bobh

It was time to start cleaning and checking for problems First and most obvious was the drum had a load of gunk in the back and the lower half of the splines were choked as well Cleaned the black gunk from the piston to find the outside seal (large O ring) was split in 2 places The clutch driving plate had a large split in it 3 of the clutch plates were stuck together tried to free them with a small screwdriver, no luck, we could probably have used more force to get these 3 free but didn't seem worth it as they were going to be replaced anyway as several of the others were very worn That's pretty much it for now, new parts have been ordered. The owners decided to buy a complete drum assembly for piece of mind. Will complete the rebuild once parts arrive. Any comments or advise welcome or if I've really messed up lets have a good laugh! Bob

Using a 2 legged G clamp and a few carefully placed blocks we compressed the main spring a little, enough to take the pressure off the circlip We then carefully eased off the G clamp so we could remove the spring This then allowed the clutch plates to be removed Followed by the piston (which needed a little persuasion)

Wow, just an amazing response from you guys, was hoping there might be one person who had some idea what I was talking about, turns out loads of you do and are quite willing to help. Going to lay this out step by step in case it might help someone in the future. Please note neither myself or owner are mechanics, this is just a record of what we did. Start with a picture of the old girl So went back this morning armed with more info and striped the unit out again. Unit in place To remove the unit we found it easiest to drain most of the oil off, then disconnect the hydraulic line that runs from the hydraulic pump to the control unit, easiest to get to at the pump end. Then remove the 2 mounting screws that locate the unit, unscrewed from the outside. The control unit should then slide backwards and twist up to slide along the shaft, be careful not to kink the hydraulic hose as you rotate the unit. The shaft can now be drawn out by removing the plate just above the pto at the rear of the tractor, once out you can remove the control unit and the clutch pack. The control/valve unit removed, showing brake band attached. Clutch pack removed We noticed at this point that the clutch plates are stuck in the forward/engaged position.

As far as I can make out from a search on the internet the early 1164's had ford 5000 back ends, this then changed to 7610 back ends at a latter date, possibly 1979. The trouble we have with this one is it's never been registered so we have no idea of the age. The condition is quite good considering it's spent it's life in the woods.

Starting to think along those lines myself Tractor has just been purchased and new owner has told me it has been parked up for several months. How easy is it to strip the clutch plates out, that spring looks like it could take your head off!

Will get some photos tomorrow. Did adjust the band up today as I rebuilt it, when engaged it is tight enough to slightly change the engine note. Now wondering whether the clutch plates are siezed? Tyz05 - The pto seems to be running at operating potential but haven't been able to get anything on the back to give it a try.

Hi All Been up to my elbows in the back of a county 1164 all day, problem is the pto will not disengage. It runs when ever the engine is running. Took the top off the rear axle and removed the lever, shaft, valve and clutch assembly. Couldn't see anything wrong, oilways through the valve and clutch assembly were blown through with an airline and seem clear. Rebuilt the whole thing and ran up the tractor with the cover off. The whole valve assembly is moving rearwards meaning the oilway between the valve and the clutch is not lining up, leading to oil pouring out between the 2. Anyone got any ideas how to stop this? the valve isn't mounted on the side of the housing but merely sits on 2 locator pins could I just bolt it on without causing damage (I can't see why it isn't bolted but I guess Ford had a reason when they built it) We THINK the rear end is a Ford 7610 but not sure could be a 5000.

Seems to be a lot of wasted space on the trailer, I guess thats just what he had around at the time of building.

Spot on advise Megatron Just in time too as I was going to knock up the pullers/pushers tomorrow. Bob

Thanks all for your help. Spent yesterday afternoon trying to track down the various parts for this job. Got crankshaft, piston bearing and gasket set from DLA Engine Parts on ebay, less than £70 delivered for all 3 Non genuine piston and crank bearings were a little harder to track, after much research and several phone calls it seems the piston from the ms640 won't fit, spoke to the guys at Mister Solutions, turns out they're really helpful, went out of their way to try and help but in the end I had to bite the bullet and get genuine parts from them, so piston and crank bearings are coming in at a little under £130. All in a fraction less than £200, more than I hoped for at the start, would have been a lot less if non genuine parts were available, but still worth it to get the saw sorted. Next up is the crank puller thinking of making something along these lines But how do you get the other side off? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT0oJ-0s758&feature=colike]Splitting Husqvarna chainsaw crank case 385xp - YouTube[/ame] Or maybe this, but I know mine won't look as posh as this [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2G-vapNwntw&feature=colike]Splitting 372 Crankcase - YouTube[/ame]

Thanks for the update guys Elfin, I think you have just described my saw exactly, I wondered what those black deposits were when I first got the saw. Mine is a 2010 model so would be about 18 months old now. Been looking at that crank also one here eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace Also looking at this gasket set eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace Apart from piston is there anything else I would need to do this myself (we have the technical ability) thinking about grease, sealants, special tools etc. Thanks Bob

Thanks for the replies folks, just been back out to the shed for further inspection. Sawfinger, well spotted, that is a chip off the skirt, but it looks freshly done, don't think it's been running with it like that. Spud, Just taken the piston off to try and get at the offending piece. Turns out it's just one of 3 pieces, tried prising them out and although they will move a little they won't lift out. What it looks like to me is parts of the cage as it is starting to collapse. Loads of play side to side and a small amount up and down. If I look down the side of the conrod one side looks normal ie I can see the cage, on the other side I think I am looking down to the bearings, the 2 sides certainly look different anyway. I've had a look for parts on the net and can't find a piston apart from a genuine Stihl one, anyone know if the 640 piston fits? or where to find a non oem piston?

Big end went today on my MS650. Was playing up a little yesterday, thought it was the plug so changed that last night - it was fairly black - and gave it another go today, same problem - cutting out when ticking over when hot, fine if cold. Decided to lean up the H jet as the plug was fairly black, less than 1/4 turn and it cut out and could not pull the starter cord - seized! Time to head home. Stripped cylinder off to find pot and piston in reasonable condition, just a few scores on piston. Not such a good story on the big end bearing though Signs of heating on the conrod Anyone got any ideas as to the cause of this? Saw was bought secondhand back in the spring so I don't know the full history. Also any recommendations for parts suppliers, don't really want to Stihl prices unless the aftermarket ones are rubbish. Bob

Do you mean 2.4m high? If so I think you might find it difficult to find concrete posts that height. As said above stick with the 1.8 or better still stick with the wooden posts - looks a lot better.

Hi again Rob - firstly thanks for the warning about the swearing, if I could find the edit button it would already be changed. I'm not out to upset anyone. Went to look at the mill today, turned out to be a Lucas mill 6-18 (so not a honda engine then,) has been stored for quite a while in a semi open shed so needs a bit of TLC, also the rails are missing, I may still get it if the price is right though. Alec - thanks for the reply, think I'll stick with the 30" though, I'm a great believer in under stressing machinery, always think it will last longer like that.

Thanks for the replies folks. That gives me something to think over then, maybe a 30" might be better. In truth I'm not sure how often I would need anything bigger. Have just heard tonight that there maybe a Honda driven mill for sale down the road so hopefully will take a look tomorrow. May just be a pile of rubbish though as it's been sat in a shed for several years.

Hi all Just joined here, been lurking for a while though. Thinking seriously of getting an alaskan and have a MS650, would this be OK on a 36" or would it be a bit tough on the saw? Bob