The Wen Chainsaw Has To Choose: Get Going Or Go To The Curb

Here's another diversion from the subject of guitar amps.

I've been busy fixing things around the house lately. I have a Wen Lumberjack chainsaw I acquired a few years ago to assist in removal of some of the bushes in front of the house.

They were a species of dwarf cedar and it was necessary to buy a low priced chainsaw to help cut the roots and stumps out of the ground. The Wen Lumberjack is about the cheapest one you can buy at about ninety dollars if I recall correctly. That task was accomplished and some general cleanup around the property done, the chainsaw was put away.

That was about four or five years ago.

When I went to revive it I found that the fuel lines were rotted away. They were some sort of inferior grade of vinyl or latex rubber and they'd crumbled into mush. I ordered a parts kit which contained a set of carburetor gaskets, three or four squeeze bulbs about which more anon, a couple of strainers and the all important fuel hoses of the correct size.

And there it sat for a couple of years until today. I'd removed the remains of the fuel hoses and tried some vinyl from the hardware store but that was a flop. While doing some general cleaning and vacuuming in the garage I figured that today had to be the day.

The squeeze bulbs are a sort of primitive primer and nearly everything with a 2 cycle motor has them. The kit contained a complete assembly and a few extra plastic bulbs as well-good things to have around.

So today I pulled it all apart again and proceeded to replace the lines from the tank to the squeeze bulb and from the squeeze bulb to the Walbro carburetor.

There's a trick to this. The fuel hose from the tank to the squeeze bulb won't push through easily but you can cut the end on an angle and put a little bit of grease on them and it will pull right through. Then you can cut the end square, install the filter and put it all back together.

It still wouldn't start. Pulling the plug and heating it with a torch was no better. Then, I mixed up some fresh fuel and spooned a bit down the carburetor's tiny throat after blowing out the jets and gave it one more try.

I said to it, Listen. It's either run, right now, or you'll get lugged out to the curb and some fellow who's probably not half as nice as I am will play hob with you. Now. What's it going to be, friend?

It gave a few half hearted coughs and the rancid smell of decaying petroleum convinced me that what was needed was to dump out all the old premix and fill the tank up with fresh fuel. After a few fits and starts it purged itself of all the old fuel and now runs satisfactorily.

I'm not sure yet what I am going to do with it, but maybe I'll use it to harvest some firewood for the winter. As it happens, this is maybe why my string trimmer runs like crap and why I should flush out the fuel system.

So far the Toro mower and the elderly Snapper are up and running, but the Snapper is going into reserve status for national emergencies as the Toro does a better job of bagging. The pressure washer is up to par, the snowblower had its wheels and tires replaced, and the two leaf blower/vacuums are running nicely all by themselves. A new base was made for the drill press, I acquired a new circular saw and made enough parts for two or three amp stands, and all that's left is to cut up some steel and make a couple of bacon presses with the Miller welder. Plus, I cleaned up and organized a good part of the garage.

I think that a couple more workbenches are in my future as I do need a disassembly area and storage area for the amps. The garage floor is not adequate.

Not a bad two weeks for a guy who turned seventy yesterday.