026 base gaskets

[Stihlmill]

Hey guys. I'm rebuilding my very first 026 I ever owned. It's a red trigger saw if it makes a difference. I see regular gaskets and 1.0mm gaskets. What is the difference? Which should I use? Also, I have heard about no gasket at all. How does that work? Thanks for the help. Kind of on a mission to get it back together and run it. It's been sitting 10 years. Thanks again.

 

[Mustang71]

Don't know about the gasket size but no gasket at all would mean it's replaced with a sealer like motor seal or something like that. I'm not sure about the power gain but I'm sure there is some. I'd stick to a gasket if it were me.

 

[Stihlmill]

Don't know about the gasket size but no gasket at all would mean it's replaced with a sealer like motor seal or something like that. I'm not sure about the power gain but I'm sure there is some. I'd stick to a gasket if it were me.

Ok, what about crank seals, carb throat, I did the fuel and pulse line when I got it. It never ran right so I figured it may have been leaking air through one of them then I checked compression and it was low. I figured all these years it was a whole top end. Turns out the rings were slightly melted to the piston at the exhaust port. I got the top ring off and the bottom one broke. I filed the ring grooves in the piston and it's good now. Cylinder even looks good. It is ok to run a hone through them or are they nickasil or something I could potentially ruin the coating on? Thanks again for the help.

 

[Ozhoo]

A quick hone using a lubed ball hone works well to clean up a cylinder.

To answer your base gasket question. The 1mm gasket is used to lower the compression and thereby make the saw easier to start.

 

[Ozhoo]

Something like this one from Baileys.

http://baileysonline.com/Chainsaw-P...it-Silicon-Carbide-Flex-Hone-42-45mm-Bore.axd

Loads of folks would say don't do it... another load would say that it's fine.

 

[Stihlmill]

A quick hone using a lubed ball hone works well to clean up a cylinder.

To answer your base gasket question. The 1mm gasket is used to lower the compression and thereby make the saw easier to start.

I see. So just an oem stihl gasket would be best? An 026 isn't so hard to pull it needs less compression...

 

[Mustang71]

I wouldn't lower compression they are a 49cc or a 47cc saw I think. I get my 028 and 026 mixed up. No reason they would be hard to pull. And a good running saw will start in the first few pulls. You can get rid of the gasket for more compression but Idk what the reliability would be since you can't see it seal.

 

[Stihlmill]

It doesn't need much clean up. I have plenty of ball hones. What do you use as a lubricant? When I worked at the snowmobile shop the old timer used to use kerosene or WD-40. Is that acceptable? I'd probably only run it for 15 seconds in either direction. Thanks. I pressed the good ring I had left all the way to the top with the piston and it didn't catch anywhere but I can see one spot of aluminum transfer on the cylinder and I really can't feel it with my finger either. I'd just feel better if I cleaned it up a bit.

 

[Mustang71]

I use 2 stroke oil for assembly. I'd think that would be ok for honing. I think those are chrome plated cylinders but I'm not positive. Ive never cleaned one up I've only had bad ones. I would think wd40 would be thin for a lube.

 

[Ozhoo]

You got it, slow and easy. Low speed using your preferred lube.

Here's what happens when a 12yo sneaks up behind you while you're honing.

 

[Stihlmill]

You got it, slow and easy. Low speed using your preferred lube.

Here's what happens when a 12yo sneaks up behind you while you're honing.
View attachment 600072

Ouch. Think diesel fuel would work? I work on diesels usually so there is plenty of that around and WD. I figured since I'm rebuilding it, now is the time to do everything I can to make it run as well as possible. Figure out if this no base gasket stuff works and is reliable for a lifetime of use or if it only lasts so long. Figure out how to do the muffler mod. I also got another 026 that's burned up I'll be doing after the 039 and noticed it had like a screen type, but still stihl, air filter on it. I took the filter apart and it was full of dirt inside. I'd imagine if it can get inside the air filter it can get in the motor and thought that perhaps that is why the saw burned up in the first place... have any experience with these filters? Could that maybe be what happened?

