jtracy1223
ArboristSite Operative
So I picked up a craftsman (42cc/18") "special edition" saw off criags list last week for $25. The guy said that the sting broke on the starter and he just bought a new saw. Siad it ran fine last time he used it (heard that before) but the saw looked like it was in good shape very clean and it had a brand new chain new in the pack and a sharp chain on it so I figgered at $25 what the heck. I pulled the whole saw apart. Half the reason I got the saw was to learn to work on em without tearing into my $400 sthil for no reason. Dumped old gas and "bar oil" looked kinda scarry. May have been unmixed gas and 10w30 for bar oil. Not sure the gas didn't have that mixed gas color and the bar oild was nasty black. Put a new pull string on the and new gas and tired to fire it up..... Nothing not even a pop. So I tore into it. Pulled the carb. It was very clean but I cleaned it anyway. Pulled the bar cleaned up all the old gunk and bar oil. Pulled the ignition module and clean everything around the fly wheel area. Re installed and re gaped everything. Pulled the cylinder off. Piston was scrached up on the muffler side. I don't know much about it so I'm not sure if it was badly scrachehe the top of the piston was very scorched and carbed up so was the top of the cylinder. Cylinder walls didn't look bad but like I said I don't know much so I could be wrong. I put everything all back together and tied her again. Nope. Nothing. Got a presser tester from auto zone and. hooked it up and gave it a few pulls and got nothing. No reading at all. Thought the tester was broke so I hooked it up to the ol homelite super ez auto I had sitting by me. Few pulls and I was at 145psi. The 30 plus year old saw is pushin 145 and the craftsman had nothing. Could the piston be so bad to give no reading or maybe when I put the cylinder back toether the seal didn't seal? Not sure at this point if this turd is worth polishing? Should I buy a new piston and clean the cylinder? What would all you guys with much more experiance do? I don't wanna put a butt load of money in a junker that isn't worth it but I would like to say I fixed it and the time I spent already was for something. So do I polish the turd or use it as a door stop for my tool shed?