Chainsaw gas cap blues

[FinsnFur]

You guys with chain saws. Whats your trick to the gas cap woes? My gas cap is getting so frickin tight I cant hardly even get the threads started any more, and when I do it gets about half way in before it says, "NO MORE".
I tried sanding the threads down and it didnt do squat.
I did some research and it's apparently a known issues with all saws?? The ethanol in todays fuels make the allegedly porous plastic cap swell.
Seriously? In todays day and age we cant make a gas cap that doesnt absorb fuel and swell to the point of uselessness? 
A couple of sites I found told people to buy a spare and let one set on the bench for a few days to dry out and keep swapping them.
Anyone got this problem? Or any remedies?
nor-cal yote, does your saw do this??

[nor-cal yote]

Never had this problem.....what kind of saw I might have extras.

[HaMeR]

I had a cheap Poulan from Lowes that did the same thing.  It was a very good saw til it got burnt up. My Echo is 4 or 5 years old now & I haven't had that issue at all. Maybe it's still too new. I always wondered why that Poulan cap got to be near impossible to use.

[FinsnFur]

So maybe it's the lower priced saws all doing this.
Mines a 16" Poulan Pro. Its three years old.
Ya know whats funny? When I bought the saw they had one on the shelf opened up as a display model....the gas had had been stolen from it.  Its starting to come together now.

[FinsnFur]

HaMeR, what'd you mean "burnt up"? The engine burnt itself up or the saw was in a fire?

[msmith]

I have 3 Stihls and a Dohlmar and never had that problem. 

[nor-cal yote]

I pretty much run still and husky. Had a poulan once it did not adjust to elevation very well.if I went up or down more than 600 feet I had to readjust the carb. I was told they are called poulan because you pull on them for hours to get them to start.

[HuntnCarve]

If you leave your "pull on" out on the wood pile now, the ground squirrels will have a new home in the gas tank.

Ethanol should not be attacking the plastic?    Stihl or Husky Jim, the only way to go!


Dave

[FinsnFur]

I've had the cap off it now for a couple days. I went out to the shop to check it this morning before heading to work...it screwed right in.
I talked to a guy at work today also with a Stihl and he said his does the same thing...just not to the same extreme mine does. And it even throws gas when he first cracks the seemingly too tight cap, loose. lol
I cant believe they sell junk like this. I ordered a aftermarket cap when I got home tonight which the reviews claim it hasnt swelled on them. If nothing else, I guess I'll have a spare cap to swap out like the other cheap bass turds running these saws.
I gotta do something with it, since it still runs.

[HaMeR]

Motor burnt up on a big hard Maple.   

My Echo starts easily even after it sets for 6-7 months. I'll be starting it up in a couple weeks to trim the trees back around here a little bit. Might even take down the little 60' Walnut tree that's growing against the garage foundation. 

[Hawks Feather]

I ordered a aftermarket cap when I got home tonight...

Jim,

Have you considered a cork.  They are relatively inexpensive and would be easy to remove when you need to fill.   

Just a thought. 

Jerry

[JohnP]

"Have you considered a cork.  They are relatively inexpensive and would be easy to remove when you need to fill.  Just a thought. "

He could do that but then he would have the added expense of buying a corkscrew.   

[HaMeR]

I ordered a aftermarket cap when I got home tonight...

Jim,

Have you considered a cork.  They are relatively inexpensive and would be easy to remove when you need to fill.   

Just a thought. 



So are you suggesting Jim put a cork in it Jerry?? 




Jerry

[HaMeR]

    @ the corkscrew!!

[Hawks Feather]

All this cork and cork screw talk is making me thirsty.  I am headed out for some wine.

Jerry

[FinsnFur]

Your ALL corkscrewed aint ya?

[HaMeR]

You guys with chain saws. Whats your trick to the gas cap woes? My gas cap is getting so frickin tight I cant hardly even get the threads started any more, and when I do it gets about half way in before it says, "NO MORE".
I tried sanding the threads down and it didnt do squat.
I did some research and it's apparently a known issues with all saws?? The ethanol in todays fuels make the allegedly porous plastic cap swell.
Seriously? In todays day and age we cant make a gas cap that doesnt absorb fuel and swell to the point of uselessness? 
A couple of sites I found told people to buy a spare and let one set on the bench for a few days to dry out and keep swapping them.
Anyone got this problem? Or any remedies?
nor-cal yote, does your saw do this??

Not enough wine in here Jerry??

[KySongDog]

Jim
I've had that same problem before and it was on a Poulan.   Bought another cap and started swapping them out.  Worked OK.  Maybe Poulan uses some type of cheap plastic to go along with the rest of their cheap saw.   

[FinsnFur]

Well, the new cap came today and although I havent checked to see how well it fits, I am noticing something very interesting.
Look at the thread thickness difference.


OLD CAP                                                                                                       NEW CAP

I actually sanded the threads a little bit on the old cap to try and get it on the saw tighter once I started having trouble. Thats the white your seeing on the threads but the new threads are considerably thinner.

I think your right...cheap saw...cheap plastic

[HaMeR]

Big difference for sure!!