
They are worth fixing