 

[r black]

Something like this one from Baileys.

http://baileysonline.com/Chainsaw-P...it-Silicon-Carbide-Flex-Hone-42-45mm-Bore.axd

Loads of folks would say don't do it... another load would say that it's fine.

or this one on amazon for half and its in stock free shipping :

 

[hedge hog]

Just did my red lever base gasket delete and the crush test came in at .007
So I cut a .010 roof flashing gasket to get to .017 and runs much better


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[kevin j]

you want to get that transfer aluminum off for sure. I would not hone it off because it could damage the port edges. I would take it off with acid then maybe run the hone through. I've always used diesel fuel or kerosene as lubricant on cast-iron larger engine cylinders. The coating is hard enough that a regular home won't usually cut it.

I think you should replace the piston. The sealing surface is the bottom of the groove and that needs to be microscopically almost perfect or else you will have blotby and leakage there. That could lead to a hotspot on the cylinder and seizure and back where you started. I have put engines together in my younger days they were in pretty bad abused shape but they weren't near the RPM of saws.

Lowering the cylinder by changing the gasket thickness is common practice and it does help slightly. Search on threads here. you insert a soft solder wire through the spark plug hole rotate the engine through its cycles and measure the clearance from the top of the piston to the outer edge of the cylinder. it's called squish. then you figure out the thickness of the gasket needed. also many threads about which sealant to use if you don't want the gasket. I personally use permatex motoseal the gray thin stuff. not silicone seal. many people do use silicone seal with OK results, but it's not rated for gasoline contact.

as long as your crank seals are not leaking, 026 is a great saw.

 

[pioneerguy600]

When running a hone you don`t want lube, a hone cuts so what you need is coolant so kerosene or diesel is fine, so is WD40 but not preferred. Any heavy oil will only delay the cleaning effect of a hone. The airfilter mentioned has lost its flocking, it will let dirt in and needs to be replaced. The 026 cylinders either need a gasket or have the ridge cut out where the walls meet the head to get proper squish clearance. I have built more than 30 of these saws now and run 10 of them for myself, they all run without gaskets, just sealer and have done so for more than 10 years. The Honda bond, Yama bond and Dirko gets the most notice but there are plenty of good sealant types out there, Motoseal is another good one.

 

[Stihlmill]

Thanks for the explanation of "squish". I was curious about that. I did order a piston anyway. Wanted to do it right, once and done. Thanks for all the info!

 

[pioneerguy600]

Thanks for the explanation of "squish". I was curious about that. I did order a piston anyway. Wanted to do it right, once and done. Thanks for all the info!

You are very welcome, the 026 is making its way into my collection to become my favorite chainsaw once its ported and received other modifications to make them a very strong runner.

 

[Stihlmill]

You are very welcome, the 026 is making its way into my collection to become my favorite chainsaw once its ported and received other modifications to make them a very strong runner.

What kind of porting do you do? What kind of other things besides the muffler can you do? What is the process to get the aluminum transfer off the cylinder wall? I know acid but is it muratic? How long do you leave it on and how to you clean it up then? Thanks.

 

[Mustang71]

I cut with my 028 once so far and it became my favorite. When I bought the 028 it was debating between the 026 and 028. Probably 2 of the best firewood saws stihl made.

 

[pioneerguy600]

What kind of porting do you do? What kind of other things besides the muffler can you do? What is the process to get the aluminum transfer off the cylinder wall? I know acid but is it muratic? How long do you leave it on and how to you clean it up then? Thanks.

Porting is an art form, it can be anything from mild to way radical. I have done many and can dial in the engine to work best with the size and variety of wood being cut. For some its RPM and for others its torque, smaller trees and liming its speed that gets the work done, for bigger wood or hardwood a torque saw fits the bill better. As for modifications other than porting a few are opening up the muffler, dual port the muffler, bore the carb or switch to a bigger carb and intake boot, bigger diameter fuel line and pickup filter, advance the timing so the engine fires a bit sooner and sometimes I swap on a bigger cylinder and piston, the 44.7 mm is an easy swap.
I have never been a fan of using acid in a cylinder, metalworking sandpaper starting at 320 grit and working toward finer grit as most aluminum is removed until the cylinder is nearly cleaned, then finish up with brown Scotchbrite is a safe means, a bit slow for me but a safe bet for most.