Chi-com saw is DEAD

[JayC]

Yup, that's a YT or LT alright. I have a YT12 I got free from my neighbor. Bunch of us YT/LT fans are on this forum / thread all the time:

http://www.mytractorforum.com/showthread.php?t=108053

Yup - it's an LT16, mid 80's vintage. I got it last year off of craig's list to run as a snowblower - made a cab and it worked pretty good. I mowed with it all summer (all of 3 times, thanks to our drought). I had to put in a new disk drive, but all else seems well. It's now all set up in snow mode again, and it's flurrying...

JayC

 

[bigbadbob]

There was a Red chi-com saw at the landfill, looked near new.
I grabbed it. It was missing the starter.
I did an autopsy on it. Not that poorly made.
But it was obvious the PO could not get the starter fixed/replaced so in the trash it goes. No usable parts except the nuts bolts and screws,and I dont trust those.
No idea what the B/C will fit.

 

[ms290]

here in oklahoma they are selling those things at atwoods. they are blue and are called "BlueMax". almost got one several times.

 

[Coloradobum]

A friend of mine sent me these photo's taken from the 86th floor of the Shanghai Financial Tower, presently the tallest building in Asia. (they are building a taller one right next door) He is working in China for a couple of months. When I think of China I think of mud roads and poor people and slums. I am sure that they have plenty of that, but I never considered that they also have cities that look like this. If you do a google search on the Shanghai Financial tower and other buildings like it you will discover a lot of interisting information. The world is a changing place.

I've been to Shanghai twice, and it's so huge that it's surreal. Makes NYC feel small. It's only a matter of time before the big 2 are going to have to buy out the Chinese saw makers or take other aggressive actions. They simply cannot compete in the long run. Isn't globalization great?

FYI Taipei 101 is taller than SFC by just a bit, making it the tallest buidling in Asia, but, the new building Burj Khalafi (sp) in Dubai is over 1000 feet taller than either of those! Most Americans really have no idea just how fast we're slipping compared to Asia. Companies are forced to play there or face obsolesence. But they don't play fair.....and our gov. is letting them. I'll stop there :bang:

 

[stevephillips]

I also got my Chinese 52cc saw today. As Stephen C. says, something is seriously out of line with the clutch cover. I'll read his post again tomorrow and try and figure out what I need to do.

The one I got also has 18 inch bar. The manual says the chain is equivalent to .325 Oregon 21BP (72 drive links).

It seems relatively light for it's claimed 52cc size. The fit and finish are marginal by western standards, but not unacceptable, except for the clutch cover.

I did start mine. It started quite easily for a new saw. It smokes a lot with the recommended 25:1 mix (actually 20:1 for break-in.) It seems to idle a bit fast, but the chain doesn't spin as it idles. According to the manual and from what I can see, the carb is easily adjustable. (Mine is labeled for Canada.)

The throttle response is great--no hesitation at all. It cut about as well as my Husky 345 (which has narrow kerf .325 chain.) I think the 18 inch bar may be too long for this saw if I were to bury the bar in a big oak log. I'll cut more with it this weekend.

I think Stephen C.'s conclusions about the saw are exactly right, so I'll just briefly paraphrase him rather than try and do better: "I would not recommend the GIO saw to a first time user without any mechanical skills. . . . The heart of the saw seems to be well built. It balances well in the hand and is very light for its size."

 

[stevephillips]

I made the modifications suggested by Stephen C. and the clutch cover now fits.

The saw starts and runs fine. The power is good.

The problem I have now is that there's lots of play in the sprocket--it is not held tight against the saw and the chain drive links slip down between the sprocket and saw and then won't move. I think some sort of spacer must be missing in the clutch/sprocket/drum set up. The parts diagram shows one. I'll pull it apart later this weekend and look. The saw is unusable as it is, but shipping back to Canada would be too much.

