346 OE with a compression release valve

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mainewoods

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Picked up an OE 346 recently and need some input. The tag says it's a 2000 model. It still has the sticker on the bottom of the saw and is in pretty decent shape for the year. The cylinder has a compression release on it. After taking a closer look, there appears to be red Dirko instead of a base gasket, and the compression is 170psi. There is no blue lettering on the top cylinder fin, and it's a Mahle. I can't see any numbers on it since it's on the saw. On the top of the cylinder, in front of the plug, is a large A in the middle with a 0 above a 6, on the left side of the A, and a 8 above a 19, on the right side of the A. Any idea's on what the cylinder might be would be appreciated.
 
It isn't a new cylinder by any means, but I wonder if it was ported or just a gasket delete. It also has the metal intake clamp upgrade.
The 346XP can take a dropped base gasket and also still maintain 0.5mm+ squish so it has become a simple mod to increase compression by the porting fraternity. The compression would generally be a tad more than 170 when this is done but 170 is still a respectable figure.
 
More than likely it's just a gasket delete and an intake clamp upgrade. I was more concerned that someone put a 353 cylinder on it because they had one laying around, instead of an NE cylinder. I can't see any numbers without taking the cylinder off, or the flywheel, and I don't want to do that. Just hoping the numbers on top of the cylinder might clue someone in as to what cylinder it is. A shot in the dark is better than no shot at all! lol
 
Although the 353 isn't as highly regarded as the 346 it's still a pretty respectable saw. I own both, they are equally equipped and in about the same condition and I can't tell much difference in the running of them. My 346 doesn't have a compression release.
 
Yes since the compression release was used on the 353 in early years of production when the OE 346 was made.

That could have been possible, but the 353 cylinders normally have "45" in blue letters on top of them - and they weren't made by Mahle.

It was/is possible to bore and tap an OE 42mm 346xp cylinder for a decomp, and someone obviously has been working on the saw.
 
All I can see is Mahle on the cylinder. Any numbers are obscured by the fly wheel. Wish I could give them to you. The only numbers visible are the ones on the top of the cylinder, by the plug hole. Maybe i am not looking in the right place. Sorry ST!
 
The numbers (sticker) on the bottom of the saw do match the numbers on the tag, so the tank and the crankcase are from the same saw.
 
I am in the process of putting a 346ne p&c on a 351 which is the same as a 353-346 except it has an open port cyl., it also has a comp release,so that is another option possibility, but I would bet someone put an ne cyl on your saw, best way to tell is to pull the muffler off and bring the piston down almost to the bottem of the ex. port then stick the tail of a dial caliper up against the piston and push the caliper open till the pin hits the opositte cylinder wall and read the dial, oe cyl will be 42m/m ne will be 44.3m/m and 351 will be 44m/m.

John
 
cant offer any help on the cylinder type. But maybe on the letter "A". Usually companies like Mahle size their pistons and cylinders into three catagories: A, B & C. A being smallest and C being biggest. We are talking about acceptable tollerance in mass production runs. Pistons have a letter stamped on the crown. You should always try to use a "A" piston in a "A" cylinder etc.
 
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