Nik's Poulan Thread
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Boomer 87
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Theres my 5200 SHE RUNS!!!! I LOVE THAT COUNTERVIBE EXHAUST NOTE. Ive been waiting years to have one got it running today minimal parts. And a NOS muffler from @Acornhill.
There seems to be a lot of questions about the Counter Vibe series of saws. To answer some of those questions. The Poulan 3400 was only two thick rings and had a unplated cylinder with a plated piston. This is the same for the Poulan 3800. The Poulan 3700 is two thin rings with a plated cylinder and they do run better than the 3800 because they have better compression. I know I have checked enough of them. There was a PP 375 also that is the same as a 3700. Then there is the Poulan 4000 which is the same as the PP 395 which is 65 cc and has two thin rings with a plated cylinder. I believe the PP 395 all came with chain brakes. The biggest differences in the saws are the recoil systems that they use and the air filter and cover that they use. I do not remember if all the clutches were the same or not. Maybe someone else can chime in on that. I think some of the mufflers might have been different also.
The Red Sears Craftsman saws you see that were marked 3.7 could have been a 3800 or a 3700. I have both in Red. I believe the Grey ones were all 3800's.
You can take a piston and cylinder from a 4000 and it will fit on a 3400. The squish on the saws are usually around .040" to .045" so you can eliminate the base gasket and take .015" from the base to bump up the compression and bring the squish down to around .020" to .025".
You can also take a burr and a dremel and clean up the plastic intake on these saws. The intakes have some places from where they were cast that can stand to be smoothed out.
You can also advance the timing by turning the flywheel CCW. Just thin the key some or make another key from a nickel.
Then Muffler Mod it.
All the CounterVibes all used the same oilers and the plastic intakes are all the same.
The Red Sears Craftsman saws you see that were marked 3.7 could have been a 3800 or a 3700. I have both in Red. I believe the Grey ones were all 3800's.
You can take a piston and cylinder from a 4000 and it will fit on a 3400. The squish on the saws are usually around .040" to .045" so you can eliminate the base gasket and take .015" from the base to bump up the compression and bring the squish down to around .020" to .025".
You can also take a burr and a dremel and clean up the plastic intake on these saws. The intakes have some places from where they were cast that can stand to be smoothed out.
You can also advance the timing by turning the flywheel CCW. Just thin the key some or make another key from a nickel.
Then Muffler Mod it.
All the CounterVibes all used the same oilers and the plastic intakes are all the same.
redunshee
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Addi
As important, the 3700 has a chrome cylinder and aluminum piston whereas the 3800 is the opposite. Reason why you can't just swap pistons.
ANewSawyer
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Plastic intake: Is that the part the carb bolts to or the part that is below the air filter?
redunshee
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Couldn't have said it better myself.
redunshee
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Yup. You can dremel out the interior to make a smoother fuel flow. There is kind of an angle in there.
THe part between the carb and the cylinder. On the IPL's, 530024229 Carburetor Adaptor.
Some IPL's did not have the 5300 prefix on the PN's
Redunshee and fossil have correct.
Poulan 475 76.5cc this saw showed no signs of anything wrong. Pulled 36" ripping like a beast. Psi felt good IMO. Priced it to a guy with used topend and BB372 piston and used oem 475 piston.
I wanted to check the piston etc so I pulled the muffler to see how things were looking on the afm piston. Noticed a scuff right side. So I pulled it down and called guy to tell him. He told me to go with the NOS 475 topend kit I have and I would do the swapping labor free.
Then while down I pulled it down to check seals etc. Seals still good but the crank bearing had rough spots. So called the guy and told him no go on this one for now. Oh well better to find out now then ruin a good NOS topend.
Used was 140psi with base gasket, but felt more then that to me. Guessing 8 tanks on the afm piston and rings.
Looks like I will be pulling wild thing 505 apart and throwing on the NOS 475 stuff on it with the covers etc.
Just no time to be splitting and doing bearings on saws right now.
Have a 505 down with a pto seal bad. = $35 bearing seal combo and split. One thing that is a draw back of the update. But is also the same bearing set used on the 385 390 saws.
I wanted to check the piston etc so I pulled the muffler to see how things were looking on the afm piston. Noticed a scuff right side. So I pulled it down and called guy to tell him. He told me to go with the NOS 475 topend kit I have and I would do the swapping labor free.
Then while down I pulled it down to check seals etc. Seals still good but the crank bearing had rough spots. So called the guy and told him no go on this one for now. Oh well better to find out now then ruin a good NOS topend.
Used was 140psi with base gasket, but felt more then that to me. Guessing 8 tanks on the afm piston and rings.
Looks like I will be pulling wild thing 505 apart and throwing on the NOS 475 stuff on it with the covers etc.
Just no time to be splitting and doing bearings on saws right now.
Have a 505 down with a pto seal bad. = $35 bearing seal combo and split. One thing that is a draw back of the update. But is also the same bearing set used on the 385 390 saws.
ANewSawyer
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What part am I dremeling? It is circular like the venturi, then it angles and widens out. Just having glanced at it, I would think you would dremel it so that where it widens on the one side would be more inline with the venturi. Too much and you would get in the pocket for the carb bolt. But what do I know?
Herr is a picture: http://assets.partstree.com/web4/photos/580/530024229/566faf88686c5/full.png
Sounds like you have it figured out. When modifying these saws it is not just one thing that makes a difference but it is a culmination of things that make the difference.
Just like building any engine.
MS460WOODCHUCK
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thats mine and my buddy's saw, he has a 3.4 thin ring, not powersharp
-Efisher26-
No such thing as a thin ring 3400/3.4. They are all bare bore thick ring.
MS460WOODCHUCK
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The answer is no. No thin rings for the 3400. Only 3700 and 4000.
Can anyone share the stihl number for the nice big pull cord handles that someone listed here a while back? I believe @Jeremiah Johnson posted it. I think @Boomer87 was in on that one too. I wrote the number down at the time but lost my paper. I was gonna order some for my 910 and 920 jonsereds.
MS460WOODCHUCK
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A snow blower handle works fine.
Then the sticker is wrong. But I also know the build date doesn't match. The date in top cvr is different then the date on the cylinder. So I'd assume the the p&c were changed on that 3.4
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Just a home owner that likes the older better made machines
Craftsman 3.7
Echo 290evl
IMO get the Stihl 460 rescue handle for $5. Made right and easy on the hands with no sharp edges like others have. 1128-195-3401
astnmacgto
Carnac The Magnificent
I used the rescue handles as well, my dealer was 5.94 a piece and they are totally worth it.
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