Need parts for Stihl 031

[elevator man]

After many years of good service, the ol' Stihl craps out when it gets good and hot; no sparks. So I figure it's a duff coil and go to my local friendly dealer who says: parts no longer available son, move along. OK it's an old saw but I hate throwing stuff away and it looks as good as the ones on the dealers shelf....
Also, how the heck do you change the condenser? It looks like it's pressed into the case!
So, anybody know where to get a coil? I found sources for points and condenser but no coil.
I bought the Stihl because I didn't want one of those crappy throw away jobs!
Rant Over.
DM

 

[rupedoggy]

It may not be the coil. Change the points and condenser first. That stuff is still available right? If not, find some internet surfing. If the saws comes back to life you are good to go. The points and condenser go out way more than the coil. The condenser is pressed into a plate if I remember correctly. You can pop it out with your fingers. Make sure the edges are not corroded as it needs a good ground there (that could be the problem). Mike

 

[elevator man]

Yeah, but.......condensers in my experience generally work or they don't; once they short to ground they're usually dead hot or cold. Also, I can't get this one out with reasonable force (pliers etc). It does charge up with a fluke meter which is generally a good sign (but it is suspect). The coil checks out OK when cold although I'm not sure what the exact resistance values should be. I'd just rather not go through the hassle of putting it all back together, bucking some wood and finding out I need a coil anyway. Points and condenser are about $40 which is ridiculous and a coil must be $100, I think I just answered my own question. I'll probably just heave this box of parts in the dumpster.
DM

 

[retoocs555]

I have lots of 031 parts, used but completely tested. Let me know what you need.

 

[rickyrooster]

hey elevator, check out ebay for your 031 parts. i beleave they also offered an electronic 031 so mabe you could get a good used coil and convert it over. dont junk the saw. just take some time to look around and you can find anything you need for your 031. good luck rick

 

[WML48]

elevator man, I have the same problem with my 031. Thought it was the coil. Another member sent me a known good coil to try, and it did not solve the problem. Wanted to try a new condensor, but the one that Stihl now sells has a square body and requires some kind of upgrade kit to install, which I was told they could not get. Same guy who sent the coil to try suggested that I replace the points and condensor with an atom module. I think the price is about $16. I hope to try this soon and will post back if I do this upgrade. Mark.

 

[Finnbear]

Yeah, but.......condensers in my experience generally work or they don't; once they short to ground they're usually dead hot or cold. Also, I can't get this one out with reasonable force (pliers etc). It does charge up with a fluke meter which is generally a good sign (but it is suspect). The coil checks out OK when cold although I'm not sure what the exact resistance values should be. I'd just rather not go through the hassle of putting it all back together, bucking some wood and finding out I need a coil anyway. Points and condenser are about $40 which is ridiculous and a coil must be $100, I think I just answered my own question. I'll probably just heave this box of parts in the dumpster.
DM

Don't throw it away! At the very least put that saw on eBay as a parts saw and sell it to someone who might need some of what is still good on it. If you trash it it does no one any good. If you sell it you get a little cash and someone else gets their saw running.
Finnbear

 

[Lakeside53]

elevator man, I have the same problem with my 031. Thought it was the coil. Another member sent me a known good coil to try, and it did not solve the problem. Wanted to try a new condensor, but the one that Stihl now sells has a square body and requires some kind of upgrade kit to install, which I was told they could not get. Same guy who sent the coil to try suggested that I replace the points and condensor with an atom module. I think the price is about $16. I hope to try this soon and will post back if I do this upgrade. Mark.

The "kit" is just an bracket and screw for the condenser. It is available for less than $2.00 for both; part numbers 1113 405 1900 and 9210 260 0600. Points generally don't need to be changed, and the spark quality from the points based system is so much better then the electronic at low speed... I'd just put in a new condenser.

if you are going to upgrade to "electronic", with either the Stihl or the Atom module, you need to either get a flywheel from an electronic version OR reposition (by taking out the woodruff key) the existing flywheel. Some on AS will tell you the saw worked fine without repositioning or changing the flywheel, but the timing is way off.

 

[elevator man]

Yeah, I'm more suspicious of the condenser. The values change wildly when I apply mild heat. I may patch in a condenser just to try it out. The Atom modules intrigue me too, I want to experiment with one. Just as I feared, this is going to consume way too much of my time, but then STIHLZILLA will emerge!!!.............be afraid, be very afraid.
DDM

 

[elevator man]

Stihl update

So of course I order the Atom module and they lose the order. AAAArrgghh. Finally after weeks of waiting I get the module and install it. The saw runs but not as well as it should, so I reverse the polarity of the module and start it up. Well land sakes alive this sucker rips!! Because it was pouring rain (and I mean pouring) I wasn't going out to test cut with it so I just fiddled with it behind the shop where I have a dry area. I was warming it up a little and it sounded GREAT! So then I adjust the idle speed and generally feel pretty good with myself and look the saw over and the saw abrubtly quits and coasts to a stop. Saws don't generally coast to a stop......I pulled the plug and sure enough the piston doesn't go up and down when you pull that little rope thingy. I guess this is where I toss the sucker as I'm not going looking for a crank/ connecting rod! I'm not having a great day, but at least it's over.
Duane

 

[fubar2]

Hey, toss that atom module into an envelope and mail it to me before you vaporize the saw.

 

[elevator man]

It's alive!

So I get a few minutes of head scratchin time all to myself and I say : wouldn't it be funny if instead of a busted crank, maybe the flywheel nut was loose or something? Pulled the saw out of the corner and sure enough I hadn't socked up the flywheel nut tight, it backed off and the saw crapped out. Always expecting the worst I figured it was Tango Uniform when it lost compression..
Lined up the flywheel without even having to take it all back apart. One pull and it sounds better than when it was new! I take back all that bad stuff I said about Stihl. For now anyway. Stupid mistake .....probably even stupider to let everyone know about it!
In any event the Atom module works like a champ when you get the polarity right.

 

[BoiseSaw]

still put the module in... bye bye points

 

[elevator man]

031 follow up

Yeah that was the whole point of the exercise. I just got sidetracked when they lost the order etc etc etc. Good thing it wasn't for a customer; yeah buddy only took me two months to get yer saw fixed!
Just glad that I found a spot to mount the Atom module, not a lot of space around the coil/ carb/ gas tank etc.
But this sucker absolutely howls now! Maybe now I'll spring for a new bar and chain too.

 

[Duke M]

So of course I order the Atom module and they lose the order. AAAArrgghh. Finally after weeks of waiting I get the module and install it. The saw runs but not as well as it should, so I reverse the polarity of the module and start it up. Well land sakes alive this sucker rips!! Because it was pouring rain (and I mean pouring) I wasn't going out to test cut with it so I just fiddled with it behind the shop where I have a dry area. I was warming it up a little and it sounded GREAT! So then I adjust the idle speed and generally feel pretty good with myself and look the saw over and the saw abrubtly quits and coasts to a stop. Saws don't generally coast to a stop......I pulled the plug and sure enough the piston doesn't go up and down when you pull that little rope thingy. I guess this is where I toss the sucker as I'm not going looking for a crank/ connecting rod! I'm not having a great day, but at least it's over.
Duane

I have parts to fix that old saw what do what for it [email protected] ,if nothing else I can use the parts for mine thanks Duke

 

[AOD]

Just remember, an old saw isn't dead until the AS Chainsaw forum says it's dead.

 

[blackoak]

I have parts to fix that old saw what do what for it [email protected] ,if nothing else I can use the parts for mine thanks Duke

Your responding to a three year old post.