Thoughts About Having The Husky Closed Port 55 Piston Reproduced....

[Mastermind]

I've been talking with a very well known AM parts supplier this morning about a project he is working on, and having the Closed Port Husqvarna 55 piston was brought up. He said he needed a used (it could even be scored) piston to make it happen.

I told him I would start a thread here, and on another site to find the piston, and get an idea if there was enough interest.

What say yea ArboristSite? Is there enough guys wanting one of these to make a run?

 

[Jacob J.]

I don't think the market for these would be real strong. While there seems to be a lot of guys here and other forums wanting one, the forums are a fraction of a tiny percentage of saw owners. Most people who have these saws couldn't tell the difference between the cylinders even if you showed them side by side and could care less about the performance benefits.

I think the market for an aftermarket, moderate cost replacement 084 muffler would be stronger- Or a quality 084/088/880 piston kit in a flavor other than Golf or VEC.

 

[Adirondackstihl]

Or ignition parts for a Jonsereds 49SP

 

[jammin_with_j]

I don't think the market for these would be real strong. While there seems to be a lot of guys here and other forums wanting one, the forums are a fraction of a tiny percentage of saw owners. Most people who have these saws couldn't tell the difference between the cylinders even if you showed them side by side and could care less about the performance benefits.

I think the market for an aftermarket, moderate cost replacement 084 muffler would be stronger- Or a quality 084/088/880 piston kit in a flavor other than Golf or VEC.

Its sad, but true. I have seen and used a number of 55 ranches and had no idea before arboristsite that there was a closed port version available. And locally here although the rancher is still popular, I'm not sure enough of the general use homeowners would even know what to look for, or ask for, to repair their saw.

But in saying that I do have a cylinder or two for these ranchers, and it would be great to be able to rebuild one with a windowed piston.

 

[watsonr]

I sent a CP 55 piston and cylinder set awhile back to a manufacturer. The return email was that the run needed to be pretty large and ultimately above my head. I've also sent the 346XP set to someone different, same reply... very large run.

Not pursuing anything after that on either of the two top end sets sent to copy, my thought was that at some point they would probably have enough feedback from other places around the world, dig those sets out and run them themselves. We would all benefit and I didn't have to spend $$$$$ to satisfy 50 people this year.

Granted, I'd have the only one in the country, but the run was way over my head and I've even asked a couple others to split the run... no dice. I agree with JJ, we're a small community and most don't care, they just want a saw to cut wood. Tree service guys don't care, they just buy another saw and move on if the repair is going to take more than a day or cost is roughly half a new saw.

With what the other thread showed in using a CP cylinder with a non-windowed piston and the performance he gained..... besides, I'm not sure that there are so many CP cylinders laying around to begin with. Not having a replacement piston probably cause a bunch to be sent the the crusher.

Makes you wonder if the other model saws could use the same mod and yield the same return?

 

[Mastermind]

Keep these thoughts coming guys, believe me when I say there are people that are interested.

 

[firefighterwolf]

Keep these thoughts coming guys, believe me when I say there are people that are interested.

Didn't you make bushings or whatnot so that a 254 piston could be used? I'd think building kits with a meteor piston and bushings would be feasible.

 

[nmurph]

That same piston would also work for the Jred 590.

 

[Jacob J.]

Keep these thoughts coming guys, believe me when I say there are people that are interested.

Really though, what's the size of this population you're thinking of? As pointed out above, most wood cutters just want a running saw, not the highest performance that can be obtained.

 

[Jacob J.]

Didn't you make bushings or whatnot so that a 254 piston could be used? I'd think building kits with a meteor piston and bushings would be feasible.

I disagree, you have to remember the average Joe woodcutter that would be installing these...the kit would have to be foolproof and bushings of any sort would be a huge no-no.

 

[nmurph]

I've had the 346 discussion before, and to me, it looks like a no-brainer to make an quality aftermarket 346 with Nikasil, better numbers, a quality piston and ring (Meteor/Caber), and healthy compression. Look how many saws it will fit as a bolt and go. The CP55 piston is more of a niche market item.

Then again, I said no-brainer, so maybe I should just slump off under a rock for a while.

 

[zogger]

I have a 55 rancher with a bad top end, I would get a set. As long as the set had quality everything that is, don't want to chase down different rings and bearings and clips.

 

[Jacob J.]

Then again, I said no-brainer, so maybe I should just slump off under a rock for a while.

You're just being a jerk again Neal.

 

[watsonr]

I have a 55 rancher with a bad top end, I would get a set. As long as the set had quality everything that is, don't want to chase down different rings and bearings and clips.

problem with that is not every manufacturer makes everything themselves. They aquire what they don't make and honestly, mostly lower priced junk to keep cost down.

 

[Mastermind]

The 254 piston is not a good choice because of squish, and port timing issues.

 

[TreeTangler]

In my opinion, if a supplier wants to make a run of something with nobody but themselves having to invest something into it, I say go for it. Find them the top end they need and see what they can do. Most of us remember a time when aftermarket top ends where considered very "niche" and probably wouldnt make any money.

 

[Jacob J.]

In my opinion, if a supplier wants to make a run of something with nobody but themselves having to invest something into it, I say go for it. Find them the top end they need and see what they can do. Most of us remember a time when aftermarket top ends where considered very "niche" and probably wouldnt make any money.

I don't remember that time at all. I was working with Nik and Gregg back in 2003/04 when they first started developing the big bore kits for modern saws...I even provided them with a rebuilt 440 to use as a prototype tester...They sent some out for testing with members here and continued to develop the kits. I tested a prototype for 460 myself on a contract thinning job I had at the time. There were problems to be sure but the program got off the ground...

 

[moody]

Or ignition parts for a Jonsereds 49SP

Plus top ends

 

[firefighterwolf]

A few of the problems with manufacturing a closed port 55 cylinder and/or piston are:

• The 50/51/55 family hasn't been sold in the US for many years now.
• They were a relatively inexpensive saw to begin with.
• There are cheap-o open port 46mm AM cylinder/piston kits for $40 on fleabay.

 

[Mastermind]

Good ones.