Have a trashed chainsaw? Father-in-law is 84 and doesn’t see so well any more…don’t know what he put in the fuel tank but it sure scuffed the cylinder walls and piston to the point where the saw wouldn’t run any more.
A 20-year-old Stihl 026 Farm Boss worth maybe 250 bucks….not economically repairable at the saw shop. But I did find a NOS Stihl top end rebuild kit on Ebay for 50 bucks, a gasket set for 8 bucks and a service manual for another 8 bucks so for that amount it was worth doing. These rebuild kits are $135-150 retail from Stihl.
The new cylinder was the newer type with the compression release. Couldn’t find one on-line so I go see Howard at Belfair Power to see if he had an old trashed cylinder with one still in it I could recover. He didn’t, but pointed out that the new piston in my rebuild kit was no higher compression than the original, and that I could live without the release. He didn’t have the special bolt to plug the hole, so I hit the hardware store for a machine bolt and copper washer I could grind to fit…which I did.
Dismantling the saw to expose the cylinder, I discover all the machine screws are Torx headed. I’ve got those for all except the long-reach Allen-style wrenches needed for the cylinder head-to-crankcase screws, but I discover a 9/64†Allen will break them loose without damage so I proceed. You can see the wrench reaching thru clearance holes in the cylinder fins to get to the machine screw in the pic above.
The hose clamp on the rubber intake manifold is loosened and the cylinder head pulled from the saw…
The shiny new piston is fitted to the connecting rod using the old spring clips…everything lubed with 90wt oil and swab…
The rings aligned per the book and compressed with a hose clamp…a new crankcase gasket installed…
And the new cylinder…also liberally lubed…tapped on, displacing the hose clamp which is dismantled and removed.
The cylinder screws are replaced and torqued, and the spark plug is grounded to check for spark with a pull of the cord before installing the plug.
The carb, which had been washed in carb cleaner and had been soaking in solvent, was reinstalled with it’s linkage and a new gasket…fresh fuel added after cleaning out the tank and filter…and she fires on the 3rd pull and both runs and idles well…I got lucky for a change.
Shrouds, handles and covers reinstalled, and Pop has a working saw again….only this time…I’ll supply 5 gallons of correct fuel so he doesn’t run out.
$66.00 and about 2 hours…as opposed to over $300 at the saw shop.
“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think…that a time is to come when those (heirlooms) will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, ‘See! This our father did for us.’ “ –John Ruskin.
Replies
When it comes to trees ans chainsaws.....
YOU ARE THE MAN!
I got freebie Poulan that won't start for Popeye on steroids.
An Old Boss found it in a ditch!
You just inspired me to give it a go thru.
As long as the parts aren't more than a new saw.
I know, it aint a rela saw, but I got about 1/4 of an acre with 5 trees that I want to keep.
I will probably only use it for demolition, but no man should be without a chainsaw!
UH UH UH OHWWW!(tim taylor grunt)
Mr T
Happiness is a cold wet nose
Life is is never to busy to stop and pet the Doggies!!
i also have an old chain saw that starts great, but is reeeeeeaaallllly doggy....took the bar and chain off of it....makes getting the little 'uns up and ready for school a breeze....:)
I have almost the same saw and hate it.
If I don't use it for a season its close to impossible to start.
I take the plug out after use.try gas in the carb.etc etc..
Think I'm gonna gets me an electric one cause I only have to drag it around two acres every here and there....
Be ugh
andy
My life is my passion!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Mine is a Stihl 028 AV WB, almost 24 years old, starts every time I want to use it, which is a few times each year.
Thanks. Maybe you should submit that as an article. Whoops, this is FHB, not Fine Lumberjacking!
Electric chainsaw are so cool, though, when laying ABS pipe!
got another tool with a differant mix that got poured in by mistake?
We got chainsaws, cut-off saws, tampers, etc, which all take their own fuel. Some are 20:1, some get 50:1. , plus our truck driver stores his lawn business equipment with our tools which take even another fuel. Once a month someone grabs the wrong fuel and the tool ends up in the shop.
How about 10:1 for the real oldies?
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“When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us for; and let us think...that a time is to come when those (heirlooms) will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, ‘See! This our father did for us.’ “ --John Ruskin.
Sounds like you are like me, always trying to find a cheaper way to arrive at the same end. I guess we took that old saying "a penny saved is a penny earned" to heart. I inherited a stihl 031 AV from my dad, the same saw I used to cut hedge firewood on many a Sunday afternoon as a young man (about 20 years ago) The only thing I don't understand is how HEAVY that rascal has gotten over the years! Anyway it still runs great! Even if I don't!
CAG, maybe next year!