So for my first post to this great site I would like some advice on aftermarket cylinders. A friend of mine runs a church youth group that we have been collecting chainsaws for. Our intention is to teach them how to fix small engines and then take them on a few over night trips to collect firewood. If all goes well it will be something that we can continue on with. I picked up a husqvarna 262xp, 55, 188 and a 460. The 55 was straight gassed and needs a new top end but I'm not going to invest in oem parts like I would for some of my xp saws. I see tons of aftermarket rebuild kits online and know the meteor is the best then probably nwp. If anyone has any personal experience with these kits and the cheaper ones I would really appreciate it.
Husqvarna 55 new top end?
- Thread starter Jbaker
- Start date
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The NWP kit at Baileys is good, the Meteor kit is better and you can commonly find good used top ends on Ebay for around $50. There is a very good chance that your cylinder walls will clean up and you can get away with a $30 piston kit. Make sure you replace the rubber intake boot and impulse grommet to ward off the chances of repeated failure, both parts together cost me $12 at my local dealer.
husqvarnaguy
Addicted to ArboristSite
I put a NWP kit in my 55 and have not had any problems. See if you can clean that cylinder up first. If it cleans up, put a meteor piston in it and roll on. As previously stated replace the little rubber boot.
...And be real gentle screwing in the long carb screws as they're only going into plastic and love to strip out.
jughead500
Sasquatch
I really like the Meteor.Cleaned the Ports up on it and it is a Hoss with a Muffler mod.Checked compression Yesterday and it's pulling 150PSI.Will be doing more as soon as I get a Meteor 028 Piston and take the base gasket out.
nmorton
ArboristSite Member
Rebuilt my 55 with a kit i got from Simonian's Saw Service. His kit contains a Meteor cylinder/piston, w/caber rings. Exhaust, intake and base gaskets. Piston needle bearing, intake boot, impulse pipe, and a decompression valve. He also emails you a workshop manual. Price was 150.00. Super simple to change out. Took me around 45 min. from start to finish. Fired up on third pull. Didn't even have to adjust carb. Have run 14 -15 tanks of gas through it with no problems. Its as strong as it was when it was new.He (Rod) will answer any questions you may have very quickly by email. You can Google simonian's saw service, or he is also on ebay as "3r_sports". I have no experience with any of the other aftermarket kits. Hope this helps you!!! :msp_thumbup::msp_thumbup::msp_thumbup:
mitch95100
Saw Nut
Man I wish my youth group did that... id love to show off my toys....
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Sent from my USCCADR3305 using Tapatalk 2
Put a helicoil in each hole and use 5 x 45mm socket head screws and you never have to worry about that problem again,
bucknfeller
Opportunistic Hooligan
Check out the 55 before you go ordering parts, some of the ones made between '98 and '01 had a 44mm closed port cylinder and a windowed piston. Those pistons are pretty scarce, there are no aftermarket pistons that I know of for those. The later ones used a 46mm open port cylinder, those parts are readily available.
jughead500
Sasquatch
Thats where I bought my Kit and several other kits,Etc. Great guy to deal with on Ebay.:msp_thumbsup:
I really appreciate all the advice from everyone! The cylinder is in pretty bad shape unfortunately, so I really don't think its salvageable. I think ill just go with the meteor kit from one of the sponsors and be done with it. Other than the top end the saw is in really good shape. The lesson from the elderly man that donated it to us was "never bring two gas cans into the mountains."
bucknfeller
Opportunistic Hooligan
Post some pics of the exhaust side of the cylinder, you might be surprised at how much can be cleaned up. Straight gas kills a saw in minutes, it's a little different than a long term lean condition.
kmcinms
ArboristSite Guru
Good job man!!
Some serious rep heading out to jbaker and barneyrb for doing the deal with the youth and using your noggin. This just gets better and better.
Good fortune.
Some serious rep heading out to jbaker and barneyrb for doing the deal with the youth and using your noggin. This just gets better and better.
Good fortune.
Working with the youth has been really rewarding and has become a passion of mine. My friend and I have tried to start a youth outdoor program that is a year long program that includes hunting, fishing, camping and pretty much anything else we can think up that involves the great outdoors. In the last few years I have had the opportunity to guide many of these kids on their first deer and elk hunts. Nothing beats watching a youth harvest their first animal, catch their first bass or fell their first tree. Most of the kids I get to work with come from good homes but lack the mentoring of a parent that knows much about life outside. Again I really appreciate all your help and I will post a couple pictures of the cylinder to see what you guys think.
nmorton
ArboristSite Member
Just saw a oem closed port cylinder/piston for 55 listed on ebay today. First one i have ever seen. Buy it now for 250.00.
If i knew how i would post a link to it.
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Did the same with my old 55!! Cut a lot of wood with that saw an use it now for a back up!! Super reliable and has saved me coming out of the woods without a load of wood 3 or 4 times in the past year and a half!! Great saws!! Friend of mine, rooftopcrew has 4 of them! 2 look like they are right out of the box! Trying to get one off him!!!
Yes like he said use like 2 fingers on the screwdriver not your whole shoulder. Just guess why I know.
kmcinms
ArboristSite Guru
Roanoaker on here is a huge fan of the 55 Husky 
husqvarnaguy
Addicted to ArboristSite
I like them too. They are not too heavy and have good power. It is my go to saw if I am cutting anything under 16 inches.Roanoaker on here is a huge fan of the 55 Husky
Other than a few cc's how much difference is there between the 55 and the 51? I have a 1999 model 51 and use the poo out of it (firewood guy, not daily use).
Was/is there an open port / closed port option and how would I know w/o tearing it down? It runs good still but pulls over a lot easier than when it was new.
Thanks,
Jeff
Was/is there an open port / closed port option and how would I know w/o tearing it down? It runs good still but pulls over a lot easier than when it was new.
Thanks,
Jeff
