my new chainsaw project. another free saw.

[Dogbyte]

Dug up a little craftsman chainsaw with a 16in bar, model 358.355161

Looks to be in good condition visually, i know for a fact this saw was used very little, never felled a tree even, just used on limbs. ive never over hauled a chainsaw or small engine past the easy stuff, spark plugs, carb gaskets, diaphragms, fuel lines and filters, air filter, stuff like that... its always done as needed, not all in one shot.

Im probably presuming a lot, but heck, a fella needs to learn sometime i guess. if you guys were wanting to do all the basic stuff to a project like this, where do you start usually? what is considered basic to yall?

ive found a carb rebuilt kit (never done a whole kit before), air filter and fuel line/filter parts online. prob will replace the spark plug too cause it wont hurt.

the bar isnt even worn on top, no telling how little this saw was used. I took a few pics, i just have one question, on the picture showing the chain adjustment..looks like a little plastic line similar to the fuel line just above it...i dont know if this is some line that broke off, or if it its just the oiler, and supposed to look like that. just wondered.

anyway, its not a bad lookin saw, no rust or abuse that i can see. should be fine for limbing up on a ladder or whatnot.


View attachment 291678

View attachment 291683

View attachment 291684

View attachment 291685

View attachment 291686

 

[locofrog]

Normally I would check the fuel tank out. Dump all old fuel, wash out thoroughly with 2-cycle mix. Check fuel lines for hardness or if the ones in the tank have become too soft. Then I'll pull the plug and muffler. Check the condition of both. This will give the saws life history. Ground your plug and pull for checking your coil. If everything ther is copacetic then put fuel in her and see if she'll fire up. If not then you have a lot less to check this way. Looks like a nice little poulan 1800 - 2000 or some other variant of a xx5.

Loco

 

[Dogbyte]

yeah all the lines in it are hardened and toast. gonna try to figure out if there are any more lines in it that i cant see. sears has a pretty good diagram page that im looking at. i still dont know about that little hole above the chain adjuster, cant see it on the diagrams very well.

 

[jammin_with_j]

yeah all the lines in it are hardened and toast. gonna try to figure out if there are any more lines in it that i cant see. sears has a pretty good diagram page that im looking at. i still dont know about that little hole above the chain adjuster, cant see it on the diagrams very well.

That is your oiler outlet. If you can find the workshop manual it tells you how to go about replacing the oiler line, its pretty straight forward.

If you do some research here on the Poulan Micro XXV there are some good threads. Look for "modifiedmark" threads, he's done a very good one on the fuel line replacement.

 

[Dogbyte]

That is your oiler outlet. If you can find the workshop manual it tells you how to go about replacing the oiler line, its pretty straight forward.

If you do some research here on the Poulan Micro XXV there are some good threads. Look for "modifiedmark" threads, he's done a very good one on the fuel line replacement.

so this is craftsman copy of that poulan micro, or they just have the same style oiler line?

 

[Dogbyte]

is this what they refer to as a top handle? i hoping it turns out to be a good little light weight saw with a little pep. the dang fuel line is over a foot long i bet

still researching about the oiler line. but its toast too, gotta be, all the rest of the lines snap in two easily.

 

[locofrog]

cant remember what kinda line was on the oiler on the ones i've done personally but oil isn't usually as harsh on lines as gas is.

loco

 

[workshop]

View attachment 291958View attachment 291959

Virtually identical to my Poulan 1800 that I rescued from a scrap pile. Put a new fuel line in it (after checking it over) cleaned it up and it runs great. Glad your here and have fun.

 

[Dogbyte]

View attachment 291958View attachment 291959

Virtually identical to my Poulan 1800 that I rescued from a scrap pile. Put a new fuel line in it (after checking it over) cleaned it up and it runs great. Glad your here and have fun.

boy that sure does look the same. i just googled for a manual, and the poulan manual for the 1800, 2000, 2300av, and 2300cva pulled up.

did you just use black rubber line or that clear kind that comes in their kit? im picking up some black trimmer fuel line at the stihl dealer and wondered if it would work as well. Im pretty sure that 2-3 inch oiler section of line is bad on mine, its all hardened up since its basically sit for 10 years in its case full of bar oil. kept it nice and clean though!

i need some fuel line and filter from the tank to the carb, then some more for the oiler if its not brittle too, but it looks like the crank case comes off the way i see it in the diagrams. trying to find a service manual too, found one for my Poulan 3450, now i need this one... for a simpleton like me, those manuals are a must :msp_w00t:

 

[Dogbyte]

well best i could do, was digging up an old service manual for the poulan xxv series from 1984. They are similar but different i think. looking through it, they look very similar. didnt see anything related to replacing the oiler line, only the auto oiler and cleaning out the diaphragm. but i just skimmed i'll look again.

