Carb tuning

SouthSoundTree said:

Trying to understand this all for me, is like someone trying to understand, from many people's helpful advice how to set up the 3:1 return on the HH with a base-tie with a back-up system. I get lost. I wish I had a local to sit down with, adjust and cut. I probably don't get all the performance out of my saws as possible, but seems to work okay now.


Can a tach even be used on modded saws? My 460 and 660 have been souped. 064 just sits after the last time I tried to adjust it. When you have souped 660, what's a old 064, for?

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Hi Sean,
I used to think the same way as you, but then while wearing earplugs, it all became clear.

IMHO, you need to tune your saw for the load it is under.
Say I tune my hopped up 044 with a 32" B&C while cutting hickory, then install a 24" bar on her to cut a pine, she needs to be leaned out a little, or it will 4 stroke in the cut.

I start real rich and lean her out slowly while in the cut on dogs ........ thats where you will need the most power ......... untill she sounds like a hornet. When I come off the dogs, even while still cutting, she 4 strokes ......... still a little rich by some standards, but thats how I like my saws to run. Innards of the saw look like new. Maybe watch the video and listen to it slightly breaking up when I rotate the saw off the dogs (@ 17 second mark), then hear her clean up when I put her back on the dogs (@ 22 second mark)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDsCF21ZDiY

Tach use - modded or un-modded .................. to me it really doesnt matter. The tach will read what it reads based on my tune. I dont tune with a tach, but I use it as a reference so I know what RPM the saw runs at. The RPM is based on the tune, not the tune based on the RPM.

Thanks. I'll need to put my saw brain on and watch.

I'm not too aurally proficient. I would understand the mechanics of music better than playing by ear, by a long shot. People often say about a video, you could hear it do this or that. Welllll......I'm sure I heard it, but without someone stating 3:19-3:24 you can specifically hear 4-stroking.

I know its silly after this long not to understand more about it. I rarely have saw problems and fix the basics, but never opened up a saw or was good at tuning without a tach (when I worked in NV, we could have an 8000' elevation change one week to the next, Tahoe to Death Valley NP cutting invasive palms). Back then we had 3 044/ 440s per person in the truck, and a mechanic at the shop. Now my saws aren't beat or abused, so they just seem to run fine. I am sure I could get a bit more performance, but as largely a tree dismantler/ pruner, 5-10% increase in cutting performance would help, but not like to a logger.

Im usually pleased if i can get my saws to idle! It is nice to have an old saw hand to help with tuning. I have a friend that is a saw whiz. The only problem is that when he shows me how, he is essentially showing me how HE likes a saw to run, and i am not saw hand enough to explain what I want the saw to run like. I guess experience will help.

SouthSoundTree said:

Thanks. I'll need to put my saw brain on and watch.

I'm not too aurally proficient. I would understand the mechanics of music better than playing by ear, by a long shot. People often say about a video, you could hear it do this or that. Welllll......I'm sure I heard it, but without someone stating 3:19-3:24 you can specifically hear 4-stroking.

I know its silly after this long not to understand more about it. I rarely have saw problems and fix the basics, but never opened up a saw or was good at tuning without a tach (when I worked in NV, we could have an 8000' elevation change one week to the next, Tahoe to Death Valley NP cutting invasive palms). Back then we had 3 044/ 440s per person in the truck, and a mechanic at the shop. Now my saws aren't beat or abused, so they just seem to run fine. I am sure I could get a bit more performance, but as largely a tree dismantler/ pruner, 5-10% increase in cutting performance would help, but not like to a logger.

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Yo Dude -
Easy peasy - just put up a video of your saw with a very sharp chain and we will let you know if your high speed needs a little more or less - make sure to use the dogs and show us dogged in and unloaded without letting up on the throttle. We will tell you where (time wise) in the video to listen for and what to listen for ........... easy peasy Dude !!!! We can walk you through this no problem !!!!!

Did you watch the linked video ?
If so, did you notice the differences in the sounds of the saw at the indicated timelines ??