395xp porting question

[sawdude]

This is my 1st post but I have been reading and soaking up knowledge from this website for years. Firewood is the main use for my saws along with building saws as a hobby. I have put together 350s, 346s,372s and 1 395. I have gotten pretty good at splitting cases changing bearings and widening and polishing ports that I can reach. I usually build without a base gasket and dual port my mufflers which has produced some very strong saws. The crossroads I'm at is port timing. I don't build enough saws to invest in equipment to be able to reach the transfers and I don't have enough knowledge to start raising or lowering ports. I have just bought a new 395 and my question is are there any builders who I can ship just my cylinder to them to be ported. If this is possible can you guys recommend someone and give me some contact info? Thanks

 

[sawdude]

Any help I can get with this would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JohnnyBoy1986]

I am not sure if he is still active here but Brad Snelling used to be the go to guy for port work. If you do not want to mess with the transfer ports dont sweat that too much - if you are dropping out the base gasket raise your exhaust port the thickness of your base gasket and you will be just fine.

 

[MGoBlue]

are there any builders who I can ship just my cylinder to them to be ported. If this is possible can you guys recommend someone and give me some contact info? Thanks

Shaun Carr can. @srcarr52 He makes an absolutely awesome 395. I shipped him my 394 top end and it's an animal now.

 

[ncfarmboy]

+1 on @srcarr52.
Shep

 

[drf255]

Most guys won’t just port a jug, for many different reasons. Plus, they’ll need an extra case to set the jug up on to time.

 

[JohnnyBoy1986]

With some basic math and measurements you can determine easily the change in port timing without having a base and a degree wheel. For example:

If your stroke is 54mm (pretty large enginw but stay with me) then a full stroke down and full stroke up make a total of 108mm (stroke x2) which coincides with a 360* rotation. Well since we know that...

We take 360* ÷ stroke x2

360* ÷ 108 = 3.33

So that concludes for every millimeter you raise the port - your timing changes roughly 3.33*. The shorter the stroke obviously the more timing change is brought on per mm.

This should help some guys who do this kind of work all the time even have templates of their best work so they can quickly finish out a cylinder

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

With some basic math and measurements you can determine easily the change in port timing without having a base and a degree wheel. For example:

If your stroke is 54mm (pretty large enginw but stay with me) then a full stroke down and full stroke up make a total of 108mm (stroke x2) which coincides with a 360* rotation. Well since we know that...

We take 360* ÷ stroke x2

360* ÷ 108 = 3.33

So that concludes for every millimeter you raise the port - your timing changes roughly 3.33*. The shorter the stroke obviously the more timing change is brought on per mm.

This should help some guys who do this kind of work all the time even have templates of their best work so they can quickly finish out a cylinder

You're calculating how far you're moving the ports but it won't tell you tdc without the piston on the crank.

 

[ericm979]

Also piston movement is not a linear relationship to crank rotation. The piston moves less per dergee near TDC and BDC than it does in the middle of the stroke.

 

[JohnnyBoy1986]

Indeed but the same principle applies. They have been using said formula in the offroad racing industry for decades. Sure it will not be as accurate as having proper measurements from the engine itself - but if you were to map your ports and measure them - you will find the formula showing port timing fairly accurate. I am not going to sit here and claim to know everything or act like i build modified units for a living because i do not - but these methods for what they are worth are tried and true

 

[sawdude]

MGoBlue and ncfarmboy do you know where Shaun Carr is located and what he charges? I talked to a man this morning and he said he always sends his saws to Terry Landrum at Wicked Saw. Have any of you guys had Terry port saws for you and do you know about how long it took? I tried to call him earlier today and didn't get an answer I'm going to try him again later. JohnnyBoy1986 thanks for that information and I will do that on my next build. I would just rather someone port this 395 that can get more out of it than I can. Running a 36 in. Oregon full skip chain and buried in 42 in. seasoned red oak it's only about 3 seconds faster than my 372 with a big bore kit, widened ports, no gasket and ported muffler that I built. Would the 395 do better with full comp chain and maybe an 8 tooth sprocket? I don't run a 36 in. chain on my 372s I just done it for a comparison but it really disappointed me. I've only run the 395 about 3 tanks of fuel so maybe its not broken in yet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Chainsaw Jim]

Indeed but the same principle applies. They have been using said formula in the offroad racing industry for decades. Sure it will not be as accurate as having proper measurements from the engine itself - but if you were to map your ports and measure them - you will find the formula showing port timing fairly accurate. I am not going to sit here and claim to know everything or act like i build modified units for a living because i do not - but these methods for what they are worth are tried and true

You're not wrong.
All we're saying is there's a little more to it than just knowing how far you're bringing the exhaust up or intake down. Two different piston skirt lengths in the same cylinder can make the intake location vary by 20° or more.

