Idling saw stalls in wet weather

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Diabel

Minister of Fire
Jan 11, 2008
3,856
Ottawa, ON
This has happend on two or three different occasions. Wet weather conditions and (actually) as a matter of fact both my saws will stall when idling. Using same high octane freshly bought and mixed gas. Weather clears up and both saws will idle perfectly fine. What can this be? Saws telling me not to cut in the rain!?!?
Something to do with air intake lines...?
Any thought...
 
Wet conditions equal heavy air. It could be changing your air/fuel mixture just enough to cause this. Raise the idle a small bit and it will probably go away.
 
Wet conditions equal heavy air. It could be changing your air/fuel mixture just enough to cause this. Raise the idle a small bit and it will probably go away.

Thanks Jags, excellent! I love easy jobs.
 
My truck loves cool damp weather..at almost a mile in altitude
Mine does not care about the weather conditions...it's a diesel.
 
Tell me that at -40! Or just a early O! Been there , jelled sucks but I like the option of resleeved rebuilds and a million miles.
You have seen it jelled too in ON ;)
 
Tell me that at -40! Or just a early O! Been there , jelled sucks but I like the option of resleeved rebuilds and a million miles.
Tell me that at -40! Or just a early O! Been there , jelled sucks but I like the option of resleeved rebuilds and a million miles.
You have seen it jelled too in ON ;)

You have seen it jelled too in ON ;)

Oh yeah.....winter!!! Totally forgot.
 
Wet conditions equal heavy air. It could be changing your air/fuel mixture just enough to cause this.

Not to nit pick, but wet (humid) air is actually light than dry air. Water vapor has a molecular weight of 18, whereas air (mostly nitrogen) has a molecular weight around 29. IIRC, for typical summertime temps, humid air has a couple percent less oxygen than for dry air, since the water vapor displaces the oxygen. So I would believe it can affect air/fuel mixture, and idling.
 
I will be cutting in the morning, it will be sunny and warm. Will report on saws behavior.
 
Not to nit pick, but wet (humid) air is actually light than dry air. Water vapor has a molecular weight of 18, whereas air (mostly nitrogen) has a molecular weight around 29. IIRC, for typical summertime temps, humid air has a couple percent less oxygen than for dry air, since the water vapor displaces the oxygen. So I would believe it can affect air/fuel mixture, and idling.

You are correct - dry is actually heavier at the same temps. That is the reason for re-tuned engines based off of weather and elevation. It gets kinda wonky when you compare warm/dry with cold/wet and how it effects the fuel/air mix for an engine, but it does.
 
I will be cutting in the morning, it will be sunny and warm. Will report on saws behavior.

Well, both saws idled great, just as they should. I had a great time cutting. And a bit of fishing!!
 

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