spudulike

Relax, I have used a conventional hone to break the glaze on all seized machines over the last couple of years. I took the plunge when I had a MS660 in with three years on it after similar treatment and the bore was good. Nikasil CONTAINS Silicon Carbide, you are putting a little roughness on the bore so the rings can bed in quick. As long as the hone isn't used to REMOVE the transfer, all should be just fine. Lots of methods will work, some may be frowned upon but doesn't mean they are not valid in ones own environment!

There are always a number of ways to look at the same thing, I was interested to find more about this and read this PDF which answers a number of questions but does contradict much of what we all do - http://www.mt-llc.com/pdf/98winter_snowtech_article.pdf Firstly the porosity appears to be caused by air holes in the bores aluminium casting and is in fact pitting! Not quite the same as the plating being porous and letting fluid etc through - I couldn't understand how this could be with something so damn hard as Nikasil! Secondly - Nikasil is a basically Silicon Carbide suspended in a Nickel carrier, Silicon Carbide is pretty close in hardness to Diamonds! I knew a bit but this is interesting. Nikasil also allows coverage of oil on its surface where Chrome doesn't. Thirdly, this article states ball hones should not be used on two strokes due to the balls damaging the ports and recommends FLEX hones which are basically nylon brushes with abrasive material impregnated in to the fibres. It ALSO states that conventional hones shouldn't be used - in reading the article, it is perhaps aimed more at a newly plated cylinder that needs a machined honed finish to complete the process rather than the sort of honing or TBH, glaze busting that we are doing. It also states that it isn't as important to hone a plated cylinder as a cast iron liner! BTW Carborundum IS another name for Silicon Carbide so not sure the difference between SI paper and stone:confused1: So - from my side, after cleaning the cylinder from the aluminium transfer, I will still use my traditional two legged hone - I always use oil and use the hone sparingly just to break the glaze and clean thoroughly afterward. Why will I carry on with this method - each ball hone size only covers a small amount of bore size and the ports may suffer damage - I usually take great care with bevel when porting and have noticed older bores (probably chrome) are pretty fragile and can chip easily. The flex hone seems like a better option, may think about getting one but I have a number of long repaired saws out there using my standard method and have had no complaints or premature failure to date. Matty F had a borderline MS260 that had about the heaviest hone I have ever done - it was still running as his dads "go to saw" one and a half years later:thumbup:Perhaps he can give us an update! We can all get hung up on the technical stuff and each guy will have his own methods or copy others. All I aim for is a repaired bore that will allow the rings to bed in PDQ maximising compression and retaining the longevity of the saw. From experience, I am doing something right!

A bit blurry but reckon it would clean up!

Thanks Joe, I have got one on order and hope that will do it, I did try a big French banger but just covered the lawn in soil and annoyed the neighbours:blushing:

I would imagine your local Husky agent would love to help. I would suggest you put on your next post, the size saws you prefer - I would imagine a top handle, 50cc, 70cc and 90cc would be typical! Welcome to the site:thumbup:

Lightly sand the aluminium transfer, apply the acid with a cotton bud to the effected area, if all is good, it will fizz. Once it has gone black and stopped fizzing, lightly rub with more wet and dry, try more acid and if it fizzes repeat until it doesn't. If it doesn't fizz, all the aluminium has converted to Oxide and can be lightly sanded off. Most acids will attack aluminium, it is something to do with the amount of electrons in the outer shell of the atom, 3 in this case and the acid reacts with the metal to make a salt and hydrogen hence the fizzing - the salt is the black shyte you will sand off! Sulphuric is fine as is Hydrochloric (Muriatic) acid as well as a few others. You want to use non concentrated and it is easier to get hold of - 15% would work fine and the proof is in the fizzing that starts when you put it on the aluminium. Time scales - around 30 mins to do a reasonably caked one but don't leave it without checking regularly and clean it down thoroughly once done - eye protection is a damn good idea! If you get the fizzing along a vertical score, go easy as you may lift the plating - the stuff on old machines is much more brittle than the new plating - found this out when porting! Good luck - the first 10 are the most difficult:sneaky2:

Good luck on that one, the customer gave me a maximum budget, my repair was advised to be more and unfortunately:sneaky2: the budget was changed:lol:

I also have an 039 Stihl on the bench, came in as bad running after using Aspen, checked out the piston and it is toast! Probably been like it for a while as the rings looked free. I hate working on these saws as you have to dismantle the whole saw to get to the piston. I pressure tested the seals thoroughly before dismantling so I don't get caught out! For those that don't know, to get to the engine, the handle and all AV comes out, the muffler off, carb removed, top cover and airbox removed, oil pump and chain brake band off, side cover and upper cylinder shroud cover off and then the damn bar stud (think that could be slightly rearranged)has to come out and that is a pig on this saw. I tried the two nuts locked trick and they keep slipping - I have now locked them on with threadlock and will try again tonight. I do have a new one on order so a bench vice may be the answer or stilsons on the little bugger! The engine than comes out after the four retaining bolts are removed from underneath! Piston on order and then...lets do it all again but backwards:001_rolleyes:

