Stihl 038 AVS Farm Boss (late ‘80s) worth saving?

[Just_Alex]

1 hour ago, spudulike said:

Has that cylinder got anything stamped on that flat near the spark plug and is there any identification near the bottom of the cylinder either side - like Stihl, Mahle, Gilardoni, Tecomec etc?

The cylinder looks a bit aftermarket to me.

As others have said, the leak may be the impulse line, inlet manifold or crank seals.....depending on your abilities decides the fate of the saw.

Hi @spudulike, I have taken a few pictures which might or might not help, there is a stamp on the top but I could not find any markings on either side. 

s/n indicates 1987, a venerable oldtimer! 
 

You hit the nail on the head with my abilities though: I’m good with certain things but combustion engines is not one of them. Freely admit that so that nobody here is under any false impressions 😂 

[Stubby]

Piston looks history but jug could well be salvageable .

Edited March 24, 2022 by Stubby

[Stubby]

Spud is the man to take notice of . You may be able to remove the aluminum transfer from the pot with brick acid or similar but ....If its not an OEM cylinder maybe its not worth it . You NEED To find out why it nipped up in the first place ( air leak , bad fuel etc ) before you repair it or it will just bugger up again . 

Edited March 24, 2022 by Stubby

[Ratman]

Looks like an aftermarket top end for sure. OEM prices will see the saw in the skip, i’d be tempted to put a new aftermarket top end on it again, split the cases and fit new seals and bearings, renew all rubber bits, fit a new carb kit and go from there. Be a good learning experience for ya, plenty good advice to be had on here from folks, keep everybody updated on progress, enjoy it [emoji106]

[spudulike]

Just now, Ratman said:

Looks like an aftermarket top end for sure. OEM prices will see the saw in the skip, i’d be tempted to put a new aftermarket top end on it again, split the cases and fit new seals and bearings, renew all rubber bits, fit a new carb kit and go from there. Be a good learning experience for ya, plenty good advice to be had on here from folks, keep everybody updated on progress, enjoy it

Sorry Rat....you are wrong, that is an OEM part. If the OP can learn a bit, the best option is to strip the cylinder off, strip the transferred aluminium from the bore and then hone lightly (or rub the bore with wet and dry) then fit a decent aftermarket piston...Meteor or Hyway are your best bet.

Best find out where the crankcase is leaking as well - the impulse line is probably the most likely, seals tend to leak a little with age, you can visually check the boot - someone may have stuck a screwdriver through it or sometimes the clamp splits the boot.

[Just_Alex]

Thanks @Ratman and @Stubby, there’s a lot to learn for sure. I’ve always been a fan of Torx for example, but that doesn’t mean I have long reach torx keys to hand. I just prefer them for woodworking over Philips heads hahaha (I’ll get my coat…).

 

On a more serious note, I’m aware of Spud’s legend status and have seen his recommendations on Meteor parts and a few other tips from other threads but honestly I think I’d find a way to order the wrong parts or mess it up in some other unfathomably stupid way… but maybe with your collective guidance… just strap in for a bumpy ride! 😂

[Stubby]

Just now, spudulike said:

Sorry Rat....you are wrong, that is an OEM part. If the OP can learn a bit, the best option is to strip the cylinder off, strip the transferred aluminium from the bore and then hone lightly (or rub the bore with wet and dry) then fit a decent aftermarket piston...Meteor or Hyway are your best bet.

Best find out where the crankcase is leaking as well - the impulse line is probably the most likely, seals tend to leak a little with age, you can visually check the boot - someone may have stuck a screwdriver through it or sometimes the clamp splits the boot.

Steve . You forgot to say " come on Italy " 😁

[Ratman]

Sorry Rat....you are wrong, that is an OEM part. If the OP can learn a bit, the best option is to strip the cylinder off, strip the transferred aluminium from the bore and then hone lightly (or rub the bore with wet and dry) then fit a decent aftermarket piston...Meteor or Hyway are your best bet.
Best find out where the crankcase is leaking as well - the impulse line is probably the most likely, seals tend to leak a little with age, you can visually check the boot - someone may have stuck a screwdriver through it or sometimes the clamp splits the boot.

Be a peach if it is a genuine cylinder that will clean up! What makes you think it is Spud? I can make out the ‘A’ etched on the top but didnt really associate it to anything, and the plug looks like an ebay special. Were the 038 cylinders finished differently? As in they were a plated bore as opposed to a nikasil coated, sure i’ve read it somewhere [emoji848]

[spudulike]

Just now, Just_Alex said:

Thanks @Ratman and @Stubby, there’s a lot to learn for sure. I’ve always been a fan of Torx for example, but that doesn’t mean I have long reach torx keys to hand. I just prefer them for woodworking over Philips heads hahaha (I’ll get my coat…).

 

On a more serious note, I’m aware of Spud’s legend status and have seen his recommendations on Meteor parts and a few other tips from other threads but honestly I think I’d find a way to order the wrong parts or mess it up in some other unfathomably stupid way… but maybe with your collective guidance… just strap in for a bumpy ride! 😂

I am sure we can give it a go.

Legendary status...I just do my thing, I am not on Facebook so probably miss most of it but just sort out issues and get saws working as they should or better....people are happy...all good!

[Just_Alex]

Here’s a closeup of the stamp on the head @Ratman (to me this reads as April ‘87 perhaps? But maybe that’s too easy)