What The......New-Ish Husky 455 Leaking Fuel???

[BurnIt13]

So my chainsaw quit oiling so I borrowed my fathers Husqvarna 455 Rancher to buck the last 1.5 cords of wood I had. About 75% through I go to fill up the gas tank and notice its leaking fuel out of the tank somewhere!

This saw was bought new 2 years ago and my father probably had 2 hours on it. After another couple hours by me and now its leaking! Crap! This was probably the 3rd or 4th tank of gas I put in it. It seems when it is on its side it leaks fuel after you've put more than 1/3rd of a tank in it. When you prop it up vertically it doesn't leak anymore.

I didn't spill and this process has repeated itself multiple times so far. Fill up the gas, then watch a puddle start forming under the saw.

Great. So it looks like my dads saw has less than 10 hours on it and it broke while under my care. A quick parts diagram search shows that the fuel tank is part of the case and 99% of the saw needs to be taken apart to swap it out. And a new case is $200

I hate borrowing things as I'm always afraid something will break so I am super careful. I never dropped it or banged it around at all. Murphy's law seems to have gotten me good.

I haven't dug into it yet but before I go into pissed off/panic mode do you guys know of anything else worth checking?

 

[Jon1270]

Take a deep breath. My money is on the fuel line, which is cheap and easy to replace. You wouldn't, by any chance, be in the habit of leaving the saw to sit for long periods with gas in the tank, would you?

 

[BurnIt13]

Hmmmmmm. It was running just fine. I'd think that if it was leaking fuel it would also be sucking air no? But it was left with gas in it for about a year, just sitting upright....but not a whole bunch of gas.

But it only leaks when its on its side.

 

[Jon1270]

Leaving gas in it for long periods of time is a bad idea, for any saw. Gas with ethanol in it, in particular, softens rubber parts and makes them easier to damage.

I haven't worked on a 455, so I'm unfamiliar with how the fuel line is routed. On pro-style Husky saws with the gas tank in the rear handle assembly it is common for leaks to develop between where the line leaves the tank and where it enters the crankcase, because the AV mounts allow that part of the line to get pulled and pushed a lot when the saw is under stress. When that happens, the saw can still run okay, and will only leak when the saw is on its side. That said, since the 455 gas tank is part of the main chassis rather than the rear handle assembly then maybe it won't have the same tendency to fail there.

Another possibility is that the softened line is not itself leaking, but is no longer sealing well where it emerges from the gas tank,

The gas tank vent, which admits air to replace the gas that's being consumed, is another thing to look at.

In any case, I'd remove the top cover and air filter, and start looking around in bright light, to try and see where its leaking from. It's unlikely to be the expensive case itself unless something heavy has fallen on it.

 

[BurnIt13]

The gas tank vent, which admits air to replace the gas that's being consumed, is another thing to look at.

In any case, I'd remove the top cover and air filter, and start looking around in bright light, to try and see where its leaking from. It's unlikely to be the expensive case itself unless something heavy has fallen on it.

Thanks for the tips. I'm thinking it isnt the vent as the vent is right next to the fill cap. It only leaks when its on its back side, like when you are filling it up with gas. In this case the vent is pointing towards the sky.

It didn't take any hits at all. The worst thing that happened is that it tipped over when I set it down to reposition a log.

I'll take a closer look tonight and report back what I find. Moral of the story....don't lend your stuff out or borrow peoples stuff. Even with the best of intentions Murphy's law takes over and makes things broken.

 

[Jon1270]

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

 

[TreePointer]

There is a 2 year warranty on that saw. Maybe it's still covered?

I know, it's kinda embarrassing to ask the owner to get warranty service on something you borrowed. You might run into a dealer who will help you if you explain the situation.

 

[pen]

I had this happen with my 350, and it was a faulty vent for the tank.

 

[BurnIt13]

Sorry it took so long to get back.....been pretty busy lately. It turned out to be the fuel line going to the primer bulb. There are three exit points from the fuel tank:

• The vent. Going into it I was pretty sure that wasn't it because the vent is on the top (when the saw is on its side, gas cap facing the sky) and the saw leaks only on its side.
• The fuel line to the carburetor.
• The fuel line to the primer bulb.

The fuel line to the primer bulb has a slice in it where it passes through the grommet in the top of the fuel tank. Thank goodness...an easy fix. For now I've just been running it with a half tank of fuel but will fix it soon.

(broken image removed)

 

[Jon1270]

Good deal, and nothing to do with it having been borrowed.

 

[BurnIt13]

Good deal, and nothing to do with it having been borrowed.

Yep....its probably my fathers fault. He has a habit of getting motivated for big projects and purchasing new toys then puts the projects off. Then the new toys sit ready to go with the same gas in them for years.

It may have been a factory defect or the fuel could have just eaten the fuel line over the past two years. Who knows.