Had a few issues with the 268XP I was porting, it started up and then pop, nothing, measured the compression and mega low, after 10 mins panicking, I tried another gauge and bingo - it was back, the valve in the gauge was buggered....Phew:001_rolleyes: The saw has been a bitch to set up, set the idle and then rev it and the revs hold on and the chain spins, do it again and the same, get it right and then a while later, fast idle Grrrrr I boiled the carb in the US cleaner last night and swapped out the needle valve and pump diaphragm, gave it a small pop and it dialled straight in so will test it today but think I have worn it down - I have found 1&1/4 on the L screw controls the idle much better and YES, it has had a full pressure and vacuum test and is 100% good.

Well that sorted it in more ways than one:001_rolleyes:

I looked at the IPL but there may be different versions of the same model so never a foregone conclusion!

Done two new top handles on a customers MS201 already:001_rolleyes:

Welcome to the Pleasure Dome:thumbup:

If they are the plastic ones, I either grind the tabs or remove them completely but yours has a sprung loaded barrel around the adjuster that needs to be pushed in to make adjustment beyond the limited rotation. I made a tool out of a Stihl screwdriver and a crimp connector plastic surround glued to the screwdriver....a bit Heath Robinson but it works reasonably well! All you need is a thin tube that fits in to the sprung barrel and a small flat head screwdriver:thumbup: .......or buy the correct tool:blushing:

The 346XP is a good machine, good AV system and punches well above its size. Nice on a 13-15" bar. I run one myself but not very standard but always a joy to use IMO. You would need to ask about warranty but spares are damn easy with many other saws sharing components with this model and they are easy to get because the saw was so popular in its time. Just make sure it is the NE new edition 50cc silverside model but unlikely to be the earlier 45cc one.

The muffler coming loose, you can use threadlock but beware that it may be damn near impossible to remove once hardened, you could try a little superglue and lock them down a little harder, lock washers or something similar - Once they get a little rusty, nothing will shift them. The cutting out is most likely the carb settings, you may have limit screws on your carb that makes adjustment more difficult but you could try: - 1) Just increase the idle speed a little - the chain should NOT be spinning and there should be no ringing from the clutch catching the drum. 2)To adjust the L screw (nearest the cylinder), start the saw, turn the L screw clockwise and the revs will rise to a peak and then falter, at this point, turn the screw back out until the highest point is reached and keep going until the engine note sounds a little uneven and "poppy". Adjust the idle and then try this. You may not be able to get full adjustment because of the limiters but that is how you adjust the L (low speed) idle screw.

When I first ported a 254, it shocked me whan I fired it up - it sounded so much faster and .....it was. I have a 280CD, no chainbrake but a big ole beast of a saw, not looking for top dollar for it but may be nice for the larger stuff. TBH, the 254 will do up to 2' down both sides!

As Gary said, the close proximity of the top handle to the carrying handle makes the control of these saws much more difficult and more likely not to control any kickback you may get. They are designed for climbers and that is where they should stay. The temptation is to use them one handed and to hold the wood with the other hand.......not good practice! First thing to do is get a budget together that should include a forestry helmet with ear and face protection. A 50-60cc saw would do most of your wood and with decent speed. Once we know your budget, the type of saw you can get will be a simpler decision.

Or plastic twine wrapped round the end of the crankshaft!

Great news, thanks for letting us all know, many don't and a bit of thanks when the advice is correct is always good for us all. Electric start:lol: thought I had seen it all!

You have just made a ball joint splitter......like the one I used to do the job:lol:

I have one of the little beggers, took that much soil from under my paved path, one of the slabs collapsed. Think I need to get rid of him!

Not being funny but has the base gasket been taken out otherwise why has the squish changed? You should be aiming for 0.5mm - 0.6mm squish. I think the 262 is pretty close to 0.5mm so if the gasket is dropped, take the gasket thickness off the outer crown......simple:thumbup:

Sounds like the doppler effect to me, you been reading your Hi Fi instruction book again Barrie:lol:

ISAs and investment trusts, UK mid size companies and North American small - mid size companies, all funds, less risk that way. It is just the way the markets go, shares had stagnated for a long time before this period making them a good purchasing prospect, funds and companies get undervalued and then people wake up to them again thinking they may be a good investment. I would imagine the US housing market had turned to crap and that may have been a big influencer but if you look at history, growth rarely happens at a linear rate, you go through periods of flat lining and then big growth and then a "correction" which isn't so pleasant:thumbdown: There has been plenty on the news about the US economy and have personally, always had UK funds as a good foundation to my plan!