 

[machinisttx]

If I'm fooling with something that hasn't run in a while, the first thing I check is whether it has spark or not. Then I start going through everything else. I've had to disassemble and reassemble stuff enough times to learn that starting with the easy things is best, and sometimes it saves a lot of extra work. You might not need to put a kit in the carb, or it may be gummed up with broken diaphragms. You won't know if you don't try it first.

 

[workshop]

I used the green tygon fuel line on mine. Fotunatly the oiler works on mine so havn't paid much attention to it other than it looks like a diaphram type operation. Looks like a small round plate under and in front of the clutch assembly. From experience with my 3.7 craftsman they can plug up with gunk over time. Maybe some oil congealed in it? What the heck, take it apart and see.

 

[workshop]

If I'm fooling with something that hasn't run in a while, the first thing I check is whether it has spark or not. Then I start going through everything else. I've had to disassemble and reassemble stuff enough times to learn that starting with the easy things is best, and sometimes it saves a lot of extra work. You might not need to put a kit in the carb, or it may be gummed up with broken diaphragms. You won't know if you don't try it first.

I agree with machinisttx. Keep it simple, check for spark, pull the muffler off to get an idea of the cylinder condition. Dribble a little mix down the carb and pull a few times to see if it will pop. If you have a compression gauge, check that too. Remember to hold the throttle open while doing this so you get a good test. Pull it through 4 or 5 times. Sitting for so long spray some oil through the spark plug hole to help the rings seal. If those few things look good replace the fuel lines and filter. See what happens from there.

 

[workshop]

Manuals? What are those?

 

[Dogbyte]

ok so even with the fuel line out, your saying just run a little mix in the carb to see if it'll fire?

 

[machinisttx]

ok so even with the fuel line out, your saying just run a little mix in the carb to see if it'll fire?

Absolutely. If it's been sitting a while, I'd pull the plug, bring the piston up to the top of it's stroke, and put about a capful of oil on top of the piston. Then I'd let it sit for 5-10 minutes. When time is up, pull the recoil as you would to start it to blow the oil out. Put the plug back in and then try dribbling a bit of fuel through the carb to see if it will start. The oil will lube the cylinder walls/rings and may help free them if they're stuck for whatever reason.

That's assuming you've made sure it's actually firing. If it's not, there's no point in any of the above until that problem is sorted out.

 

[Dogbyte]

well took the spark plug out cleaned it, dripped a little oil in the cylinder replaced the plug, then dropped a little mix in the carb and about the 8th pull it took off!

dripped some more mix, then left the choke open, and it fired on the first pull....the danged idle must be wide open cause it revved pretty high the second try without my finger on the gas.

 

[locofrog]

congrats bro. i'm glad it worked out for ya. i just scored a poulan 2300cva myself. dunno if i'll keep it or not but it has the potential to be a looker. brought her home and cleaned out the tank and with fresh fuel and priming the carb she fired and ran like a top. only problem is the muffler is busted. not everybody has a nos 2300 muffler... but i do. lol

loco

 

[machinisttx]

well took the spark plug out cleaned it, dripped a little oil in the cylinder replaced the plug, then dropped a little mix in the carb and about the 8th pull it took off!

dripped some more mix, then left the choke open, and it fired on the first pull....the danged idle must be wide open cause it revved pretty high the second try without my finger on the gas.

Glad to hear that it worked for you. Maybe you'll luck out on the carb still being in good shape.

 

[Dogbyte]

does anyone have a preferred style of chain on these little saws? i guess these are equivalent to the poulan 1800. the chain that came with the saw doesnt look to be in bad shape, just needs sharpened, but i thought i'd ask in case there was a world beater out there