Tricks for an etech 359

[country boy]

Wow, this is a great site. I just got some land 6 acres, and have been using my old Wright saw alot, and needless to say im sick of finacky saws, I want something that I can fire up and will keep running till the jobs done!

With that being said I just ordered a Husky 359. This is a killer thread as im already thinking about modding it. I got jsut a powerhead so I have a feeling im gonna go with a 18" bar for all around work then get a 24" bar with a full skip tooth chain for the occasional big tree dropping. Any suggestions on a chain for the 18" bar? I cant wait to do the muffler mod and tune the carb....

I saw that some people were talking about the gas cap... Aside from looks is there any difference between the green and standard black?

green caps are installed on saws with the catylitic muffler ,black caps instaled on non cat models as far as i no just different colors

 

[ericjeeper]

Husky bar will work on the dolmar

Well better late than never. I started this post in Aug and man has this site changed my outlook on saws. I did buy and run the non cat on my 359 and yes I had to richen both the L and H screws on my saw. But my power gain wasnt what I wanted so I took the jump and bought a 7900 and man am i pleased. So I still use the 359 with a 20 but I think Im going to sell the 28 inch bar for it. I used a tach to set my 359 and it seems to do best at around 13,500-13,600.You also dont have to cut the limiters off if you pull them out far enough then you can turn the plastic without actually turning the adjustment screw to the carb.

I would not sell it at a loss, and someday need to replace the other one.. Just put a loop of chain on it and hang it on a nail on the wall.

 

[ford832]

green caps are installed on saws with the catylitic muffler ,black caps instaled on non cat models as far as i no just different colors

AFAIK, the "black cap version" is more a homeowner unit while the "green cap version" is the pro user model Mine has the green cap of course This also explains why the majority of Stihls have the black cap.I'm told the colour of the cap also corresponds to the colour of the powerband in the saw which,as we all know,has the most influence on how the machine performs-but that's a topic for another day.........:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[ATH]

I saw that some people were talking about the gas cap... Aside from looks is there any difference between the green and standard black?

Do they even make the non EPA 359 powerhead any longer? I haven't seen it if so (but that doesn't mean a whole lot...)

I am pretty sure the gas cap is the same besides the color......but that is why I jumped in on this thread to make sure there is nothing different b/t the 2 saws besides the muffler and limiters on the carb. It doesn't sound like there is. Can anyone verify that with certainity?

 

[outdoortype]

You'd be hard pressed to find a non-cat 359...

.....at least here in the US. According to Husky's IPL, the Etech carbuerator is different as well. In Husky's workshop manual it states that the EPA versions have caps to limit the adjustment beyond emissions standards. I have (2) 359's. One is a converted etech and the other still has a cat muffler. In comparison, my 359 without cat has a tad more power, runs dirtier with more carbon around the decomp & muffler screen and cools off quicker. The etech version sounds a little different, the muffler screen is spotless, and holds the heat much longer. Both saws will pull the 18" setup fine, but the 16" is noticeably faster. I like Sthil's 3/8 RS/RSC a little more than Oregon's LG. I would like to try a .325 setup on this saw, has anyone tried this?

 

[Lou]

The Green Fuel Cap

Is a visual indicator for an E-tech saw. There is no difference in power band, or home owner vs professional saw on the 359. I do not think you can purchase a non-etech new today. Anyone running the cat muffler needs to be aware of the heat (cool your air cooled engine in a camp fire) they generate and NOT use 100LL (leaded) fuel. The "muffler tax"* (non cat) puts the 359 against the Makita (Dolmar) 6401 ($ vs $), I'm unsure of the winner of this comparison.
A happy 359 owner.
* pirated from Lakeside53

 

[ATH]

.....at least here in the US. According to Husky's IPL, the Etech carbuerator is different as well. In Husky's workshop manual it states that the EPA versions have caps to limit the adjustment beyond emissions standards. ....

But once the limiter caps are out of the way, is the carb any different?

 

[ford832]

Is a visual indicator for an E-tech saw. There is no difference in power band, or home owner vs professional saw on the 359.

Sheesh, J/K Lou.Yeah I know,probably a weak joke but coming from off road motorcycles powerband colour has been a running joke for yearsFWIW, ditch the cat muffler,take off the limiter caps and voila-you have a non etech version.

 

[Lou]

But once the limiter caps are out of the way, is the carb any different?

I don't think so ATH. Lake or one of the other techs needs to weigh in on this question. You will get MANY answers; I'd discard 99% of them dependent on the knowledge of the respondent.

