*Please note I have been made aware that in Europe there is a version known as 2 mix. This modification will not work for them. This is for the standard Stihl MS 170/180 2 stroke saws. Please confirm your intake manifold looks like mine on video before proceeding with any modification”* If this video helped you, please consider clicking on the THANKS button above to support my channel 🙌 and don’t miss this video on how to tune a chainsaw ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-83NF1q0UYPw.htmlsi=PZs4nj1dGFZA7z4d
Thanks for this easy to follow video. One thing worth mentioning is how much better the saw runs after doing this. It revs faster, spins higher, and cuts much easier. This carb mod turns a good saw into a great saw. Lots of power in a very lightweight package. Keep up the great work bud.
Thank you for the kind words! I couldn’t agree more, you’re spot on. Give the saw the fuel it needs and these machines are little angry beavers! I love them for light limbing work. That said, if your patient you can easily cut bar length (16”) logs no problem. By having the adjustability you can richen the H to give you that torque that’s missing from the standard fixed jet setting. They seem really happy around the 13.5k rpm :)
Thanks for the great tip. I have a question for you…others can’t figure it out. Stihl MS170. Since new, pulls hard when hot. Fine when cold. Can feel compression stroke in pull cord, and it will pull the saw from beneath your foot when pulling start rope. A few gentle….but difficult…pulls on rope will clear the issue. Acts like hydro lock or excessive vapour lock. Next time I use it, I may remove the plug to check for excess fuel when hot. May also consider your carb change tip and see if it resolves the issue. Thank you. Love your channel. 👍👍👍
Thanks for the kind words :) it sounds like fuel may be leaking past the needle. If you take the fuel line from the tank, remove the filter and apply pressure from a hand pump with a gauge you’ll see if it’s leaking. If so swap it out with another :)
Awesome :) before the mod, even with essentially new condidon parts (filter, fuel line, diaphragms), it was bogging badly off idle and max rpm was between 15,000-15,500 rpm (a friends reached 17,000 rpm! When the diaphragms get a bit stiff and people run 50:1, a dull chain and hot weather you’re asking for trouble so I change them out :)
I like Husqvarna (Sweden ) model 350 had one for years no trouble.Also Echoe (Japan ) amazing always start easy no problems Older Stihl are better . I have a few old Stihl including a huge 088 . Nice channel Thank you 👍 Cheers 🥂
Thanks for the kind words :) both echo and husky are awesome too! I prefer Stihl personally but that’s just been my experience. The 088 is not a saw I’ve run, but I’d love to!! Thanks again!
Great video mate. I’ll be doing this little mod with my 180. A very underrated saw, if you know how to properly use a saw, this little beast will cut much bigger logs then it was ever intended for.
Absolutely agree, these 170/180 saws are some of my favourite from Stihl. The price point, the twist caps, simple construction that doesn’t require any special tools to rebuild the engine and with the carburetor mod they just run great! I have have had the better part of 20-30 professional saws from Stihl spanning the last 60 years. The 180 is one of my favourite, that’s saying something! From memory I’ve owned and or still have multiples of the following: 192, 193, 201t, 020av, 170, 180, 023, 025, 029, 260, 032, 034, 034 super, 039, 045, 056 super, 660, 066, 07, 076 super, 08. I’m sure I’m forgetting some, but I really have ran most of stihls common saws LOL.
I have an 025 which has an adjustable carby. It is a great saw. Stihl decided to discontinue the air filter but I was able to put the updated manifold on to take the new style filter. A bit of a massage with a chisel was required to get the cover to fit back on though. Stihl has decided to discontinue the genuine air filter for my 032 too. I am reduced to a Chinese copy there. If there are two people running Stihl they need their heads knocking together. The 032 is a wonderful saw but without an air filter it is just a shed ornament.
I’d also recommend checking the fuel line also mate, I’ve seen quite a few with black rubber lined that had perished. The green ones are the newer, improved ones 👍🏻
I tuned a Briggs powered generator using a pressure washer to get the mixture just right so it wouldn’t bog down when running a welder on it. It is easier to tweak the mixture when you pull the trigger on the pressure washer than to do it when trying to strike an arc and you need instant response when striking an arc or you are in all sorts of trouble.
THANKS FOR THAT! Like to have a dollar for every time I've had the carb off my 180. Cleaned using carb cleaner and even bought a UScleaner for the darn thing. Still ended up buying a new carb, both aftermarket and the last one from Stihl. We'll see how long this one lasts. It seems to me the air fitration could be a little better on these saws. Again, thanks. 👍🍻
My 170 is going great after four years , wore out one chain. Always use 25 to 1 fuel mixture. My only gripe is when starting from cold ,after choke position the next one up it is revving it’s guts out. Cannot get to run position quick enough. When it dies I will buy another the same, great value.
Thank you, Tom! My 170 is on its 3rd carborator. Fortunately, this last one has done well for quite a while, so no issues yet. 🤞 I did the other simple modifications...added a metal dog plate, and opened up the muffler a little bit. It's been running fine, but that carborator is definitely a weak link. I run it at 4600-5000 ft elevation, do you recommend changing over to the adjustable carb to account for elevation?
Hey :) you’re welcome! I’m at sea level and they run around 15,000 - 15500 rpm and bog really badly off idle, they won’t last as long at that rpm as they will around the 13.5k which is more than enough. If you’re at altitude you may find this less of a problem as you don’t require the same amount of fuel. I’d change them if I owned one, I like to make sure they’re running optimally.
Question.. can the ethanol in the fuel affect nail polish used to reseal welch plugs and check valves in the carburetor or is it completely safe to use?
