ms290 chainsaw

rodman217

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 24, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
3
Hey all im knew here not sure if this is the right place to ask this question. I got a ms291 chainsaw that i got for verry ccheap ive rebuild the thing from top to bottem. I got spark and compretion but when i spare some starsing fluid in the intake. it dose not do anything. I put a aftermarket sylinder on it and im thinking that may be the problem.
So the question is if it has spark and compretion if i put a carb in it and it still dose not start then whats do you guys think is the problem. Let me know
 

Tiger Small Engine

Lawn Addict
Joined
Dec 7, 2022
Threads
2
Messages
1,103
Hey all im knew here not sure if this is the right place to ask this question. I got a ms291 chainsaw that i got for verry ccheap ive rebuild the thing from top to bottem. I got spark and compretion but when i spare some starsing fluid in the intake. it dose not do anything. I put a aftermarket sylinder on it and im thinking that may be the problem.
So the question is if it has spark and compretion if i put a carb in it and it still dose not start then whats do you guys think is the problem. Let me know
Is it a MS 290 or MS291? The MS290 is the older version. What brand of cylinder did you install? Stihl, Meteor, Farmertec, etc. ? What was the condition of the piston, rings, and cylinder before working on saw? Age? Why did you put a new cylinder in it? What was compression reading? Did you replace head gasket?
 

Hammermechanicman

Lawn Addict
Joined
Jan 10, 2020
Threads
65
Messages
3,828
Head gasket???
Got a pic of one of those for a 290 or 291?
Engine needs a compression and pressure and vacum test.
 

StarTech

Lawn Royalty
Top Poster Of Month
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Threads
91
Messages
11,476
Head gasket???
Got a pic of one of those for a 290 or 291?
Engine needs a compression and pressure and vacum test.
NO head gasket. As noted the crankcase is seal with RTV and a couple oil seals.

Has the OP checked the spark arrester (# 24)?

MS291
1729861208374.png
 

Hammermechanicman

Lawn Addict
Joined
Jan 10, 2020
Threads
65
Messages
3,828
Yeah i was being a little sarcastic about the head gasket. The dreaded clamshell type engine.
 

StarTech

Lawn Royalty
Top Poster Of Month
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Threads
91
Messages
11,476
Yeah i was being a little sarcastic about the head gasket. The dreaded clamshell type engine.
Figured that as Tiger tends to be out in far left field at times. He needs to do a little research before throwing something out there.

Personally I work a lot of the clam shell as they are called and found they are not much different than other handheld engine problem wise.
 

Hammermechanicman

Lawn Addict
Joined
Jan 10, 2020
Threads
65
Messages
3,828
I find customers with pro saws more willing to fix a bad P&C vs the parts and labor for a clamshell saw. They are not hard to work on.
 

rodman217

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 24, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
3
hey guys thank you all for your resposes. First off i guess i need to tell you all the full story. Kinda short really i got 2 alder chainsaws from a guy on facebook marketplace. Really nice guy one was a old ms 028 or something like that anyway long story short. i got two chainsaws for really sheap. The one that i am trying to get running right now im almost sure its a MS290 i heard that youo can use a bigger sylinder for the MS290 you can use the MS291 sylinder on these at least that is what i heard. The sylinder that i got was from amazon and i got the one for ms291 people say that one is bigger. anyway i am reabuilding this saw becouse i dont know what fule they put in this things. Wheni got the saw it had alot of parts missing from it. Maybe the guys was trying to fix it himself and he had no idea what to do. The saw naver srarded in the first place i even took the thing down to a mall reapir shop and they told me that the copression release vallve stuck open this was after i reaplced the cylinder on it . They did not fic it becouse the saw was already worked on in the first place. The saw has spark and cumpression when i looked at it last right now it is all in peices becouse i think i need to get the oem sylinder for the ms290 and a new carb for it as well. I dont think it is gething fule all all it wont start at all even with carb spray. Maybe its just the wrong sylinder for that saw even when people say that the ms291 sylinder should work on the ms290 saw. Im sure i need to memtion more things as well but that all i can think of for now. Thanks for all of your responses i would loike to get this thing running so i dont buy a new saw
 

Hammermechanicman

Lawn Addict
Joined
Jan 10, 2020
Threads
65
Messages
3,828
The 290 and 291 will not interchange cylinders. The 291 is actually a few cc smaller. The 028 would be the saw i would restore.
 

rodman217

Forum Newbie
Joined
Oct 24, 2024
Threads
1
Messages
3
The 290 and 291 will not interchange cylinders. The 291 is actually a few cc smaller. The 028 would be the saw i would restore.
i got the 028 to run but i think i have to get a smaller bar and carb adjustment

so i should get ms290 sylinder then and try that
 
Top