Picked up a husqvarna 61 today (pics)

[nnero]

I'm not sure how to specifically test the spring tension but the symptoms you mention lead me to believe that may be the culprit. Is it also hard to keep the chain from spinning at idle? My fils 61 had similar issues. I ordered a new spring for him and got a used clutch assembly since they are not available oem anymore.

 

[peter92]

Hi Guys
Ive rebuilt my 61 also and have got a bad oil leak when i put the pump back on and run it, now is there an easy way to put the oil feed line into the housing, im thinking mine isnt sitting in the hole and sealing
http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/peterfol/media/IMG_07161_zpsa805769d.jpg.html?sort=3&o=4

 

[Rx7man]

glad you got at least a temporary fix going for it

Thumbilly, you like the 61's for the exact same reasons I like the 65's but I am going to have a running 61 here soon too to compare.. Mine is a gray top in nice shape, needs a P&C and ignition, and have located a crunched saw to steal from.

What are the differences between the white, gray, and orange top saws? which one is 'better'?

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Around what year are the white tops? Customer brought one in today for some recoil work.

 

[Rx7man]

From Acres site it seems like the White tops were the OLD.. from the 70's.. I think the gray tops were from the 80's, and the latest ones are orange tops... I could easily be wrong though

 

[thumbilly]

The white tops were the first Gen from '78ish to '84 I believe. Then they were grey from '85 to '90ish. After that they're all orange. The white top have a coarse thread on the crank where the grey are fine thread otherwise the same I believe. The orange ones changed to a one piece coil and the front bolt is moved on the top cover. It also has a bigger carb and taller muffler. Of course a plastic brake handle as well. Basically a 272xp with a 48mm p&c.

 

[thumbilly]

Mine are an '86 and an '87. I think they all run comparably the same but the orange tops are the easiest to convert to a 272. Also have the most available replacement parts being identical to the 268/272. The early ones (white/grey) are fairly easy to bump to 50mm with a 266 p&c.

 

[heyduke]

One thing about this saw is if you pull to hard into the cut, not excessively either, it sets the brake. It has an adjustment but it doesn't seem to change anything.

I had the same problem with my 61, drove me crazy for years. finally i found that tightening all four screws holding the handlebar to the bottom of the saw and to the anti-vibes on the side really helps. i think they were under-torqued and the factory. i agree about the brake adjustment. it doesn't seem to do anything. i replaced my brake/clutch cover with one from a 272.

 

[heyduke]

...What are the differences between the white, gray, and orange top saws? which one is 'better'?

i've never run a white top but have many hours on a grey top i bought new in the late 1980's. among the arborists and tree men that i knew the grey tops were considered inferior and under powered. i think two reasons for that are the open transfer ports and an undersized carb. some were assembled in yugoslavia. you have to remove the clutch to access the bar oil adjuster. that's a pain. on the positive side mine is one of the most robust saws i own, simple and well designed, tough as nails. i've never run an orange top either, but i suspect they're the best of the 61's. the orange top case is a little longer, maybe the same casting as a 272, and accommodates a larger air filter.

 

[Rx7man]

Good to know... I plan on doing a little work to mine and wake it up a bit, so I suspect I should be happy with it, depending on what size the carb is, and if it's smaller than the 65's carb I'll put one of them on it. I can't remember the transfer port design on my gray top, but I don't remember it striking me that it was an open transfer design.. Hmm.. I'm going to have to tear it apart again just because that's going to be eating at me.

Doesn't really matter much because it's getting a different P&C anyhow, don't know which generation it's coming off though,.. in all likelyhood a white top

 

[heyduke]

Good to know... I plan on doing a little work to mine and wake it up a bit, so I suspect I should be happy with it, depending on what size the carb is, and if it's smaller than the 65's carb I'll put one of them on it. I can't remember the transfer port design on my gray top, but I don't remember it striking me that it was an open transfer design.. Hmm.. I'm going to have to tear it apart again just because that's going to be eating at me.

Doesn't really matter much because it's getting a different P&C anyhow, don't know which generation it's coming off though,.. in all likelyhood a white top

what i would like to try is using a 272 p/c, plastic spacer and carb. i'd try to retain the 61's plastic intake duct behind the carb and the stock air filter. alternately, i'd like to try keeping the 61 p/c and retro fit a 272 carb. that might be enough to wake up a timid 61.

looks like the L65 uses a tillotson hs-123a, the 61 a tillotson hs-163a. the 272 uses a tillotson hs-260a. hs-260a clones are available on amazon and ebay, spacer too.

anyway keep us posted on your work with the 61.

