Pioneer chainsaws

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Great runner! No saw I have feels better balance wise or fit on my hands than the larger P series saws. Great bark to those P51/52 saws.
Thanks, Gentlemen! Maybe because I spent so many years with it, the balance and feel with a 28" bar seem like another limb on me.

I'm bumfuzzled, though. I first put it together stock, and it ran pretty strong. I considered leaving it alone, but I couldn't help myself. I tried the porting in various stages and ended up with the same port timing, etc. it had on the last build (very much like the timing of my stock 655BP and very strong). Thing is, nothing significantly improved performance at any stage! I've ported a number of Pioneers, as well as some other saws, with good results. But not this time.

What can I learn from this (other than to put more dang bar oil in it when I'm trying it out)? I know saws and other machines are idiosycratic, in that sometimes there's an odd one that's especially good. This one may have been like the P51 that used to sometimes beat me - if I'd left it alone. The guy running that P51 was especially good, but there was something special about his saw. About all he'd done to it was to hack the divider out, leaving the stubs. And I know my chains were faster. Maybe some of you guys have some thoughts and can learn me a thing or two about building a saw. Or being smart enough to leave it alone.
 
I am pretty much a neophyte relative to others around here. But, I had to re-time my P50 from scratch, as I fit a non-OEM coil onto it. I don't know what the factory timing was. I had no spark from which to mark it. I set mine at 28 degrees. Seems to respond well. I've had to re-time some XL-76's using alternate coils as well. The Homelites really like 30 degrees.
 
Good info, Hoggwood. Mine all have the ignition timing advanced some past stock; they are typically run at 10,000' elevation, though. The P52 is currently at 5 or 6 degrees additional, and I don't have it dialed in right where I want it yet. Gonna back it off one or two next time I tinker with it. Seems like I had my P42 advanced a lot more than that, and it was a scary little saw. I'm not really happy unless my saw is a little scary.
 
Not sure about school bus yellow. Some might be close but the paint match on most of them is as variable as Homelite red.
I will ask a friend (beavers) who restores Pioneers. He may be able to give me the tint codes he uses for Pioneer Partner Yellow. He get's it mixed up at Home Hardware.
Not sure if he's done any of those models but he does have some.
 

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