 

[stevephillips]

You nailed it. I took it apart and all the parts where there. The problem was that clutch was not screwed far enough down on the shaft, leaving room for the drum/sprocket to float sideways and the drive links to slip down.

I don't think the central part of the clutch had been tapped quite all the way through. I cleaned the threads and ran it up and down many times, and it eventually went further onto the shaft. (I don't have any metric taps.)

I put it all back together, and the drum/sprocket no longer drifts back and forth and the saw works fine.

I genuinely think the engine on the saw is a decent one. Too bad they didn't do a better job with minor fit and finish issues.

 

[stevephillips]

Yes, the drive links were slipping down between the sprocket and the nylon washer. Threading the clutch down further took up the slack, but it was not easy to do.

What was most difficult was the spring around the clutch wedges came off when I had it apart, and it was not easy to get it back on and it all back together.

But all is well now. I'm going to get a narrow kerf bar and chains for it from Baileys.

 

[stevephillips]

On mine, before I took the clutch apart, the threaded shaft ended just below the clutch. Now the threaded shaft sticks out slightly. I gained at least a couple of turns, and it all sits down squarely on the machined face of the shaft and feels much more solid (but does not bind.)

Yes on Poulan Wild Things. I understand why the pros don't want them, but mine serves a purpose for me. It's the saw I grab when there's a limb down on a fence, a friend wants to borrow a saw, etc.

 

[JayC]

I also had clutch problems with my first saw - one of the spring retainer ears was broken off. The dealer who sold it (in western Canada) didn't know how to take a clutch off, so he ended up sending me a whole new saw body, so I now have most of a spare motor. I made a clutch removal tool by grinding 3 notches in and old socket. Then, of course, I ran it over. I bought another one from the same guy, but the second isn't quite as nice, but still good for the dough. Same clutch cover problem, but I just let the plastic deform. Maybe I'll actually clean it up, now that everybody is tweaking them - wouldn't want to be a hack.

I think it is funny how at the beginning of the thread, everybody was dissing me (fairly badly) for buying one of these and THEN being so bold as to actually like it. Now it's quickly becoming a popular item, and looks like it'll soon be the new big thing for hot-rodding .

JayC

 

[JayC]

I'm going to get a narrow kerf bar and chains for it from Baileys.

What is the compatible bar for these 52cc saws? The guy I bought mine from said they are the same as Echo, but I never checked. Let us know what exactly you get and how it works out.

JayC

 

[stevephillips]

What is the compatible bar for these 52cc saws? The guy I bought mine from said they are the same as Echo, but I never checked. Let us know what exactly you get and how it works out.

JayC

It takes the same bar as my Husqvarna 345. For I bar, I ordered Bailey's item number APNK 18 SJ50. For chain I ordered WPL 20NK72. I haven't gotten the order yet, obviously. I hope I'm right on what I ordered.

 

[JayC]

well I got a chance to put some fuel and bar oil in mine today. I had some 40-1 mixed, it is a little old but I used it any way.

The seal area around the fuel and oil cap looks pretty crude, but mine does not leak, at least not yet. It has an adjustable chain oiler and mine is set to the max position.

Both of my saws leaked fuel from the fuel cap. I had to smooth the bearing edge on the tank to eliminate the problem - I still store my Chicom on it's side with the caps up just in case. 40:1 might be a little light - I run 25:1 w/ crap oil (Walmart) or 32:1 using Yamalube (dirt bike mix) in my saw(s).

JayC

 

[roncoinc]

If i could get one cheap enough i would like to try porting and modding the snot out of to see what happened..
would be interesting

 

[roncoinc]

I know a guy who has one that was run over by a tractor...that would be a very good choice for a donor cylinder for a port job...:hmm3grin2orange::hmm3grin2orange:

I bought mine for $56 plus $29 shipping, that seemed pretty reasonable for a 52cc saw.

For $85 i would do that myself.

If somebody was to send me a run over one i would port it and they could have it back.. would be for the fun of it