 

[Rx7man]

I just know an old feller in town who's cleaning out his garage since he's selling his place, he says he has a crushed 61 that ran good... Price is right (free) and it's got what I need to make the nice looking one run (which was free too)

 

[peter92]

have you guys had trouble with the oil hose on the back of the pump not seating properly,

 

[peter92]

well got another oil hose today and pulled the pump apart and its now stopped leaking the bar oil out
1 thing i would like some help on is
when i pulled the pump apart and took the black oil adjustment screw out there are 4 notches on it, when assembling the pump is installed the adjustment screw at the deepest slot, question is, what no would this setting be as i cant read whats on the screw

 

[peter92]

just found this about the 61,s, might find interesting
I got a 61 Rancher from my father-in-law today for free because he couldnt get it runing. Brought it home cleaned the carb put new plug and gas in and away she went. Not bad for free. I do have a couple questions though. It is missing the clutch cover and it is oiling like crazy. How do you adjust the oil amount on this saw? Also does anyone have an IPL for this saw? It is the older one with a white top. Ass# says 823.78 S/N 1611065827. This one also doesnt have a chain brake on it, is it supposed to? I have one other saw and it is a Jonsered 451EV, how would this new 61 be compared to the 451?
It's a (Silver tag) 1981 first number in SN is year made. The IPL shows a chain brake. Sawtroll posted this a while back:
Pre 1987 have a silver tag first #=year
1987-1996 yww+4 black tag y=year ww=week of mfg.
1997-1999 yww+4 +year ex.1999 above SN
1999 up yww+5 no year designation
Good old saws have 4-6 myself including a LN 1989 grey top. The bad thing on them was coil availability actually the ignition module $128 put a lot of them in the scrap. Good news is there are aftermarkets now for around $30-40. In the past I have paid half the value of the saw for a module. It's usually the module not the coil (coil has plug wire on it, module just has wires) that goes bad. IPL attached.
Shep

 

[Paragon Builder]

well got another oil hose today and pulled the pump apart and its now stopped leaking the bar oil out
1 thing i would like some help on is
when i pulled the pump apart and took the black oil adjustment screw out there are 4 notches on it, when assembling the pump is installed the adjustment screw at the deepest slot, question is, what no would this setting be as i cant read whats on the screw

Glad you fixed the oil leak. Not sure on the oiler setting. I've never had mine apart. I believe there was a thread on it though. I just tried different settings til I was happy. Mine is oiling just fine now with a 20" bar.

 

[peter92]

Glad you fixed the oil leak. Not sure on the oiler setting. I've never had mine apart. I believe there was a thread on it though. I just tried different settings til I was happy. Mine is oiling just fine now with a 20" bar.

Thanks for the info, ive got a 24'' on it at the moment and a 16'' for bucking, just want to make sure theres enough oil going on the chain
when running at full revs its leaving a good line of oil on the ground though
Regards Peter

 

[Paragon Builder]

Sounds like you are good to go![emoji106]

 

[heyduke]

well got another oil hose today and pulled the pump apart and its now stopped leaking the bar oil out
1 thing i would like some help on is
when i pulled the pump apart and took the black oil adjustment screw out there are 4 notches on it, when assembling the pump is installed the adjustment screw at the deepest slot, question is, what no would this setting be as i cant read whats on the screw

here's an excerpt from the 61 owner's manual. i'd recommend turning the adjuster all the way clockwise to the "4" position, maximum flow. note that you have to remove the clutch to access the adjuster.



just curious, did you replace the o-ring behind the oil pump? it's part of the crank seal system and could cause an air leak.

 

[peter92]

here's an excerpt from the 61 owner's manual. i'd recommend turning the adjuster all the way clockwise to the "4" position, maximum flow. note that you have to remove the clutch to access the adjuster.

View attachment 417931

just curious, did you replace the o-ring behind the oil pump? it's part of the crank seal system and could cause an air leak.

Thanks for putting up the info for me, and yes, i did replace the O ring as well, saws just had a total rebuild and getting the oiler to work properly was the last thing