 

[ford832]

There are SLIGHT variations between the etech and non etech carbs but not enough that makes any difference once you take care of the limiter screws imo.I really don't understand why there is such a big deal made about etech saws especially when they so easily defeated.A fixed jet is a horse of a different colour but all the same,if I liked that particular machine,a carb is easy to come by.This is just my opinion and ,as alluded to by Lou,likely best disregarded as I am no small gas tech-simply an auto mechanic for the last 25 years who enjoys playing around with motorcycles and small gas stuff-and I have a 2156 which has been un-etech'd.FWIW,there it is

 

[Mkarlson]

I bought my 359 lil over year ago and after hearing all the talk about heat build up and possible engine failure I got me a 357 muffler on the way. Had to get a new air filter last week. My local box stores had none in stock (imagine that) my nearest dealer is now 51 miles away (Danville, IN) while I was there I asked the service guy about the muffler and he looked it up. A replacement muffler for the 359 in his book is actually the non cat version. I did a check on the part numbers and it was same as baileys for the 357. Got the call yesterday telling me it was in. Had no time today to get it so will have to wait till monday i guess.

 

[Lou]

I bought my 359 lil over year ago and after hearing all the talk about heat build up and possible engine failure I got me a 357 muffler on the way. Had to get a new air filter last week. My local box stores had none in stock (imagine that) my nearest dealer is now 51 miles away (Danville, IN) while I was there I asked the service guy about the muffler and he looked it up. A replacement muffler for the 359 in his book is actually the non cat version. I did a check on the part numbers and it was same as baileys for the 357. Got the call yesterday telling me it was in. Had no time today to get it so will have to wait till monday i guess.

Curious... Cost (-tax)? About $50 through Bailey's once shipping is added.

 

[Freakingstang]

Is a visual indicator for an E-tech saw. There is no difference in power band, or home owner vs professional saw on the 359. I do not think you can purchase a non-etech new today. Anyone running the cat muffler needs to be aware of the heat (cool your air cooled engine in a camp fire) they generate and NOT use 100LL (leaded) fuel. The "muffler tax"* (non cat) puts the 359 against the Makita (Dolmar) 6401 ($ vs $), I'm unsure of the winner of this comparison.
A happy 359 owner.
* pirated from Lakeside53

uhm, how many 6400/6401's have you ran? a stock non cat muffler on a 359 does make a good difference, but it is nowhere near that of the 6400/6401. I own both. basically you are saying that a 359 without the cat muffler is superior to the 357xp, which just isn't true at all.

 

[Lou]

uhm, how many 6400/6401's have you ran? a stock non cat muffler on a 359 does make a good difference, but it is nowhere near that of the 6400/6401. I own both. basically you are saying that a 359 without the cat muffler is superior to the 357xp, which just isn't true at all.

What I meant was my 359 and a new non cat muffler cost about the same as a new 6401 through Bailey's (unsure of shipping costs). If the cost is similar the 359 may not be the best saw to purchase. I've always said a good used Home Depot 6401 ($250±) is a better buy than a new 359.

 

[Mkarlson]

Price same as bailey's minus shipping. I believe it was $33 or $36. Also got the gasket for a couple bucks.

 

[novaman64]

For those of you that have done the muffler mods on this saw, what size hole(s) are you drilling?

 

[Evin]

When I did my muffler mod I did a 5/8 inch hole and it seems to be happy. Also, while the muffler was off I drilled many holes in the inside baffle to allow direct venting. Now the BAD I must confess that I did not get all the metal fillings out and my chainsaw. I then later experienced suck-back which caused me to do a little work on the piston and cylinder Make sure you clean up everything well. You can also drill through the muffler bracket and squeeze some screen between the bracket and muffler for easy cleaning/replacing.

 

[weenieroaster]

I just purchased a couple 359s from Georgia, and on the outside of the fancy box it said, "Approved for operation in California". Husky must sell a lot of those in California.

On my earlier 359. I moded the e-tech muffler before I knew any better. I've been running it that way for about a year, and haven't noticed any adverse effects so far. My wife says my hair is growing back in now....

It was kind of a hassle to do that mod, don't particularly feel like changing the muffler at this point, besides, the damage is probably already done. If I die from it, the first person who comes and picks it up can have it. The cylinder and piston are moded as well.

 

[novaman64]

I also have a 28 inch bar for it which is a little big I know but thats the reason for the upgrade.

Who makes a 28" bar for the 359 mounts?

 

[Modifiedmark]

Oregon 280RNDK095