Killed another saw

[Bret4207]

2nd time this has happened in the past 2 years. I picked up a free Craftsman (Poulan) 3.3 off the side of the road. Obvious problem- rotted fuel lines. Saw looked like it had been run maybe for yard cleanup after an ice storm or something and put away. Original bar and chain, paint still there, etc. Made new lines and got her running. Took it out and started cutting up some wood. Played with carb and got her running right adn NOT leaned way out. Saw seized near end of first tank of fuel. Fuel is 91 non ethanol running Jonsered brand mix oil at 40-1. Same fuel I run in the Huskies and Stihls and Poulan Pro 375, Homelite Super XL, etc. Same thing happened with a 3414 (IIRC) Poulan last year. Another free saw. Maybe it's just the "free" part jinxing me. I might fix this one, it was a nice light 20" saw.

 

[pioneerguy600]

If you didn`t check the piston on the exhaust side before doing the repair work to it them it might already have been scored some.

 

[old guy]

My 2nd one also died early, maybe 3 tanks of fuel, it had 3 casting holes in the cyl. and one of them started picking up alum. from the piston.
I ordered a new p&c and the new cyl. had about 3 dozen casting holes in it so I sent it back and the next one they sent only had 3 very small holes in it so I put it together and after 5 tanks is still good.

John

 

[pioneerguy600]

My 2nd one also died early, maybe 3 tanks of fuel, it had 3 casting holes in the cyl. and one of them started picking up alum. from the piston.
I ordered a new p&c and the new cyl. had about 3 dozen casting holes in it so I sent it back and the next one they sent only had 3 very small holes in it so I put it together and after 5 tanks is still good.

John

Those cylinders sound like pretty poor quality, are they OEM?

 

[Rx7man]

Sounds like the run of the mill Poulan!

 

[old guy]

Yes they are, they all come with a Husqvarna parts tag, made in china but by different american companys, two were made by the Kurt the high quality machine vice co. and the other name I disremember.
The pistons however were quite good.

John

 

[pioneerguy600]

If the quality is that bad then I can see them having a short lifespan. They must be chrome plated instead of nicasil lined.

 

[Bret4207]

I hadn't considered it might have had pre-existing damage. Darn thing ran too good for that to seem likely. Maybe that's what it was.

 

[old guy]

If the quality is that bad then I can see them having a short lifespan. They must be chrome plated instead of nicasil lined.

The plating is not the problem, the porous cyl castings should have been scrapped before they got to the plater.
I have a few other poulans I am quite happy with, 2 2900s a 2300 an xxv and even a wildthing that works quite well with a decent chain. My first 5020 was good but I gave that to my grandson

 

[Coldfront]

Maybe that is why a old craftsman poulan I worked on a while back said mix oil at 16:1 they were that poor quality?

 

[pioneerguy600]

The plating is not the problem, the porous cyl castings should have been scrapped before they got to the plater.
I have a few other poulans I am quite happy with, 2 2900s a 2300 an xxv and even a wildthing that works quite well with a decent chain. My first 5020 was good but I gave that to my grandson

If the castings have porous problems then yes they should be scrapped. Poulan was once a very good product , not sure of the cutoff date but their saws from the mid 80`s on back were very good quality. The buyouts ruined a once good name.

 

[Jon1212]

I'm in agreement with Jerry. It sounds like preexisting damage. At first I was thinking an air leak, but it wouldn't have held a proper tune.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I'm in agreement with Jerry. It sounds like preexisting damage. At first I was thinking an air leak, but it wouldn't have held a proper tune.

The very reason I pull the muffler on every saw brought to me for work, takes mere minutes and I take a pict of the piston through the exhaust port. Real handy to have that pict when they bring the saw back with a melted piston.

 

[nk14zp]

I hadn't considered it might have had pre-existing damage. Darn thing ran too good for that to seem likely. Maybe that's what it was.

They all seem to run the best just before they burn up.

 

[Bret4207]

Thanks for your thoughts guys. I agree that the older Poulans up into the mid to late 80s were a completely different breed than the mid 90's and forward stuff. Good, solid, quality saws, at least the larger models. I thought they were all in the "Wild Thing" category until I got a PP Farm Pro 375 and a 3700/4200, whichever it actually is. Those 2 changed my mind completely.

 

[Chris J.]

Maybe that is why a old craftsman poulan I worked on a while back said mix oil at 16:1 they were that poor quality?

The recommended 16:1 ratio was pretty much the standard for two-cycle mix back when folks were using standard motor oil. That was before oils were made specifically for two-cycle engines.