What's on your bench today?

[Donnie]

Gave it a clean out. Everything caked and full of sludge as usual. Will do a turn. Fresh chain and new ish 20 inch bar. Selling it for 300 tomorrow. 
 

I didn't even need to re tension the pull start as it must of been that caked in sap it was near seized... that's my thought on it anyways. First time really doing much to a saw apart from a clutch which I royally effed on removal
 

0 tins of Export were harmed in the process

Edited November 28, 2023 by JDon

[Dan Maynard]

9 hours ago, JDon said:

Selling it for 300 tomorrow

Wow, even better plan.

[spudulike]

OOhhh, that looks a nice one. Nothing like a face full of chainsaw shyte to make you smile...not!!

[Donnie]

If anyone could possibly show me the ins and outs of modding my 562 exhaust on PMs that would be very helpful. Fancy it after using my work mates, seems to pick up a lot quicker...

 

He says someone just dremeled out the back of the exhaust inlet and welded a pipe off to the side. Apparently you don't need to actually cut them/split them open?

[Muddy42]

I've been working on a tiny old McCulloch strimmer for a few hours. I've been on the look out for a small strimmer for a while for neater smaller jobs.  This one was obtained for free. My progress so far is as follows (no money spent just time):

- compression feels decent from pulling the starter rope

- removed muffler, piston and cylinder look in great condition

- confirmed spark, it does!

- replaced cracked fuel lines to the purge bulb with some I had lying around.  The purge bulb then drew fuel up OK, but with a slight leak because the lines were a tiny bit too small.

- unseized the strimmer head with WD40 and re greased

- cleaned out the varnish in the carburetor

 

It now runs for a few seconds with half choke or a spray of fuel in the spark plug hole. I havn't been able to get the motor to turn the string head yet.

 

As I say I have got to this stage without spending money so its decision time!

- I could buy the right size of fuel line which might help fuel delivery.

- I could buy a carb kit for walbro carb.  The diaphragms are definitely brittle.

 

But what do people think I should do?  Are these McCulloch strimmers any good?  Clearly the company is no more so parts will be hard to obtain. Thanks for any advice.

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Muddy42

[pleasant]

99% of mccullochs were b& q homebase crap fodder, but the did make an alternative range for the specialist dealer to sell and were call the promac range. As the name suggests they were pro quality machines. I recall years ago selling the hedge cutters....made in italy. Nothing chinese then.

 

Yours looks like it could be a promac model, but difficult to make out. If you can get it running for a few quid, then use it until it goes bang. The promac models are very old now, and if its a b&q special then launch it 

[Muddy42]

1 hour ago, pleasant said:

99% of mccullochs were b& q homebase crap fodder, but the did make an alternative range for the specialist dealer to sell and were call the promac range. As the name suggests they were pro quality machines. I recall years ago selling the hedge cutters....made in italy. Nothing chinese then.

 

Yours looks like it could be a promac model, but difficult to make out. If you can get it running for a few quid, then use it until it goes bang. The promac models are very old now, and if its a b&q special then launch it 

 

Thanks.  It feels pretty cheap.  I'll give it another go later and see if the diaphragms have softened.

[spudulike]

With these sort of machines, they generally get 1 hour. I check the diaphragms, change if hard, replace fuel lines and fuel filter and this generally will get a machine running if nothing else major is bad...I would obviously check for this before proceeding as you have.

If your diaphragms are hard and crispy, it is unlikely you will get them supple again which means the machine will flood or never fuel the machine correctly. If the fuel lines are thin ones, you can often just open up the fuel tank holes and fit quality nytrile Stihl fuel line....an easy and cheap mod.

If the machine has a solid shaft, generally it is a good sign but a cable type and or a curved tube means cheap homeowner. If your head is not spinning once running, it may be the clutch shoes are rusted shut.

I got an old Zenoah Straight shafted strimmer going around 12 years ago and it still gives decent service.

[Muddy42]

14 hours ago, spudulike said:

With these sort of machines, they generally get 1 hour. I check the diaphragms, change if hard, replace fuel lines and fuel filter and this generally will get a machine running if nothing else major is bad...I would obviously check for this before proceeding as you have.

If your diaphragms are hard and crispy, it is unlikely you will get them supple again which means the machine will flood or never fuel the machine correctly. If the fuel lines are thin ones, you can often just open up the fuel tank holes and fit quality nytrile Stihl fuel line....an easy and cheap mod.

If the machine has a solid shaft, generally it is a good sign but a cable type and or a curved tube means cheap homeowner. If your head is not spinning once running, it may be the clutch shoes are rusted shut.

I got an old Zenoah Straight shafted strimmer going around 12 years ago and it still gives decent service.

 

Thanks Spud.  Yes the diaphragms are gone, but I am confident everything else in the carb is OK.

 

Its a cable type and I can turn the head from the engine end by turning the cable.  Yes there is something seized in the clutch and I havn't been able to get the head apart (as if to add more string). I will keep working on these last two aspects before I spend money on the carb kit and correct lines.

 

[Muddy42]

Doh, found this very obvious sticker. So it is a pro.