muffler bolts
zogger, just got back from the shop:msp_w00t:$400 estimate on the 55. They said it needs a new small block and the engine is shot. said it would be two hours labor ($135)if I want to try and get the parts, they would be happy just to do the labor, whatever I wanted to do. Sad thing is this is a saw with little run time on it and it seems just ran real lean for some reason. I would love to get this saw back up and running, but not for the $400 estimate from the shop. Anybody want to provide direction on this one, please chime in. woops! guess I should start another thread
Lost a muffler bolt and the other was loose, that is what killed mine, along with not shutting it off quick enough when it got hot. (In my defense I was wearing leather gloves and didn't notice it right away). For real, trashed the piston. I've got it clean and sitting in a box now, when I get my tax check back I'll buy an aftermarket piston and put it back together after cleaning the cylinder, might as well hit the carb as long as I am there and check the fuel lines closer.
Search the threads here on howtos of using muriatic acid to clean aluminum transfer off of cylinders (if the cylinder isn't all scratched up/scored, if so, get the whole piston and cylinder kit).
Just ain't nothing to taking them apart that far, a set of T handle metric allens.
CLEAN SAW FIRST WITH AIR COMPRESSOR and rags and toothbrushes and so on before starting to take it apart, and once the carb and muffler are off, then you slide the cylinder off, etc, use rags to keep dirt from falling down into the crankcase.
Now if your whole bottom end is trashed (see, I don't know what the dealer guys mean when they say "shot"), and needs a new crank and bearings and seals, etc..heck with it, keep it for a parts saw and move on. If/when sometime you run across another one free or cheap, perhaps make one good runner. All the plastic body parts and the chainbrake assembly and all that, the muffler, etc is still good, proly also the carb..worth keeping. And you'll have an extra bar for a similar saw to boot.
You can get good running husky refurbs for around 200-250 bucks, and some of the guys here are having good luck talking them down at tractor supply with turn-ins..
And now you know all I know about husky 55 ranchers. Like I said, I am REAL new to all of this myself. This one worked fine for years and I used it a lot (with the stock carb settings as well) and cut some mambo stuff with it. My fault I missed the bolts going loose, else I bet it would still be cutting.