[Path-list] PATH's Stihl 026 Chainsaws

[steve lund]

Hello,

The Stihl 026 chainsaws are good, relatively light and powerful chainsaws.
I have rebuilt / reincarnated quite a few of these for FMST.

However, the ones that PATH has with the round air filter cover knob
pre-date1996. At 25+ years old they are geriatric in age. At this age
rubber pieces tend to decompose / rot over time and exposure to gas, oil,
and atmospheric ozone. When one of these critical rubber components fails
it creates a crankcase air leak which causes an over lean condition and
will burn the saw up in short order.

The critical pieces that fail are the rubber crankshaft seals, impulse
hose, and cylinder manifold. While these saws can still be used it is
prudent to keep an eye on them during operation for any quirky / abnormal
behavior as follows:

Stalls at idle
Over-revs at idle / won't idle down
Idle changes when saw is turned to either side (bad crank seal(s))
Idle / running behavior changes when the AV mounts are flexed (torn
manifold, cracked impulse hose)
Suddenly running better than it has / should - As heat engines, 2-strokes
run their best right before they burn up!
Carb mixture adjustment set richer than nominal to compensate for an air
leak (usually crank seals)

All of these symptoms indicate a crankcase air leak of some sort, which if
not caught and fixed can cause the saw to burn up. So if any users notice
any of these symptoms, which may be intermittent they should take the saw
out of service and get it fixed before they burn it up.

My $.02,
Steve
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