spudulike

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!

It would be interesting to do both on a 18-20" bar, full chisel on a big lump of wood, that would prove a thing or two. Both saws had a similar amount of porting, the 560 had more done to the transfers, the 357, more on the inlet. Mufflers make a similar noise!

I know but Matty likes a 3/8 as a standard so it saves on buying two chain types but I find that a bit grabby on a small saw and opt for 0.325 as it is smoother. I couldn't be bothered to do the change, just had too much on this weekend and as it was, finished at well after 6.00pm Sunday night!

But you have ported these and ground out at least 1lb of aluminium:lol:

Have a look at equity based ISAs, they will be a longer term investment but will gain more than your cash based ones. The only caveat to that is that if you are nearing pension age and may need the money at short notice! My father does Yorkshire Building Society ones - have a look but don't do cash ISAs myself!

Technically it isn't.............. if the property prices went down by 25%, you would now be paying a mortgage on £160k for a house worth £120k. That's negative equity but that will never happen will it? With a BoE interest rate of 0.5%, what do you think? It would only be yours if you sold the house and paid off your mortgage and outstanding tax etc bills. Same as shares, if you don't cash your gains and the stocks fall, you have nothing but current value and possible future gains.

I am watching the Bank of England carefully, one increase in the interest rate and there will be a lot of people with property that will be caught out. In my early years, we had a 9% interest rate - great for savers as I was in my early days. People now are living with high cost of property but a low interest rate supporting it so it sort of balances. If that interest rate rises to say 5%, people will be plunged in to negative equity fuelled by the poor wages and austerity measures in this country. Property prices will either stagnate or fall as we have seen in the past. I can claim 65% stock market growth over the last two years but have seen 8 years of poor performance before that so have to take that in to account. In short, both types of investment can be good, both can take a severe knock, property can be time consuming and needs more input with tenants, contracts, inventory, agents, insurance etc I have always thought that there are two types of investor, people who don't understand the stock market and do property because of it and then people who are happy with the stock market and don't want the hassle of property. I guess if you have money and want to invest, you buy up to one or the other, whichever you are more comfortable with!

The autotune handles maximizing torque very well, the 357xp had lost nothing and gained everything, it goes that well that a standard machine feels faulty in comparison!