spudulike

Here is my universal response - If it is a primary saw for daily use to make you money to live then only use OEM Stihl. If it is to cut a bit of firewood occasionally or for a back up saw then the parts will probably be fine however I have found the AM fuel caps to be suspect on some occasions especially on old tanks - if they are cheap then try one and see what gives. If you lose one day of work through cheap parts failing then they weren't so cheap after all!

It all depends on how you like to cut. I like to lean on saws and not have to lift the saw/bar up to stop bogging. You may be able to stick a 30" bar on it but it will be awfully boggy in the cut and probably need lifting off the cut to maintain speed and chip clearance. I just find that sort of cutting tiring, annoying and frustrating! You could try a narrow kerf or semi skip but the inevitable result will be purchasing a MS660/661/395XP and do the job properly.

Not done much on 880s TBH, I am guessing they are already big and powerful but rarely used. Never seem a big bore for them and don't particularly like cheap Cylinder kits on saws that kick out that much power and will cost £££££ to repair if the kit fails. I tend to service them and get them back to scratch that way - generally they have oiler issues or have seized through old fuel!

Would think that a 30" is highly optimistic. Usually the territory of MS660/661 or 395XP!

They used the Zama carb on the 365 and the Walbro on the 372 but the Zama will do the job, just make sure it is tuned once done but it will do the job and work!

Choice is always the customers prerogative, the workshop is full of saws, I am generally pretty busy all the time - I have never advertised.....sort of says it all:thumbup:

As a matter of interest, many of the saws I get in for porting have worn brake bands and missing chain catchers etc. These are known safety features and should be checked to make sure they are serviceable regularly!! The point I am making is that the saw may work faster after modification but the safety systems are also returned to full working condition. Also, I tach the saw to WITHIN the manufacturers maximum limit (albeit closer to the maximum than normal) as it ensures engine protection so you have a more powerful saw, operating within the manufacturers parameters with serviced safety features....that's my defence and it is always the users choice to modify or not for competition or daily use, domestic or commercial! I would say that most of my "tuning" customers find a ported saw safer than non ported as it does heavier work using a lighter saw, less fatigue on the body and less time actually cutting!

The guy was raving about how good it was when he picked up his other saw so there you go!

It is a relatively easy swap, you need the cylinder, piston, new inlet manifold and clamp but the rest is shared. I would recommend the 372 OEM Husqvarna top end or the Meteor one if you can bet it. Make sure the main bearings are smooth like silk, if the cylinder has been removed, crap can get in the bearings so take care. If the saw is a secondary one then you could go Hyway but personally avoid Chinese cylinders if I can. Do make sure the saw is pressure vacuum checked or if you can't do that, set the carb on one turn out on the H & L screws and if you cant get an even idle without turning the L screw more then 1/4 turn then worry about air leaks! I have done a few now and turned out well.

Blimey....do we all step out at this point:blushing: Spark arrestor - leave it out unless working in arid conditions likely to catch fire very easily.....bracken and the like!

Buy the rim, if you can't get the chain on then YES, you need an extra link. Some will and some wont!

Probably why it is overheating:001_rolleyes:

Yes but it houses a silver sintered metal breather! If you take it out and look at the other end from the connector union, you will see this.....trust me:001_tongue:

In answer to both of you, it should be a push in interference fit but personally degrease the hole and use a bit of Loctite around the breather to stop it coming out again. Avoid getting the glue on the sintered metal part!

Not something I usually do but every now and then someone wants something like this and manufacture to order.

Big, heavy, vibes but the torque is always impressive on these old machines. Probably best for use now and then rather than all the time!

There are three tank connections. The first is nearest the rear handle and is the main fuel line, the second is the breather and the one furthest from the rear handle is the union for the primer bulb with the other short pipe going to the carb. The most likely cause of a fuel leak is around a shrunken fuel pipe, dislodged tank breather or the return pipe from the primer has come off. Does the fuel leak happen when you refuel and the tank is pretty full?

Excellent, thanks for letting me know, think I can hear them from here:thumbup:

Thanks James, didn't know your user name......glad you liked the saw, probably much lighter as well with all that crud missing:001_rolleyes: Like the 357 - an old favourite:thumbup:

It is to enhance the performance of a chainsaw typically to cut faster and have more torque in the cut. It started in the USA Oregon where loggers wanted to use a lighter saw to do the work of a bigger saw. Think of a 460 doing the work of a 660 - much less fatigue on your body! The 550XP.....get it run it and out of warranty then knock on my door. There is a fair bit to do via a muffler mod, exhaust and transfer work. It will give it more go!

Makes life easier when the parts are a reasonable value...unlike the inlet manifold...£30 for a piece of rubber:001_rolleyes:

They will just feel inadequate:001_tt2: It did happen and the tutor rocked up and had two saws ported.....that's two tutors BTW:thumbup:

It is most likely that the bar has been used with a blunt chin and now one rail is taller than the other. Put it in a bench vice, place a steel rule across the rails and see what sort of shape it is in. I use my bench grinder to level them - just adjust the rest for correct angle and grind both sides. Having done this, you need circa 5mm of rail depth to accommodate the full length of the drive link. If you don't have this then it is scrap. If you do, the next thing is to make sure the rails hold the chain without too much roll from side to side. If there is a lot of roll, you can sometimes peen the rails back in to shape by literally bashing them together carefully from both sides. You have to be careful not to get any pinch points but it can be done! Or you can buy a new bar!

The dremel 90 elbow wont fit down the bore of a chainsaw unless it is a 3120:blushing: You need to go air chuck for that. I get by with a variety of diamond burrs and a conventional grinder - the power unit just blew up the other day, brushes fooked and think one of the thyristors has gone as I can't get full speed now:thumbdown: Your issue is that you can cut and cock up damn easy! Perhaps you are reading too much in to it! For £80 and a little cleaning up the "artefacts" you can get your project to a good useable condition! Just thinking! Stick a dual port on it for a little more wallop.

You need to define a strategy........basically you need a 50cc, 60cc, 70cc, 95cc, 120cc saw..........now you need to get a courier to deliver them without the other half knowing so possibly to a mate she doesn't know! The next issue is to make them look at home, sort of like they have been there forever and practice surprise and indignation when the other half says "Where the hell did they come from" or "Are they New" or even "WTF have you done". Then you need the defence in case it gets nasty......Well....look at the shoes/handbags/clothes you have and then you need a sweetener just in case it really kicks off - "I am thinking about Spain this year", "I fancy a cruise", "What about a new car".............that sort of thing, it helps diffuse the aggression! In reality you need a 50/60cc saw and then a 70cc hard hitter then invest in a felling saw if you do that sort of work, perhaps a 95cc one. Husqvarna 560XP, 372XP and 395XP.........Stihl MS362 (Don't like them much), MS461/MS460, MS660/MS661 should do it!