POULAN 2300 thoughts, good or bad?

[Bearcat22lr]

wanted to find one for my dad so he had a smaller saw for branches and limbs to match his 3400 I got going again awhile back. were the 2300's worth the work to revive if I find a used one? It seems the only threads on here were about having troubles with them. Dads 3400 is still a great fire wood saw but really a little big for cleaning little stuff. I trust the feed back here so if its mostly negative I'll look for something else. Just thought it it would be cool to find a small Green POULAN side kick for the 3400.
thanks in advance.

 

[s sidewall]

Nothing wrong with them, got three, one 2300av and two 2000. May have to rebuild the oil pump check valve in the crankcase but nothing major.

Steve, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[s sidewall]

Go to the Poulan thread.

Steve, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[HarleyT]

The main reason folks start posting here, is because they are having trouble with their saw, no matter what the brand/model is.

 

[Bearcat22lr]

true

 

[s sidewall]

But more knowledgeable folks on that series of saws there.

Steve, Samsung On5 using Tapatalk

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I've owned a few of them and for the most part they're good saws. The chain oiler is the main thing that I've heard that people have trouble with. That plus the long fuel line that usually needs replaced on these older saws. I have one here that has an oiler that doesn't work very well, tried working on the crankcase one way valve and thought I had it fixed but it still isn't putting out much oil. I'll get back to it sometime..

 

[Toyboy]

I've owned a few of them and for the most part they're good saws. The chain oiler is the main thing that I've heard that people have trouble with. That plus the long fuel line that usually needs replaced on these older saws. I have one here that has an oiler that doesn't work very well, tried working on the crankcase one way valve and thought I had it fixed but it still isn't putting out much oil. I'll get back to it sometime..

Repaired crankcase check valves usually work out pretty good. I know the one I repaired slobbers oil all over.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

Repaired crankcase check valves usually work out pretty good. I know the one I repaired slobbers oil all over.

Not sure I repaired mine the right way though, I just put a duckbill valve inside it, not sure it's still in place. Seems to not put out much oil.

 

[Toyboy]

There's a little interference fit brass, sometimes steel ring that goes into the valve on top of the rubber duckbill shoulder to hold it in place. You have to remove that. I use a little heat from torch and a small Allen wrench to get it out. Then you have to clean all the old valve out.
You want to lightly tap it in to seat it when you replace it over the new duckbill valve.

What I've done to the last couple I've repaired, is use a toothpick to apply a very light coating of Aviation Permatex to the duckbill side of the shoulder new valve before I set it in. You gotta make sure you don't get any in the rubber valve. I had trouble with the first couple check valves I repaired leaking around the shoulder seat. The addition of the Permatex solved that problem.
I also use some RED locktite on the perimeter of the retaining ring when I seat it. Lastly I'll mix a dab of JB Weld and apply it to the edge of the valve that the screen is on, and push the screen into the JB Weld. Let it cure over nite and your ready to go. You just have to make sure everything is degreased before you start the repair.

The only thing that I've thought of why the screen is there, is to contain the retaining ring if it happened to come loose when the saw is running. I can't see any other reason for it.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I'll re-examine mine after I get a few other things out of the way. I'm not using the saw so there's no hurry to get it fixed especially since I have another one that's ready to go.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

You know, maybe I put the duckbill valve in backwards if that's possible. I wonder if the pointed part goes toward the nut end or toward the screen, I forget even which way I installed it..

 

[Toyboy]

T'wards the nut end.

 

[fossil]

I did a little write up on the valve repair that may be helpful.

There is also an oil tank vent hole behind behind the discharge hole in the bar pad. Some of mine have a piece of wire that fits the hole loosely to plug most of but not all of the hole. This is to minimize oiling when the saw is shut off to relieve pressure in the oil tank. If this wire is missing, it won't build enough pressure in the tank.

I have heard that not all of the saws had the wire and likely have a smaller diameter hole.

In case some of you don't visit the baconville site I thought I would share this with you.
I suspect some of you may have Poulan Micro's with the oiler check valve which is located behind the clutch. They give up after some period of time as they have a duckbill check valve which dissolves and won't oil.
This will let you know how to renew the valve which is becoming difficult to find.


There is a duckbill and a brass bushing inside. I searched some time ago and someone had repaired them successfully.

The one I took apart looks like this. The screen is missing.

The duckbill goes in flange up followed by the bushing which is stopped by a shoulder in the body and then the screen which is MIA

I cleaned and reassembled the valve parts in the order in the above pic. The duckbill is Poulan PN 530026119 which is readily available.

As mentioned previously, I had filed the top off that valve to remove the screen so I had no room to put the screen back in. I'm not sure how much debris the screen keeps out as the three I have removed had clean screens. I guess I will see if I use the saw for some length of time.



A few notes.

When the bushing, which is a slight press fit goes in, make sure it is firmly seated against the duckbill. If it is not, air will leak back to the crankcase and no pressure will build in the oil tank.

I peened the bushing / valve body to keep the bushing in place.
If I do another I'll pop the rolled lip back with a shaped drift so I can put the screen back in.*
Some other member(s) mentioned that they used some JB Weld to put the screen back on but I was a little reluctant as I wouldn't want it to fall off and end up in a bearing.

If you haven't run one of these before make sure you release the pressure in the oil tank by unscrewing the cap or it will keep oiling after you shut it off until the tank pressure bleeds off.

*I have run the saw several times and really don't find any reason the replace the screen. All is still very clean.

It works great.

They are very snappy little saws and nice to use.

 

[Toyboy]

Good write up & pix, I'll just add one more thing. There is a gasket that seals the check valve to the crankcase. Make sure it's good. If not, that's another way to lose pressure.

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I'll have to take mine off when I get time and see if mine's in correctly...thanks!

 

[a. palmer jr.]

I had a little free time yesterday and pulled the valve out of mine to check. The duckbill is still in there and pointed toward the nut end. I took some small piece of electrical wire and ran through the opening in the engine to make sure it was clear and it was. I did have to put a small piece of tubing inside the valve to hold it in place, maybe I pushed it in too far, keeping the valve partially open, don't know. Anyway I put it back together. My saw seems to have rather low compression which I wonder if that contributes to low pulse pressure..