 

[sawdude]

Is there anyone who ports saws in N.C.?

 

[JohnnyBoy1986]

You're not wrong.
All we're saying is there's a little more to it than just knowing how far you're bringing the exhaust up or intake down. Two different piston skirt lengths in the same cylinder can make the intake location vary by 20° or more.

You are absolutely correct in every sense. I wasnt trying to come accross disrespectfuland whatnot - i hope things didn't get taken that way. I was just bringing forth some of the knowledge that i have for doing such a thing. In the end, porting is a science - it can be alot of fun to do - but on such a large and expensive piece of equipment i would leave that work up to the professionals

 

[MGoBlue]

MGoBlue and ncfarmboy do you know where Shaun Carr is located and what he charges? I talked to a man this morning and he said he always sends his saws to Terry Landrum at Wicked Saw. Have any of you guys had Terry port saws for you and do you know about how long it took? I tried to call him earlier today and didn't get an answer I'm going to try him again later. JohnnyBoy1986 thanks for that information and I will do that on my next build. I would just rather someone port this 395 that can get more out of it than I can. Running a 36 in. Oregon full skip chain and buried in 42 in. seasoned red oak it's only about 3 seconds faster than my 372 with a big bore kit, widened ports, no gasket and ported muffler that I built. Would the 395 do better with full comp chain and maybe an 8 tooth sprocket? I don't run a 36 in. chain on my 372s I just done it for a comparison but it really disappointed me. I've only run the 395 about 3 tanks of fuel so maybe its not broken in yet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I had a pretty bad experience with Landrum. I'd not even consider.. Just my experience/opinion. If you wanna talk more, I could through PM.

Shaun is in Ia. His gains in the 95 and 94 are pretty nuts. A local friend has had a 395 ported by him for several years. Every year at our local gtg's I'd run it a bunch and I (still) love that saw!


Listen to that sumbitch pull a 42!


So I saved up the coin and sent him my 394. His port work is art. Not that is has to be, but it is. And lemme tell ya, gains are incredible. As far as big Huskys go, Shaun is da man. You'd have to get a quote from him. And it does take several tanks of fuel to break in these saws. Several.

 

[MGoBlue]

Is there anyone who ports saws in N.C.?

I think Rattler is in NC. Another top notch builder!
@rattler362

 

[ncfarmboy]

Been hearing a lot of BAD reports on Terry Landrum. Any of the guys mentioned above will be good to go IMO.
Shep

 

[srcarr52]

MGoBlue and ncfarmboy do you know where Shaun Carr is located and what he charges? I talked to a man this morning and he said he always sends his saws to Terry Landrum at Wicked Saw. Have any of you guys had Terry port saws for you and do you know about how long it took? I tried to call him earlier today and didn't get an answer I'm going to try him again later. JohnnyBoy1986 thanks for that information and I will do that on my next build. I would just rather someone port this 395 that can get more out of it than I can. Running a 36 in. Oregon full skip chain and buried in 42 in. seasoned red oak it's only about 3 seconds faster than my 372 with a big bore kit, widened ports, no gasket and ported muffler that I built. Would the 395 do better with full comp chain and maybe an 8 tooth sprocket? I don't run a 36 in. chain on my 372s I just done it for a comparison but it really disappointed me. I've only run the 395 about 3 tanks of fuel so maybe its not broken in yet. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I'm in Iowa City, IA. I'll PM you with prices.

I can port a 395 without having the case, I'll just need an accurate squish measurement as you intend to assemble it (with or without gasket and the piston you'll use). I always use a caliper to measure port heights and then do the math to convert that back to duration of crank angle. So when I go to port a saw I know the port height in the bore that it will take to get the port duration I want.

On a 36, full comp chain will only increase your time to sharpen. A stock 395 might not like pulling a 36 with an 8 pin.

 

[Blackbruin]

Alan wolthius AWOL, is a good porter. Just pm him amd give him a day or so. Made a 390 i had an absolute beast

 

[drf255]

There are programs to calculate heights vs crank degrees. Torquesoft and Lambretta both offer free online calculators. The Lambretta is much more complex and will give you intake closing and opening as well. It requires more input.

I think Terry is having some issues. He may not be the guy to send the saw to.

Go with Shaun and you won’t be sorry you did. He’s one talented guy.

I won’t do a jug unless I have a builder case. I prefer that method, and even when I use it, the squish can be off on a different case. Many reasons builder prefer to do an entire saw, or at least assemble the top end to the case. It eliminates the customer variable for the builder, and it eliminates the question of who did what wrong if a ring catches. I’ve had guys ruin ports by improper assembly before, only to send me the entire long block to assemble in the end.

It really depends on what a builder feels comfortable doing.