RegB

So cut them back!

I'll take it to bits and have a look then. I like doing that sort of thing. They don't seem to be very highly tuned engines.Anything to watch for, or is it better in the "What's on your bench today" thread? I've never taken a chainsaw engine apart. Should be fun.

I've got an old MS021 (IIRC) which is quite nice, it's been used a fair bit. The reason for wanting this other one working is really just to have a second option. I also notice that there are various cylinders with pistonas available from ChinaChinaChina dirt cheap.

A couple of pictures. Does not look very nice. Does the bore have a liner or is it plated (e.g. Nikosil)? FWI, the rings are free in their grooves.I would guess that some herbert has run it on plain petrol.

I've been given this saw by a decent fellow who said "It does not start". He was right. It says "2007" on it and it's a plain MS 180 with a 14" guide bar, and looks as if it's been dry for a long while. Not even damp with petrol in the fuel tank. I had the carb off and looked in it. Seems clean. There's a good-looking spark at the plug. The exhaust isn't bunged up. The air filter is pretty clean. The only thing I've seen which I don't like is pick-up marks on the thrust face of the piston, exhaust side, when looking through the exhaust port (there is compression though). After fuelling/trying to start, a dozen or so pulls, the piston crown and plug are wet with fuel. It seems - perhaps, not sure - to just about catch occasionally, but it's not the normal "couple of firing strokes, silence" you get before switching starting position on the lever. Other than that, it all looks good, the guide bar's paint is quite scraped up, but the chain looks pretty new/sharp and the depth gauges don't look as if they've been touched. Any ideas what else I could look at? "Please sir, help a n00b!" Any helpful suggestions greatly appreciated.