I would love to hear your thoughts please. 🙏🏻 Just spent $60 on a very few hour and we'll kept 018c. Bar has almost no wear literally. Pluse got a great case too for a bit larger saw. Anyway it hadn't been ran in years bit put a new plug and filter in it and it popped right off as it should. Started right up but wouldn't rev. Checked the screen and plugged SOLID. cleaned it up and it runs like a champ. Adjusted the idle a bit and it runs like a new saw EXEPT IT SMOKES A BIT. not really bad but just enough for concern. Any thoughts ? Oh and oiler works fine too. And yes for my cost so far and how well it seems to run and my planned amount of use. By all means I'd spend the money on a new carb if needed. Oh and plus if it just smokes a bit but not gonna kill the saw I might just leave it too. Great video a and thank you for your time.
Sounds like you got a great deal! The 018 is an old saw, but if it starts, idles and runs well, just run a good oil ratio and enjoy it! Edit, pressed send too soon. You may consider pressure and vac testing it to ensure you have no seal leaks and test the fuel line too, but regardless, for. $60 it’s a bargain!! Enjoy it :)
I have quite a few years of experience with repairing Stihl equipment. And this has been a major disappointment of mine with these saws. I feel like a lot of performance and longevity is left on the table with the original BIS carburetor.
I couldn’t agree more. In some circumstances it’s ok and does the job, but there is a very good reason why the 171/181/172/162 all come stock with adjustable carburetors!
I, unfortunately, failed. Got the MS-170 2-Mix with a ZAMA Carb and the nozzle-head does not fit onto the WT-215, since it has a nose on it which doesn’t fit in the Walbro. I tried it w/o nozzle which let to not being able to start up the machine.
Hey mate! A couple people reached out to me after this video about the 2 mix engines, I never even knew there was such a thing - I’ve only ever seen stihls standard 2 strokes (there isn’t the 2 mix in the USA, Canada, Australia, and most elsewhere around the world!) I can’t edit the video now it’s uploaded but I have put a note about this in the pinned comment.
@@VintageEngineRepairs Thanks mate, I wasn’t aware either. Fortunately, there is a dealer in Germany who sells a cheap Walbro WT-215 replica especially for MS-170 and MS-180 which already has the nozzle-head. I'll try it with that one and'll report back when I'm done. This dealer is known for replica parts for Stihls but I won’t advertise, unless it is wished by you AND it works. :-) Apart from that, thanks for your decent content, I really enjoy your videos. Cheers from Germany!
@@VintageEngineRepairs Oh and if you come across some Dolmars (2&3 digit models pre 2015, 4 digits until 2021?, before they moved production to China), I would really enjoy it! Dolmar was a really sophisticated german brand which died slowly after Makitas ownership. They are still sold from stock but ceded production in 2021 or so. :)
Hey again, that replica carb works decently and setting it up was easily possible. I just wondered and never found it somewhere, whats the maximum rpm of the MS-170 to set up H-screw? Since the original carb is fixed, there is not one documentation from Stihl. I guessed something like around 12k rpm but that’s just an assumption and I'm not sure if it's now a bit too lean.
@@user-cn3vg3hj2bhola, tengo una más 170 y he podido comprobar que su filtro de aire es deficiente, deja pasar mucho polvo y restos de aserrín, eso desgasta el cilindro. Cuando quites el filtro pasa el dedo por el conducto y verás la cantidad de polvo pegado en las paredes, no quiero ni saber la cantidad de aire que pasa sin ser filtrada. Saludos desde Uruguay.
Absolutely, though I haven’t had the lug snap on any yet, I have heard they can break! I saw a video a number of years ago on a fix, if I come across it I’ll add the link, it’s handy to know!
Hey, they are great saws :) I have many other saws too - 201t, 260, 034 super, 660. I’ve also owned 056 super, 07, 076 super, 08s and many others. All professional duty saws. The 170 and 180 are awesome, light weight limbing saws. Affordable and with the 3/8p work really well.
@@VintageEngineRepairs These are waaay too small. I have MS230 and MS311... These tiny ones are kind of embarrassing... It would be great to have MS881 though... The REAL MAN saw...
@REDLINERUNNER haha it’s all appropriate for the wood you’re cutting. I’d own an ms 180 but wouldn’t bother with anything else before the 260/261 (50cc). The 170/180 have their place for limbing small branches. I like using it because it’s so nippy and light. The tiny chain works great on green branches :)
great way to get a ten thousand dollar fine from the EPA for modifying emission spec parts, also you are voiding any warranty that might be left on that saw
I’m not sure what country you’re referring to, but there is no law where I am on the topic. A correctly tuned engine produces less emissions, lasts longer and stays out of landfill. This is an improvement and is why all of the later versions of this saw come standard with adjustable carburetors.
I feel like the type of person who would buy this $200 disposable saw is not the type of person who would retrofit a $50 carb or have the slightest idea how to tune or adjust a carb. That said, it was a great video.
Hey :) they really are a fantastic saw used by a lot of people. This is one solution that people can follow if they are having altitude related issues.
These aren't really disposable saws. They're still Stihls with a warranty. Many many years of service life if you don't abuse them and parts are easily available. I consider disposable saws like those $100 specials from China, that copy saws like this. There are a dozen different colors and brands, but the saws all look about the same, and all of them have names like Zingalinghoff.
@@jdisdetermined Meh, I'll stick with my MS200T, MS261 and MS462. I like a certain level of build quality and durability. At very low price points I tend to prefer Echo which has mastered high quality at a low price...I'm not saying they're awful saws (MS170), but when a price gets low enough-something has to give.
I agree man. These are disposable saws. Once they’re out of warranty they simply aren’t worth repairing considering the cost of a brand new saw with warranty. Also the air filter design is absolutely dog shit.
